Study Demography
University of Southampton
This exciting programme provides you with the opportunity to examine critical issues including migration, population growth, globalisation and climate change which are central to many of today’s national and global challenges. Taught by a team of experts with international research experience, the BSc in Population and Geography explores key concerns in population and geography across the developed and developing world. The BSc in Population and Geography will equip you with key transferable and analytical skills, which are increasingly in demand by employers including central and local government departments, the National Health Service, the Office of National Statistics, market research, insurance and data analysis companies, NGOs/Charities and international agencies such as the United Nations and the World Health Organisation.
How do we make sense of the society around us, of how we shape it and how it shapes us? Sociology offers a critical understanding of how society works, and the relationships between individuals, families and groups such as “races” and “classes”. It asks critical questions about recent changes, which have transformed our social lives, such as the advent of the cyber-age, globalisation, inequality and migration.
Sociology questions assumptions about our social life and challenges you to interrogate these with the help of research. It also examines how societies around the world change in different ways, and how these relate to questions of politics and economy. As a BSc Sociology student you will develop the reading, writing and oral communication skills needed to engage with these questions and be encouraged to come up with your own.
BSc Sociology and Social Policy
Are you fascinated by social change and how it might be brought about? Do you want to play a part in this process by developing an expertise on how social institutions (governments, NGOs) seek to advance human welfare at national and global level? A degree in Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Southampton provides you with a big step towards this goal.
The course focuses on social institutions, social inequalities and social transformations. It allows students to explore how inequalities of power within society shape social outcomes and what steps might be taken to transform this situation. With a range of highly accessible modules, the BSc Sociology and Social Policy degree prepares graduates for a career in a range of sectors, from NGOs to government to teaching.
Gerontology is the study of ageing at the individual and societal levels. It examines the changes humans undergo as they age, as well as the impact of growing proportions of older people on social institutions, labour markets, welfare systems and families. It investigates the relationships between generations and the interconnections between our older and younger selves. Insights are taken from social policy, demography, sociology, biology, healthcare sciences, psychology and economics. Gerontology is thus a fundamentally interdisciplinary subject which leads to a fascinating variety of careers.
MSc Gerontology (Distance Learning)
The MSc Gerontology (Distance Learning), which is recognised by the ESRC Doctoral Training Centre, offers the MSc Gerontology qualification from a distance and is designed for people who wish to study without travelling to Southampton.
The programme is delivered through Blackboard, the University's virtual learning environment (VLE), where all learning resources are available and accessible at all times by students. As for the face-to-face programme, students on the MSc Gerontology (DL) take six modules plus the dissertation. The modules include research methods training.
How can societies harness the potential created by an ageing population for the benefit of families and individuals alike? The MSc Gerontology (Research) introduces you to the study of ageing combined with a strong emphasis on qualitative and quantitative research methods.
This programme, which is eligible for funding through the ESRC Doctoral Training Centre, will equip you with critical skills in evidence production and analysis, which can contribute to a career in local or national government, or to further postgraduate studies.
MSc Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning)
The MSc Global Ageing and Policy (DL) programme introduces students to the study of ageing over the lifecourse, focusing particularly on the principles of policy evaluation in ageing societies, and on the opportunities and challenges associated with ageing in specific regions of the world, including China, South-east Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Following the successful completion of 6 taught modules, this programme also offers students the opportunity to conduct independent research through the MSc Dissertation, often with links to current research projects in the Centre for Research on Ageing.
The PG Certificate Gerontology is designed to provide multidisciplinary advanced education in gerontology to busy mid-career professionals, new entrants to the University and the social sciences, or returners to education who wish to pursue the subject area.
Population ageing is a global phenomenon presenting global challenges, however policy solutions are often context-specific. The PG Certificate in Gerontology offers you the opportunity to examine such issues by completing three modules in the area of ageing, starting with an introduction to the discipline of Gerontology and specialising in topics such as health and wellbeing, poverty and social protection, and mental health.
PG Cert Gerontology (Distance Learning)
The PG Certificate Gerontology (Distance Learning) is designed to provide multidisciplinary advanced education in gerontology through distance learning to busy mid-career professionals, new entrants to university and the social sciences, or returners to education who wish to pursue the subject area.
The PG Certificate in Gerontology (Distance Learning) is a programme delivered completely online, offering you the opportunity to complete three modules in the area of ageing. The programme includes an introduction to the discipline of Gerontology and offers you options to specialise in topics such as health and wellbeing, poverty and social protection, and mental health. It allows you to consider a range of careers in the areas of health and social care, policy-making and research. Having successfully completed this programme, you are welcome to progress your studies to the MSc Gerontology (DL) programme.
