About us

The Department of Sociology was one of the first departments to be established in the University and has since become one of the premier centres in the UK for research and teaching in the subject. Our work in areas as diverse as science and technology, language and interaction, and culture and new media, has for many years been recognised as being among the most innovative and influential in the world.

We offer first-rate undergraduate degrees plus postgraduate training both in research and in our taught Masters programmes. Dedicated to providing the very best experience and opportuntites for study, our aims and objectives are:

Aims and objectives

To produce graduates of a high academic quality
To incorporate the latest research and scholarship into our courses
To equip students for the world of work
To enable students to appreciate the value of sociological inquiry and to enjoy studying the discipline
To empower students by increasing their degree of control over course selection and topics of study
To provide students with an understanding of the nature, content and scope of the discipline of sociology
To arouse students' enthusiasm for the discipline of sociology through a varied and stimulating educational programme
To develop students' communication, comprehension and co-operative skills, together with their capacity for independent, analytic and critical thought
To help students acquire the skills involved in marshalling, and making balanced judgements about, complex bodies of evidence
To assist students to discover their abilities, and to develop as independent, mature and responsible individuals
To provide the opportunity to explore specific areas of sociological interest through postgraduate study and research
To sustain a vibrant doctoral programme capable of developing a new generation of researchers
To enagage with communities (including lay, policymakers and practioners where appropriate) and ensure our research remains relevant to society