Sociology (Placement Year)

Why Lancaster?

• Develop sought-after skills in analysis, communication, research and teamwork that will open the door to a wide range of satisfying careers

• Gain additional experience and skills by joining a four-year programme and spend twelve months working in the type of organisation that you might aspire to join when you graduate

• Benefit from training and development opportunities with your placement organisation, while still receiving both academic and pastoral support from Lancaster University

• Tailor your degree by choosing from a wide range of modules such as social justice, gender, environment, migration, race, criminology and film

• Learn from expert staff who contribute to national and international policy through advisory groups, media appearances, blogs and speeches

• Join a team that is committed to making a positive difference in society through activism and research with real-world impact

• Design your own dissertation topic in an area such as autism and social media or masculinity and food consumption

• Extend your knowledge and experience through field trips, film screenings and student societies

Sociology is all about exploring the big issues in today’s world. Why do gender inequalities still exist? How does what we consume affect our sense of identity? What will the sociological impact of the cost-of-living crisis be?

Equipping you for the real world
The social problems that governments and organisations have to tackle don’t come packaged in neat subject boxes. So, we don’t believe you should study like that either. Instead, we’ll encourage you to explore several disciplines so that you’re able to see situations from different angles and grasp the bigger picture.

Your experience on placement will further build your skillsets, providing you with practical experience working within an organisation and enhancing your employability. Alongside building your knowledge, we’ll help you to develop the critical skills you need to carry out independent research. Skills which will equip you for any area of life.

Your Placement Year
Sometimes known as a year in industry, your placement year will take place between your second and final year of study and this will extend your degree to four years.

A placement year is an excellent way to...
• try out a role that you may be interested in as a career path
• start to build your professional network (some placement students are offered permanent roles to return to after they graduate)
• develop skills, knowledge and experience to put you ahead of the field when you graduate

You'll spend your third year...
in a paid, graduate-level position, where you’ll work for between nine and twelve months in the type of role that you might be considering for after you graduate. A very wide range of companies and organisations offer placements across all sectors.
As a full-time employee, you’ll have a detailed job description with specific responsibilities and opportunities to access training and development, the same as other employees.

Our Careers and Placements Team…
will help you to secure a suitable placement with expert advice and resources, such as creating an effective CV, and tips for applications and interviews.
You will still be a Lancaster University student during your placement and we’ll keep in touch to check how you are getting on.

The university will...
use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills. If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year.