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Sociology with Media Studies BSc (Hons)

Explore what drives social trends and how the media shapes our society on this Sociology with Media Studies degree course.

Key information

UCAS code:

L300

Typical offer:

104-112 UCAS points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent

See full entry requirements
Study mode and duration
Start date

Showing content for section Overview

Overview

The media plays a big part in shaping society. If you want to explore what drives social trends and how the media shapes our society, this course is for you.

You’ll explore pressing contemporary social issues and get an understanding of specialist areas of sociological study, while developing the knowledge and skills to expertly dissect the media.

When you complete this course you'll also be primed for a career in anything from health and social care to the creative industries.

Course highlights

  • Develop a critical understanding of the world we live in: learn how our lives relate to each other's and intersect with wider social structures and institutions
  • Learn about the present, past and possible futures of media around the world
  • Focus on specialist areas, such as food, happiness and violence
  • Be taught by specialist staff who are undertaking research, ensuring you keep abreast of the latest developments in the field
  • Do research that connects your studies to what's happening now in society
  • Hone your ability to research, analyse, and communicate complex data and ideas

Courses in Sociology

Hear our students and lecturers explain the benefits of studying a sociology course with us.

Chloe: I think I wanted to study sociology because it's got so many different components that you can't find it not interesting.

Dr Joseph Burridge: We offer three courses: Sociology, Sociology with Psychology and Sociology with Criminology.

Dr Rusten Menard: On our sociology courses, we offer a broad range of topics.

Joseph: Social inequalities and injustices, gender and sexuality, about race and racism, about nationalism, about the emotions, about food. It's a very versatile course.

Abby: At uni, it's interesting because everybody comes from a range of different places. You kind of learn about things that can relate to your life and people in your classes lives.

Rusten: It makes me feel amazing that students can connect their everyday experiences to these much larger topics that we're all dealing with on an everyday basis, even though we don't know that we are.

Joseph: There's a range of reasons that students will study the course, but I think that the most important one is that they're interested in understanding society and also wanting to change it.

Chloe: We’ll be sat in the seminar and everyone from different corners of the room is bringing in their own opinion.

Rusten: There are so many different kinds of jobs that our students go into, such as HR, marketing, the 

Abby: charities sector, non-government organisations, 

Asan: a higher education lecturer, a social researcher.

Chloe: I went and did a month out in Tanzania and I was working in a school there and I got picked to do that because I did sociology.

I chose to study at the University of Portsmouth because I just love the city as a whole.

Asan: It's a beautiful city. There’s lots to do here. There's always somewhere I could go.

Chloe: It's great that you can have that city environment with the kind of fast pace of life but you can walk 15 minutes up the road and be on a beach, relaxing, having an ice cream.

Asan: All the lecturers, the staff, they're very knowledgeable. You can go to them for anything. You can tell when your lecturer is really excited about the topic and that makes you feel more excited about the topic too.

Joseph: The thing I enjoy most, I think is the student journey. Meeting them on that very first day, they're fresh to the institution and then seeing them develop over the three or four years that they're here and ultimately seeing them graduate and, you know, having them come back and tell us how they're getting on and what they're doing. That's one of the most rewarding parts of it.

Contact information

Admissions

+44 (0) 23 9284 5566

Contact Admissions

Entry requirements

To do this degree, you need to apply for the BSc (Hons) Sociology course. This is because it's a 'pathway' degree.

You’ll study Sociology in depth and add Media Studies as a complementary subject in years 2 and 3. You’ll graduate with a BSc (Hons) Sociology with Media Studies degree when you finish the course.

These are the entry requirements for the BSc (Hons) Sociology course.

BA (Hons) Sociology degree entry requirements

Typical offers

  • A levels - BBC-BCC
  • UCAS points - 104-112 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent (calculate your UCAS points)
  • T-levels - Merit
  • BTECs (Extended Diplomas) - DMM
  • International Baccalaureate - 25

You may need to have studied specific subjects – find full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept

English language requirements

  • English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

See alternative English language qualifications

We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.

