Politics and Sociology

Description

Political issues are invariably social issues, involving questions of power, inequalities, conflict and change in contemporary societies.

Dividing your time equally between sociology and politics, you develop a rich, in-depth and well-informed understanding of the social forces that create and sustain political and social institutions.

Optional modules, linked to our research expertise, allow you to tailor the degree to suit your own interests, with options like:

• global poverty
• feminist political thought
• 'race', racism and society
• the politics of the arts
• European, Asian and American politics

Study at the cutting edge

The subject areas of politics and sociology at Newcastle both have an international reputation for their research.

In Politics, our research activity focuses on three overlapping areas:

• governance and political organisations
• international politics
• political philosophy

In Sociology, our research areas include:

• the changing nature of identities and cultures in contemporary society in relation to a range of social relationships and issues
• the social and ethical implications of the life sciences, such as public understanding of science (including genetics and food modification) and living with a chronic illness
• contemporary social change

Detailed Course Facts

• GBP 9000 Year (EEA)
• GBP 12075 Year (Non-EEA)

• English

Course Content

Our degrees are divided into Stages. Each Stage lasts for an academic year and you need to complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each Stage.

Please be aware that programme modules do change and therefore may differ for your year of entry.

Stage 1

Compulsory modules

• SOC1032 Politics and Society
• POL1045 Truth, Lies and Politics

Optional modules

You choose two Sociology modules from the list below:

• SOC1027 Comparing Cultures
• SOC1030 The Sociological Imagination: An Introduction to the Discipline
• SOC1031 Knowing in Sociology: An Introduction to Theory, Methods and Epistemology
• SOC1033 Understanding Everyday Life

You choose two Politics modules from this list:

• POL1017 Governing Under Pressure: The Politics of the UK & EU
• POL1022 Introduction to Political Thought
• POL1032 Introduction to International Politics
• POL1046 Order & Disorder: The Shaping of the 21st Century
• POL1047 Power, Participation and Democracy: Comparative Perspectives

Stage 2

Compulsory modules

• SOC2069 Researching Social Life I

You choose one of the following modules. Your choice will depend on whether you want to focus your dissertation on Politics or Sociology in your final year:

• SOC2070 Researching Social Life II
• POL2081 Research Methods in Politics

Optional modules

You will take 60 credits from the following modules unless you have selected POL2081 then you will only take 40 credits from the list below:

• POL2012 Politics of the Middle East
• POL2022 Government and Politics of the USA
• POL2034 The Politics and Policy of the European Union
• POL2078 Critical International Politics
• POL2079 Political Thought: Hobbes to Marx
• POL2080 Political Thought: Conservatism, Nationalism and Fascism
• POL2082 Political Violence and the Modern State
• POL2087 Contemporary Russian Politics
• POL2088 The Politics of Africa: Africa's Place in Global Politics

You will take 40 credits from the following modules unless you have selected SOC2070 then you will only take 20 credits from the list below:

• SOC2067 Consumer Culture: Local and Global Perspectives
• SOC2041 Issues in Urban Sociology
• SOC2043 Anthropology of India
• SOC2056 The Sociology of Health and Illness
• SOC2058 Understanding Social Change and Transformation
• SOC2071 The Sociology of Childhood
• SOC2074 Spectacle, Image and Media: The Sociology of Visual Cultures
• SOC2081 Work, Self and Society

Stage 3

Optional modules

You choose one of the following dissertation modules:

• POL3046 Dissertation in Politics
• SOC3097 Dissertation in Sociology

If you select SOC3097 you will take 60 credits from the following modules or if you have selected POL3046 you will only take 20 credits from the list below:

• POL3059 Democracy and the Constitution
• POL3063 European Union: Decision Making Simulation
• POL3076 Erasmus Student Exchange (Dissertation Students)
• POL3077 Global Poverty and Global Politics
• POL3078 Britain and the European Union
• POL3079 The Government and Politics of Italy
• POL3081 International Political Thought
• POL3082 Feminist Political Theory
• POL3090 The Rise and Fall of New Labour
• POL3092 Political Parties and Elections in the UK
• POL3095 The United Nations in a Global World
• POL3098 War, Genocide, Terror: Understanding Organised Violence
• POL3099 Power, Security and Protest in the Middle East
• POL3100 History of World Political Thought
• POL3101 Postcolonial Politics

If you select SOC3097 you will only take 20 credits from the following modules or if you have selected POL3046 you will take 60 credits from the list below:

• SOC3045 Regulating Sexuality
• SOC3063 Contemporary American Society
• SOC3067 Sociology of the Environment
• SOC3069 ‘Race’, Racism and Society
• SOC3073 Social Theory
• SOC3074 Sociology of Evil
• SOC3077 'Making People': An Anthropology of Belonging, Life and Death
• SOC3078 Dreamworlds: Society and the Utopian Imagination
• SOC3085 Student Exchange

You also have the opportunity to spend semester 1 of Stage 3 studying abroad through a study exchange. You study modules that count towards your final degree and begin work on your dissertation.

English Language Requirements

IELTS band : 6.5 TOEFL iBT® test : 90

To study at this university, you have to speak English. We advice you to

Requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis. If your qualifications are not listed here, please see our additional entry requirements web pages to find out which other qualifications are considered.

- A Levels

ABB-BBB

- Scottish Qualifications

AABBB-BBBBB at Higher Grade. Combinations of Highers and Advanced Highers accepted.

- International Baccalaureate

32-34 points.

- Irish Leaving Certificate

A1A1B1B1B-AABBB at Higher Level.

- Access Qualifications

Access to HE Diploma with at least 30 level 3 credits at a minimum of Distinction and, in addition, at least 15 level 3 credits at a minimum of Merit. Level 3 units in Sociology and English are desirable.

- BTEC Level 5 HND

BTEC Level 5 HND to include at least 120 credits at Merit grade and 30 credits at Distinction grade.

- BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma)

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma at overall DDM-DMM grade.

- Cambridge Pre-U

D3, M2, M2 - M2, M2, M2 in Principal Subjects.

- English Language Requirements

For this degree you will need a minimum score of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.
Visit our International Students webpages to find out more about our English language admission requirements and English language support courses offered by INTO Newcastle University.

- International Foundation Programmes

If you are an international student and you do not meet the academic and English language requirements specified above, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Newcastle University, which will help to prepare you for study on this degree course. INTO Newcastle University is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses including the International Foundation in Humanities and Social Sciences.

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Want to improve your English level for admission?
Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• Flexible study schedule
• Experienced teachers
• Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Access Bursary

  Bursary for UK students all subjects where the variable tuition fee rate is payable.

• Alumni Bursary

  Alumni Bursary for UK Undergraduate students

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than Newcastle University.