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*The Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide, 2026
Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Course overview
-
L308 -
L27 -
City Campus -
Full-Time -
3 Years -
21 Sep 2026
Add a social psychology perspective to questions traditionally associated with sociology.
As part of this course, you’ll:
- Discover how we develop as individuals and learn how institutions and social structures influence how we act
- Explore a wide range of sociological themes, touching on the theories of classical and contemporary sociologists
- Study psychological topics, including how different environments shape human behaviour, the inter-relationship between the individual and broader social and cultural phenomena
- Understand how psychology can be used for the benefit of society
- Shape your course to the career you want by selecting from a range of option modules in the final year
Varied assessments
As part of your studies, you'll undertake a wide variety of assessments. In your second year, you could participate in a day-long conference where you'll have the opportunity to present your own research findings. You could also publish your essay in our university's highly regarded sociology journal.
Hands-on experience
You'll gain practical experience in research, as you conduct observational exercises within the city of Leeds, gleaning insights into people's behaviour. Leeds is the perfect place to study as it's packed with organisations that offer work experience and job opportunities upon graduation.
Unlike other joint degree programmes, this course will allow you to focus equally on sociology and psychology. You'll be encouraged to determine your own line of enquiry. There'll be plenty of opportunities to develop your practical experience through live projects and observational research trips.
Build a robust skill set
On this Sociology & Psychological Studies degree, you'll develop an impressive skill set, applicable to numerous industries, sectors, and roles. This will open countless doors for your future career and boost your employability prospects.
Teaching expertise
You'll learn from our team of expert academics, who are all research-active and specialists in their field.
Why study the BA Sociology and Psychological Studies course at Leeds Beckett University?
- Research-led teaching
- Develop research skillset - gain practical experience in conducting research
- Guest lectures - learn from experts as they share their industry experience
- Work-Based Learning module - engage with your learning in a ‘real world’ context through a period of work-based learning
Explore videos and blogs
Sociology at Leeds Beckett | Course Overview Thinking about studying sociology? Staff and students share insights into what you’ll learn, the key topics covered, and how this course prepares you for a range of exciting careers. Discover how sociology helps you understand and shape the world around you.
Everything you need to know
Discover all there is to know about the course, from entry requirements and fees to exploring the school you’ll be joining - we’ve got it covered.
Entry requirements
72
points required
If you’re unsure how to work out your UCAS points we have a UCAS Tariff Calculator which will do it for you. All you need to do is enter your qualifications and let the UCAS Tariff Calculator do the maths.
We have welcomed students from over 140 countries to study at Leeds Beckett University. If you are interested in studying with us you can find all the information you need about entry requirements and how to apply on our country specific pages.
Entry requirements
72
points required
48 from two A Levels or equivalent, excluding General Studies.
If you're applying via UCAS, find out more about how your qualifications fit into the UCAS tariff.
IELTS
IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.
Selection Criteria
We may use selection criteria based on your personal attributes; experience and/or commitment to the area of study. This information will be derived from your personal statement and reference and will only be used if you have met the general entry requirements.
Mature Applicants
Our university welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. All students will be considered through the contextual admissions policy described above. If you do not meet the requirements through the contextual admissions policy, we may still be able to make you an offer if you have recent relevant work experience through our 'Recognition of Prior Learning' policy. Please ensure that you list both your qualifications and any relevant work experience in your application so that we can consider you under both schemes where applicable. All applicants should meet our standard entry requirements of GCSE grade 4 in English language and, where specified, Maths. Alternative qualifications such as functional skills are accepted in lieu of GCSEs for most courses.We have welcomed students from over 140 countries to study at Leeds Beckett University. If you are interested in studying with us you can find all the information you need about entry requirements and how to apply on our country specific pages.
If you're applying via UCAS, find out more about how your qualifications fit into the UCAS tariff.
IELTS
IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.
Selection Criteria
We may use selection criteria based on your personal attributes; experience and/or commitment to the area of study. This information will be derived from your personal statement and reference and will only be used if you have met the general entry requirements.
Additional entry requirements:
Verify your qualifications
If you are an international student, we can help you to compare and verify your qualifications. Please contact our International Office on +44 (0)113 812 1111 09.00 to 17.00 Mon-Thurs / 09.00 to 16.30 Fri GMT or email internationaloffice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.Need to improve your English Language skills?
Don't worry if you don't have the level of English required for your chosen course. We offer a wide range of courses which have been designed to help you to improve your qualifications and English language ability, most of which are accredited by the British Council. Check your English and find out more about our English courses.More questions?