If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

We look at more than just your grades

While we consider your grades when making an offer, we also carefully look at your circumstances and other factors to assess your potential. These include whether you live and work in the region and your personal and family circumstances which we assess using established data.

Explore more about how we make your offer

Careers and opportunities

When you complete this degree course, our Careers and Employability team can work with you to find the employment that you need to kick-start your career.

What can you do with a Sociology degree?

You'll have the knowledge and skills to pursue a career or further training in areas such as:

  • teaching and lecturing
  • research
  • health and social care
  • advertising
  • marketing and media
  • local government
  • community development
  • careers advice
  • teaching
  • charity work
  • human resources and recruitment
  • business administration and personnel management
  • media research
  • public relations and marketing
  • journalism
  • publishing
  • new media development

What jobs can you do with a Sociology degree?

Some of our alumni have gone on to work for big names such as the BBC, Warner Bros and Universal Pictures International. Roles our graduates have taken on include:

  • production manager
  • sound and vision engineer
  • film/video producer
  • advertising journalist
  • assistant publicist
  • PR and communications officer

You could also continue your studies at postgraduate level or set up a business with help and support from the University

Work experience and career planning

To give you the best chance of securing the ideal job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service can help you find relevant work experience during your course.

We'll work with you to identify placements, internships, voluntary roles and freelancing opportunities that will complement your studies and allow you to use the skills you've learnt.

We'll also be available to help, advise and support you for up to 5 years as you advance in your career.

This course allows you to take the Learning From Experience (LiFE) option. This means you can earn credits towards your degree for work, volunteer and research placements that you do alongside your study.

Placement year

After your second year, you can do an optional work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry.

Previous students have been on placements to:

  • NBC Universal
  • Disney
  • St James Place Wealth Management
  • Enterprise Rent-A-Car
  • Why Me? Restorative Justice
  • SEK International School, Spain

In your placement year, you can also set up a business on your own or with other students.

We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year

Modules

Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits.

In each year, you need to study modules worth a total of 120 credits. For example, four modules worth 20 credits and one module worth 40 credits.

What you'll study

Core modules

You’ll critique contemporary topics and debates to understand how sociologists make sense of the social world in radically different ways than common assumptions.

As well as reviewing current research and theories, you’ll gain crucial skills you’ll need to succeed in your degree and become an independent, creative thinker.

You'll examine a range of films and documentaries to reveal what they say about key social theories and the way societies are constructed. We'll watch films and documentaries that each reflect a specific social theme and use them to think critically about how these themes affect society today.

You'll also explore how visual media, like films and documentaries, shapes the way people think and affects the social policies that govern our lives.

You'll spend most of your time learning how to analyse data for your research, looking at both quantitative and qualitative methods, and how to examine data ethically.

You'll learn about ways of collecting data, such as surveying, interviewing and observation, before drawing conclusions and presenting what you've learned.

You'll learn how to create clear research plans that investigate real-world issues, and how research can be used to make positive changes in business, government, advocacy or academia.

On this module, you’ll investigate the structures of power, privilege and inequality that shape society. You’ll examine intersectional perspectives on how gender, race, class and other categories intertwine to limit opportunities – discussing urgent issues like educational outcomes, discrimination, welfare failures and more.

You'll also explore ideas that challenge the status quo and innovative policies aimed at balancing the scales.

With sociological research as your guide, you'll tackle thought-provoking questions head on: What barriers do people face at school, work and beyond? How do setbacks compound over a lifetime? And what hope exists for creating a truly just world?

You'll examine traditional and modern social theories in relation to your own personal experiences and current events happening in society today.

Get to grips with the big ideas in social theory and how they can be used to understand modernisation, power structures, social justice and the human condition.

As you learn, you'll also develop skills in critical analysis, conceptual thinking and effective communication.

Core modules

You'll work as part of a small group with your fellow students, choosing a sociology problem to research and designing a project to investigate it.

You'll work together to create research strategies, collect and analyse data, and share findings - taking your project from idea to completion.

