Sociology, Culture and Media
Factfile
| Typical Entry Requirements | A level grades ABB-BBB (320-300 points) |
|---|---|
| English Language Requirements | An IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent for non-native-English-speaking applicants. |
| Other Suitable Qualifications | BTEC National Diploma - DDM A wide range of other qualifications will be considered on an individual basis such as HND, Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish qualifications, Access Diplomas and Foundation courses. |
|---|---|
| Planned Intake | 20 |
| Selection Process | Selection is primarily on the basis of UCAS forms. Offers are made in terms of points. We do not include General Studies in our offers. We invite suitable candidates to visit the University to find out more about the programme and meet staff and students. |
Our Sociology, Culture and Media degree will provide you with a specialist examination of media and culture integrated with an extensive and invaluable grounding in more general sociological theory and methods. As a result you will enjoy the benefits of a sociology degree combined with an innovative media programme.
The Department of Sociology has an international reputation as a centre of excellence in both research and teaching. It was again ranked in the UK’s top six by the latest Research Assessment Exercise, with most of our research rated internationally excellent or better (30 per cent achieving world-leading status).
Further information
Degree Programmes
BSc (Hons) Degrees
| Degree | UCAS code | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| * Programme includes a professional training year | ||
| BSc (Hons) Sociology, Culture and Media | LP33 | 3 years |
| BSc (Hons) Sociology, Culture and Media | LP3H | 4* years |
Our Degrees
During the twentieth century, media such as television, radio, cinema, music, newspapers and magazines became ever more central to everyday life. The recent digitalisation of established media and the generation of new technologies such as the Internet and mobile phones promise to have an even greater impact upon the cultural fabric of daily life in the twenty-first century.
Our Sociology, Culture and Media programme is an exciting and unique degree which offers an in-depth examination of the relationship between media, culture and society. Whilst your studies will have a particular focus upon the social significance of ‘new media’ such as the Internet, digital television and mobile phones, you will also spend significant time focusing upon established forms of mass communication, including print and broadcast media. Additionally, the programme offers a sociological examination of culture, focusing particularly upon youth culture, music, art, fashion and consumption.
Our graduates are highly employable. In addition to the range of specialist and transferable skills that you will gain throughout the programme, you will also have the opportunity to develop crucial skills and experience in an industry context through our professional training year.
Programme Overview
This programme offers an analysis of the relationships between media, culture and society, covering a range of contemporary media forms, including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinema, popular music, the Internet and mobile phones. You will benefit from the opportunity to combine this particular focus upon contemporary media and culture with a thorough grounding in sociological theory and invaluable hands-on training in the use of qualitative and quantitative methods.
Level 1 combines an introduction to the sociological study of media and popular culture with a grounding in sociological theory and method.
At Level 2 you specialise in media and culture through the core modules Media, Power and Culture and Analysing Media, together with two options such as Understanding Internet Culture, Television Entertainment or Media, War and Human Rights.
At Level 3 the dissertation enables you to conduct an in-depth project on a topic of your choice, related to the sociology of media and culture. You will also choose three specialist options from an extensive and varied list which currently includes Music, Media and Technology, Fans and Audiences and Cultural Globalisation and Media, alongside a range of modules from across the discipline of sociology which offers you the opportunity to focus upon topics such as deviance, gender, ethnicity, later life, health and illness, childhood or terror.
Programme Structure
Level 1
Core modules:
- Media, Communication and Society
- Popular Culture and Everyday Life
- Sociology of Contemporary Societies
- Sociological Theory 1
- Social Research Methods 1
- Quantitative Methods
- ICT and Study Skills
Level 2
Core modules:
- Media, Power and Culture
- Analysing Media
- Understanding Media: Key Texts
- Sociological Theory 2
- Social Research Methods 2
Optional modules:
- Work and Family
- Sociology of Gender
- Social Policy and Welfare in Context
- Sociology of the Environment
- Sociology of Political Systems
- Sociology of Art
- Group Research Project
- Understanding Internet Culture
- Media, War and Human Rights
- Television Entertainment
Level P
- Optional professional training year
Level 3
Core modules:
- Dissertation
- Sociological Analysis
- Analysing Sociology
Optional modules:
- Fans and Audiences
- Music, Media and Technology
- Deviance and Social Control
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Sociology of Sexualities
- Sociology of Childhood
- Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
- Aspects of Social Research Methodology
- Organisational Analysis: Cultural Industries and Organisations
- Cultural Globalisation and Media
- Sociology of Terror
Professional Training
You will have the chance to develop your skills and experience in a work environment through the professional placement, which is optional for all of our students during their third year. This provides an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you will have acquired during your first two years of study in a work environment. You will undertake responsible work and receive full training.
