Sociology BSc Vs BA

I'm looking at studying Sociology but I've found it offered as a BSc and BA across different universities, and sometimes within the same.

Whats the difference? I know one is Bachelors of Science and the other is art but is there a difference in the course? are the requirements/structure different or do they lend themselves to different career prospects?

I've asked my college careers advisor but he didn't know.

Reply 1

BethRandell16

Hi! Fellow student looking to apply for a sociology degree at university here. I asked this question myself. Essentially, no, there is no difference. It's up to the uni's discretion as to whether the degree is awarded as BSci or BA and doesn't have an impact on the course.

You will want to check the course, structure and modules individually to see whether it fits what you want. I personally love the research side of sociology so was looking something with more practical work involved.

But no, it doesn't matter, and it's just a part of the confusion as to whether we should classify sociology as a science or not.

If you want to talk more about sociology and sociology at university, I'd love to talk to somebody with the same goal! Hit my insta up @allaboutbeth

Reply 2

lol.yolo

Original post by BethRandell16

I too am interested in the research side of things and would like a course which would allow me to explore this. I thought perhaps BSc would be more research based and BA more theoretical? Otherwise I really don't see why there are different names for the same thing- so confusing! Especially since some unis offer Sociology BSc and BA (eg. Canterbury Christ). I'll check out your insta.

Reply 3

BethRandell16

Original post by lol.yolo

I thought the same as you originally, that BSci would be more research focused and BA more theoretical but its not. It's confusing but they really are no different, its all down to the individual course

Reply 4

zoe-steph

hey!! jumping onto this thread two months late because i'm also looking to study sociology at uni, and was worried about ba vs bsc. all of my ucas options are going to be in scotland, where only the BA is offered. glasgow and edinburgh offer the Q-Step course, but annoyingly it's still a BA.

my main concern is that a BA degree may always be seen as less valuable than a BSc, regardless of what the course actually taught...

Reply 5

University of Portsmouth Student Rep

Official Rep

Hi!!

I currently am studying BSc Sociology at Portsmouth. As above, a BSc is more research based and means that your dissertation will be a research investigation into an area of your choosing. there is more of a focus on research methods and how these are applied to a research task, and you will have to use scientific methods and reasonings throughout. I would say that a BSc holds more weight over a BA (especially in the argument of whether sociology is a science), however, I would have personally found a BA in Sociology more interesting as I don't enjoy the science side as much. Whichever course your university does, however, will still be accepted by employers and it should not impact their decision.

Sophie - Official Student rep :smile:

Reply 6

zoe-steph

Original post by University of Portsmouth Student Rep

Thank you so much for your help, this was really useful! May I ask what you're planning to do with the degree? Do you think that the research skills and scientific methodology that a BSc would offer may be more useful than a BA when it comes to deciding on a career path?

Reply 7

University of Portsmouth Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by zoe-steph

No worries!! I took Sociology primarily because I was really interested in it from A Level, and I ended up getting an A* so it seemed like a natural progression. I was originally going to take history but didn't enjoy how it was assessed from an A Level point of view. I didn't take sociology because I wanted it to directly lead me to a career, however there are many things that you can do with it. I personally want to get into either property development, buying or even law, however I still really don't know what I want to do yet! I think as the course is lest traditional compared to the natural sciences and maths/English etc but still less broad like Business, for example, which was my other course option, a BSc would probably give you the edge when it comes to the skills that are transferrable for the degree. However, I really do not think that employers are going to be that bothered by the specifics of the degree, especially when it may not directly relate to the job in question!!

Sophie - Official Student rep :smile: