Thank you for considering an application
To apply you’ll need to:
- Make note of the Queen Mary institution code: Q50
- Make note of your chosen course UCAS code:
Politics and Sociology
- L2L3 — BA (Hons)
- L23L — BA (Hons) with Year Abroad
- Click on the link below:
Have further questions? How to apply | Entry requirements
Politics and Sociology
2 study options
Politics and Sociology BA (Hons)
Key information
- Degree
- BA (Hons)
- Duration
- 3 years
- Start
- September 2027
- UCAS code
- L2L3
- Institution code
- Q50
- Typical A-Level offer
- Grades ABB at A-Level.
Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions) - Home fees
- £9,790
- Overseas fees
- Fees for 2027 entry will appear here shortly
*These fees are for the 2026-27 academic year and are provided as a guideline. Fees for 2027-28 have not yet been set.
Politics and Sociology with Year Abroad BA (Hons)
Key information
- Degree
- BA (Hons)
- Duration
- 4 years
- Start
- September 2027
- UCAS code
- L23L
- Institution code
- Q50
- Typical A-Level offer
- Grades ABB at A-Level.
Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions) - Home fees
- £9,790
- Overseas fees
- Fees for 2027 entry will appear here shortly
*These fees are for the 2026-27 academic year and are provided as a guideline. Fees for 2027-28 have not yet been set.
Overview
The personal is political: explore the links between politics and the social structures of the modern world.
Why is it that in an age with higher living standards, many people feel disenchanted and alienated? Examine the relationship between social and economic structures of societies and political change.
What you'll study:
- Learn how individuals connect to global developments - such as climate change, migration, and advances in digital technology
- Discuss how race, sexuality, gender, and religion shape social dynamics and relate to inequalities
- Understand how people create social change in their everyday lives
- Reflect on what might hold a society together, despite differences - and how it changes over time
- Examine why political institutions find it difficult to change the economy, culture, and environmental habits
- Rethink the role of nonhuman beings, such as animals and plants, in world politics.
Enjoy the freedom to shape your study
Choose from a range of modules, taught by our expert academic staff, who specialise in areas such as race, gender, class, citizenship, and globalisation. Their teaching will give you a thorough understanding of sociopolitical issues and help you to make sense of the world we live in.
Structure
You can complete your Politics and Sociology degree in three or four years. If you choose to do a year abroad this will take place in Year 3 and Year 3 modules will instead be studied in Year 4.
Year 1
Compulsory:
- Thinking Politically: Introduction to Concepts, Theories and Ideologies
- Global Sociology
- Political Analysis
- Politics in Action
- Imagining Society
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Year 2
Compulsory:
- Modernity: Theories of the State, Economy and Society
- Social Theory
- Introduction to Social Science Methodologies
- Either Qualitative Methods for Social Science Research, Quantitative Methods for Social science Research or Unsettling Methods: Creativity in/for Social Science Research
Choose 30 credits from:
- British Politics
- US Politics
- The International Politics of the Developing World
- Colonialism, Capitalism and Development
- The International Politics of Security
- War in World Politics
- Power in Global Governance
- The UK and EU
- Gender and Feminisms in World Politics
- Qualitative Methods for Social Science Research (if not taken as compulsory)
- Quantitative Methods for Social science Research (if not taken as compulsory)
- Unsettling Methods: Creativity in/for Social Science Research (if not taken as compulsory)
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Year 3
Compulsory:
- Dissertation
Choose the remaining 75 credits from school modules like:
- Civil Society - Internship
- Environmental Politics
- Populism: A Global Perspective
- Globalisation: Issues and Debates
- The Political Life of Security Methods
- US Carceral State
- Migration and the Politics of Belonging
- Race and Anti-Racism in World Politics
- More than Human Politics
- Civil Society: Democracy, Activism and Social Change
- Technology, War, Politics
- Gender and Politics
- Gender, Sexuality and Capitalism
- The Global Politics of Food
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
In each year you may also choose some modules from outside the School of Politics and International Relations.
Study options
Apply for this degree with any of the following options. Take care to use the correct UCAS code - it may not be possible to change your selection later.
Year abroad
Go global and study abroad as part of your degree – apply for our Politics and Sociology BA with a Year Abroad. Queen Mary has links with universities in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (partnerships vary for each degree programme).
Find out more about study abroad opportunities at Queen Mary
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Studying Politics and Sociology at Queen Mary has fundamentally changed the way I think about the world and the experiences of both myself and the people around me. I've learned so much about how politics affects our societal well-being, and how I can harness a knowledge of political tradition to help make our world a better place for all of us.
