Social and policy sciences at Bath: What do I need to know?

Learn more about our undergraduate social and policy sciences degrees, and discover more about what you’ll study, career opportunities, and student experience.

What's the difference between sociology, social policy, and social sciences?

Find out about our courses and what makes each one unique.

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At Bath, our Department of Social & Policy Sciences offers four similar undergraduate degrees:

BSc (Hons) Sociology
BSc (Hons) Social Policy
BSc (Hons) Sociology and Social Policy
BSc (Hons) Social Sciences

Each starts with the same introductory units covering social theory, ideas about the state and social change, and the central traditions of social research in Year 1, allowing you to familiarise yourself with key theories and approaches.

In Year 2 and your final year, you will study more specialised units tailored to your chosen pathway to develop your knowledge to a more advanced level.

Across each degree, you’ll complement compulsory units with optional units. These may span sociology, social policy, criminology and international development, as well as wider subjects like economics, education, psychology, and politics.

You'll also develop and strengthen key research and data analysis skills, regardless of which degree pathway you choose.

BSc (Hons) Sociology

As a Sociology student, you’ll investigate the social, political and economic forces that shape identities, communities, inequality and power — examining how these dynamics are experienced in everyday life and reflected in global issues such as climate change, technology and health.

Core study will deepen your understanding of contemporary societies, enabling you to critically analyse their foundations and explore ways to bring about positive change both in the UK and globally.

Find out more about BSc (Hons) Sociology

Social Policy explores social justice and welfare issues, helping you to understand key questions and challenges faced by society around rights, equality and distribution of resources.

You'll focus on important policy areas — such as family, poverty, social inequality, and policy processes — and increase your understanding of contemporary social welfare issues at local, national and international levels.

Find out more about BSc (Hons) Social Policy

This course lets you combine understandings of contemporary social theory with the processes that underpin policy-making practices. You will explore new and creative ways to tackle key social challenges.

This will build your knowledge of how social institutions develop and operate, and the ways they could be improved.

Find out more about BSc (Hons) Sociology and Social Policy

The most flexible of our four, this degree lets you to explore the areas of social science that you're most interested in.

You’ll be able to take a broad-based approach or choose to specialise in specific areas — such as policy, social theory, or justice and conflict. You can also take units focused on economics, psychology, education, and politics for an even more diverse experience.

Find out more about Social Sciences

What can I do with a social and policy sciences degree?

Our degrees allow you to tailor your studies around your interests and potential future career.

Will it help me get a job?

Whilst a university degree doesn’t guarantee you a job, a social and policy sciences degree at Bath will provide you with the tools and support for your future career.

Bath is in the Top 10 for graduate prospects in Complete University Guide 2026¹ – and ranks 5th for graduate prospects in Sociology².

You will gain key transferable skills for a variety of industries, including:

critical and analytical thinking
quantitative and qualitative research skills
presentation and communication skills
adaptability and resilience
project management
team working

Read about our students' (past and present) experiences studying a social and policy sciences degree, and how it has lead to a range of rewarding careers.

What do graduates go on to do?

Many of our social sciences graduates have progressed to work as social and policy researchers, civil servants, international consultants, journalists, and accountants.

Previous graduates have secured roles in a range of organisations, including:

Bird and Bird
Department for Education
Nest Pensions
Ofcom
University of Bath

See more examples of what our graduates go on to do.

Can I do a placement?

Our Department of Social & Policy Sciences courses offer the option to do a professional placement alongside your studies. These course pathways lasts 4 years, with you doing a placement in your third year before returning for a final year of study.

You'll take what you've learnt and apply it in a practical context. Employers often value placements, so you could gain an advantage in the job market.

Previous students have done placements in commercial, voluntary, government, or research settings. These include:

Bankers for Net Zero
Prisoners Abroad
Home Office
SafeLives

A placement isn’t guaranteed, but we have a dedicated placement team to help you with CV writing, job interviews, and more. Some students have been offered graduate roles following placements.

Find out more about placements.

What are lectures like and how are we assessed?

Lectures are different to classroom lessons at school or college. Typically, you will be taught alongside a large group and by a lecturer who will cover key components of the course.

Lectures tend to give you an overview of a topic and are then complimented by seminars, workshops, and tutorials. These are smaller group sessions that give you the opportunity to expand and explore what you have learnt.

In your first year, you will typically be timetabled around 8 to 12 hours of lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops each week. However, this can vary between courses.

Methods of assessment will also vary between units, but you can expect to do essays, exams, presentations, and reports, as well as a dissertation.

Across all units, you’ll learn from teaching staff with diverse backgrounds and expertise, whose passion, knowledge and research activities shape their teaching.

How is a social and policy sciences degree different to A-Levels?

One key difference between a university degree and A-Levels (or equivalent) is the level of independent learning.

In addition to timetabled hours, you may be expected to undertake around 23 to 32 hours per week of independent learning in your first year. This can include:

individual research
reading journal articles and books
working on individual and group projects
preparing coursework assignments or revising for exams

Independent learning is a key part of developing your sociological imagination and academic skills. It is your opportunity to engage with theories and ideas at a deeper level compared to A-Level.

Our Skills Centre provides dedicated student support to help you train your academic skills

Close up shot of a student holding a textbook.

Next steps...

Continue your journey to studying social and policy sciences at Bath.

Still not sure about which degree is the one for you?

Compare our courses and find out what makes each one unique.

Visit us at an Open Day

Experience our campus and hear from experts from within our Department of Social & Policy Sciences at one of our Open Days.

If you can’t join us in person, you can get an idea of what it’s like to study with us, no matter where you are in the world, with our virtual experience web pages.