Diploma in Sociology

About the Diploma programme

This programme offers the following benefits:

• The opportunity to be taught by research active staff, who are renowned in their fields.
• Many members of the Department have established national and international reputations. Examples are the social, ethical, cultural and legal implications of developments in brain sciences, psychiatric genetics and psycho-pharmacology (Nikolas Rose), reproductive technologies (Sarah Franklin), community crime prevention, policing, social exclusion and urban social change, the relationship between culture and economy, specifically focusing on the sociology of economic life, the sociology of the internet and visual sociology (Don Slater), sociological theory (Nigel Dodd), political sociology (Robin Archer), the study of human rights and their relation with crime and politics, and race and ethnicity (Paul Gilroy). These and other courses reflect the Department's commitment to establishing the relevance of sociology to the modern world.
• The opportunity to extend your knowledge and understanding in areas of special interest related to sociology. If you have little or no knowledge of the social sciences, this Diploma in Sociology provides a good one-year foundation before proceeding to the MSc in Sociology, normally in the following year and after passing the Diploma at an acceptable level.
• Knowledge of the ways in which societies work, and skills in critical social understanding, techniques of social enquiry and communication through systematic and lucid argument. The skills that you develop in research techniques and computing will enable you to assemble, interpret and use social statistics.
• Students go into a wide variety of professions, such as teaching, research, politics, public administration, the social and health services, advertising, journalism, other areas of the media, law, publishing, industry, accounting, marketing, personnel and management.

The programme introduces students who may be unfamiliar with sociology to empirical and conceptual analysis.

Compulsory courses

• Either Key Concepts in Sociology: An Introduction to Sociological Theory or Sociological Analysis
• Issues and Methods of Social Research

Options

You choose a total of two course units through a combination of full and/or half option course units from a list of undergraduate courses offered within the Department.