The process of preparing and applying for placement jobs will also significantly enhance your job-seeking skills, which will come into play in your final year and beyond when you apply for graduate employment. After graduation many of our students take up permanent posts with their professional placement employer. Our students tend to return to their final year significantly more confident and with enhanced career aspirations and prospects, so you are likely to be more focused, perform better and achieve better results.
Placements are selected according to your interests, career plans and location preferences. The majority of our placements are paid, usually in the region of £12,000–£15,000 per annum. If you choose to take an unpaid placement, you can claim additional financial support and may also work a reduced amount of time. Depending on availability, some of our students may manage to secure placements in media or related organisations.
Examples of past professional placements undertaken by students within the Department of Sociology include radio stations, record companies, marketing companies, computer companies, social research organisations and educational establishments.
Ten reasons to study Sociology, Culture and Media at Surrey
- A unique, innovative degree programme
- A comprehensive sociological examination of media, culture and society
- The analysis of new and established media — print, broadcast and digital
- A focus on new media products including online and mobile phone technologies
- The analysis of media and culture combined with core sociology modules
- Specialist, dedicated and enthusiastic staff in a department rated among the top six in the UK by the latest Research Assessment Exercise
- Develop specialist and transferable skills highly valued by employers
- International student exchange scheme opportunities
- Gain invaluable workplace experience on the professional training year
- A lively and friendly department
Top for Jobs
This programme will prepare you for the wide range of careers which require the ability to analyse complex issues and to reach sound conclusions. You will gain an understanding of the media industries which will provide you with valuable grounding if you wish to move towards media or new media-related careers.
Career Opportunities
The Sociology, Culture and Media programme will prepare you for the wide range of careers which require the ability to analyse complex issues and to reach sound conclusions. As a graduate from our programme, you will have good analytical skills, be numerate and able to communicate well. You will also have gained a particular understanding of the media industries, something which will provide a valuable initial grounding if you wish to move towards media or new media-related careers.
If you have completed the professional training year, you are liable to be viewed particularly favourably by employers, having skills and experience that graduates of courses elsewhere may not. About a quarter of students in the Department of Sociology go on to postgraduate study.
Teaching
Teaching is oriented towards the development of your practical and analytical skills as well as theoretical awareness and understanding. You will develop sophisticated skills in the use of both qualitative and quantitative research methods as a means to analyse media, culture and society. You will benefit from a range of teaching methods including small group tutorials and workshops, as well as lectures, classes and occasional screenings. The programme also utilises online module guides, a virtual notice board and student discussion facilities, and you will be able to take advantage of the Department’s own video editing suite, range of audiovisual equipment and networked computer suite.
Assessment
Most modules are assessed by a combination of coursework and examinations, but some are entirely coursework-based. Examples of coursework include essays, projects and exercises related to media analysis or other kinds of social research. Each module in the first year must be passed satisfactorily in order to enter the second year. Your final degree result is based on assessment during the second year (40 per cent) and the final year (60 per cent).
Contact Details
T: 0800 980 3200 or +44 (0)1483 681681
What our students say
Graduate Profile: Amelia Lefroy
BSc Sociology, Culture and Media
When looking through the UCAS book for inspiration, the Sociology, Culture and Media programme really stood out for me, mainly because it offers a good balance of the traditional sociological perspectives and emerging research on how the Internet, iPods and other new technologies are shaping the social landscape.
I’m so pleased I got a place here. It’s a really exciting time to be doing the course because of the volume of research being undertaken about developments in technology and new media.
Surrey has also given me so many other opportunities and experiences that I just wouldn’t be without. From joining the GU2 (student radio station) committee in my first year and being station manager in my second, to working in the Students’ Union, joining the Christian Union and working out in the gym. I wish I could have my time again to do even more!
But the best opportunity has to be my placement at 96.4 The Eagle, Surrey and north-east Hampshire’s number one radio station. My time there included breakfast show presenting and outside broadcasts, with loads of organising, production and editing thrown in! In a competitive radio industry, I’m graduating with a real advantage.
Graduate Profile: Amy Bullock
BSc Sociology, Culture and Media
The major appeal for me of the Sociology, Culture and Media programme is the way in which it combines core elements of both sociology and media. Initially I had wanted to opt for a media based course, but was attracted to sociology because of how much I enjoyed the subject at A level. Sociology, Culture and Media effectively allows for the best of both worlds – where students who are interested in two main areas of study can keep their options open in respect of future career moves. The course is well balanced between theory and practical hands-on experience, while a choice of modules allows you to specialise in areas you are really interested in.
What has really impressed me is the University’s awareness of the significance that placement years now hold for graduates. The Department is dedicated to finding students invaluable work experience tailored to the individual’s needs and interests. All the staff that I have been in contact with are extremely approachable and helpful, and, most importantly, willing to support students to their best ability.
More generally, Surrey boasts a wide range of extra-curricular activities to become involved in, and I have played on the ladies basketball team for the past two years.
