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Sociology and Education (BSc)

  • Subject area: Social sciences
  • UCAS code: 8J46
  • Next intake: September 2025
  • Duration: 3 years
  • Mode: Full time
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Why study this course

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A year abroad or on placement

Expand your horizons; gain experience with study abroad options or a professional placement.

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Research-led

Develop your research skills with the support of research-active staff; apply your skills in a dissertation project.

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Sociology in context

Explore sociology in a range on contexts such as globalisation, education, social media, culture and consumption and ethnic relations.

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Education in context

Explore debates around classroom practice that relate to wider issues in society.

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Placement opportunities

Undertake a placement with the help of our dedicated Employability and Placement manager.

This degree programme is an opportunity to study both Education and Sociology within an interdisciplinary social sciences context.

Our Education teaching is informed by our research in education and the latest developments in policy and practice, encompassing aspects of culture and identity, childhood and youth, gender and ethnicity, and social justice and inclusion.

Sociology is dedicated to the study of social life as found in groups, institutions and societies. It provides the critical tools for handling the analysis of all aspects of social conduct, from face-to-face interactions to how economic forces shape and are shaped by global society.

This course uses a wide range of approaches to help you learn the methods and ideas needed to develop a deep understanding of the social, historical, political, economic and developmental contexts of education and to make your own contribution to understanding and improving society.

Subject area: Social sciences

  • academic-schoolSchool of Social Sciences
  • icon-chatGet in touch
  • Telephone+44 (0)29 2087 4208
  • MarkerKing Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WA

Entry requirements

We accept a combination of A-levels and other qualifications, as well as equivalent international qualifications subject to entry requirements. Typical offers are as follows:

A level

BBB-BCC

Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.

Our grade range covers our standard offer and contextual offer. We carefully consider the circumstances in which you've been studying (your contextual data) upon application.

  • Eligible students will be given an offer at the lower end of the advertised grade range.
  • Where there is no grade range advertised and/or where there are selection processes in place (like an interview) you may receive additional points in the selection process or be guaranteed interview/consideration.

Learn about eligible courses and how contextual data is applied.

International Baccalaureate

31-29 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects.

Baccalaureate Wales

From September 2023, there will be a new qualification called the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3). This qualification will replace the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (Welsh Baccalaureate). The qualification will continue to be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects.

You must have or be working towards:
- English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent (such as A-levels). If you require a Student visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements.

We do not accept Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or other similar equivalent subjects.
We will accept a combination of BTEC subjects, A-levels, and other qualifications, subject to the course specific grade and subject requirements.

GCSE

Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language.

IELTS (academic)

At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill.

TOEFL iBT

At least 90 overall with a minimum of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading, and 20 for speaking.

PTE Academic

At least 69 overall with a minimum of 59 in all communicative skills.

Trinity ISE II/III

II: at least two Distinctions and two Merits.
III: at least a Pass in all components.

Other accepted qualifications

Please visit our English Language requirements page for more information on our other accepted language qualifications.

You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.

If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:

  • access to computers or devices that can store images
  • use of internet and communication tools/devices
  • curfews
  • freedom of movement, including the ability to travel to outside of the UK or to undertake a placement/studies outside of Cardiff University
  • contact with people related to Cardiff University.

Other qualifications from inside the UK

BTEC

DDM-DMM in a BTEC Extended Diploma in any subject.

T level

Acceptance of T Levels for this programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Academic School. Consideration will be given to the T Level grade/subject and grades/subjects achieved at GCSE/Level 2.

Qualifications from outside the UK

See our qualification equivalences guide

Please see our admissions policies for more information about the application process.

Tuition fees for 2025 entry

Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on your fee status. Your fee status could be home, island or overseas.

Learn how we decide your fee status

Fees for home status

Year Tuition fee Deposit
Year one £9,250 None
Year two £9,250 None
Year three £9,250 None

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of a course as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. Where applicable we will notify you of any change in tuition fee by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which the fee will increase.

Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national, your tuition fees for 2025/26 be in line with the overseas fees for international students, unless you qualify for home fee status. UKCISA have provided information about Brexit and tuition fees.

Fees for island status

Learn more about the undergraduate fees for students from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Fees for overseas status

Year Tuition fee Deposit
Year one £23,700 None
Year two £23,700 None
Year three £23,700 None

Learn more about our tuition fees

Financial support

Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.

