BSc (Hons) Sociology · University of SalfordBachelor's degree · 3 years
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The University of Salford · Undergraduate

BSc (Hons) Sociology Bachelor's degree at the University of Salford

BSc (Hons) Sociology at University of Salford is accredited as a nationally recognised UK degree and has received Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.

BSc (Hons)
Award
3
Years
Full-time
Study mode
80%
in work/study (15m)

About this course

Do you find yourself questioning and challenging conventional assumptions about the world we live in? Sociology is concerned with understanding social life and our place within it. It helps us understand and tackle difficult questions, such as issues of poverty, immigration, privacy and social unrest, as well as provid From the provider’s course page.

BSc (Hons) Sociology is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at the University of Salford. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.

For Social sciences graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 15% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £28,000. (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.

8.2
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Exceptional92

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)

Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Excellent80

Moderate evidence Published sample: 60; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Strong75

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 75% (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 6 modules
  • Contemporary Challenges in Crime and SocietyCompulsory
    Module details

    This module will explore contemporary global challenges and complexities in crime and society. Each week, the module will spotlight a distinct social issue, aiming to enhance awareness and provide students with the tools to comprehend, critically assess, and address responses at the local, national, international, and global levels. The focus extends to understanding how these responses generate new challenges. Furthermore, students will develop the ability to analyse and approach these issues d

    Assessment: This module will utilise a blend of lectures, seminars, and practical workshops. Lectures will be delivered to the entire module cohort, followed by seminars conducted in subject-specific groups to foster cohort identity. The primary focus will be on enabling students to cultivate essential social science competencies

  • Criminal Justice and Human RightsCompulsory
    Module details

    You will be introduced to the form, key features and purpose of the institutions of the contemporary criminal justice system in England and Wales and begin an exploration of the issues relating to justice and civil liberties.

  • Culture, Power and DevianceCompulsory
    Module details

    You will become familiar with sociological approaches to the understanding of culture, and the relationship between culture, power and identity. You will examine the social and cultural construction of identity and consider the formation of collective and individual identity, as forces of control and opportunity.

  • Social Divisions and InequalityCompulsory
    Module details

    You will be introduced to social scientific concepts and theories about the nature of social divisions, diversity and social inequality in advanced industrial societies. You will develop an understanding of evidence about major forms of social division and their causes and social consequences and compare alternative explanations of complexity and differentiation in contemporary society.

  • Social Justice in ActionCompulsory
    Module details

    This model explores a wide range of social justice issues such as racial injustice, poverty, gender inequality, ageism, LGBTIQ+ rights, migration, care, disability rights, crime and climate change. We will be looking at these issues on a local level and explore what is done in Greater Manchester to address them. For that purpose, we will look at what actions local authorities, statutory organisations, third-sector organisations and campaigning groups take to respond to social justice issues loca

  • Thinking SociologicallyCompulsory
    Module details

    You will develop knowledge of the major forms of sociological reasoning and the ability to think sociologically about the major problems and issues in society and social life. You will gain an understanding of key concepts in sociology and of the contribution of sociological inquiry to explaining social dynamics.

Year two 11 modules
  • Research Problems and Methods: Making it countCore
    Module details

    You will gain an understanding of the survey research process, including forming a suitable research question, operationalisation, and types of sampling strategy. You will gain knowledge of key concepts in quantitative research, including statistical significance and probability and practical experience of alternative methods of analysing qualitative data.

  • Research Problems and Methods: Qualitatively betterCore
    Module details

    You will develop an understanding of competing methodological approaches to social research. The focus throughout this module will be on learning and experiencing applied methods to address "real world" research social problems. You will gain a working knowledge, and practical experience of, alternative methods of collecting, reporting and presenting qualitative data.

  • Understanding the Social WorldCore
    Module details

    You will develop an understanding of the key schools of thought in sociological inquiry and evaluate the contribution of sociological inquiry to social life. You will analyse the relationships between individuals and their social settings and groups, and critically compare different sociological approaches and their implications for understanding the dynamics of social structures.