Your research project will help you gain skills in working with others and progressing your work through peer feedback. You'll also learn how sociological research evidence is created and used for different purposes.

You'll look at ideas on industrial employment from key figures in history such as Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim and Max Weber, considering how these hold up against today's modern workplaces and economies.

You'll study the ways that workers themselves have shaped employment through fighting and negotiating for their rights. Through class discussions and activities, you'll also develop an understanding of modern sociological ideas about the changing divisions of work, labour and employment, such as Emotional and Aesthetic work.

By the end of the module, you'll be able to explain complex ideas about shifting workplace dynamics and social divisions, and the evolving nature of employment in our rapidly changing world.

You'll learn about major economic, political and cultural changes in Western Europe over the nineteenth century, and how these affected the rest of the world as time went on.

You'll explore the big ideas that have shaped the modern world, and weigh up the benefits and perils of globalisation. Skills you'll develop on this module include independent research, critical thinking and effective communication.

You'll also learn to understand the opportunities and challenges of today's world from an informed, global perspective.

You'll explore this question on this module, looking at the uncertainties of our world and how these risks impact our everyday lives. Examine how social institutions shape people's perceptions of risk and how aspects of our own identities, such as class and gender, affect the way we approach risk as individuals.

You'll also have the chance to investigate risk and society in relation to a topic you're most interested in, for example, health, crime or technology.

Optional modules

Learn about the influence of TV, movies, ads, online platforms, and newspapers in the US, Canada, and Ireland. Understand how these outlets build a sense of who we are. You’ll develop key research skills to delve into the media’s cultural role.

You’ll get to watch films, listen to lectures, and work on a detailed project. This will help you learn ways to study identity, assess media in context, and create your own studies on how national stories affect our identity.

This module will equip you with the ability to critically evaluate the media’s role in forming national identity and give you the tools to conduct your own research into this complex process.

You’ll trace the development of film, TV, and digital media, grasping historical impacts and the concept of spectatorship. Look into expert analyses to explore how interactive technologies shape audiences and people. You’ll contextually analyse screen entertainment as an industry, considering economic factors and passive vs active engagement. Through a mix of practical and theoretical work, your projects will showcase your in-depth understanding of the subject. You’ll also evaluate online materials to support your findings.

By the end, you’ll have a well-rounded understanding of screen culture. You can use this to pursue many careers, from media programming to content creation.

You’ll collaborate with students on other courses to explore and address societal and environmental challenges faced by local and global communities. You’ll choose projects from a range of topic areas aligned with the university's Civic Strategy.

With input from local organisations, you’ll think about your topic from multiple perspectives, developing your interdisciplinary thinking and ability to work with others.

You’ll explore emerging technologies to understand how the internet, social media, and ambient media shape—and are shaped by—human behaviour. Consider expert opinions to spark discussions about online communities and the idea of an ‘information society.’ We’ll show you how to find trustworthy sources online, helping you delve into the participation culture across platforms.

By making your own digital content, you’ll learn about the impact of what people create and share in our always-connected world. Crucially, by taking part, you’ll improve your ability to use different media platforms and develop your creativity, preparing you for jobs in today’s digital-first workplace.

With a minimum 80-hour commitment, you’ll apply what you’ve learned so far on your degree to real-world professional settings within our community of local businesses, social enterprises, and third-sector organisations.

You’ll have support from interactive workshops, tutorials, and guest speaker events, encouraging you to set achievable professional goals and evolve your professional identity.

You’ll explore how the media covers topics like environmentalism, immigration, and mental health. By researching, reviewing, and discussing these issues, you’ll use theories to understand urgent, complex debates and sharpen your ability to think ethically.

Looking at past and current real-world controversies, you’ll finish this module ready to make and understand media responsibly.

Optional modules

During your study abroad year, you’ll expand your global perspective and develop additional skills to boost your future career, as well as making memories, new friends and career contacts.

You could also improve your foreign language and intercultural communication skills. This is an amazing opportunity to expand your horizons and set yourself up for your future career by studying abroad and becoming a student ambassador for our university.

