Course Spotlight - BA Social Sciences
The study of social sciences aims to stimulate your curiosity about the constantly changing world in which we live and to equip you with the capacity to understand and critically analyse it. Preparing you for a broad range of professions – from social work, to teaching.
At Perth College UHI, we have courses available at a range of levels, - from National 5 to MSc. Our courses have clear progression routes between them, so if you are an HNC student looking to progress to a degree, learn more from BA Social Sciences Programme Leader, Ronnie Dewar.
Introduction
Designed to reflect the needs of an ever-changing society, the BA Social Science degree at Perth College UHI is the flagship degree in the Arts, Humanities and Business Faculty. Its origins go back more than twenty years to the very conception of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) project. It is a timeless degree that allows students to sample many different subject areas within the social science area before specialising on two in the final year.
Employability
The BA Social Science degree prides itself in preparing students with the transferrable skills that can be applied to many different degree options. Our graduates are enjoying fulfilling careers in social work, teaching, the uniformed services, research, the Trade Union Movement, alcohol and drug support services, retail management, parliamentary work, local government, policy analysis and the third sector; as well as a raft of Masters degree progressions, PhDs and business start-ups. We enhance employability by our assessment strategy which provides training in vital skills such as report writing and policy analysis. Furthermore, you can select a work placement module in your 3rd year, either find your own or go with one of our partners. Of course, degree-level education need not always be about career progression, we firmly believe that a society that does not study itself will not be a society for long. Those who wish to understand their surroundings better, to accrue academic skills and to read, will find a comfortable spot in this degree.
Subject Areas
Students can pick from the core social science subjects of Politics, Psychology and Sociology, within Sociology there is a growing number of Criminology modules. You will study these alongside skills modules to enhance your academic and scholarly ability. The degree is also structured in such a way you can take some option modules unrelated to social sciences. So, if you have an interest in Theology, Literature, Scottish History, Scottish Heritage, Philosophy or even beginners Gaelic, you can incorporate this into your degree. Indeed, if the full range of social sciences is not to your liking there are many Joint Honours Degrees that may suit: Sociology Politics; Sociology Criminology; Politics Criminology and many more. For those of you who fancy a semester - or two - studying abroad BA Social Sciences can fulfil this dream with strong linkages to universities in the US, Canada and mainland Europe.
Blended Learning
We pride ourselves in the accessibility of our degrees, using a blend of face-to-face teaching (via VC), online teaching (via a cutting-edge Virtual Learning Environment - VLE) and self-directed study. Our courses give a better degree of flexibility to students in terms of time and geographical location.
Research Led Teaching
The University of the Highlands and Islands is a relatively new university and the modules are written by subject specialists actively engaging in research, and other scholarly activity, in the area they are teaching. Our staff are published, and have delivered papers on: Foreign Policy; the Psychology of Missing People; Voting; Cybercrime and Sex Offences; the Psychology of Communication and Cognition; the Sociology of the Body and Technology; Violence in Sport; Human Geography and Terrorism. On-going research activity in these areas ensures an enriched student experience and a degree that opens up a wealth of career and study progressions.
““I have always been interested in psychology, sociology and politics, so this degree was an ideal choice for me. I have really enjoyed the experience and the support I have received from my lecturers has been excellent, particularly as I am a mature student returning to education.” ”
It’s not too late to apply for this year, places for September are still available. Find a course to suit you, and #ApplyNow 👉 https://www.perth.uhi.ac.uk/subject-areas/social-sciences/courses/