No matter what your questions, we are here to answer them, visit our International website to get more information and find out about our online open days.Independent study is a crucial part of learning at university and you will be required to undertake many hours of self-directed research and reading, and preparation and writing of assessments. Your course is delivered through a number of modules, which will help you to plan your time and establish a study routine. Outside of your lectures, workshops and tutorials, a range of support is available to assist with your independent study. Our subject-specific librarians will be on hand to direct you to the specialist learning and study-skill resources. You’ll also be assigned an academic advisor to give you tailored feedback and support.
Modules, teaching and learning
There are no traditional exams on this course.
What you'll learn
Using an applied approach to sociological inquiries of and towards the city and urban contexts, you'll develop your study skills and focus in particular on critical reading and thinking skills, and both written and spoken communication skills.
Most traditional models of mainstream psychology focus on using scientific methods to describe and explain human behaviour. In this module, you'll examine these scientific approaches while highlighting the limitations of their assumptions. We'll cover the historical context of psychology, specifically drawing on the theories and knowledge developed during the past 200 years. Contemporary psychology, in contrast, is often interdisciplinary in nature. Following a review of historical psychology, we'll introduce you to the main body of interdisciplinary psychological perspectives. By the end of the module, you'll be able to confidently critique current perspectives and summarise the most appropriate application to areas of psychological inquiry. You can expect to explore topics ranging from empirical psychology and behaviourism to humanistic and transpersonal psychology.
Focus on sociological theories engaged with the emergence and development of capitalism and modernity.
Focus on how psychologists investigate culture, and how it shapes - and is shaped by - mind, self and consciousness. You'll draw on approaches from related disciplines, including sociology, philosophy, comparative theology, and anthropology. You can expect to explore themes including myths and legends, ritual and tradition, collective memory, sacred spaces, 'virtual worlds', as well as language, signs, and symbols. You'll also be introduced to techniques used to investigate culture and its meanings, such as participant observation, interpretation, reflexivity, and 'auto-ethnography'.
Human development is a key focus for mainstream psychology. In this module, you’ll learn concepts and theories associated with psychological development in a broad socio-historic and cultural context. We’ll critically consider the different stages of life, major life transitions, and the traditional approach to development. Focus on development tends to be limited to early years, so we'll ensure you cover everything from birth, through infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood, into old age. You'll also explore death and the process of dying, fundamental and universal aspects of life. In addition to traditional theories, you'll draw on transpersonal psychology, sociology, anthropology, and critical social psychology. This module allows you to explore psychological ideas and theories of development, as well as compare and evaluate different perspectives on social, emotional, and cognitive human development.
Gain an understanding of both epistemological (the study of knowledge acquisition) and methodological aspects of the research process. This module will introduce you to the fundamental epistemological questions for the social and socio-psychological sciences. Specifically, you'll look at problematic distinctions within the research process, including scientific versus ordinary knowledge and theory versus empirical data. You'll investigate the precise relationship between quantitative measurement and the scientific method. In addition to this, you'll address practical issues related to the different stages of research project design. By the end of the module, you'll be able to discuss key methods and techniques used in social scientific research, such as ethnographic method, semiotic and discourse analyses, and causal analysis.
What you'll learn
Develop an awareness and appreciation of how environments shape human consciousness and behaviour. Looking at both individuals and groups, you'll study how they produce and are produced by their environments. We'll explore individual, social and cross-cultural differences, pertaining to both natural and built environments. You'll delve into numerous topics, including thinking about space and place, place attachments, city culture and urbanisation, aesthetics, and wilderness therapy. Throughout the module, you'll begin to compare, evaluate, and critique the main theoretical models and concepts found within environmental psychology. You'll then apply this knowledge of environmental psychology to real life settings through experience-based learning.
Study classical and contemporary social theory. You'll focus on some important classical modern theorists, such as Marx and Weber, and then show how these theories have been developed by social theorists in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Investigate major topics and areas of debate in the sociology of gender. This will be achieved by considering feminist theories and theories of gender, as well as by looking at key issues and debates around gender and work.
Learn about the relationship between the individual and broader social and cultural phenomena. You'll consider this relationship as a complex, ongoing, and facilitating interaction between an individual and a variety of interpersonal, political, cultural, and historical forces and relations. In this module, you'll delve into how the psychology of an individual can be seen as fundamentally social and how different theorists have approached this. This module also considers many fundamental aspects, such as language and human experience. You can expect to study topics such as cross-cultural social psychology, feral children and extreme isolation, group behaviour, social roles, and countercultures. You'll seek to differentiate between traditional dominant ideas of social psychology and critical approaches.
