Expand+How to Apply

Applications for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS websi...

Hide-How to Apply

Applications for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website.

https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/filling-your-ucas-undergraduate-application

UCAS will start processing applications for entry in autumn 2019 from 1 September 2018.

The advisory closing date for the receipt of applications is 15 January 2019 (18:00), however, for applicants applying to Oxford or Cambridge and for those whose choices include Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine/Science the closing date is 15 October 2018 (18:00).

Currently there are two intakes to Adult Nursing (one in September and the other in February) and application is made for both courses by 15 January (18:00) prior to the academic year of entry ie for September and the following February. The application deadline will not change but it should be noted that from 2019-20 entry, the two intakes may be combined. Please refer to the online prospectus which will be updated as further information becomes available.

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses. Earlier applicants normally receive decisions more quickly, however, UCAS accepts that some applicants, especially those from outside the UK, may find this difficult. Late applications are, in practice, accepted by UCAS throughout the remainder of the application cycle, but you should understand that they are considered by institutions at their discretion, and there can be no guarantee that they will be given the same full level of consideration as applications received by the advisory closing date.

Applications for Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work must be submitted by the 15 January (18:00) deadline. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

Take care to enter the details of the institutions and courses clearly and correctly on the application. For Queen’s, the institution code name is QBELF and the institution code is Q75. These should be entered in the Choices section of your UCAS application. Please note a Campus Code is not required.

Expand+Selection Criteria
In addition to the entrance requirements below, it is essential that you read the How We Choose Our Students pdf prior to submitting your UCAS application.

Entrance Requirements
A level requirements
BBB

Irish leaving certi...

Hide-Selection Criteria
In addition to the entrance requirements below, it is essential that you read the How We Choose Our Students pdf prior to submitting your UCAS application.

Entrance Requirements
A level requirements
BBB

Irish leaving certificate requirements
H3H3H3H3H4H4/H3H3H3H3H3

Access/Foundation Course
Successful completion of Access Course with an average of 65%.

BTEC Extended diploma
Successful completion of BTEC Extended Diploma with 100 credits at Distinction and 80 credits at Merit.

All applicants
There are no specific subject requirements to study Sociology.

English Language Requirements
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs

Expand+Overview
Sociology is a scientific discipline concerned with the explanation of social life and human behaviour of all kinds. It equips students with the skills to understand the breadth of social practice, ranging from the global (including conflic...

Hide-Overview
Sociology is a scientific discipline concerned with the explanation of social life and human behaviour of all kinds. It equips students with the skills to understand the breadth of social practice, ranging from the global (including conflict, security, climate change and social justice) to individual experiences (such as the body, beliefs and mental health). Through theoretical tools and methodological techniques, sociology at Queen’s provides students with a unique way of interacting with the world as critical and engaged citizens.

The modules in the BA Sociology are spread across three main areas of interest::
Risk and Social Inequalities
Conflict and Security
Lifecourse: Family, Childhood and Health

• Sociology Degree highlights
• Sociology at Queen’s is 9th in the Guardian Ranking for
• Sociology 2016

Course Structure
Course Content
You will be assigned a personal tutor during induction. This member of academic staff will provide one-to-one support and mentoring throughout your studies at Queen’s.

Tailored careers advice and study guidance are available to all students.

We offer a peer-mentoring scheme for Sociology students, with the support of staff and the Centre for Educational Development.

Students have the opportunity to spend time studying in one of our linked universities, including in Spain (Barcelona) and Sweden (Lünd).

Global Opportunities
• A programme of international interest and global connectivity, from Study Abroad to Erasmus schemes as well as visiting international students.
• We have a solid tradition of students undertaking Study Abroad through Erasmus schemes (with universities in Barcelona, Lund in Sweden, Paris, Munich and Dusseldorf in Germany, Rotterdam and Nijemegen in the Netherlands, Jyvaskyla in Finland) as well as visiting international students who take Sociology modules, particularly those connected to research expertise for which Queen’s is renowned (e.g. Conflict Transformation and Social justice, Childhood, Public Health etc.).

Career Development
• Opportunity to develop substantive knowledge and research skills through collaboration in Northern Ireland’s vibrant community sector, including field trips, summer work placements, internship opportunities, guest lectures and workshops

World Class Facilities
• Queen’s is an historic campus university in the heart of Belfast, ranked one of the most affordable universities in the UK.

Internationally Renowned Experts
• The Sociology programme meets the highest standard in Ireland and the UK for undergraduate training in research methods and their application. We are one of only 15 Q-Step Centres in the UK.

• A curriculum and programme that is dynamic and responsive to a constantly changing social world, from environmental security to new religious movements.
• We offer a high quality, supportive, student-centred learning experience in a top Russell Group University as evidenced by our excellent NSS student satisfaction rates.
• We are a research-intensive university, which means that what you are taught is directly linked to the latest discoveries and innovations. Our programme directly relates to the university’s strategic research priorities, for example, the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security & Justice.

Expand+Stage 1
Six modules are taken in each of the years. The Sociology team’s diverse research interests translate into an exciting and dynamic programme, with opportunities to study a diverse range of subjects.

In first year, you will learn to thin...

Hide-Stage 1
Six modules are taken in each of the years. The Sociology team’s diverse research interests translate into an exciting and dynamic programme, with opportunities to study a diverse range of subjects.

