Skip to main content

Politics and Sociology BSc

Course code

LLH2

LL23 with placement

Start date

September

Placement available

Mode of study

3 years full-time

4 years full-time with placement

Fees

2024/25

UK £9,250

International £19,430

Entry requirements

2024/25

ABB - BBC (A-level)

DMM (BTEC)

29 (IB)

Back to top

Overview

Politics and Sociology at Brunel is a dynamic combination of high level study in both subjects. Your politics studies will help you address critical questions like: Who has political power? Why do they have it? And in whose interest do they exercise it?

Meanwhile, your studies in sociology will look at subjects like sociological theory, social identities, the sociology of everyday life and the changing nature of modern societies. You’ll be studying people, societies and how people live, and on the other how they are governed or want to be governed.

Both subjects will help to demonstrate your intellectual acumen and understanding of world affairs and real life issues, which will be an asset in so many fields of work.

Whether you’re studying modern world politics or the development of social change and transformations, you’ll not just learn about them, you’ll be analysing them using the tools of political science and social science to help deepen your understanding and critical thinking.

Opt for a placement year and you'll gain valuable experience to help give you the edge in the job market when you come to graduate. Past students have secured placements in the Home Office, HM Treasury, the House of Commons, and the Competition Commission, but the list of possibilities is endless.

It’s a competitive world out there, so you’ll get plenty of support from your lecturers and the University’s Professional Development Centre to help prepare you for your placement year and the world of work.

But why not increase your career options with an accredited journalism course, a free modern language course, or a social media internship? You can even opt to study part of your degree abroad in one of our partner universities in Europe, or participate in an exchange programme to China or the USA.

It’s all available at Brunel to help you make a difference in the world – now and in the future.

Brunel graduates of this subject enter diverse careers. Some go into politics and the civil service, some are at GCHQ and military intelligence, and some go on to further study or into research.

Others go into the public sector – the NHS, social or care work, education or in local authorities, while others go into the private sector working for international banks, business consultancy, law, NGOs, the media and marketing. The opportunities are endless.

You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.

Back to top

Course content

The course content is made up of a variety of subject area strands that can be studied across all three years of the programme. At every level, there are modules relating to each strand. After taking the compulsory modules in the first year, you can choose to study across a range of strands, or specialise in particular strands. Below is a list of the strands:

Politics (compulsory elements): This strand equips you with tools to understand contemporary politics at every level. It will focus on political thought as well the differences between diverse political systems (including Britain). You will also you develop the tools for sustained research in political science. This will include research design, qualitative methods, such as interview techniques, as well as quantitative analysis of, for example, polling data.

Politics (elective elements): This strand builds on the strand above. You will be able to study the policies and political systems of other countries, political behaviour and elections and issues of race, culture, identity and public policy.

Sociology: This strand focuses on our understanding of human behaviour. It places a special emphasis on culture, society and media as well as the social, economic and political forces that drive human interaction at all levels.

This course can be studied 3 years full-time or 4 years full-time with placement, starting in September.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

This course has a placement option. Find out more about work placements available.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Back to top

Careers and your future

Past students have gone on to further training in law, accountancy, personnel management and other graduate degrees. They have joined the Civil Service (fast stream), have gone into publishing, journalism and the media including BBC Radio and Granada Television, have entered major financial and accountancy firms such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Lloyds Bowmaker Finance Group, and have entered the fields of management and marketing with firms such as Ford, Metal Box and Rank Xerox.

Politics students benefit from excellent career prospects – graduates have gone on to become politicians, have joined local and national government organisations, or work in the private sector.

Sociologists are in increasing demand in many sectors in social welfare and policy, in local government and administration (including lobbying, campaigning and fundraising), 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, as well as computing, consultancy and teaching.

Back to top

UK entry requirements

2024/25 entry

  • GCE A-level ABB-BBC.
  • BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DMM.
  • BTEC Level 3 Diploma DM with an A-level at grade C.
  • BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma D in any subject with A-levels grade BB.
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma 29 points. GCSE English equivalent Standard Level 5 or Higher Level 4 and Mathematics Standard Level 4 or Higher Level 4
  • Obtain a minimum of 112 UCAS tariff points in the Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3.
  • T levels : Merit overall

A minimum of five GCSEs are required, including GCSE Mathematics grade C or grade 4 and GCSE English Language grade C or grade 4 or GCSE English Literature grade B or grade 5.

Brunel University London is committed to raising the aspirations of our applicants and students. We will fully review your UCAS application and, where we’re able to offer a place, this will be personalised to you based on your application and education journey.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants as well as our full GCSE requirements and accepted equivalencies in place of GCSEs.

Back to top

EU and International entry requirements

If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 (min 5.5 in all areas)
  • Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
  • BrunELT: 63% (min 55% in all areas)
  • TOEFL: 90 (min R18, L17, S20, W17)  

You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.

Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.

Back to top

Fees and funding

2024/25 entry

UK

£9,250 full-time

£1,385 placement year

International

£19,430 full-time

£1,385 placement year

Fees quoted are per year and may be subject to an annual increase. Home undergraduate student fees are regulated and are currently capped at £9,250 per year; any changes will be subject to changes in government policy. International fees will increase annually, by no more than 5% or RPI (Retail Price Index), whichever is the greater.

More information on any additional course-related costs.

See our fees and funding page for full details of undergraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.

Please refer to the scholarships pages to view discounts available to eligible EU undergraduate applicants.

Back to top

Teaching and Learning

How the course will be delivered

Required equipment

How you'll learn on your course

Back to top

Assessment and feedback

You’ll be assessed by a combination of coursework and exams, but most of your time will be spent in private study and reading. In your final year you will produce a final dissertation on a politics or history subject of your choice under the guidance of a dissertation supervisor.

Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.

;