BA (Hons) Sociology Bachelor's degree at Southampton Solent University
BA (Hons) Sociology at SSU. You'll combine core theoretical frameworks with research methods and applied practice, developing analytical skills you can use across public policy, charities, business and community work.
About this course
BA (Hons) Sociology is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at SSU, based in East Park Terrace. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Sociology graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 55% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £27,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Sociology & Social Sciences, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year one 4 modules
- Becoming SociologicalCore
Module details
This module will introduce you to the discipline of Sociology, enabling you to start becoming sociological. You will start developing your sociological imagination, by being introduced to a range of social theories and concepts that allow you to perceive the world through a sociological lens.
- Researching SouthamptonCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the core concepts, methods and practices used to research urban life. Content covers key themes in urban sociology, including inequality; community dynamics; space and place, and the social impacts of urban change
- Broken Britain: Social Problems and InequalitiesCore
Module details
This module introduces you to social inequalities related to gender, ethnicity, class, disability, health, age, nationality, religion, and sexuality by investigating social problems connected to poverty, homelessness, migration, unemployment, youth crime, gang violence, and educational attainment.
- Power: Its Uses and AbusesCore
Module details
This module will cover introductions to illegitimate power and legitimate authority; classical and contemporary accounts of power; political power; socio-cultural power; economic power; technological power, and case studies of power and authority.
Year two 4 modules
- Believing and BelongingCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the diverse ways people find meaning, identity and connection through belief and community. While teaching covers key debates in the sociology of religion, secular worldviews, spirituality, ethics, and belonging, the emphasis is on practice-based learning that develops your ability to interpret how beliefs shape everyday life.
- Theories of Society and CultureCore
Module details
On this module you will have the opportunity to engage with contemporary thinkers and debates in social theory. You will be required to critically examine the ideas of contemporary social theorists and explore the application of their ideas to an ever-changing world.
- Research, Practice and EmploymentCore
Module details
Working on a live project for an external organisation, you will develop professional research skills, as well as gaining valuable experience working for an employer as part of your degree. You will develop a set of practical research skills that you will use as a real-world sociologist, such as writing a proposal; bidding (pitching) for research; designing the research; writing up field notes, analysing and presenting your research.
- Death, Dying, KillingCore
Module details
This module explores the sociological dimensions of death, dying, and killing across cultural, political, and historical contexts. It examines how societies construct meanings around mortality that reflect their death practices; how institutions of healthcare, law, religion and the state regulate death, and how social inequalities shape experiences of dying.
Final year 4 modules
- AI, Online Networks and Future WorldsCore
Module details
This module critically examines the social, political, and cultural effects of society's current reliance on digital networks and the burgeoning use of artificial intelligence (AI), in relation to emerging technological futures.
- World in Crisis and Wasted LivesCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the complex social, political and ethical challenges shaping life in an age of global crisis. While teaching explores key debates around forced migration, displacement, war, climate change, environmental breakdown, and the devaluation of human life, the emphasis is on practice-based learning that develops your ability to critically evaluate real-world problems.
- Advocacy, Rights and Community ActionCore
Module details
This module provides you with the opportunity to work with an organisation that puts people at the heart of what it does in local communities. You will enhance your experience of the world, and your own CV, by directly involving yourself with advocacy, rights and community action.
- The Social ProjectCore
Module details
This module enables students to apply sociological knowledge, theory, and research skills to a real-world project related to students' extra-curricular interests.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This degree explores how societies work, examining class, gender, race and social order alongside how communities respond to inequality and harm. You'll usually begin with foundations in sociology and social research methods, including interviews, surveys and research ethics. In Year 2, you'll progress to social theory (from Marx and Weber to contemporary thinkers) and move into applied streams, with specialisations such as criminology, social policy, gender and identity, migration, or social work routes. Year 3 typically brings specialist options and research-led seminars on live social questions, culminating in your own empirical or theoretical dissertation project. The course combines theoretical understanding with practical research skills throughout.
Who it's for
This course suits you if you're curious about why society works the way it does and comfortable asking difficult questions about inequality, culture and power. You should enjoy reading widely, analysing arguments critically and engaging with evidence, including research data and real-world case studies. If you're drawn to work in policy, community development, research, communications or social sectors generally, or if you simply want to study human society in depth before deciding your next step, this programme will feel intellectually engaging. You'll need the intellectual stamina for sustained reading and writing, and a genuine interest in understanding different perspectives on social life.
Careers & job market
Across Sociology and Social Sciences nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating. Around 55% of those working are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. Graduate earnings data shows starting salaries in the range of £23,000 to £30,000; after five years, graduates typically earn between £24,650 and £34,800. These figures are drawn from national outcomes data and will vary depending on your chosen field, location and individual circumstances.
University & format
This BA (Hons) Sociology is studied full-time over 3 years at Southampton Solent University, a University based on East Park Terrace. Teaching is conducted in English. The degree is recognised as a UK degree-awarding body, with national recognition. The university has received a Gold award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 65% |
| a previous degree | 15% |
| Other | 15% |
| an Access course | 10% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code S001). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at SSU →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Sociology & Social Sciences graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £27,000 | £21,000 – £29,000 | 15 |
| 3 years after | £22,500 | £18,500 – £26,500 | 55 |
| 5 years after | £27,500 | £21,500 – £32,000 | 50 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in sociology & social sciences · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Sociology & Social Sciences nationally
National figures for Sociology & Social Sciences graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Sociology & Social Sciences courses at the same study level.
Compared with 751 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Protective service occupationsDiscover Uni category · 20% of published destinations
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 30; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Sociology & Social Sciences graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Sociology & Social Sciences graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Local authorities
- Charities & NGOs
- Research organisations
- Government & universities
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Sociology & Social Sciences graduates.
Sociology AdjunctCommonwealth Of VirginiaSociology ECT - High-Achieving Secondary School in BrightonMarchant RecruitmentHead of Psychology and SociologyTeacherActiveIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £27,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.8 out of 10: NSS 83.6% · in work or study 85% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Southampton Solent University
Social sciences across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around East Park Terrace
3,609 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Sociology & Social Sciences right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to SSU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by SSU; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check SSU’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with SSU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at SSU
Sociology & Social Sciences at other universities
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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