Sociology and Media Studies BSc

About the Course

This is a broad-based degree which offers students the opportunity to specialise in areas of their interest, such as the social impact of the new media, the internet and other information and communications technologies, media discourse, media policy and regulation.

The course is also concerned with developing theories that explain the changing nature of social behaviour in our own and other societies. The kinds of question with which we concerned with are: ‘What is society?’ ‘How and why is it changing?’ ‘What are the opportunities for future change and development?

Aims

This course is designed to give you a contemporary understanding of the social and intellectual dimensions of the media and communications industries. It is broad-based and multi-disciplinary and is unusual in bringing together a wide variety of social sciences in the study of communications.

Enquiries

Dr Sharon Lockyer
Admissions Tutor

Helen Stevenson
Admissions and Marketing Administrator
School of Social Sciences
Tel: +44 (0)1895 265952
Email: helen.stevenson@brunel.ac.uk

Related Courses

• Communication and Media Studies BSc
• Communication and Media Studies with Professional Development BSc
• Psychology and Sociology BSc
• Psychology and Sociology with Professional Development BSc
• Anthropology and Sociology BSc
• Anthropology and Sociology with Professional Development BSc

Special Features

• We have an international reputation for research and excellence in teaching, with particular expertise in areas such as globalisation and social transformation, the sociology of leisure and urban spaces, the politics of popular culture, television and media audiences, the public sphere, media discourse, health and the politics of protest, multiculturalism, race and ethnicity. 
• Our courses are multi-disciplinary and flexible - you will have the option to take modules in other Social Science subjects.
• Professional work placements are integral to the four-year course, and allow you to develop invaluable skills in a variety of organisations.

Facts and Figures

School of Social Sciences

Psychology, sociology, anthropology and communications together constitute the Social Sciences at Brunel, and we offer a wide range of BSc courses across these subject areas.

The focus of study is upon all aspects of human behaviour: its personal, social and cultural dimensions. We have a strong research reputation that enhances all our undergraduate teaching, with particular expertise in areas such as: neuropsychology; psychoanalysis; developmental psychology; social psychology; contemporary social structure and social change; the role of science and the media; ethnicity and kinship; and power, inequality and prejudice in modern societies. All of our academic staff are actively engaged in research and many have international reputations in their field.

We provide a stimulating introduction to the social sciences by teaching a broad base of cross-disciplinary modules in the first year. Thereafter, you specialise increasingly in your particular disciplines.

Our courses will help you to develop specific skills in the practical methods associated with your discipline, including ethnographic fieldwork. A full range of laboratory and technical facilities is used in the teaching of experimental psychology, video production, psychophysics and the use of information technology.

Course Content

There are close links between this degree and the Communications and Media Studies degree. The central distinction between the two is that Sociology and Communications focuses more closely on social theory and method, and contains no practical media production modules.

Typical Modules

Level 1

• Introduction to Media Studies
• Media, Culture and Society
• Introduction to Social and Cultural Research
• Introduction to Social Enquiry
• Introduction to Sociology
• Individual and Social Processes

Level 2

This provides more sophisticated modules in the sociology of communications and media.

• Media, Culture and Representation
• Global Communication
• Research in Practice
• Social Divisions
• Work and Society

Plus one option from:

• Sociology of Everyday Life: Issues in Contemporary Culture
• Media Genres and Society

Level 3

At Level 3, you can choose from a variety of options including celebrities, representation and power, new media, media discourses and media audiences.

• City Lives: Bodies, Spaces and Interaction
• Television Studies
• Comedy, Culture and the Media
• Understanding Audiences
• Health and the New Politics of Protest
• The Age of New Media
• Crime, Deviance and Addiction
• Sociology of Health and Illness
• Multiculturalism
• Popular Music and Popular Culture

Teaching and Learning

Our approach

We pursue excellence in both teaching and research. Our aim is to produce degree programmes which combine innovative and classical teaching methods with leading-edge research, and which recognise the value of practical work experience in the learning process. We take great pride in both the quality of teaching and the extensive pastoral care of our students.

