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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Manchester Sociology/ Social Sciences

9 replies

SocSci · 07/12/2023 13:16

Manchester University offers BSocSc degrees in Sociology/ Politics etc rather than the standard BA/BSc offered at most (all?) other unis.
Also their Social Sciences degree is listed as BASS but I'm not sure if this is just an acronym for the course and you still actually end up with a BA?

Does anyone know if there's a marked difference, disadvantage or advantage in graduating with a BSocSc, and if Manchester is particularly well respected in this area?

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Ziricote · 07/12/2023 14:03

I don't think there is anything to worry about here. BSocSc is just the designation that UoM (University of Manchester) uses for most of its social science degrees. It doesn't mean anything different to BA or BSc. And lots of Universities actually use something quite specific, for example Cardiff uses BScEcon - even for Sociology, Politics etc.

Now, it gets a bit confusing because some social science degrees at Manchester are 'BA' - when a social science subject is combined with something from Arts and Humanities, typically a language

Note that 'social science' relates to subjects in the School of Social Sciences at this University (so at UoM, Philosophy and Economics are classed as Social Science where they might not be elsewhere)

And it gets even more confusing with the 'BASS' programme. This is actually a specific degree programme and pathway that is intended to allow students to study a range of social science subjects in their first year, and then specialise in years 2 and 3. And so on one level, it is an acronym. But IIRC, the degree is also labelled 'BASS' and reflects a combination of two social science subjects (e.g. Sociology and Politics)

Again, though, I wouldn't worry too much about BA vs BASS vs BSocSc

Manchester is incredibly well respected in this area. The Sociology department is by most accounts the best in the country and one of the best in the world. The other social sciences are similarly well regarded. I don't imagine that many employers would concern themselves with this, rather, I think they would be looking for a 'good' or 'prestigious' Uni - which Manchester definitely is. And whilst it isn't Oxford or Cambridge, most would know that Manchester is one of the best.

I hope this helps. But the bottom line is that I don't think there is anything to worry about and you/DC will have a well respected degree at the end of it (and probably a good time living in Manchester along the way)

KittyMcKitty · 07/12/2023 15:09

My dc is at Manchester doing a BASS degree (philosophy and politics) the degree offers a lot of optionality / flexibility (he has done some sociology modules) certainly compared to my other child’s sociology degree at Durham.

SocSci · 07/12/2023 19:08

Thanks both - very informative & helpful @Ziricote
Are your DC enjoying their respective unis & degrees @KittyMcKitty ? DD is year 12 & currently considering history, politics, sociology or possible combination of these.

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KittyMcKitty · 07/12/2023 20:07

My dc both love their respective courses and unis - they’re certainly at the right place for them!

DC at Manchester did A levels in Psychology Politics and Geography and is studying Philosophy and Politics (but has done a sociology module).

DC at Durham did A levels in Psychology Chemistry and Biology and is studying Sociology.

Pumpkin354 · 08/12/2023 06:01

@KittyMcKitty my Dd is also interested in social sciences at both your dc’s universities. How do the respective departments compare in terms of support, contact time etc ? Are there any significant differences ? Thanks

KittyMcKitty · 08/12/2023 06:41

Both are great with broadly equal contact times. The size of Manchester possibly makes it harder to navigate?

the main difference is Manchester have 2 semesters and Durham 3 terms. Durham modules run for the whole academic year (so you do the same 120 credits for a year) whereas Manchesters run for a semester (so 60 credits semester 1 and then a different 60 for semester 2).

Pumpkin354 · 08/12/2023 08:17

Thanks @KittyMcKitty yes the size of Manchester must make a difference. Is the dept friendly or does it feel a bit anonymous (just something I’ve heard)? Sorry to hijack your post @SocSci !

indigoemerald · 08/12/2023 13:29

I did my degree in Sociology at Manchester a few years ago and the department was close knit and friendly. The lecturers were all approachable and offered lots of help/office hours.

Lectures (even for compulsory modules) were fairly small by university standards (60 max, with some lectures for optional courses only having about 20 students) so I knew most students on the course. From what I can remember, lectures for some Politics and Economics modules took place in the massive lecture theatre (for 500+ people) as they were so popular!

SocSci · 08/12/2023 14:46

Thanks for your reply@indigoemerald Do you mind me asking if you're doing anything related to your degree now?

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