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2020 applicants

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Subjects Sociology
Subject

Sociology

Sociology touches every aspect of our daily lives.

Sociology
Undergraduate Masters Research
You’re fascinated by what connects and divides us.

You refuse to accept things on face value. You want to be part of social action transforming society. At Essex we will help you to develop a sociological imagination to apply to your experience of the world and give you the confidence to change it for the better. 

Why study here?
  • Top 20 in the UK for research excellence (REF 2014, mainstream universities, THE 2014)
  • Ranked 7th in the UK for Sociology in the QS World University Rankings by subject (2020)
  • Dedicated student resource centre offering academic and personal support
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Develop imaginative new approaches to sociology.

Work alongside our world-class academics who spearhead the pursuit for a new understanding of the social world – exploring questions of social justice and equality. Our spirit of critical enquiry drives us in the quest for academic excellence.

We build on the traditions of sociological analysis, with a range of both qualitative and quantitative methods. We explore the contributions of cultural history, criminology, social anthropology, social psychology, social philosophy, feminism, and global sociology.

Why study here?
  • Top 20 in the UK for research excellence (REF 2014, mainstream universities, THE 2014)
  • Get to grips with big data through the UK Data Archive and our renowned Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER).
  • Ranked among the top 50 departments in the QS World University Rankings by subject (2020)
Fernanda's story

"I love research and I love studying governments and why they don’t work sometimes. I think it’s worth recognising when they do work and when they do things for the people. My main aspirations are to develop policies so I can help local governments in Mexico which tend to be the most inefficient and corrupt sometimes."

Read Fernanda's story
We're Top 20 in the UK for research excellence (REF 2014, mainstream universities, THE 2014), with 78% of our research rated 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent'.

We're also ranked among the top 40 departments in the QS World University Rankings (2019)

Why study here?
  • You work with world-leading scholars who have their finger on the pulse of modern society, in an exciting and active research environment.
  • We offer supervision that stretches out across Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Asian sub-continent.
  • We're home to a number of doctoral training centres; research-council-funded programmes that offer funding and training via studentships.
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