At Keele University, we’re different. Nestled in 600 acres of countryside in the heart of the UK, we have a big campus but a small and cosmopolitan community. We proudly rank 1st for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey for the last three years. This is because it’s more than green and lovely, it’s a place of research and academic excellence too. The Social Science Foundation Year provides you with a chance to sample social science subjects at university level before making a final choice of honours courses, to study intensive modules which provide the requisite background for specific honours courses for those without the necessary qualifications, provides access for non-traditionally qualified students to a wide range of social science courses, and provides a broad grounding in academic principles and methods.For over 50 years, our Sociology programme has encouraged students to explore creative approaches to difficult challenges in our rapidly changing society. In Sociology we study societies, social issues and problems, and the ways in which they impact upon the lives of individuals. We are interested in how our lives are shaped by relationships with other people, institutions, habits, and ways of thinking that make up the complex societies in which we live. Our course will provide you with a grounding in the core concepts of Sociology, develop your skills in carrying out social research, and enable you to explore a range of important social issues. Our course covers topics such as social inequalities, culture, identity and belonging, families and households, health, religion and belief, the media, and crime and deviance. Beyond these topics, we are also concerned with the role of consumer culture in our lives; processes of globalisation; urban development; issues around environment and ecology; migration; and how social media influences our relationships and understanding of the world around us. Studying Sociology will enable you to think independently, critically, and imaginatively about the issues that shape our everyday lives and our futures. We will encourage you to develop sociological explanations for the wide ranging changes taking place in the contemporary world and think about potential solutions to urgent social problems. Keele enjoys high rates of graduate employment, where in 2016, were recognised nationally as 1st for employability in the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey. Sociology is an evidence-based and theoretically informed discipline which teaches skills that are useful in a wide range of careers. A Sociology degree from Keele will encourage you to become an imaginative, creative, and pragmatic thinker who is able to think about problems critically with a view to working out practical solutions. Sociology is an evidence-based subject so you will also develop skills in problem-solving, using knowledge, information, and data to enable informed decision-making. This varied skill set is useful for a wide range of occupations and professions. Our graduates have entered work in fields including social care, the health sector, advertising and marketing, the charity sector, youth services, and local government. Some of our graduates also choose to pursue further academic study.**Course Start Date:** Monday 24 September 2018**Enrolment Date:** Saturday 22 September 2018