Additional costs

You should be prepared to invest in some key text books and to cover the costs of basic printing and photocopying. You may also want to buy copies of other books, either because they are particularly important for your course or because you find them particularly interesting.

If you have a laptop computer you will have the option of purchasing software at discounted prices.

Students who choose to study abroad for a semester in their second year will continue to pay tuition fees to Cardiff University and will also need to pay for travel, accommodation and other related costs.

Course specific equipment

What the student should provide:

You do not need any specific equipment to study on this programme. Access to a laptop computer would be advantageous as many readings are available electronically and most assessments are prepared using standard word processing software.

What the University will provide:

Networked computers with appropriate file space and all necessary software. Access to essential and background reading for each module plus a wide range of journals and other online resources. All course documents will be available online (via the VLE) and hard copies of essential documents will be provided if requested.

Accommodation

We have a range of residences to suit your needs and budget. Find out more on our accommodation pages.

Living costs

We're based in one of the UK's most affordable cities. Find out more about living costs in Cardiff.

Course structure

This is a three-year, full-time course consisting of 120 credits a year.  The final degree classification that you are awarded is based on the grades you achieve in the modules that you take in years two and three.

In year one you will lay the foundations for later specialist study, taking a number of core modules and following a study skills programme designed to help you make the transition to higher education. In years two and three, you will be encouraged to study and learn more independently, giving you the opportunity to read more widely and to develop your own interests. The final year also includes the option to study a 40 credit dissertation.

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2025/2026 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2025.

Year one

You will take a six compulsory 20 credit modules in Year One to make up the full 120 credits needed to complete year one. These are designed to introduce you to the key ideas and research in your chosen degree subjects and to teach you the skills needed to succeed at university.

In the first year, you will have a more intensive personal tutor programme to help you to make the transition to higher education.

Year two

You will take five core modules and have the option of choosing another one module from across the disciplines in the School, including a credit-bearing placement module.

Year three

Your final year will consolidate your knowledge and allow you to continue to explore topics that best suit your future career aspirations. Of the 120 credits available, you will take 40 credits from the Sociology portfolio and 40 credits from the Education portfolio. You will also undertake a 40-credit dissertation project, designing, conducting and writing-up a small-scale research project under the supervision of a member of academic staff.

The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.

Learning and assessment

In the School of Social Sciences you will learn from scholars who are shaping the future of their fields. Our courses reflect both the core ideas of their disciplines and contemporary debates, theories and research.

Teaching methods include a mixture of lectures, seminars, independent study and self-directed learning that draw use of on-line resources, individual work and group tasks. Lectures generally provide an overview of the relevant topic, introducing key concepts or research, and highlighting contemporary issues or debates. An increasing number of lectures are now recorded. In contrast to lectures, seminars give you the opportunity to discuss particular readings, research or topics in detail. This allows you to consolidate your understanding and get feedback on your individual learning. Seminars also enable you to hone your communication, presentation and collaborative skills as you take part in group discussions and other tasks.

As social science develops in response to the social world, so our curriculum also changes.  Our students play an important role in these developments, with the Student-Staff Panel being consulted about major changes and all students completing module evaluations and an annual student survey.

How will I be supported?

A personal tutor will guide you for the duration of your studies. The tutors are available to discuss progress and provide advice and guidance on your academic studies. The Student Hub, located in the Glamorgan Building, is also open every day and can provide advice on how to access university services.

All modules within the course make use of Cardiff University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Blackboard, on which you will find course materials, links to related materials and information relating to assessment tasks including, for example, assessment criteria, links to past papers, and guidelines for submitting assessments.

Additional module-specific support is provided by seminar tutors, lecturers and/or module convenors; support for the dissertation is provided by a supervisor who will meet with you regularly.

How will I be assessed?

All modules are assessed by at least two different assessment tasks. Typical assessment formats include individual and group assignments, coursework, presentations and exams. We take care to ensure that all degree schemes include a range of different assessment types and that deadlines are spread throughout the academic year.

Feedback is provided on assessments and other learning in order to provide students with the opportunity to reflect on their current or recent level of attainment.  It can be provided individually or to groups.  It can take many forms.  It is responsive to the developmental expectations of our programmes and disciplines.

