BA Sociology Joint Honours

at Trinity College Dublin The University of Dublin

Our modules cover Ireland, the wider European society, the non-European world and the global arena. The first two years are more general and foundational in nature while the third and fourth years are characterised by smaller, more intimate classes that attempt to challenge you intellectually and encourage problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Sociology teaching in the first and second years emphasises the understanding of the basic principles of sociology and the acquisition of both quantitative and qualitative skills necessary for more in-depth study. In first year, you are introduced to the distinctive questions that sociologists ask about human society, and the theories and concepts used in the search for answers. You have approximately 6 hours of lectures and 3 hours of tutorials per week in Sociology.

In the second year, you study issues around gender, work and family; power, state and social movements, and are introduced to sociological research methods and theory

Specialisation in sociological topic areas, and more advanced analysis, research and presentation skills are provided in the third and fourth years. In your third year, you learn about Globalisation and Development; Comparative Sociology of Europe; Race, Ethnicity and Identity; Social Stratification and Inequalities, and carry out research projects involving analysis of both numerical data from surveys, and verbal data that are the outcomes of recorded interviews and focus groups. The fourth year offers modules in a variety of topic areas, including Digital Lives and Social Networks; Labour Markets, Gender and Institutions; Migration, Mobilities and Integration, and Conflict Studies. You have the opportunity to carry out your own independent Capstone research project from start to finish on a topic of your choice (recent projects included: Immigration and the prison system, Unmarried fathers’ participation in their children’s lives, and Counterurbanisation in the Irish countryside). Many students find this a great asset when talking to employers and applying for jobs.

Modules are examined by a combination of continuous assessment including essays, portfolios, individual and group presentations, and the formal end-of-semester examination. In addition, students specialising exclusively in sociology in their final year complete a Capstone project.

The fees for BA Sociology Joint Honours may vary from €10,000 to €25,000 annually for tuition fees. The fee's prices may get higher for International Students.

Sociology graduates find that their broad training and appreciation of how society and people work means they can thrive in careers in the media, journalism, consulting, academia and teaching, policy analysis, non-governmental organisations, management, and advisory roles in the public service. Graduates are working for organisations as diverse as Goodbody Stockbrokers, the ESRI, the European Parliament, Citibank, RTÉ, Google, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Enterprise Ireland.