  • Critical Perspectives on PolicingOptional
    Module details

    Critical Perspectives on Policing will introduce you to issues surrounding policing and social control, situating contemporary issues and debates within the broader theoretical, social, political and historical context. Whilst focused primarily on policing in England and Wales, the module considers policing across a range of jurisdictions as appropriate.

  • Critical VictimologyOptional
    Module details

    This module offers students an opportunity to develop and apply knowledge on victimology, including causes, processing and responses to victimisation at individual, community and criminal justice levels. The criminological approaches (including theory) and (national and international) policy responses to victims and their needs are examined from a critical criminological approach.

  • Environmental JusticeOptional
    Module details

    We live in a globally responsible world where decisions taken at a local level inevitably have a global impact. Addressing issues of environmental concern through a lens of social justice, this module invites you to think critically about the most pressing issue of our life – the Climate Crisis and you will examine this through both a Sociological and Criminological lens, emphasising the 'Local to Global' policy-making across subjects as interconnected as, climate change and activism, environmen

  • Globalisation, Society and CrimeOptional
    Module details

    The module content is divided into two key themes. The first explores society in a global context including issues of identity, culture and economics. Path dependencies with the colonial era are also considered, with a focus on the divisions and inequalities that exist between the Global North and the Global South. Theme two considers how, in the context of such a globalised world, crime and social harm are experienced, managed and theoretically understood.

    Assessment: 2,500 word essay or Video presentation

  • Human Rights, Genocide and ResistanceOptional
    Module details

    This module addresses the complex and often paradoxical relationships between human rights, extreme human rights abuses, particularly genocide, and resistance to such abuses. Its distinctiveness lies in providing students with interdisciplinary, theoretically informed approaches to human rights, genocide and resistance.

  • Internet, Risk and SecurityOptional
    Module details

    On this module, you will critically engage with ideas concerning social and cultural issues associated with risk and security regarding the uses of the internet.

  • Policing and Social ControlOptional
    Module details

    You will be introduced to issues surrounding the policing and social control in the past, in contemporary society and in the future, and analyse how social control and surveillance are manifested. You will identify the implications for policing and social control studies on wider sociology as well as policy and practice.

  • Violence in SocietyOptional
    Module details

    An overview of the conceptualisation of "violence". You will examine debates concerning violence in various aspects of life, consider the contemporary debates surrounding violence in a range of contexts, trace the development of theorisations of violence and consider ethical, methodological and practical issues involved in the researching of violence.

Year three 4 modules
  • DissertationCore
    Module details

    You will examine a sociological or criminological topic of your choice in an independent piece of research, exploring an area of your own academic, professional or personal interest.

  • Work: Practice and ReflectionCore
    Module details

    You will engage in work based learning, making practical and conceptual connections between the academic study of sociology and criminology and work based activities. You will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of critical reflection.

  • Bodies: Biology to BlushingOptional
    Module details

    This module aims to denaturalise your understanding of the body and promote a sociological conception of both biology and human emotion. You will become familiar with sociologically thinking about the body, including the gendering and racialisation of bodies and you will explore the impact of modern genetics and other technological advancements on contemporary social life.

  • Crime, Society and RacialisationOptional
    Module details

    You will gain an understanding of the construction of deviant labels based on variables of ethnicity, gender and youth, and the relatio

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

Sociology at this university invites you to question and challenge conventional assumptions about the world we live in, exploring how societies understand and respond to inequality, poverty, immigration, privacy and social unrest. A course like this typically builds from foundations to specialist options and a final project. Year 1 introduces core concepts, class, gender, race and social order, alongside practical research methods through interviews and surveys. Year 2 moves into social theory (from Marx and Weber to contemporary thinkers) and more advanced research analysis, with opportunities to specialise in areas such as criminology, social policy, or childhood studies. Year 3 offers specialist options in subjects like migration or health, culminates in research-led seminars on live social questions, and concludes with your own empirical or theoretical research dissertation.

Who it's for

This course suits you if you're interested in understanding society, how institutions work, why inequalities persist, and how social change happens. You'll need A-level or equivalent qualifications; recent entrants typically held UCAS tariffs between 96 and 111 points. The course is designed for those who want to combine theoretical knowledge with practical application, whether you're considering further study or entering the job market directly. First-year retention stands at 89%, suggesting the course structure and support work well for those committed to the subject.

