Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences

Our teaching excellence and real world experience encourage wider thinking. We help our students realise their potential and make a positive impact on society.

Our academic departments

Our six academic departments are research active and teach our portfolio of courses.

Department of Economics

We conduct high quality research and teaching in economics. Our graduates have excellent employment prospects due to our established industry placements scheme.

Department of Education

Mother helping her son with his homework

We conduct research and teach courses to further our understanding of a range of education-related issues nationally and internationally.

Department for Health

We deliver highly-rated courses in sport, exercise and health, alongside research to promote wellbeing and enhance functional performance.

Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies

We offer a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees spanning politics, languages, economics, international studies and interpreting.

Department of Psychology

Two researchers using a computer in a dark room

A large and growing team of staff offers expertise in a broad spectrum of psychology topics, which allows our students to work across traditional boundaries.

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

One of the UK's leading centres for social sciences, we offer degrees in sociology, social policy, social work, international development and criminology.

Research Excellence Framework 2021

REF assesses the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. Find out how our research is having a positive impact around the world on physical and mental health, economic well-being, climate change, education and political policy.

Read more about our `REF 2021 impact case studies

Real research, real impact

Our research solves real-world problems.

Strategies to support migrant victim-survivors of domestic abuse

Blog: Amy Hill, Hannah Burke, Giulia Grogan, Jain Lemom and Tina Skinner make policy recommendations to support migrant victim-survivors of domestic abuse.

Prison Crisis and the Penal Merry-Go-Round

Professor Yvonne Jewkes addresses the current prison crisis and how continual changes in leadership contribute to an unsustainable penal system.

Supporting social work services for children in China

Chinese children gather together laughing.

Dr Louise Brown talks about innovations to support service development in a huge country.

Get experience outside of the classroom with a placement or Year Abroad

Many of our students do a placement or project with a real-world organisation as part of their degree. For undergraduate language students, there's also the opportunity to go on a placement as part of your Year Abroad.

Enhance your employability with a humanities and social sciences placement

A student in a meeting room with three other people smiling while talking.

Put your degree into practice and gain vital experience with a work placement. Placements can be in the UK or overseas, and some are paid.

Discover the Year Abroad on our language undergraduate degrees

A student stepping off a train at a station

The Year Abroad is an exciting part of our language degrees. You'll spend time in Europe, or beyond, studying, doing a placement, or a combination of the two.

Student stories

Find out what it's like to study with us from some of our students and graduates.

My year as a Sport Science Practitioner and Research Assistant

Caitlin Gallagher talks about finding a placement in Sweden and the skills and experience she has gained from her year abroad.

Combining academic study with UNICEF projects

Student Rand Altaher standing in front of UNICEF tent in Jordan. Photo Credit: UNICEF

MSc Humanitarianism, Conflict and Development student Rand Altaher reveals how studying at the University of Bath shaped her career and work at UNICEF.

Pursuing a career in sport and exercise medicine

Ronjan Bhattacharya, MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine

Ronjan Bhattacharya explains his plans to continue working in sport following the MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine at the University of Bath.

Took off from Malaysia, landed a job at the Bank of England

Grace Ling is a recent graduate from BSc (Hons) Economics at the University of Bath. She shares the memories of her journey as an international student.

Studying for my Bath master's in the Middle East

MA Education alumnus, Chris Jenkinson, talks about studying remotely at Bath and how it enabled him to further his career in the United Arab Emirates.

How I became an interpreter and translator for Disney and adidas

Xinnan Tian, an MA Interpreting and Translating graduate, helps businesses market their products to an international audience.

Upcoming events

View upcoming events in our Faculty.

Quite Unsuitable for Females

14 Oct 2021 6.15pm University of Bath

History stopped the growth of women’s sport and we still feel that impact today.

About us

We offer a diverse range of undergraduate courses covering economics, education, psychology, policy and languages. We also offer a variety of taught and research-based postgraduate courses, from master's to doctorate qualifications.

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Our team

View our teams or contact one of our departments.