BA (Hons) Social Studies Degree (2+2 pathway)

The course is run in partnership with the highly prestigious University of Warwick and you will be enrolled as a Warwick undergraduate throughout the duration of the course, even when studying at Coventry College during the first two years. It is a flexible degree and will give you the opportunity to try out different subject areas before deciding on your individual pathway. To find out what life is like on a 2+2 course, please visit the blogs written by current students.

Course structure

As this is a flexible degree, you spend the first two years on the social studies pathway and then make a decision about which subjects you would like to pursue at the end of year two. This degree enables learners to develop in-depth understanding of contemporary social life. It is designed to give a broad understanding of some of the key academic subjects which are normally grouped together under the general term of social studies or social sciences. These subjects include:

• sociology
• health and social policy
• business studies
• lifelong learning
• politics

Years 1 & 2 – studying at Coventry College In the first two years you will study four core modules:

• Sociological Perspectives – this introduces a range of concepts and issues that help you to question and understand not only why things in society are the way they are but what might be done to change them
• Health, Welfare and Social Policy – this develops your understanding of the foundations of contemporary social welfare issues such as poverty, inequality and the welfare state
• Political Ideas and World Politics – this provides knowledge of structures and issues in British and global politics and key concepts in the study of these such as power, globalisation and democracy
• Researching Society an Culture – this develops your academic research skills and how to successfully apply these to a research project of your design, with support from your tutor. It asks questions such as: does society shape us or do we have a role in shaping it?

You do not need to have any prior knowledge of these subjects to join this course. It is designed for learners who have not studied these subjects before and who may have been out of education for some time. The degree starts gradually, and you are supported throughout. You will gain confidence in coping with academic study, presentation skills and study skills. Years 3 & 4 – University of Warwick At Warwick in years three and four of your degree you will have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of modules in subjects as varied as counselling, social work, mindfulness, coaching, social policy, and lifelong learning. You will also have the opportunity to take modules in a range of departments at Warwick including Sociology, Politics and International Studies, Warwick Business School, and Philosophy among others. The core (i.e., compulsory) modules are listed below: Year three – Research Methods in the Social Sciences – you will develop a detailed understanding of the nature and principles of methods that are applied to research projects. Year four – Dissertation (usually in Lifelong Learning) – you will directly apply understanding gained in Research Methods to an in-depth research project designed by you and supervised by a member of the teaching staff. You can find further information on the CLL modules you can study here: Undergraduate Modules