Law with Sociology

Law with sociology is a degree that situates legal knowledge in its broader social context, asking not just how law works as a formal system but how it relates to the social structures, inequalities and power relations that shape how it is made, applied and experienced. Law on its own trains you in the doctrine and reasoning of the English legal system. Sociology provides the theoretical and empirical tools to understand how that system operates in practice, why some people are more likely to come into contact with it than others, and whether the principles of justice, equity and equality that law aspires to are consistently realised.

At Royal Holloway, this three-year full-time programme explores the fundamental principles of justice and equality within the framework of English and European law alongside the key debates in sociology about social structure, inequality, power and collective life. You will develop both legal reasoning skills and sociological analytical capacities, becoming someone who can think rigorously about law and communicate its relationship to wider social phenomena. A placement year and a year abroad are built into the programme, and work placement opportunities are integrated throughout, giving you professional experience and an international dimension that enriches both strands of your degree.

Graduates of law with sociology programmes move into careers across both the legal profession and the wider social sciences. Many graduates go on to qualify as solicitors or barristers through the relevant professional routes. Others move into policy research, the civil service, the charitable sector, social research organisations, journalism, human resources and community legal work.

The sociological dimension is particularly valued in roles where understanding the relationship between law, policy and social outcomes is important. Postgraduate study in law, socio-legal studies, criminology or sociology is a natural further step.