Sociology UCL

Overview

The Sociology MSc degree from UCL a curriculum that emphasises a plurality of perspectives and rigorous methodological training, you will explore diverse sociological approaches to social change, cultural norms, institutions, and the complexities of the modern world. Topics that may be covered include race and gender dynamics, the climate crisis, wealth and income distribution, mental health and wellbeing, immigration, data-empowered societies and the impact of AI, social inequalities and injustices, and LGBTQ+ rights. It can be studied on campus or online, giving you the flexibility to engage with the programme from anywhere in the world.

This programme offers a robust foundation in sociological theory and methodology, coupled with hands-on research training to prepare students for real-world applications. You will learn to critically evaluate social phenomena through both established and emerging theoretical frameworks, gaining skills in qualitative and quantitative methods, analytical software like R and NVivo, and academic writing. The programme emphasises critical thinking, flexibility, and empathy, preparing graduates for roles in academia, policy, and beyond – where these analytical and interpersonal skills are in high demand. 

The Social Research Institute is a world-leading centre for policy-oriented social science. Our mission is to change the world for the better through our research, our teaching and our public engagement. This degree plays to the department’s strengths, is applied, empirical, policy-relevant, and interacts with the real world. Students that complete this degree will leave with a range of both hard and soft transferable skills that are in high demand in the labour market and will be competitive in a broad range of occupations.

Career opportunities:

Upon completing your studies, you will emerge from our programme equipped with the essential skills and a forward-thinking mindset necessary to confront the challenges that define 21st-century society. Whether you decide to pursue further postgraduate studies or embark on a competitive career path, your time at UCL will provide you with a distinct advantage. 

What this means in practice is students will acquire a range of skills that increase their employability, in addition to their subject specific expertise they will require. Through a comprehensive approach based on UCL’s Pillars of Employability, encompassing formative and summative exercises across different modules, methodological training, extracurricular activities, career guidance including PhD preparation support, and volunteering opportunities (e.g., under the UCL Community Research Initiative), we are confident that we provide our students with a well-rounded portfolio of skills and training that will set them apart in the labour market.

Upon graduation, students will have acquired the following transferable skills:

• Data analysis

• Programming, using the latest software packages 

• Decision making

• Problem solving

• Interpersonal skills

• Teamwork

• Independent work and leadership

• Presentational skills

• Communication skills

• Time keeping and workload prioritisation.

• Project management