Film & Visual Culture and Sociology

Film & Visual Culture and Sociology at Aberdeen adds to your rigorous training in the history and theory of the moving image in the 21st century with a fascinating awakening of your ‘sociological imagination’. You will explore how the societies we live in shape us as individuals in all sorts of ways, with top-rated teaching and a culture of dynamic research that will give you the skills to be a sought-after graduate by employers in many sectors.

Our unique Film and Visual Culture programme combines close analysis of visual objects and artefacts – analogue and digital, moving and still, underground and mainstream – with theories of visual representation, production and circulation. You will gain specialist knowledge and skills in the academic study of cinema, with an emphasis on building analytical skills in research and critical writing. You will also have the opportunity to develop skills in digital video production and web design.

Sociology at Aberdeen will add insight into the lives and times of film-makers you are studying. You will explore how society shapes us as individuals in all sorts of ways and study sociology of the family, work-life balance, religion and society. You will be taught by experts in social movements, conflict and peace, religion and secularisation and global political sociology. You will become skilled in the social research methods used to gather the evidence to better understand aspects of society – such as observation, interviews, large-scale surveys or analysing the content of documents and videos. In addition to your technical ability, you will develop great skills in thinking critically and posing probing questions, which have tremendous value to employers, for example in journalism, marketing and advertising, social and market research, teaching, health services, social work, charities, and human resources.

Sociology at Aberdeen is rated 4th in Scotland in the Complete University Guide 2023.