PG Cert Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning)
The PG Certificate in Global Ageing and Policy (DL) is made up of 3 taught modules and designed to provide a multidisciplinary introduction to gerontology and policy evaluation to busy mid-career professionals, new entrants to the University and the social sciences, or returners to education who wish to pursue the subject area. Students who successfully complete this qualification are welcome to continue their studies with us.
Understanding how social policies for older people are assessed around the world is a critical step to improving wellbeing for older people globally. This programme allows you to study three modules: an introduction to ageing, a specialised module on the evaluation of policies in ageing societies, and a third module of your choice (eg. mental health).
PG Dip Gerontology (Distance Learning)
The PG Diploma Gerontology (Distance Learning) offers the PG Diploma Gerontology qualification from a distance, and is designed for people who wish to study without travelling to Southampton. The programme is delivered through Blackboard, the University's virtual learning environment (VLE), where all learning resources are available and accessible at all times by students. As for the face-to-face programme, students on the PG Diploma Gerontology (DL) take six modules, which include research methods training.
PG Dip Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning)
The PG Diploma in Global Ageing and Policy is made up of 6 taught modules, and is designed to provide students with an introduction both to the opportunities and challenges posed by ageing, and to the principles of policy evaluation in ageing societies. It is aimed at mid-career professionals working in government departments around the world or non-governmental organisations tasked with promoting older people’s wellbeing, who wish to enhance their skills and knowledge without conducting independent research as part of the MSc Dissertation.
In addition to the standard mode of teaching over a semester, we offer stand-alone short courses which are taken over a period of 12 weeks. These are designed to meet the needs of busy mid-career professionals, new entrants to the University and the social sciences, or returners to education who wish to pursue the particular subject area. The short courses can also be taken as part of continuing professional development (CPD). If three of the four modules are completed successfully, a PG Cert Gerontology will be awarded; however, in this case, the tuition fees for the PG Cert apply.
Short courses in Gerontology (distance learning)
In addition to the standard mode of teaching over a semester, we offer stand-alone short courses which are taken over a period of 12 weeks. They are designed to meet the needs of busy mid-career professionals, new entrants to the University and the social sciences, or returners to education who wish to pursue the particular subject area. The short courses can also be taken as part of continuing professional development (CPD). If three of the four modules are completed successfully, a PG Cert Gerontology will be awarded; however, in this case, the tuition fees for the PG Cert apply.
MSc Demography provides instruction on contemporary demographic issues, demographic methods and approaches, as well as general social science research methods – both qualitative and quantitative. We welcome students with limited background in quantitative methods. This programme is suitable for those, who would like to learn more about demography, qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Graduates from this programme will be equipped to undertake quantitative analysis to support social policymaking locally, nationally and internationally in the health and social care professions, market research, local and national government departments, international organisations and the many other agencies that require a sound demographic analysis for decision-making.
The MSc in Global Health is a research-led, inter- and multi-disciplinary degree programme designed to provide comprehensive training on the principles, methods and research skills necessary to understand, interpret and solve critical global health challenges. A distinct feature of the MSc is the quantitative focus and the breadth of subject area covered in the core, compulsory and optional modules from demography, medicine, economics, geography, gerontology, statistics, health sciences, law and management.
MSc Social Research Methods with Applied Statistics
MSc in Social Research Methods with Applied Statistics provides postgraduate instruction in social research methods, including applied statistical methods. The programme is for students whose interests lie in general social science research methods – both qualitative and quantitative. We welcome students with limited background in quantitative methods. This programme is suitable for those, who would like to learn more about quantitative and qualitative research methods.
MSc Sociology and Social Policy (1 year)
Do you want to explore the structure of human society? Are you interested in investigating why social inequality is so persistent and why some societies pool their resources to pay a lot for social protection while others engage much less? Do you know which methods are best suited to study such topics?
If you enrol in the MSc Sociology and Social Policy you will study inequality and diversity, migration, well-being and global social security, you will gain advanced knowledge in the social theories on which sociology and social policy are based; on completion you will also know how to use quantitative and qualitative methods.
With this degree you are well placed to pursue careers in social research, public administration or public policy in the public, private or voluntary sector. It is also the first step towards a PhD in sociology and/or social policy.
