Sociology

A Level

A Level Sociology will give you an indepth understanding of the patterns and structures we see within society, and the forces behind them. From race to criminal behaviour to poverty, you’ll examine topics and issues which play a prominent role in our everyday lives and learn about the factors affecting these.

This course will provide you with a solid foundation in understanding society, and you’ll explore and debate a wide range of contemporary issues such as financial inequality, crime, and the disparity in educational attainment between girls and boys.

Specific requirements

You’ll need to meet the entry criteria for your chosen pathway.

For more information about the pathways, please click here.

HNC takes all reasonable steps to provide courses as described, but cannot guarantee provision. This information is for guidance only. The College reserves the right to update and amend course information and entry criteria as and when necessary. Please note that from time to time we may have to modify or withdraw a course depending on applicant demand and other factors. Please check this website for the latest information and our current course offer.

Your learning experience

The topics you will study will resonate with you as a young person in this rapidly changing and globalised world. These include:

Crime and deviance
Mass media
Culture and identity
Education in Britain
Research methods
Sociological theory and perspectives

An enriching experience

Studying A Level Sociology at HNC is an enriching experience. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to develop your skills and interests, broadening your horizons and building your cultural capital. These experiences are integral to life at HNC and will help you to stand out from the crowd. Some of the experiences our A Level Sociology students enjoy include:

Participating in inspirational and valuable guest workshops and university lectures
Taking part in charity events such as sleep-outs to raise funds for homeless charities and gain a deeper understanding of the reasons behind homelessness
The opportunity to take part in the College’s Debate Club
Participating in residential trips and visits – past students have enjoyed visits to London, a prison and various religious institutions

Enlightening opportunities

We are proud of the unique experiences that are available to our students both inside and outside of the classroom. Our subject specialists will instil in you a love of learning, and challenge you to develop the required skills you’ll need to achieve the life-changing qualifications that will lead you to your dream career.

You’ll will develop a range of key skills in lively lessons, which will see you debate challenging and sometimes contentious opinions and theories. Many of our A Level Sociology students also take part in our XL Programme, which provides you with unique and exceptional opportunities to support progression to world leading universities

How will you be assessed?

This course is assessed by examination.

Where does it lead?

Sociology helps students gain written and verbal communication skills from writing essays, presenting findings, and developing debating skills. Students also learn how to use various research methods including how to gather and analyse data that’s qualitative (interviews, focus groups) and quantitative (surveys, statistics); and how to navigate the ethical issues involved in research. This makes it a valuable qualification whatever you career plans may be! Naturally, students studying this A Level progress to careers such as Teaching, Policing and Social Work.

A Level Sociology students have recently progressed to university to study subjects such as: