Sociology is the study of people and societies, with particular emphasis on modern urban settings. The subject overlaps with other related disciplines such as politics, international relations, anthropology, economics, history, human geography and psychology. The subject brings understanding from analysis to understand cause and effect across law, religion, migration, prejudice and discrimination, gender, love, family, war, peace. This broad focus is also reflected in the research interests of Aberdeen Sociology staff who specialise in areas as diverse as global conflict and peace studies, religion and secularisation, global political economy, identities and well-being and the relationship between humans and other animals.

The MSc Sociology is designed for you if you have a background in sociology or if you wish to extend your knowledge of the subject into the postgraduate level. It will also work well as a conversion degree for you with little or no previous experience of Sociology. The programme covers the core theoretical and methodological concepts and debates in sociology and offers a series of elective courses that reflect the department’s expertise and current research.

You will gain an advanced understanding of the theoretical and methodological approaches to contemporary sociology. You will develop an awareness of the key empirical areas of research in sociology and their implications for social policy and social change.