Careers & job market

Nationally, 85% of sociology and social sciences graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. Graduate earnings data (national figures) shows starting salaries of £23,000–£30,000 at 15 months; after three years, £20,400–£28,800; and after five years, £24,650–£34,800. Check the university's funding pages for scholarship details.

University & format

This BSc (Hons) Sociology is studied full-time over 3 years at The University of Salford, a public university in Salford. Instruction is in English. The degree is recognised as a UK degree-awarding body, nationally recognised qualification. The university achieved Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. Most accepted students entered with A-levels or equivalent qualifications.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
83%
Learning opportunities
96%
Assessment and feedback
96%
Academic Support
95%
Organisation and management
90%
Learning resources
97%
Student voice
90%

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.

Application timelineWhat happens next
  1. 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted

    Your application needs a reference before you can send it.

  2. 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  3. 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

  4. 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline

    18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.

Show 5 later dates
  1. 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens

    Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.

  2. 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers

    Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.

  3. 2027 entryClearing opens

    Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.

  4. 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  5. 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

PlacementPublished placement option

Work placement. Availability, selection and pay can vary.

Open daysOpen Days

See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.

Entry & how to get in

Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent100% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 96 - 111 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check the University of Salford's official course page for the current offer.

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

QualificationShare
A-levels or equivalent100%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Accessible entry

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.

Add your grades to see where you land

Your points will drop onto the distribution above, with an honest above / within / below read.

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.

Apply by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesBCCA-level equivalent admitted students held
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write 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.

  3. 3
    Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time

    UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  5. 5
    Results 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.

💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask University of Salford whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.

Fees & funding

What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.

Tuition per year

Homeup to £9,790 / yr
Internationalset by the university

Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.

Check fees at University of Salford →

For students who normally live in England

illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
£9,790tuition used per year, illustrative full-time England fee-cap scenario
illustrative borrowing over 3 years

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.

Funding matched to this course

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All University of Salford funding →
No verified named award is shown for this provider yet.

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.

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Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check

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

WhenMedianTypical rangeGraduates
15 months after£28,000£24,000 – £34,00060
3 years after£22,000£17,000 – £27,500360
5 years after£25,500£19,500 – £33,000375

Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 60; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.

Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course

80%
in work or further study 15 months on
15%
in highly skilled work or study
75%
continue past their first year
90%
find their work meaningful
40%
say work fits their future plans
  1. 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in sociology & social sciences · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
  4. 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs Sociology & Social Sciences nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£28,000
£23,000 – £30,000
After 3 years LEO
£22,000
£20,400 – £28,800
After 5 years LEO
£25,500
£24,650 – £34,800
national rangethis course’s medianaxis £19,000 – £36,000

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.

80 of 100

were in work or further study

15 months after graduation

70% working5% working and studying5% in further study15% in highly skilled work or study

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 60; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. 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.

UK occupations graduates enter

Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.

  • Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
  • Customer service occupationsDiscover Uni category · 15% of published destinations
  • Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
  • Welfare and housing associate professionalsSOC 2020 322 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,937
  • Secretarial and related occupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
  • Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations

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.

85%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Sociology & Social Sciences courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes
55%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
89%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

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.

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.

Live from the StudySmarter job board · as of 2026-08-01.See all matching jobs

Is 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

80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £28,000. 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 8.2 out of 10: NSS 92.4% · in work or study 80% · continued 75%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

The University of Salford

All students26,030
International19.1%
Aged 25+31.8%

Social sciences across the UK

Students275,900
Aged 25+37%

HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.

Local crime-data context

A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.

Around Salford University

10 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.

Violent Crime 7Other Crime 1Other Theft 1Theft From The Person 1

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 University of Salford from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is set per course by University of Salford; 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 University of Salford’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 University of Salford and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is historically accessible, accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 96 - 111 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
Set by the University of Salford. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
For Social sciences graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 15% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £28,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
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. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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