- 6th in the UK for world leading and internationally recognised research1
- 10th for graduate level employment and postgraduate study rates for Sociology2
- 92% for Overall Satisfaction in Sociology in the National Student Survey (2011)3
- 9th for Sociology in The Guardian University Guide 2012
- Top 10 in the UK for both Sociology and Philosophy in the The Sunday Times University Guide 2012
- Flexibility to tailor your degree around your own interests
- Opportunities to study abroad in Europe, USA, Australia and elsewhere
- Distinctive interdisciplinary approach with philosophers, sociologists, and anthropologists working together in teaching and research
This fascinating subject, concerned with understanding all aspects of society and social life, thrives at Exeter. You’ll examine social, political, historical, cultural and economic issues and study topics such as families, industrial firms, churches, crowds and political parties. You will focus not only on modern industrial nations, but also on tribal and historical societies and on contemporary developing nations.
Our Sociology programmes have been specially designed to help you develop a deep understanding of how societies, institutions and practices of all kinds came into being, how they are currently organised and how they might change in the future. To examine these in depth, you’ll learn to use logical and systematic methods of analysis to reveal patterns of social action.
Sociology aims to provide a critical understanding of society. It examines the way that social groups are formed, sustained and are able to impose cooperative forms of action among their members. Accordingly, sociologists are interested in the wide range of social activities from intimate personal relations to the apparently faceless operation of state bureaucracies. In each case, sociology seeks to identify how the social context in which participants operate influences the practices in which they engage. Sociologists are particularly concerned with exploring the role of shared understandings in coordinating this action.
Our department has a student-friendly atmosphere and we’re keen to encourage your personal and professional development, as well as your academic performance. You’ll be expected to develop good organisational and time management skills and we’ll help you to acquire further employability skills (for example in communication, presentation and IT). The modules within our degree programmes have been designed to teach you to gather, select and organise material from a variety of sources and to evaluate its significance. We stress the importance of working flexibly and creatively with others, of engaging in rational debate, and of exercising independent thought and judgement.
Sociology is taught and studied in the department of Sociology and Philosophy; this is indicative of an interdisciplinary focus in which Sociology can be studied either for Single Honours, or in combination with many other arts and social science subjects, including Philosophy and Anthropology. The department is a small, but highly successful unit. You’ll benefit from both a friendly atmosphere and exposure to the latest advances in social science research.
Our academic staff have a wide range of research interests in sociology, anthropology and philosophy. Our research is particularly noted for the contributions it makes to the sociology and anthropology of culture (science and technology, religion, the arts, sport and the military), the sociology of knowledge and social theory. The leading role of our department in the philosophy and sociology of science is recognised in an Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) funded Centre for the Study of Genomics in Society, based at Exeter. Our research was ranked 6th in the UK in the latest Research Assessment Exercise (2008). As an undergraduate you’ll benefit from this research culture as your teachers will be contributing to current debates, giving you access to the latest thinking and resources.
Numbers
Exeter
Entrants: 49
Applicants: 532
*RAE 2008 based on percentage of research categorised as 4* and 3*
**based on the average percentage of positive responses for full service universities
Exeter offered a wide range of interesting modules in Sociology, and complement each other very well. The Sociology department also includes anthropology, which means I’ve had the chance to study both subjects over my three years here.
A lot of the lecturers are very passionate about their subjects, and that comes out in the teaching. The lectures are very helpful for general overviews of the topics, and seminars are great to discuss and clarify topics, and develop my own arguments.
Ruth Jenkins, 3rd year Sociology
1 RAE 2008 based on the percentage of research categorised as 4* and 3*. Philosophy at Exeter is included in the unit of assessment for Sociology.
2 Based on proportion of UK domiciled, full-time, first degree graduates in Sociology with a known career or study destination (HESA 2008/09)
3 Percentage of students who agreed they were satisfied