Gain a deeper insight into and training in a variety of social research methods. You'll first consider the impact of values, politics, and ethics on sociological research before moving on to examine a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods through in-depth examinations of specific pieces of sociological research.
Many of our social interactions involve attempts at persuading others to adopt or validate our beliefs and worldviews. Alongside this, we're constantly being inundated with commercials, jingles, and logos every day. In this module, you'll become familiar with the various dynamics and mechanisms of persuasion within society as you develop your skills as an effective and persuasive communicator. You'll also explore and reflect on the ethics of persuasion. Throughout the module, you'll analyse multimodal persuasive appeals (advertisements). Upon completion, you'll have devised an outline for an advertising campaign that uses persuasive techniques and demonstrates appropriate ethical awareness and sensitivity.
What you'll learn
Use the theoretical and practical knowledge, and research and analytical skills gained during your degree to investigate a topic of your choice and formulate a dissertation. With guidance from a supervisor, you'll conduct an original investigation on a relevant topic. This will demonstrate your ability to apply your knowledge of research methods, design, and analysis to a specific research project. During this process, you'll show initiative and responsibility as well as the capacity to reflect on evidence and make links with theory and academic literature.
Examine the dominance of scientific approaches in current thinking about how the psychological individual is constructed and theorised. You'll look at how both mainstream and radical psychology are used to understand ourselves and search for knowledge about the self. Throughout this module, you'll assess mainstream psychology by examining its uses and abuses and how it benefits certain groups in society over others. We'll explore alternative and more socially beneficial (radical) approaches, which are often derived from the experiences of individuals and groups excluded by orthodox psychological models. You'll study topics that explore how psychology interacts with personal characteristics like disability, race, sexuality, and class, as well as external factors like politics. By the end of the module, you'll have an appreciation of the nature, value, and limitations of modern psychology in both its conventional and radical forms.
You'll be encouraged to critically interrogate current social theory regarding the key features and characteristics of contemporary societies and their meaning and consequences. You'll examine whether key social theories and models adequately describe contemporary societies or enhance our understanding of ongoing processes of social change.
Option modules may include
Explore how our identities, so often presented as a natural and eternal condition, are constructed for us by powerful forces of reproduction and representation, ones that blur the lines between fabricated and real, object and subject, outside and inside, in a process which at once helps to maintain social hierarchy and is largely beyond individual control.
Explore the development of the British welfare state and examine it in terms of the divisions between public and private provision and the conflicting moral judgements that are applied. The ways in which these State interventions build upon and entrench class divisions are studied.
Develop your knowledge of a range of different theoretical approaches to understanding masculinities. You'll be introduced to a range of different ways of understanding masculinities and will develop your abilities in relating these theoretical approaches to a range of empirical topics.
Develop your understanding of the nature of work and organisations in the contemporary global economy. You'll build the critical skills needed to understand key theoretical debates regarding new organisational and work-management techniques, new and emerging forms of labour and employment, and the complex and changing relationship between production, consumption, and identity in an increasingly globalised economy.
Engage with the practice of either sociology or social psychology in a real world setting through a period of work-based learning. You’ll gain practical experience of a professional work area related to your study. As well as this, you’ll gain an understanding of the workplace and how to bridge the gap between your academic studies and future employment. Throughout your work-based learning, you’ll apply the theory and transferrable skills you’ve learnt on the course. Upon completion, you’ll analyse the activities you’ve participated in and any challenges you’ve faced during your experience and how you dealt with these. You’ll critically reflect on the skills and knowledge you’ve developed and how these relate to your future personal, career, and academic aspirations.
Explore and reflect on the idea of madness using psychiatric explanation as the dominant model in the construction and treatment of insanity. You'll examine the theoretical appropriateness and practical consequences of this narrow medical approach. By the end of the module, you'll begin to suggest alternative perspectives for the study and treatment of the mad. In contemporary society, madness does not conform to our everyday idea of societal norms and the "mad" have historically been marginalised within "ordinary" communities. The aim of this module is to investigate how the communication between sanity and madness has broken down. You'll learn about the experience of madness as it's recounted through personal testimony and in art and literature.
Human relations and the ways we relate to others are a key point of interest to social psychologists. Most of us will attempt to live our lives and relate to one another in ways that minimise our exposure to conflict and confrontation, but be unable to completely avoid it. This module explores both where and how peace is made. You'll investigate and begin to understand the variety of roles psychologists take in promoting peace. You'll also learn to analyse and interpret current conflicts, informed by psychological theory. On this module, we'll delve into what peace is, whether it’s a state of mind or state of relations, if it's simply the absence of war and conflict, or if there are more obvious features to it. To fully understand peace psychology, you'll need to employ an interdisciplinary approach when evaluating different theories and practices.
