Sociology

Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.

This course is moving into one of our new buildings at City campus. Teaching will be delivered at our Collegiate campus during the 2024/25 academic year while we get our new facilities ready. After that you will study in brand new facilities at City campus.

Course Summary

• Gain an understanding of deviance, order, protest, inequality, identity and religion.

• Take on real-world projects with hospitals, the police, schools, councils, charities, and community associations.

• Develop an expert approach to producing life-changing research in the future.

• Tailor your course to your interests with elective modules, live projects and work placements.

• Gain membership of the Social Research Association (SRA).

Human social behaviour and our society is becoming more diverse and intricate. Join us to delve into the challenges of privilege and disadvantage, investigate ethnicity, class, sexuality, age, disability, gender, and religion, and explore social movements for equality in a global context.

By studying Sociology at Sheffield Hallam University you will learn, you will become independent, and you will build a career that affects the world around you.

How You Learn

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Our staff are experts in their fields – bringing their research-based knowledge to all the teaching and learning activities on the course. With their support you’ll develop confidence, champion diversity and make a difference in communities – all in a safe, green and affordable city. You’ll challenge your understanding of the social world through lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials.

You’ll also discover new knowledge and ideas through a variety of field trips, events and guest speakers arranged throughout the year. You’ll develop your skills by working with others in small groups, as well as by creating your own independent learning style.

Key Themes

From day one, you’ll learn how to research, gain independence, benefit from invaluable work placements, and become a confident, competent professional. You’ll explore core sociological knowledge and skills before progressing onto specialised interests and employability skills – working on live projects and putting your skills to the test in real-world situations.

You will develop your knowledge and skills in a range of modules on topics such as Education, Health and Disability, Drugs, Crime and Society, and Gender, Sexuality, and Culture.

Applied Learning

On this industry-focused course, you’ll learn things you can apply to the real world. For example, previously our students have undertaken research with various charities. They have also worked collaboratively online with students from the University of Dallas. There are always opportunities outside of the classroom – we’ve even recently seen a level 4 student deliver a speech to the United Nations.

Live Projects

You’ll undertake live projects as part of your degree, getting a taste of how to use the skills you learn on the course in the real world. For example, working on a project brief for a local charity – undertaking desk-based research, helping them while also forming the basis for your assessment.

You’ll further boost your CV by undertaking more demanding commissioned projects – working in a team to meet the needs of local organisations. These could include research and development departments, charities, human resources, community-based support, businesses and service providers.

Work Placements

In the second year, many students opt to go on an eight-week work placement. This gives you real-world experience to prepare you for your future career.

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Deviance, Order And Protest
 Researching Society
Sociology – The Big Issues
The Sociological Imagination

Year 2

Compulsory modules

Applied Research Methods
Inequality, Identity And Intersectionality
Theorising Modernities

Elective modules

Sociology – Real-World Application
Work Placement (Politics And Sociology)

Year 3

Optional modules

Placement Year

Final year

Compulsory modules

Drugs, Crime And Society
Education, Health And Disability
Gender, Sexuality, And Culture
Sociology Dissertation

Coursework