The University of Birmingham is a public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham, and Mason Science College, making it the first English civic or 'red brick' university to receive its own royal charter. The University have a long and proud history of firsts, at the University of Birmingham; they were the first – and are now one of the largest - civic universities in the UK.

At Birmingham, the institution teach and research across the full breadth of academic disciplines, creating a vibrant community with multi-disciplinary opportunities for research and education. The University is a truly international community consisting of more than thousands of staff, students, and alumni. The student community is not only one of the largest of any UK university, it is highly diverse, with 82 per cent of home undergraduate students from state schools, 32 per cent from a BAME background, and 35 per cent in the first generation of their family to attend university.

First year modules
In your first year you will be introduced to degree level social policy and sociology through six core modules. These modules are designed to support the progression to more independent forms of study later in your degree. This year will also introduce you to the basics of research design and methods.

Compulsory
Introduction to Social Policy
Social Problems and Social Policy: Social Science in Action Part 1
Social Problems and Social Policy: Social Science in Action Part 2
Introduction to Social Divisions
The Sociological Imagination
Crime and Society
Social Research I (Part 1)
Social Research I (Part 2)
To be able to take a year abroad you must have an average weighting of 60% by the end of this academic year.

Second year modules
The second year of your degree builds on these foundations by developing your understanding of social policy and sociology. You will also receive more advanced methods training in data analysis which will help prepare you for your final year dissertation.

Compulsory
Policy Analysis
Social Research 2
Modern Sociological Theory
You must choose one of the following modules

'Sociology of Race' and Ethnicity - A Global Perspective
Gender and Sexuality
Poverty, Class and Inequality
You will choose your remaining credits from a range of optional modules, such as:

Gender and Sexuality
'Sociology of Race' and Ethnicity - A Global Perspective
Poverty, Class and Inequality
Education, Policy and Social Justice
Terror, Threat and Security
Media and Society
During your second year you must also apply for a place at an overseas institution. Full information will be provided during your study and you are supported in making this application. Allocation of places for international exchanges is done by the international office (university-wide competition), alongside this there are a number of Erasmus exchange schemes you can consider. The Year Abroad tutor will assist you and be able to offer advice during your studies.

Year abroad
Your third year will be spent abroad at a university in the EU or elsewhere in the world. After completing your year abroad, you will return for your fourth and final year to the same BA degree programme. During your year abroad, you will be required to choose from a range of modules provided by the host institution and which must be agreed by the exchange tutor.

There are a wide range of countries and universities from which you can choose. As well as a range of European universities, you may also choose from a range of current institutional partners worldwide. These include countries in which a variety of languages are spoken, including universities at which courses are taught in English. In recent years, students in the department have taken their year abroad in Australia, Canada, Denmark and the United States, among others.

Final year modules
The focus of the final year is your independent, supervised dissertation which brings together your research skills on a project defined by you. Your final year also allows you to specialise in the areas of social policy and sociology that interest you most. Our teaching staff, who are active researchers, run options in their own specialist fields.

If you want to take advantage of a unique opportunity to be supported with a work placement opportunity as part of your final year, this course includes the opportunity to undertake a 'Professional Development' module as part of your optional module choices.

Compulsory
Dissertation (Social Policy and Sociology)
Contemporary Social Theory
You will choose your remaining credits from a range of optional modules, such as:

Harmful Societies: Crime, Social Harm and Social Justice
Divided Publics?
Genocide and Mass Atrocities
Crime and the City
Technology & Society
Quantitative Data Analysis
Professional Development Module
Unless indicated otherwise the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2023.

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.

You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.

• Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let us know your choice when you apply).
• Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before arriving. You can arrive a few days before and book it