The range of feedback includes one-to-one individual feedback; generic feedback; peer feedback; informal feedback; self-evaluation to submit along with the assessment.

Academic staff and peers can use a variety of methods to deliver these types of feedback: written feedback; annotation of a text; oral feedback; seminar discussion.

Formative Feedback

Formative feedback is feedback that does not contribute to progression or degree classification decisions.  The goal of formative feedback is to improve your understanding and learning before you complete your summative assessment. More specifically, formative feedback helps you to:

  • identify your strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work;
  • help staff to support you and address the problems identified with targeted strategies for improvement.

Formative feedback is routinely provided in seminars as seminar work often contributes to the module assessment. In addition, all modules include a specific formative assessment that is designed to help you prepare for the subsequent summative assessment.

Summative Feedback

Summative feedback is feedback that contributes to progression or degree classification decisions.  The goal of summative assessment is to indicate how well you have succeeded in meeting the intended learning outcomes of a Module and will enable you to identify action required (feed forward) in order to improve in future assessments.

All feedback on coursework is provided electronically to ensure it is readily accessible and easy to read. Verbal feedback is provided for presentations but written feedback will also be provided where the presentation makes a significant contribution to the module mark.

Feedback on exams is usually provided as written feedback for the whole class but you are also able to discuss your individual exam paper and the mark it was awarded with the module convenor.

All marks and feedback are made with reference to the module specific marking criteria.

What are the learning outcomes of this course/programme?

The Learning outcomes for this Programme describe what you will be able to do as a result of your study at Cardiff University. They will help you to understand what is expected of you and academic staff will focus on precisely what they want you to achieve within each Module. 

Knowledge & Understanding:

Students completing the Programme will demonstrate:

  • An understanding of the key ideas, theories and concepts used in education and sociology and their relationship to themes, theories and findings from cognate disciplines.
  • An understanding of the main research methods used within the social sciences and the philosophical issues that inform their application and use in research settings.
  • A critical and in-depth understanding of research and theory in selected sub-fields of education and sociology and the relevance of this work to contemporary social debates, issues or problems.
  • An understanding of the role empirical evidence plays in the creation and constraint of theory, and how theory guides the collection and interpretation of empirical data.

Intellectual Skills:

Students completing the Programme will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate existing knowledge, scholarship and research in education and sociology and use this knowledge to reach a balanced judgement about the merits and relevance of competing claims and theoretical perspectives.
  • Critically evaluate the use of evidence in social science disciplines and policy debates, drawing on both broad methods training and subject specific knowledge
  • Utilise knowledge and skills to understand and explain social phenomena of interest to education and sociology and apply this understanding to new or novel questions.

Professional Practical Skills:

Students completing the Programme will be able to:

  • Design and use a range of data collection instruments needed to explore and understand the social world
  • Critically evaluate, synthesise and interpret primary and secondary data generated using different methods, using specialist software where necessary
  • Work both collaboratively and individually on theoretically informed and empirically-grounded projects that draw on appropriate and relevant research evidence

Transferable/Key Skills:

Students completing the Programme will demonstrate:

  • The capacity for problem-solving and originality in thinking by using knowledge and skills to tackle familiar and unfamiliar problems
  • Academic and personal skills such as critical thinking, writing, oral presentations, problem solving, group work, time-management, and the use of information technology.
  • The ability to communicate complex information in a variety of formats including reports, oral presentations, posters and dissertations

Careers and placements

Career prospects

We encourage our students to think about life beyond University from day one, offering modules and support to give you a competitive advantage on graduating. Turning theory into practical application and providing experience of the working world are important aspects of all our degree schemes and help prepare our graduates for life after higher education.

Placements

There are a number of placement or study abroad opportunities associated with this Programme. Students have the option of studying abroad or spending a year on placement in year 3, extending their studies to a four year programme. The application process for spending a year abroad or on placement will take place at the start of your second year of studies. These opportunities may be partly conditional upon achieving certain minimum academic results in other modules. 

The School of Social Sciences has a dedicated Employability and Placement Manager who can offer advice on available work placements, internships, work experience and opportunities to enhance your CV and broaden your horizons. Support with job applications and interview techniques is also available.

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How to apply

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Data from Discover Uni is not yet available for this course.


HESA Data: Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. The Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data. Data is from the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20, published by HESA in June 2022.