Transpersonal psychology combines ideas from religious and cultural practices as well as modern psychology to explore the spiritual dimensions of human experience. Psychonautics refers to the practice which allows individuals to achieve personal growth, self-awareness, or wellbeing through an altered state of consciousness (ASC). ASCs are induced by meditation, sensory deprivation, lucid dreaming, hypnosis, psychedelic drugs, and more, transcending cultures and religions worldwide. Throughout this module, you'll study consciousness and altered states of consciousness, considering that to study consciousness is to transform it. We'll explore the complexities and possibilities of the mind-body relationship, and you'll cast your mind beyond the traditional boundaries of psychological inquiry. Upon completion, you'll be familiar with the key dominant roles, theories, and terminologies of transpersonal psychology, and be able to evaluate these different approaches. You'll also have a thorough grounding in interdisciplinarity.
Fees and funding
£9,790
UK
The annual tuition fee for students entering in the 2026/27 academic year is anticipated to be £9790 (the maximum annual tuition fee cap announced by the UK Government, which is subject to parliamentary approval).
For each subsequent year of study, the University may charge up to the maximum annual tuition fee cap set by the UK Government, which may increase in line with any uplift determined by the UK Government by law or government policy (such increases are expected to be linked to inflation).
£16,840
International 2026
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2026/27 is £16840.
Fees and funding
£9,790
For students entering in 2026
The annual tuition fee for students entering in the 2026/27 academic year is anticipated to be £9790 (the maximum annual tuition fee cap announced by the UK Government, which is subject to parliamentary approval).
For each subsequent year of study, the University may charge up to the maximum annual tuition fee cap set by the UK Government, which may increase in line with any uplift determined by the UK Government by law or government policy (such increases are expected to be linked to inflation).
Additional course costs
Tuition Fees
Your tuition fees cover the cost of registration, tuition, academic supervision, assessments and examinations.
The following are also included in the cost of your course:
- 24/7 Library and student IT support
- Free wifi via eduroam
- Skills workshops and resources
- Library membership, giving access to more than 500,000 printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to software, including five free copies of Microsoft Office 365 to install on your PC,laptop and MAC, and access to free high-end software via the Leeds Beckett remote app
- Loan of high-end media equipment to support your studies
In many cases, costs associated with your course will be included in your course fee. However, in some cases there are ‘essential’ additional costs (those that you will be required to meet in addition to your course fee), and/or ‘optional’ additional costs (costs that are not required, but that you might choose to pay). We have included those essential or optional additional costs that relate to your course, below.
Optional Costs
- Educational visit costs will vary and will be dependent on details and location. Costs you'll need to pay could include travel, accommodation and subsistence.
- Work experience, placements, study related to live brief projects and/or any additional course experiences may involve travel. You'll need to pay for any additional travel or dual accommodation costs. You'll also be encouraged to make use of contacts in Leeds or your hometown to minimise these costs.
Other study-related expenses to consider: materials that you will need to complete your course such as books (whilst the library provides access to readings recommended for your modules, you may wish to purchase your own copies of some books); you can also make suggestions for books to be added to Library stock; placement costs (these may include travel expenses and living costs); student visas (international students only); printing, photocopying and stationery (you may need to pay for multiple copies of your dissertation or final project to be printed and bound); events associated with your course such as field trips; study abroad opportunities (travel costs and accommodation, visas and immunisations). Other costs could include academic conferences (travel costs) and professional-body membership (where applicable). The costs you will need to cover for graduation will include gown hire and guest tickets, and optional extras such as professional photography.
As well as your mobile phone, you will also need access to a desktop computer and/or laptop to complete assignments and access university online services such as MyBeckett, your virtual learning environment. You can book and borrow AV equipment through the media equipment service accessed online via the student hub and located in the library at each campus. Equipment includes: 360 Cameras, iPads, GoPros, MacBooks, portable data projectors, portable projection screens, flipchart stands, remote presenters, digital cameras and camcorders, SLR cameras, speakers, microphones, headphones, headsets, tripods, digital audio recorders and PC/laptops (a laptop loans service is provided on campus in the library on both campuses). Student laptops are also available from the laptop lockers located in the libraries.
This list is not exhaustive, costs are approximate and will vary depending on the choices you make during your course. Any rental, travel or living costs are also in addition to your course fees. If you choose to study via distance learning, you may not be able to access all of the facilities listed if you are not able to visit us on campus.
£16,840
For students entering in 2026
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2026/27 is £16840.
