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An advanced degree in sociology can teach you to dissect challenges, propose solutions, and steer the course of communities and countries towards greater equity and understanding. Experts confirm this expertise is more important than ever.
“Technological advancements and AI are reshaping the most intimate fabrics of our lives – how we communicate with one another, how we find love, and how we care for our families,” shares Professor Yang Hu.
“Changing global order is drastically reconfiguring the connections between countries, social groups, and individuals. Global climate emergencies are driving millions out of their homelands. Sociology helps us understand and navigate these and many other sweeping societal changes.”
Hu would know — he is a Professor of Global Sociology, co-director of the Early Career Fellowship Programme at the Work and Family Researchers Network, a member of the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab, and has been named in the Stanford-Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists list for citations since 2022. Soon, he will be adding another title to his long resume: Programme Lead of University College London’s new postgraduate programmes in Sociology.
Set to launch in September 2025, these qualifications will equip students with the advanced knowledge and skills required to understand contemporary society and apply sociological theory to real-world issues. These are available full-time, part-time or via flexible/modular study, which widens access to students from more backgrounds.
“We welcome students from diverse backgrounds across the world who are curious to learn about the social world, how it works, the forces shaping our lives within it, and how to change it for the better,” says Professor Hu. “The Sociology MSc prioritises global perspectives beyond the Western ‘canon’.”
Indeed, this programme redefines the boundaries of sociology –– its curriculum reflects the rich plurality of our society. In fact, students must engage with UCL’s core module “Global Sociology” which deliberately shifts focus from the traditional Western canon dominated by white male perspectives to a more global viewpoint. Elective modules like “Sociological Approaches to Inequalities” and “Intersectionality and Critical Qualitative Research” further amplify diverse voices.
Source: University College London
The rest of the Sociology MSc explores diverse approaches to social change, cultural norms, institutions, and the complexities of the modern world. Modules are set to cover other pressing topics, too, like race and gender dynamics, the climate crisis, wealth and income distribution, mental health and wellbeing, immigration, data-empowered societies, the impact of AI, social inequalities and injustices, and LGBTQ+ rights.
However, those seeking a more tailored academic journey can choose one of the three other programmes UCL will launch this September. The Sociology and Social Inequalities MSc untangles the roots, mechanisms, and impacts of inequality across individual, community, national, and global contexts. The Sociology and Data Science MSc walks students through the ins and outs of analysing and interpreting complex social data. Finally, the Sociology of Childhood and Children’s Rights MA focuses on achieving social justice for children and young people. All four programmes will be led by the UCL Social Research Institute (SRI), a centre for policy-oriented social science with an annual research income of over 15 million pounds.
This expansion comes at a critical time when many institutions are scaling back on investments in the social sciences and humanities. UCL is moving in the opposite direction, growing its faculty with even more leading academics — like Professor Hu, who is proud to be joining a community of experts at the forefront of sociology.
“Co-produced with businesses and grassroots organisations, our research guides the responsible design and deployment of AI, helps build resilient communities, and enhances people’s well-being,” he says. “Colleagues’ studies are widely featured by influential media outlets from the BBC and Channel News Asia to TIME magazine and Times of India.”
UCL sociologists often collaborate with international bodies, national governments, and local authorities to shape key policies on equitable education, migration, poverty alleviation, parental leave, and drug legislation. Their work underpins activist campaigns for global social justice. Beyond research, they create podcasts, vlogs, and documentaries that touch the lives of millions.
Their broad expertise and reach prove the influence sociologists exert beyond academia. UCL’s MSc and MA graduates are set to do the same, following the paths their mentors have paved for them to make a difference, be it in teaching, policymaking, journalism, or civil society.
“There has never been a greater need to foster a deep understanding of societies and human behaviour,” says SRI Head of Department Professor Toby Seddon. “Our new programmes at UCL have been designed to equip students with the tools to navigate a complex world and to help us better address the challenges we collectively face in the twenty-first century.”
Ready to shape the future through informed action? Applications for 2025 entry into the Sociology MSc, Sociology and Social Inequalities MSc, Sociology and Data Science MSc, and Sociology of Childhood and Children’s Rights MA are now open.
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