AS/A Level Sociology


  • Start Date: 01/09/2026
  • Course is for: School Leaver
  • Course Length: 1 Year
  • Funding Support Funding Support:
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Studying A Level Sociology is your opportunity to delve into the complex and compelling world around us using expert and innovative teachers and techniques.

Where others teach to the text book and the exam, we immerse you in subject to the point where it becomes an innate habit to analyse everything you see and hear from a sociological viewpoint.

Having excellent links with local organisations allows our students to experience knowledge from all perspectives; universities, law courts, and the probation service all help in offering an experience unique to us and one which inspires students to go on and study the subject at university.

A Level Sociology leads to a vast array of career opportunities from teaching through to social work, and equips you with the skills and knowledge to grasp your future goals with both hands.

You will study 2 modules in your AS year:

  • Family & Households
  • Education & Research Methods

You will study 2 further modules in your A2 year:

  • Beliefs in Society
  • Crime & Deviance

Within these modules you will explore concepts and questions that relate to society today such as:

  • Does private education really make a difference?
  • What do we mean by intelligence?
  • Do teachers and schools make a difference to how successful individuals we become?
  • Who does what at home?
  • Why do boys wear blue and girls wear pink?
  • Why do one in three of all marriages end in Divorce?
  • Should young offenders be locked away in prisons?
  • Why are young, black and working class individuals over represented in the crime figures?
  • Is religion the drug of the masses?
  • Why is there such a fuss over women priests?
  • Is there a new age religion?

The raw material of sociology is the experience of ordinary people in ordinary, daily life.

But it is these very daily lives which can provide us with a whole host of clues in order to provide comprehensive and credible answers to these questions.

Required Entry Qualifications

In order to study A-levels with us, all students need to obtain a strong GCSE grade profile, averaging 6 x Grade 6s. You must also have passed maths at Grade 5 and English Language at Grade 6, as well as a Grade 6 in English Literature or other humanities subject.

Year 1 – AS Level:

You will sit two written exams a at the end of the year, both lasting 1.5 hours.

  • Education with Methods in Context
  • Research Methods and Topics in Sociology

Year 2 – A Level:

You will sit three written exams, each lasting two hours.

  • Education with Theory and Methods
  • Topics in Sociology
  • Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods

Your knowledge will also be assessed by frequent topic tests including mock assessments to help you prepare for the exams and practical assessments.

You’ll gain skills of critical thinking, knowledge and understanding of research methods and how to apply sociological theory to society’s organisations.

You will also understand researching, judging and evaluating complex information and in turn learn how to understand, scrutinise and re-assess common perceptions of the social world.

Sociology will also enhance written and communicative skills through set assessments, debates and discussion. These skills are useful in many university degrees, particularly the humanities such as English or history and social sciences.

Possible career destinations are broad as the skills you learn can be applied to many different areas.

Suggested options include teaching, public services, social services, youth services, advice services, social researching or charity fundraising.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH A QUALIFICATION IN AS/A LEVEL SOCIOLOGY?

  • Social Services Managers and Directors
  • Psychotherapists and Cognitive Behaviour Therapists
  • Clinical Psychologists
  • Social Workers
  • Social and Humanities Scientists

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Sociology and Anthropology: Knowledge of group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modelling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labour relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Median Salary
£37,828

Average Qualifications
Honours, Bachelor's degree

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Knowledge

Therapy and Counselling: Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counselling and guidance.

Psychology: Knowledge of human behaviour and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioural and affective disorders.

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Median Salary
£35,660

Average Qualifications
Honours, Bachelor's degree

Find Out More

Knowledge

Therapy and Counselling: Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counselling and guidance.

Psychology: Knowledge of human behaviour and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioural and affective disorders.

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Median Salary
£42,865

Average Qualifications
Honours, Bachelor's degree

Find Out More

Knowledge

Therapy and Counselling: Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counselling and guidance.

Psychology: Knowledge of human behaviour and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioural and affective disorders.

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Sociology and Anthropology: Knowledge of group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Median Salary
£42,179

Average Qualifications
Honours, Bachelor's degree

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Knowledge

Geography: Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

Sociology and Anthropology: Knowledge of group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

History and Archaeology: Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Median Salary
£31,253

Average Qualifications
Honours, Bachelor's degree

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Skills

Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Skills

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.

Skills

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.

Skills

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Skills

Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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