Social and Political Sciences: what makes our course unique
At this time of year, prospective undergraduate students holding offers are deciding which university to make their first choice, which to choose as their insurance, and which to discount. We caught up with current Social and Political Science students Sadie, Catherine and Rebecca to find out what influenced their decision to study at York, and how they are getting on now.
Third year Social and Political Sciences student Sadie says that she chose the University of York mainly because of the course content of our BA (Hons) Social and Political Sciences. “It’s a very particular course that not many universities offer – it’s really unique,” she says. Sadie made her decision following a visit to one of our Open Days, where she attended a talk by course leader Brian Loader.
A personalised programme tailored to your interests
York particularly appealed to Sadie as students can tailor the programme to suit their interests, drawing on the expertise of three highly-rated academic departments: Sociology, Politics, and Social Policy and Social Work.
Sadie says, “I liked the freedom to pick what I wanted to study. It’s a very broad course which allows students to either specialise very much into one area or to pursue a broad range of topics.” Sadie specialised in political theory and feminist theory, or as she says, “old Greek men and young radical women!”
Sadie was also impressed by the campus, adding, “I really like the idea of a campus university… I am from London and I’m used to living in a city and I wanted something different.”
Boost your employment prospects with an overseas study exchange
Second year Social and Political Sciences student Rebecca Viney took advantage of our overseas study exchange programme. As she says, “I’m writing this while sitting under a palm tree, eating frozen yoghurt and (supposedly) reading about politics and the American media. I am almost halfway through my study abroad year at the University of California Davis. Since I arrived, I have worked on a Congressional campaign (Garamendi - we won, thankfully!), organised speaking events on campus, got a job, and travelled as much as possible: to Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and New York.”
Gain experience with an internship
Many of our students start to develop their CVs early on by undertaking internships with politicians both in the UK and abroad, working with voluntary groups and organising festivals and events.
This strategy paid off for final year student Catherine Hennigan. Following a summer internship at a global investment bank, she was delighted to receive an offer to return full-time after graduation. She says, “The flexible, interdisciplinary approach offered by the SPS degree provided me with a personalised experience that was very much tailored to my academic interests, and helped me to develop a wide range of transferable skills that will be invaluable in the workplace."
Find out more
The School of Social and Political Sciences prides itself on being a small and supportive academic community striving for excellence in our course delivery and learning experience.
If you are holding an offer to start this autumn, log in to You@York to see exclusive information and resources. If you are interested in applying to start in Autumn 2014, visit our Social and Political Sciences pages now to find out more.