In first year, you will learn to think sociologically and explore the sociological imagination using up-to-date research, from studies on Facebook to romance and dating. Our key module Digital Society allows students to critically reflect on the role of technology in our daily lives, from surveillance to “Big Data”.

Stage 1 courses are outlined below:
• Understanding Society
• Introducing Social Policy
• The Sociological Imagination
• Digital Society

Stage 1 Optional Courses
• Introducing Criminology
• Visualising the Social World
• Exploring Criminology
• Comparative Politics
• Power, Ritual and Symbol
• Issues in Contemporary Politics

Stage 2
In second year, you will be introduced to classical and contemporary theories, and develop proficiency in quantitative and qualitative research methods. You will gain skills in using the most widely used software, for example, SPSS and NVivo. We take advantage of ARK, a key resource situated in the School, and use their wide range of attitudinal surveys, often commissioned by government and key NI organisations. This allows students to apply their research skills training to contemporary issues, using the latest survey data.

In addition to the core elements, which also includes a comprehensive introduction to the study of inequality, from historical development to contemporary debates, you will also be able to choose from a variety of specialist Sociology options as well as Criminology and Social Policy subjects, for example, ageing and climate change.

Stage 2 courses are outlined below:
• The Power of Social Theory
• Qualitative Research Skills
• Social Inequalities and Diversity
• Quantitative Research Skills

Stage 2 Optional Courses
• Northern Ireland: Conflict, Identity, Peace
• Welfare in Theory and Practice
• Environmental Crime and Justice
• Ageing and the Life Course
• Health, Illness and Social Bodies

Stage 3
In final year, Single Honours Sociology students design and undertake their own research project, under the guidance of a dedicated supervisor. This allows students to develop their own research question on a topic of their own selection, building on their studies. We encourage students to partner with community organisations to ensure that their research has direct and often immediate impact, where it is needed. As well as the development of specialist subject-knowledge, the final year project provides key transferable skills, including independent project management and problem-solving. A key aspect of final year is the ability to choose from the specialist Sociology options, reflecting the team’s research interests, from childhood and family through to global citizenship and human rights.

Stage 3 courses are outlined below:
• Research Project and Dissertation

Stage 3 Optional Courses
• Disability and Society
• Childhood Matters
• Religion: Death or Revival
• Global Risk Society
• Issues in Contemporary Irish Society
• Social Pathologies
• Modern Families, Intimate and Personal Relationships

Expand+Modules are typically assessed by a combination of continuous assessment, assignments and/or final written examination. Examples of continuous assessment include:
• Small Group Projects/Presentations – usually on a topic of students’ own choos...

Hide-Modules are typically assessed by a combination of continuous assessment, assignments and/or final written examination. Examples of continuous assessment include:
• Small Group Projects/Presentations – usually on a topic of students’ own choosing.

• Written assignments – including essays, book reviews, critical commentaries and blogs.

• Research-based assignments – for example, research proposals, questionnaire design, face-to-face interviews, reflective research diaries, analysis of statistical data and independent research projects.

• Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction. Following each element of assessed coursework, students are provided with detailed feedback on the quality of their written work and how they can improve future assignment.

Expand+Career Prospects
Introduction
Your degree in Sociology will equip you with a range of transferable skills that are highly sought in a wide variety of fields in the contemporary jobs market. Sociology graduates are found in a range of occupations, i...

Hide-Career Prospects
Introduction
Your degree in Sociology will equip you with a range of transferable skills that are highly sought in a wide variety of fields in the contemporary jobs market. Sociology graduates are found in a range of occupations, including management, communication, marketing, sales, retail management, journalism, media research and publishing, youth and community work, charities and the voluntary sector, healthcare, social and civil services, and education. Sociology is also a good fit for a variety of careers in business: it develops the ability to gather and evaluate evidence, to engage in critical analysis, and to understand and explain complex problems and situations.

Some of our past graduates have worked for organisations beyond and within Northern Ireland, such as:
• Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
• Belfast Child
• Johnsons Solicitors
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Lloyds Banking Group
• Barnardos
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive

Employment after the Course
Typical career destinations for Sociology graduates include:
• Social Researcher
• Lecturer in Higher or Further Education
• Civil Servant
• Teacher
• Journalist
• Youth & Community Worker

Professional Opportunities
While most graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline, it is increasingly common for graduates to ‘top off’ their degree with further study or professional training. Sociology graduates have gone on to undertake further study in fields such as law, social work, social research, and education. There is a range of postgraduate study options available at Queen’s, and within the School we offer the MRes Master’s in Social Science Research, which provides the opportunity to develop and significantly advance skills in research methods, as well as substantive topics and theoretical debates.

Additional Awards Gained
The Q-Step Dissertation Award supports various projects using quantitative methods, from a comparative study of attitudes to immigration using the European Social Survey to collecting and analysing data on public perceptions on the death penalty.

Prizes and Awards
Lockheed Employees' Prizes are financed from a benefaction to the University by the employees of the Lockheed Overseas Corporation, USA, who worked in Northern Ireland during the second world war.

This prize may be awarded annually to students for the Bachelor of Arts degrees taking single, major or joint subjects in Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work.

Top performing students are regularly awarded prizes and scholarships. A BA Sociology student was a Global Winner of the Undergraduate Awards (2017), the world’s leading undergraduate awards programme which recognises top undergraduate work.

Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.