We'll help you find and secure a work placement that inspires you in a destination you can explore and make home during your placement year.

You'll have the chance to try out skills and gain experience that'll help you clarify your next career steps, while building capabilities employers seek and applying what you've learned on your degree so far to a real-world working environment.

Return feeling confident and re-energised for your final year or first year of your career, ready to make an immediate impact in whatever you choose to do next.

Optional modules

It's up to you what your dissertation is about – this will be your chance to showcase your passion for sociology by choosing a topic that most interests you.

You'll draw on everything you’ve learned so far to investigate, analyse, craft and refine your dissertation project, using existing texts, sources and artefacts to support your arguments and give them social and historical context.

You'll have the support of a dedicated dissertation supervisor to guide you throughout this module.

This real-world, project-based module lets you address an identified need or gap by designing an innovative product, service or resource.

With support from university staff and external partners, you'll demonstrate critical thinking, ethical awareness and project management abilities.

Your final project and presentation will showcase your employability and capacity for high-impact solutions.

Research from diverse lenses to build a questioning, reflective grasp of celebrity's principles and boundaries. Hone skills in independent thought, analysis, and articulation of ideas. Use presentations to illustrate arguments around the societal role of fame.

On this module, you’ll critically analyse the complex economic, political, cultural and environmental impacts of consumption, thinking creatively about alternatives and solutions to the many controversies surrounding consumerism today.

By evaluating theories and research on consumerism, advertising, fashion, credit, debt and more, you’ll develop an insightful understanding of the profound consequences of our consumer lifestyles.

Considering diverse theories from sociology, feminist and queer studies, you'll evaluate everyday 'common sense' ideas alongside norms that police our bodies and behaviours.

You'll examine how today's societal structures continue to maintain inequality, building your ability to question assumptions, identify bias and pursue equity across intersections of race, age, class and more.

You’ll debate ideas relating to wellness culture, self-help and self-improvement.

By examining theories of psychiatry and mental health, you’ll gain tools to analyse how individuals make sense of themselves and their own levels of happiness amidst complex social scripting.

This module will help you form your own nuanced perspectives on humanity’s timeless quest for meaning and inner peace.

By analysing global case studies, you’ll assess how journalism prioritises sensational stories over peaceful resolutions during war. You’ll scrutinise the political and societal impacts of media coverage that favours violence and engage in discussions about this bias, forming your well-researched viewpoints.

This module invites you to consider how ethical journalism can transform the way we understand global discord.

You'll learn to apply intersectional theories to decode how racism intersects with privilege and oppression, and look at the rise of 'colour blind' racism in recent decades. Through reflective analysis of case studies on both sides of the Atlantic, you'l develop your sociological imagination, critical thinking abilities, and passion for social justice.

You'll challenge assumptions about the subjective nature of personal taste as a marker of social class, examining how people make judgments about 'good' and 'bad' taste and how this brings them together and sets them apart.

You'll consider whether cultural attitudes have become more tolerant, as well as how culture provides meaning in the world through stories, symbols and sounds.

By examining celebrity culture and the attribution of value in society, you'll learn about cultural production and tensions with market forces, individual expression vs societal norms, and cultural appropriation vs appreciation.

You’ll consider the growth of interest in emotions in sociology, and examines their role in classical sociological theory. Working in groups and workshops, you’ll weigh up debates on emotional life and apply them to real examples.

You’ll also explore sociological approaches to a range of distinct emotions, as well as the rise of therapy and self-help culture in contemporary western society.

On this module, you’ll explore radical frameworks for understanding and eradicating intersectional oppression. We'll analyse different ways of challenging injustices, from interrupting homophobic microaggressions to disrupting the social impacts of global issues like the climate crisis.

You'll learn about how ideas like feminism, anti-racism and inclusive education can challenge domineering structures like capitalism, racism and patriarchy. You’ll examine the politics of knowledge itself alongside ideas that empower the disadvantaged.

On this module, you'll explore the surprising interconnections between generations, personal relationships, life stages and the changing meaning of a 'career'.

