Curious about studying Social Science - BSc (Hons)at Royal Holloway, University of London? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Main Site
Full Time
Sep 2027
3 Year
Our School has an intellectually challenging approach to research and education. Studying Social Science at Royal Holloway means that you will learn from leading experts from within sociology, criminology, law, social policy and social work who will share their research and experience so that you gain invaluable skills, such as research and data analysis, which are highly sought after by employers. The BSc Social Science will help you to take a broad view of current social issues, and explore them from a range of different perspectives. It will introduce you to understanding society and people in society, not only from sociological and social policy perspectives, but also from socio-legal and applied ethical viewpoints. Our approach to social issues involves a practical approach to research which includes evaluating policy and service provision and undertaking practical research projects. Duration: 3 years full time
3.9Royal Holloway, University of London was founded over 170 years ago. Since then, it has been at the forefront of social ...
This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.
This module will introduce you to the academic study of politics and to the 'real world' of contemporary politics. As a foundational course, it will give you all the essential tools to understand the nature of politics and analyse the way different political systems work. You will be introduced to key concepts such as politics, power, rights, ideologies, democracy and representation, and will learn about the different actors, institutions and processes that make up politics today.
This module will introduce students to some key theories and problems in ethics. Ethical theories examined may include deontology, utilitarianism, moral sense theory, and virtue ethics. Theoretical issues may include the nature of value, theories of rights and responsibilities, and the role of competing conceptions of human nature. Practical topics may include euthanasia, abortion, poverty, personal relationships, equality, animal ethics, and punishment. The precise topics covered may vary from year to year, according to staff availability and interests. The module will lay the foundations for subsequent modules at Level 5 and 6, including 'Ancient Ethics', 'Existentialist Ethics', and 'Philosophy of Medicine and Bioethics'.
This module is intended to introduce you to the ways in which the law functions in a social context. It is especially concerned with the ways in which law enables or acts as a barrier to equalities, human rights and social inclusion for a variety of social groups or at different points across the lifespan. This will be pursued in the following indicative areas: Introduction to the English Legal System, Sources of Law: Statute and Case Law; Equalities and Human Rights; Children and the Law; Families and the Law; Disability and the Law; Care, Vulnerability and the Law; Asylum and the Law.
This module will explore and examine how human behaviour and experience are influenced by social and interactional experiences and contexts across the lifespan. Drawing on diverse theories and applying research evidence 'Perspectives on People in Society' will enable you to identify and critically analyse literature and research evidence on human development and to communicate on how life events and social contexts impact on people's experiences. You will explore social, biopsychosocial, psychological and ecological perspectives, focusing on the person in their environment. You will also explore how context, challenge and change impact on life experiences.
This module explores contemporary social issues, including poverty, inequality, unemployment and discrimination. You will learn about the foundations of the welfare state as well as social policies in areas such as education, housing, health and family life. Key questions to be discussed include: What are the most important social problems in contemporary society? Is the welfare state in crisis? Why are young people more vulnerable to unemployment? How does the media influence our perceptions of social problems?
Lectures will introduce the welfare state and its development from antecedents to the contemporary welfare state and emerging welfare state theory. Perspectives from the right, left, feminist, green and critical race theory will be introduced. Welfare state models will be introduced to afford an international and comparative approach. The module will also analyse the contributions of welfare delivery environments such as devolution, the EU and Brexit, globalisation and migration.
This module provides you with an introduction to the philosophical issues in social research. You will look at ethics in social research and theory, quantitative versus qualitative methods, sampling, observation, interviewing, media analysis, and questionnaire design. You will be given the opportunity to work through the research process on a topic of independent study of your choosing.
In this module you will demonstrate practical and applied social research skills. You will choose a specialist topic and work with an allocated supervisor to undertake a research project. You will critically assess different approaches to research, implement a research plan and evaluate research findings. There will be 3 dissertation workshops (one in the summer term of Year 2, and one each in the autumn and spring terms of Year 3) to support you to focus your research project, undertake a literature review and engage with research ethics in data collection and analysis.