Staff expertise

All members of the academic staff are actively engaged in research and many have international reputations in their field. Their innovative findings feed into your courses to ensure that teaching is up-to-date.

How will I be taught?

The course is taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials and small group projects.

Lectures – Most modules involve one or two hours of lectures a week. These provide a broad overview of key concepts and ideas relating to your course and provide you with a framework from which to carry out more in-depth study.

Seminars – These relatively small groups are used to discuss the content of lectures as well as issues arising from the modules. Seminars are often student-led. You can use seminars to clarify your own ideas in an atmosphere of discussion and debate.

Laboratory/research work – All students take part in practical modules. In the first year you will experience the similarities and contrasts between methods of enquiry used in sociology, anthropology and psychology. The investigative methods used in projects include observation, interviewing, questionnaire design and more specific research techniques. As you progress through the course, direction by staff over the design and implementation of projects is reduced.

One-to-one – You will get one-to-one supervision on your final year dissertation and at all levels you will have a personal tutor who is available to discuss academic (and personal) issues. If you go on work placement, you will also be allocated a work placement tutor who will monitor your progress and provide further support if you need it. Lecturers are usually available to answer particular queries outside of scheduled hours – either in one-to-one tutorials or by email.

Assessment

Level 1 does not count towards your final degree mark but you must pass this level to continue with your course. Level 2 is worth a third, and Level 3 is worth the rest. The final year dissertation is worth a third of Level 3 marks.

Methods of assessment vary and depend on which modules you select. Some courses are assessed on coursework only, some by (seen or unseen) examination only, and some by a combination of the two.

Assessment

Level 1 does not count towards your final degree mark but you must pass this level to continue with your course. Level 2 is worth a third, and Level 3 is worth the rest. The final year dissertation is worth a third of Level 3 marks.

Methods of assessment vary and depend on which modules you select. Some courses are assessed on coursework only, some by (seen or unseen) examination only, and some by a combination of the two.

Employability

We aim to produce graduates who have a number of transferable skills that are key to the contemporary employment market. These include: a solid training in the skills, methods and perspectives relevant to thinking critically about contemporary social processes; an ability to relate the discipline of sociology to real world problems and concerns in such a way as to facilitate and enhance critical social practice; and grounding in understanding information and communications technologies and processes.

Careers

Sociologists are in increasing demand in many sectors in social welfare and policy, in local government and administration, in medicine, in education and research, and in industry. If you are thinking of a career in any of these fields, it may also be possible to select work experience in these areas.

There are also openings available in business, particularly marketing and advertising, management, media, and recruitment. Knowledge and understanding of statistics and research skills are particularly useful assets in the job market. Sociology students can be found in a diverse range of careers, including computing, consultancy, lobbying, teaching, campaigning and fundraising, to name just a few.

Placements

The positive impact of a sandwich placement on graduate employment outcomes across Brunel is considerable. Those who have done placements are also much more likely to be in employment for which they their degree was a formal requirement or where they believe their degree gave them a competitive advantage in recruitment.

Placement leavers from Sociology experienced the following outcomes:

• 66.7% progressed into employment or further study
• 75.0% were engaged in a graduate-level activity (employment or further study)
• 77.7% of employed leavers were working in the top three categories of graduate level employment
• The average starting salary was £19,500.

Fees for 2013/14 entry

UK/EU students: £9,000 full-time

International students: £12,000 full-time

We are introducing over 700 scholarships for 2013, meaning that one in five applicants who join Brunel next year will receive financial support from the University. See our fees and funding page for full details

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements for 2013 Entry

• GCE A-level BBB (General Studies/Critical Thinking accepted).
• Irish Leaving Certificate ABBBB.
• Scottish Advanced Highers BBB.
• Advanced Diploma Progression Diploma Grade B in Society, Health and Development, Creative and Media or Public Services plus an A-level at Grade B for Additional and Specialist Learning.
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DDD in a related subject.
• IBDP 32 points.
• Access Complete and pass a related subject Access course with 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2 with Merits in all units.

For all of the above, 5 GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above are also required, to include English and Maths (please note that these must have been gained by the time you submit your UCAS application).

English Language Requirements

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.