Additional course costs
Tuition Fees
Your tuition fees cover the cost of registration, tuition, academic supervision, assessments and examinations.
The following are also included in the cost of your course:
- 24/7 Library and student IT support
- Free wifi via eduroam
- Skills workshops and resources
- Library membership, giving access to more than 500,000 printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to software, including five free copies of Microsoft Office 365 to install on your PC,laptop and MAC, and access to free high-end software via the Leeds Beckett remote app
- Loan of high-end media equipment to support your studies
In many cases, costs associated with your course will be included in your course fee. However, in some cases there are ‘essential’ additional costs (those that you will be required to meet in addition to your course fee), and/or ‘optional’ additional costs (costs that are not required, but that you might choose to pay). We have included those essential or optional additional costs that relate to your course, below.
Optional Costs
- Educational visit costs will vary and will be dependent on details and location. Costs you'll need to pay could include travel, accommodation and subsistence.
- Work experience, placements, study related to live brief projects and/or any additional course experiences may involve travel. You'll need to pay for any additional travel or dual accommodation costs. You'll also be encouraged to make use of contacts in Leeds or your hometown to minimise these costs.
Other study-related expenses to consider: materials that you will need to complete your course such as books (whilst the library provides access to readings recommended for your modules, you may wish to purchase your own copies of some books); you can also make suggestions for books to be added to Library stock; placement costs (these may include travel expenses and living costs); student visas (international students only); printing, photocopying and stationery (you may need to pay for multiple copies of your dissertation or final project to be printed and bound); events associated with your course such as field trips; study abroad opportunities (travel costs and accommodation, visas and immunisations). Other costs could include academic conferences (travel costs) and professional-body membership (where applicable). The costs you will need to cover for graduation will include gown hire and guest tickets, and optional extras such as professional photography.
As well as your mobile phone, you will also need access to a desktop computer and/or laptop to complete assignments and access university online services such as MyBeckett, your virtual learning environment. You can book and borrow AV equipment through the media equipment service accessed online via the student hub and located in the library at each campus. Equipment includes: 360 Cameras, iPads, GoPros, MacBooks, portable data projectors, portable projection screens, flipchart stands, remote presenters, digital cameras and camcorders, SLR cameras, speakers, microphones, headphones, headsets, tripods, digital audio recorders and PC/laptops (a laptop loans service is provided on campus in the library on both campuses). Student laptops are also available from the laptop lockers located in the libraries.
This list is not exhaustive, costs are approximate and will vary depending on the choices you make during your course. Any rental, travel or living costs are also in addition to your course fees. If you choose to study via distance learning, you may not be able to access all of the facilities listed if you are not able to visit us on campus.
Scholarships and bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that an education at Leeds Beckett University is open to all. If you're thinking of joining us for undergraduate study, you may be eligible for a non-repayable scholarship or bursary to help with the cost of university. To find out if you are be eligible visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
We also offer a range of non-repayable scholarships for international students. To find out if you may be eligible visit our scholarships for international students page and select your home country from the drop-down list.
Career prospects
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a course. Take a look at the team you’ll be working with, employability statistics and career prospects to help make up your mind.
Career Prospects
You'll develop an impressive set of critical communication and research skills that enable you to pursue a wide range of roles, including in the charitable sector and local government. You could choose to continue your studies on our MSc Psychology course, accredited by the British Psychological Society, and pursue a career as a psychologist or counsellor. Roles you may go into could include:
- Social worker
- Civil servant
- Police officer
- Probation officer
- Educational psychologist
The course itself enables you to study things that you'd have never even thought possible, and it really prepares you for the future."
Amelia Gunn
Leeds City Council, BA (Hons) Sociology
Dr Natalia Gerodetti
Senior Lecturer / School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Dr Natalia Gerodetti is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and has a history of research and teaching around gender, sexuality and feminist theory. She has also been working on urban food production and food justice issues.
The thing I most enjoy about my course is the freedom we're given with research and where we take our research."
Charlotte
BA (Hons) Sociology
Our Graduate Promise
We have a dedicated team of people who will support you with all aspects of your career planning, from day one until 18 months after you graduate.
Getting you career ready is an integral part of your university life and this is embedded throughout your lectures and seminars. Outside of your course there is a wide range of support available to help you achieve your career goals, including:
- Getting ready to apply for jobs
- Working on your CV
- Interview skills and assessment centres
- Connecting with employers and organisations
We’re ranked in the Top 10 universities in the UK for job prospects
(Student Crowd, 2025 - the only awards based entirely on student reviews).
Find out why...
Student life
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