Queen's University Belfast

Source: https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/politics-sociology-ba-ll23/ Parent: https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/

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Undergraduate 2027

Undergraduate 2025

BA | Undergraduate

Politics and Sociology

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Entry year : Academic Year 2027/28

Entry requirements : ABB

Attendance : 3 years (Full-time) \ 6 years (Part-time) \

UCAS Code : LL23

Overview
Course content
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This programme combines two major social science subjects: politics and sociology, aiming to equip students with the tools - the concepts, theories, and concrete evidence - to understand changing social and political relations. Politics contributes a focus on conflict and cooperation with a focus on power and processes of collective decision-making. Sociology contributes to an understanding of the wider social context within which politics takes place - the shape of social relations, practices and major social institutions, like, family, economy, and state, incorporating explanations of social stability and change. Both share an interest in power, conflict, solidarity, equality, and social and political identities. Combining these two disciplines in this way equips our students to understand and engage with the challenges of contemporary social and political life.

Course highlights

Global Opportunities

Students have the opportunity to spend part of the course studying in other European universities, through our Erasmus programme, and also in the USA and Canada.

https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/happ/student-experience/international-student-experience/

Industry Links

The School offers a range of employment placements where students can gain real world work experience which is invaluable in terms of employment after graduation. Given that Belfast is a regional capital with devolved powers, we can offer students placements in the high profile political and related institutions on our doorstep – for example in the Department of Justice, Equality Commission, Police Ombudsman’s Office, or BBC Northern Ireland.

Career Development

Queen’s is ranked in the top 170 in the world for graduate prospects (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022).\ Studying for a degree in Politics and Sociology at Queen‘s will assist students in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers and academic institutions.\ \ Placements: a key feature of the BA Politics and Sociology programme is the opportunity in the final year to undertake a part-time placement within a local organisation to gain direct experience of policy-making and political decision-making.

World Class Facilities

Queen’s is one of the top 10 most beautiful universities in the UK (Times Higher Educa-tion, 2023).\ Students also benefit from access to a wide range of software packages, with training available in industry-standard tools for qualitative and quantitative analysis, such as SPSS and NVivo. \ Also, enjoy the outstanding facilities of the McClay Library, home to 1.2 million volumes and 2,200 reader spaces.\ \ The School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen‘s has over 70 full-time academics, making it the largest institutional centre for the study of these subjects in Ireland and one of the largest in the UK.\ \ The School also boasts the following:\ • Centre for Gender in Politics\ • Democracy Unit\ • Centre for Public History\ • Institute of Cognition and Culture\ •The Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice\ • Institute of Irish Studies\ • Two International Summer Schools (the Irish Studies Summer School; and the Conflict Transformation and Social Justice Summer School)\ • Centre for Public Policy and Administration

https://youtu.be/vB0jafwkgd0

Internationally Renowned Experts

With over 30 staff at the cutting edge of research and publication, the politics unit is the largest in Ireland and one of the largest in the UK and Ireland, with specialisms in Irish and British politics, political theory, sustainable development, the politics of film and literature, gender, democratic innovations, European Union politics, ethnic conflict, and international relations.\ \ Sociology at Queen’s is made up of a team of internationally recognized scholars, passionate about exploring key social issues like family, religion, conflict, migration, ethnicity, norms, social movements, and social change. We offer a high quality, supportive, student-centred learning experience in a top Russell Group University.\ \ Professor David Phinnemore is an expert on EU Treaty reform and EU enlargement, which led to his secondment as an advisor to the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.\ \ Professor Katy Hayward is an expert on Ireland, north and south: Border management; Cross-border conflict and cooperation; EU integration (inc. ‘Brexit’ and the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland); Peace and conflict processes; Political sociology; Political discourses, protest and violence.\ \ Professor John Garry is an internationally recognised expert in the areas of citizens’ political attitudes and voting behaviour. His research has informed governments both in Belfast and Dublin on offering ordinary citizens the chance to have greater input on policymaking.\ \ Professor Lisa Smyth is an expert on norms, emotions and long-term social change, with an emphasis on gender, reproduction and family life, specifically on the social politics of abortion and motherhood.\ \ https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/happ/subject-area/politics/

https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/ssesw/subject-area/sociology/

Student Experience

Northern Ireland's post-conflict society offers a globally significant location for studying key political themes. Our international links not only provide students with opportuni-ties to study abroad, but also contribute to a diverse, international, student body. Queen’s currently has over 4400 international students from over 90 different coun-tries (Queen’s Planning Office, 2024).\ \ Our uniquely supportive pastoral care / personal tutor system is equalled only by the academic guidance available.

Our vibrant Politics Society (Polysoc) provides a welcome and stimulating environment for new students.

https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/happ/student-experience/undergraduate-opportunities/

https://www.facebook.com/qub.polysoc

Further Study Opportunities

For those wishing to pursue further study after their first degree, Politics provides a range of MA programmes, each of which can be taken either full-time (one year) or part-time (two years). See the School website for information.

Within Sociology, we offer the MRes 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. We also have a new MSc Sociology and Global Inequality programme which launched in September 2024.

https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/happ/student-experience/ma-experience/

http://www.qub.ac.uk/ssesw

Jessica Simonds:\ \ "I chose Queen’s because the wide choice of modules essentially allows me to build my own degree. I enjoy the way we are taught through lectures and tutorials where we are given an overview of a topic, able to research more for ourselves, and then debate with our peers in tutorial sessions. The school is very open to the input of students and I enjoy the level of student engagement through societies and student-staff consultative committees.”

This is a new programme, however, here are the testimonials from some of our Politics and Sociology single honours degree students: \ \ Anna Savage - BA Sociology Graduate, Statistical Officer, NISRA:\ \ “My Sociology degree opened my eyes about the world - I now question everything and my curiosity has grown! It has helped in my current job as I developed my analytical and problem-solving skills, which are essential for the workplace.”

Jessica Simonds:\ \ "I chose Queen’s because the wide choice of modules essentially allows me to build my own degree. I enjoy the way we are taught through lectures and tutorials where we are given an overview of a topic, able to research more for ourselves, and then debate with our peers in tutorial sessions. The school is very open to the input of students and I enjoy the level of student engagement through societies and student-staff consultative committees.”

This is a new programme, however, here are the testimonials from some of our Politics and Sociology single honours degree students: \ \ Anna Savage - BA Sociology Graduate, Statistical Officer, NISRA:\ \ “My Sociology degree opened my eyes about the world - I now question everything and my curiosity has grown! It has helped in my current job as I developed my analytical and problem-solving skills, which are essential for the workplace.”

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Join us for an insight into life at Queen's and advice on your journey to university.](https://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/events/)

[##### Your Future Career

Queen’s is ranked 9th in the UK for Graduate Prospects (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026).](https://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/careers-and-employability/)

[##### Student Accommodation

The most affordable, purpose-built student accommodation in Belfast.](https://www.qub.ac.uk/accommodation/)

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History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics

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