History and Sociology

Our History and Sociology course examines history, culture and society. See how historical events, actors and institutional legacies have influenced the world we live in today. Discover the complementary insights that can be gained from combining historical and sociological research. And explore the theory and the reality of why societies and social groups interact in the ways they do.

This course is for you for you if you're interested in understanding the history of people, culture and societies, and their evolution. The two complementary subjects both involve understanding people - their interests, motivations and culture - and why societies and social groups act the way they do.

You'll be taught by staff from both departments, and will draw information from sources including film, visual images, literature and television as well as written texts. The flexible course structure enables you to choose modules from a wide range of options in both History and Sociology. Core modules in your first year introduce you to research and quantitative methods, and to the study of modern history set in a global context. Sociology core modules cover the history of sociological thought, and class and capitalism. In your second and third years you can choose from optional modules, with current options examining areas such as British imperialism, slavery, the significance of gender, crime, religious conflict or health in history, and political sociology. In your final year you can either maintain a balance between the two subjects or specialise in either History or Sociology.

Students will be offered the opportunity at the start of their second year to apply for an optional Year Abroad. Following the application process, those students who are offered and take up a Year Abroad place transfer to the four-year History and Sociology (with a Year Abroad) course, with the Year Abroad as the third of the four years.