BA Sociology (Placement Year)
About this course
BA Hons in Sociology (Placement Year), a sociology degree centred on social structures, power dynamics, and human societies. Core topics include Statistics, Research Methods, Project Management, Policy Analysis, Communication & Writing, Critical & Analytical Thinking, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Social & Cultural Analysis, Global & Comparative Perspective. The course includes a dedicated work-based learning placement year in the third year, allowing students to gain professional experience in a graduate-level role. The first year introduces foundational concepts through core modules such as Thinking Sociologically, Researching Society: Principles and Practices, Framing Social Issues, and Public Sociology: Understanding and Creating Social Change. The second year builds research capabilities through Global Social Theory: Connecting Sociologies, Research in Action: Methods for Investigating the Social World, and Designing Sociological Research. Following the third-year placement, the final year focuses on advanced academic inquiry and culminates in the Sociology Independent Project alongside Advanced Sociological Theories and Applications.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: BBB IB: 30 points overall with 15 points from the best 3 HL subjects
Admissions (2022 entry, home applicants)
Offer rate 100%: 17 offers from 17 applications, from the university's Freedom of Information return.
What students say
Based on about 49 final-year students who answered, across similar courses at this university
- Teaching on my course: 92%
- Learning opportunities: 88%
- Assessment and feedback: 79%
- Academic support: 96%
- Organisation and management: 86%
- Learning resources: 92%
- Student voice: 78%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 95 students who started, across similar courses at this university
- Continued on course: 92%
- Left higher education: 7%
- Moved to a lower qualification: 1%
What graduates do next
Based on about 32 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university
- Working: 73%
- Working and studying: 7%
- Further study: 5%
- Unemployed: 8%
Most common jobs
- Administrative occupations: 20%
- Business and public service associate professionals: 15%
- Elementary occupations: 10%
- Protective service occupations: 10%
- Welfare and housing associate professionals: 10%
- Find their work meaningful: 80%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 80%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 50%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 75 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North West: 60%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 3%
- East Midlands: 1%
- West Midlands: 14%
- East of England: 5%
- London: 9%
- South East: 5%
- South West: 1%
- Scotland: 1%
Who gets in
Based on about 110 students who started, across similar courses at this university
- A levels: 93%
- Baccalaureate: 2%
- Access course: 1%
- Other HE qualification: 3%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Gold overall, Silver for student experience, Gold for student outcomes.
Modules
- Thinking Sociologically
- Researching Society: Principles and Practices
- Framing Social Issues
- Public Sociology: Understanding and Creating Social Change
- Contemporary Social Issues 1: Power, Inequality and Everyday Life
- Contemporary Social Issues 2: Social Issues in a Changing World
- Explaining Criminology
- Doing Criminology: How We Know About Crime
- Crime and Popular Culture
- A Brief History of Crime and Criminology
- British Cinema
- Foundations of Language
- English across Space and Time
- English in Use
- Language in Mind and Society
- Understanding Media and Culture
- Media, Power and Identity
- Transformations in Digital Media
- Screens and Selves
- Global Challenges in World Politics
- Parties, Populism and Protest
- Policy Lab
- Political Theory for a Troubled World
- British Politics: Political Ideas in Action
- Ethics: How Should I Live?
- Global Religions and Society
- History of Philosophy: Ideas that Shaped the West
- History of Philosophy: Resistance and Inclusion
- Knowledge and Reality in a Complex World
- Political Philosophy: How Should we Live Together?
- Global Social Theory: Connecting Sociologies
- Research in Action: Methods for Investigating the Social World
- Designing Sociological Research
- Race, Racism and Inequality
- Transnational Debates on Gender and Society
- Welfare States: Poverty, Policy and Politics
- Gender and Sexuality in Popular Culture
- Youth Justice
- Organised Crime
- Cybercrime and Cybercriminality
- Contemporary Issues in Policing
- Digital Cultures
- Visual Cultures
- Classic Hollywood Genres
- Film Theory and Aesthetics
- Film, Gender, Race and Ideology
- Discourse Studies
- Language and Creativity in Advertising
- Theories of Power and the State
- Democracy, Dictatorship and Everything in Between
- Who Governs Britain? Policy, Politics and Political Change
- Global Superpowers
- Politics of the Global South
- Global Religions, Women and Gender
- Applied Philosophy: Decisions that Change the World
- Language, Communication and Knowledge
- Mind, World and Science
- Work Based Learning Year
- Advanced Sociological Theories and Applications
- Sociology Independent Project
- Environment and Society: Crisis, Justice and Change
- Health, Bodies and Social Reproduction
- Migration, Inequalities and Societies
- Green Criminology
- Gendered Harm and Justice
- Drugs, Crime and Society
- Hate Crime
- Crimes and Harms of the Powerful
- Crime and Media
- Global Film Genres
- Film Industries, Practices and Movements
- Film Circulation, Exhibition and Audiences
- The Making of Media and AI Futures
- Media Industries
- Audiences, Fans and Participatory Cultures
- Mediating the Body
- Environment and Development
- Democracy Under Pressure
- Critical Political Theory
- Policymaking in the Real World
- Parliamentary Studies
- The Politics of Crises and the Future of Governance
- Russia and China
- Politics of Latin America and Africa
- Politics of the Middle East and Asia Pacific
- The Politics of Borders and Migration
- Philosophy and Popular Culture
- Philosophy For Times of Global Crisis
- State and Religion
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA Sociology (Placement Year) at Lancaster University earn?
The median salary is £26,000 after 15 months, £23,000 after 3 years, £26,500 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £21,500 and £33,000. The £26,500 median after five years is the same as the UK median for Sociology.
What do graduates of BA Sociology (Placement Year) at Lancaster University do next?
85% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA Sociology (Placement Year) at Lancaster University?
92% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA Sociology (Placement Year) at Lancaster University?
The typical offer is BBB at A level, or 30 points in the IB. The average entrant had 134 UCAS points.
What is the offer rate for BA Sociology (Placement Year) at Lancaster University?
100% of home applicants received an offer for 2022 entry: 17 offers from 17 applications, according to the university's Freedom of Information return.
Does BA Sociology (Placement Year) at Lancaster University include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has a compulsory placement year.
How many students continue on BA Sociology (Placement Year) at Lancaster University?
92% of students continued into their second year, and 7% left higher education.