By reviewing theories and debates around concepts like work-life balance and gender roles, you'll gain insight into how career choices can be influenced by social expectations and family pressures.

You'll bring these ideas together and consider the interesting ways in which 'what we do' and 'who we are' exist in a very close relationship with each other.

Explore popular texts that have sparked dedicated fan bases. You’ll learn theories to grasp why audiences get so engaged. Study the roots of subcultures united by favourite movies, TV shows, and merchandise. Look at research on how fans interact, create communities, and set themselves apart. You’ll also get hands-on experience by joining fan groups online to study and support ideas about our strong connections with media.

With a mix of critical analysis, real-world examples, and practical research, you’ll uncover the social dynamics of fandom.

This module will deepen your understanding of why people become fans and how these communities operate, enriching your knowledge through both study and direct experience.

With hundreds of thousands of individuals from Africa and the Middle East attempting to breach borders by land and sea, many are asking questions regarding the responsibilities of Western nations, and 'the West' generally, for this mass movement of people.

On this module, you'll explore the nationalism that shapes many peoples' attitudes towards migrants, through lenses of history, identity and global inequality.

You'll examine anxieties around border breaches and cultural change - investigating how privilege and national identity shape perspectives.

With a minimum 80-hour commitment, you'll apply what you've learned so far on your degree to real-world professional settings within our community of local businesses, social enterprises, and third-sector organisations.

You'll have support from interactive workshops, tutorials, and guest speaker events, encouraging you to set achievable professional goals and evolve your professional identity.

Use theory and history to see how literature, film, TV, new media, and journalism present technology, scientists, and science’s place in our world. You’ll learn to tell real science from fiction by evaluating their cultural settings. This will help you see how media shapes our understanding of science.

By looking at many examples and carefully thinking about them, you’ll discover how important it is to communicate science creatively.

You'll look critically at corporate, state, technical and consumerist norms within our society, and how these powers-that-be are challenged by resistance from protest movements that highlight the ways society is failing those with the least power. By investigating historical and modern case studies of revolutions and revolts, you'l think about how we can apply social justice and ethical practices to other societies by generating ideas and developing creative solutions of benefit to society and the economy.

On this module, you’ll explore the sociological significance of education.

Moving beyond the classroom, you’ll explore how schooling shapes identities and uphold society - for better or worse.

Through iconic texts, you’ll interrogate big ideas around inequality, control and reform, and form your own views taking into account pressing issues like class, gender and race.

You'll examine key theories and research methodologies for understanding personal life, relationships, sexuality and generational change.

You'll have the opportunity to pursue topics matching your interests, whether that's shifts in dating cultures, new family forms, LGBTQ identities, or issues like consent, respect and ethics.

The module develops critical thinking skills by evaluating different frameworks and perspectives on contemporary intimacy and relationships. There is an emphasis on inclusivity, diversity, and social justice throughout.

Changes to course content

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

How you're assessed

You’ll be assessed through:

  • written essays and tests
  • both group and individual projects
  • presentations
  • scripts
  • video productions
  • reports/magazine features
  • seminar participation
  • examinations
  • a 10,000-word dissertation

You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

The way you’re assessed will depend on the modules you select throughout your course. Here's an example from a previous year of how students on this course were typically assessed:

  • Year 1 students: 18% by written exams and 82% by coursework
  • Year 2 students: 17% by written exams, 17% by practical exams and 66% by coursework
  • Year 3 students: 12% by written exams and 88% by coursework

Teaching

Teaching methods on this course include:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • tutorials
  • workshops
  • practical performance sessions
  • simulation

You can access all teaching resources on Moodle, our virtual learning environment, from anywhere with a Web connection.

Teaching staff profiles

Rusten Menard Portrait

Dr Rusten Menard

Senior Lecturer

rusten.menard@port.ac.uk

School of Area Studies, Sociology, History, Politics, and Literature

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

PhD Supervisor

Read more

How you'll spend your time

One of the main differences between school or college and university is how much control you have over your learning.