Teaching
Teaching and learning
You’ll receive approximately 8 to 12 hours of weekly contact time, in the form of formal lectures and small group seminars. The seminars are designed to generate informed discussion around set topics and may involve student presentations, group exercises and role-play as well as open discussion.
You’ll complete a further 20 hours of independent study per week.
Assessment
Students are assessed by a combination of coursework and written assessments. A few modules are assessed by coursework only.
Resources and facilities
We offer excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
- Events throughout the year, such as public debates, film nights, and book launches, which attract diverse audiences and offer networking opportunities
- The Mile End Institute, a major policy centre that specialises in contemporary British politics, featuring regular high-profile speakers
- The Research Group on International Political Sociology.
Entry requirements
| A-Level | Grades ABB at A-Level. |
| IB | International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 32 points overall, including 6,5,5 from three Higher Level subjects. |
| BTEC | See our detailed subject and grade requirements |
| Access HE | We consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. Applications are considered on a case by case basis. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements. |
| GCSE | Both GCSE English and Maths at grade C or 4 or an acceptable equivalent will be required. |
| EPQ | Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification. For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq |
| Contextualised admissions | Our standard contextual offer: BBC at A-Level. Our enhanced contextual offer: BCC at A-Level. More information on our contextual offer criteria can be found on our contextualised admissions page. Please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded from any A-Level offer and cannot be considered. |
| A-Level | Grades ABB at A-Level. |
| IB | International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 32 points overall, including 6,5,5 from three Higher Level subjects. |
| BTEC | See our detailed subject and grade requirements |
| Access HE | We consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. Applications are considered on a case by case basis. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements. |
| GCSE | Both GCSE English and Maths at grade C or 4 or an acceptable equivalent will be required. |
| EPQ | Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification. For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq |
| Contextualised admissions | Our standard contextual offer: BBC at A-Level. Our enhanced contextual offer: BCC at A-Level. More information on our contextual offer criteria can be found on our contextualised admissions page. Please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded from any A-Level offer and cannot be considered. |
Non-UK students
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.
English language
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
Further information
Funding
Loans and grants
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
Scholarships and bursaries
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
Support from Queen Mary
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
- additional sources of funding
- planning your budget and cutting costs
- part-time and vacation work
- money for lone parents.
Careers
Preparing you for your future
We’ll help you understand and analyse evidence, communicate confidently, and improve your critical thinking. With AI and technology reshaping our world, mastering these skills is essential for employers.
Once you’ve developed these skills, you’ll be ready for careers in government, policy research, education, business, and many other fields.
At Queen Mary, we empower our students with invaluable political knowledge and research that opens doors to a global future.
Opportunities to apply theory in practice
Apply your skills with our unique Parliamentary internship module. Work closely with practitioners in politics and international relations.
Or get involved with qHeritage, our award-winning, student knowledge exchange programme. Work in teams on projects that help solve problems and deliver benefits to heritage organisations.
Where our graduates are now
- MP, Labour Party
- Policy and Strategy Advisor, UK Home Office
- Conference Producer - International Programmes, Informa Connect.
Career support
Access a dedicated Careers Consultant who can help you navigate your own career path. The Queen Mary careers team also offer:
- Help with finding work experience, internships and graduate jobs
- Feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
- Interview coaching.
Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.
Data for these courses
Politics and Sociology - BA (Hons)
Politics and Sociology with Year Abroad - BA (Hons)
The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)
About the School
School of Society and Environment
At Queen Mary’s School of Society and Environment, we explore the big questions shaping our world - past, present, and future. From medieval Europe to modern America, from global environmental change to the politics of the Middle East, our programmes blend rigorous scholarship with real-world impact.
Our academics are among the world’s leading researchers, and our departments consistently rank among the best in their fields (QS World University Rankings; Research Excellence Framework). Students also rate our teaching highly (National Student Survey), recognising our commitment to an engaging, high-quality learning experience.
Located in London, home to Parliament, political think tanks, cultural institutions and global businesses, we offer excellent opportunities to collaborate with local, national, and international partners. Here, you’ll apply your learning beyond the classroom, gain hands-on experience, and join a diverse, inclusive community that will challenge your perspective and equip you with the skills to make a difference.
You’ll also have access to the Mile End Institute, a major policy hub at Queen Mary that connects policymakers, academics, and local communities to address pressing national issues.
