Social and Political Sciences with Foundation Year
Social and political sciences bring together two disciplines that help us understand how societies are organised and how power is exercised within and between them. Social science examines the structures, institutions and processes that shape social life: inequality, identity, work, family, media, culture and the mechanisms through which social change occurs. Political science focuses on the state, government, parties, elections, policy-making and the theoretical frameworks through which political life can be understood.
Studied together at Birkbeck College, they give you a rigorous and critical education in the social and political dimensions of the world we inhabit.
This four-year full-time programme begins with a foundation year, providing a supported entry route into the social sciences for students who need a thorough introduction to the methods and concepts of the field before progressing into the main degree. Birkbeck has a long tradition of providing higher education to students from a wide range of backgrounds, and the degree reflects that commitment. Across the programme you will study sociological and political theory, research methods, British and comparative politics, social inequality, identity and diversity, public policy and the broader historical and global context in which contemporary social and political questions are situated.
Graduates from social and political sciences move into careers in the civil service, think tanks, research organisations, journalism, the third sector, local government, social work, education, policy and a wide range of other fields where understanding people and institutions in depth is valuable. The analytical and research skills developed through the programme are highly transferable, and the programme's emphasis on critical thinking is valued by employers across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in sociology, political science, public policy, social research or related disciplines.