We use a blended learning approach to teaching, which means you’ll take part in both face-to-face and online activities during your studies.  As well as attending your timetabled classes you'll study independently in your free time, supported by staff and our virtual learning environment, Moodle.

A typical week

We recommend you spend at least 35 hours a week studying for your Sociology degree. In your first year, you’ll be in timetabled teaching activities such as lectures, seminars and workshops for about 11 hours a week. The rest of the time you’ll do independent study such as research, reading, coursework and project work, alone or in a group with others from your course. You'll probably do more independent study and have less scheduled teaching in years 2 and 3, but this depends on which modules you choose.

Term dates

The academic year runs from September to June. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter.

See term dates

Supporting you

The amount of timetabled teaching you'll get on your degree might be less than what you're used to at school or college, but you'll also get support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:

Types of support

Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to independent study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your time at university.

As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.

You'll have help from a team of faculty learning development tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study.

They can help with:

  • Improving your academic writing (for example, essays, reports, dissertations)
  • Delivering presentations (including observing and filming presentations)
  • Understanding and using assignment feedback
  • Managing your time and workload
  • Revision and exam techniques

As well as support from faculty staff and your personal tutor, you can use the University's Academic Skills Unit (ASK).

ASK provides one-to-one support in areas such as:

  • Academic writing
  • Note taking
  • Time management
  • Critical thinking
  • Presentation skills
  • Referencing
  • Working in groups
  • Revision, memory and exam techniques

If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.

Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.

You can get personal, emotional and mental health support from our Student Wellbeing Service, in person and online. This includes 1–2–1 support as well as courses and workshops that help you better manage stress, anxiety or depression.

If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.

They'll help you to

  • discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
  • liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
  • access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
  • liaise with external services

Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.

The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.

If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.

Course costs and funding

Tuition fees

  • UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,250 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
  • EU students – £9,250 per year (including Transition Scholarship – may be subject to annual increase)
  • International students – £17,200 per year (subject to annual increase)

Additional course costs

These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.

Additional costs

Our accommodation section show your accommodation options and highlight how much it costs to live in Portsmouth.

You’ll study up to 6 modules a year. You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each module.

You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.

We recommend that you budget £75 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.

 

If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.

You'll need to pay additional costs anywhere between £50–£1,000 to cover travel, accommodation or subsistence if you take a placement abroad.

The amount you'll pay will vary, depending on the location and length of your stay. It will also depend on additional funding the UK Government makes available after Brexit and if the UK remains part of the Erasmus+ student mobility programme or not.

During your placement year or study abroad year, you’ll be eligible for a discounted rate on your tuition fees. Currently, tuition fees for that year are:

  • UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £1,385 a year (may be subject to annual increase)
  • EU students – £1,385 a year, including Transition Scholarship (may be subject to annual increase)
  • International students – £2,875  a year (subject to annual increase)

The costs associated with your specific destination will be discussed during your second year, as well as possible sources of additional funding.

Apply

You need to choose BSc (Hons) Sociology when you apply for this course, because this is a ‘pathway’ course. This is where you study Sociology in depth and add Media Studies as a complementary subject in years 2 and 3. You’ll then graduate with a BSc (Hons) Sociology with Media Studies degree when you complete the course. 

If you change your mind after you apply, you can choose not to study Media Studies in years 2 and 3. You’ll then graduate with a BSc (Hons) Sociology degree when you complete the course. 

How to apply

To start this course in 2024, apply through UCAS. You'll need:

  • the UCAS course code – L300
  • our institution code – P80

If you'd prefer to apply directly, use our online application form.

You can also sign up to an Open Day to:

  • Tour our campus, facilities and halls of residence
  • Speak with lecturers and chat with our students 
  • Get information about where to live, how to fund your studies and which clubs and societies to join

If you're new to the application process, read our guide on applying for an undergraduate course.

Applying from outside the UK

As an international student you'll apply using the same process as UK students, but you’ll need to consider a few extra things. 

You can get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region.

Find out what additional information you need in our international students section

If you don't meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Admissions terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.