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Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Social Sciences (Including Placement Year)
University of Essex
Entry requirements
Here's what you will need to get a place on the Social Sciences (Including Placement Year) course at University of Essex.
We're still busy gathering entry requirements for Social Sciences (Including Placement Year) at University of Essex. Look out for more info soon.
Most popular A-levels studied
See who's studying at University of Essex. These students are taking Social Sciences (Including Placement Year) or another course from the same subject area.
| Subject | Grade |
|---|---|
| Sociology | C |
| Psychology | D |
| Media Studies | C |
| History | D |
| Biology | D |
Course summary
What this course is about
UCAS code: LY11
Here's what University of Essex says about its Social Sciences (Including Placement Year) course.
In a liberal society, can limitations on freedom of speech ever be justified? Do people pull together because they want to, or because they have to? Political, economic and social issues dominate domestic and international news, impacting on our day-to-day lives as well as shaping the future.
Studying topics in Sociology, Politics and Economics provides you with a greater understanding of the world around you. It teaches you about democracy and its relation to good government, how the economy functions, how people make decisions and how the economy impacts on the material wellbeing of human societies.
Our course provides a thorough training in the major areas of political science, economics and sociology, investigating the different kinds of social tensions, interactions and networks that make up everyday life. Offered at Essex by three of the UK’s leading social science departments, these three disciplines are fundamentally linked. Through developing your understanding of these fields, you explore and address the broadest questions about our society.
Due to the flexibility of our courses, you can choose from a broad range of areas including:
-
Public policy regarding health, the environment, crime and aging
-
Citizenship, multiculturalism and human rights
-
The nature of work and commercial culture
-
Political power
-
Obligations, freedom, rights and equality
-
Applied Economics and Policy
-
Micro and Macroeconomics
-
International Financial Institutions and Policy
-
Strategies of Economic Development
Source: University of Essex
Course details
Qualification
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Department
Sociology and Criminology
Location
Colchester Campus | Colchester
Duration
4 Years
Study mode
Full-time
Subjects
• Social sciences
Start date
October 2026
Application deadline
14 January 2026
Tuition fees
| Location | Fees |
|---|---|
| England | £9,790 per year |
| Scotland | £9,790 per year |
| Wales | £9,790 per year |
| Northern Ireland | £9,790 per year |
| Channel Islands | £9,790 per year |
| Republic of Ireland | £9,790 per year |
| EU | £21,500 per year |
| International | £21,500 per year |
University of Essex student reviews
Showing 45 reviews
2nd year student
3 years ago
The SU tries their best with the budget they have. They are probably one of the only departments who try their hardest at Essex. Societies and sports clubs are great with lots of socials and a great way and the best way to make new friends at Essex. The 2 bars and nightclub on campus are ok although...
2nd year student
3 years ago
I live near Colchester so I haven’t moved far to go to Essex University so I knew what the area would be like. It isn’t the most busiest area and you can pretty much find every and do everything tourist-wise in a couple of days. Nightlife is ok with the club on campus and a couple in the town, all o...
2nd year student
3 years ago
With the cost of living so high in the UK, the University has only raised their rent slightly and when you take into account that bills are included, the cheaper accommodation options are quite good deals. I notice that financial support is offered to those in more difficult circumstances due to the...
2nd year student
3 years ago
There is more that could be done in this area and I imagine those who are new to this sort of environment (living on your own, needing to self motivate to study etc) would struggle as there is a lack of communication from all aspects of the University. A simple email explaining how a specific examin...
2nd year student
3 years ago
The facilities on campus for education (library, labs etc) I cannot fault and they all work effectively. However, the accommodation is quite poor. In my 1st year in halls, I moved into a dirty room which smelt like a toilet. Clearly it hadn’t been cleaned since the last tenant which meant I had to c...
2nd year student
3 years ago
The course content is good however the delivery is lacking. It seems pointless going to lectures face to face as a lot of lecturers just read off the slides and add nothing on top. Sometimes the lecturers themselves seem puzzled at some of the content on the slides and they often just quickly move o...
National Student Survey (NSS) scores at University of Essex
The NSS is an annual survey where final-year students are asked to rate different aspects of their course and university experience.
Here you can see ratings from University of Essex students who took the Social Sciences (Including Placement Year) course - or another course in the same subject area.
Select an option to see a detailed breakdown
Teaching on my course
88%
med
Teaching on my course
88%
med
How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?
85%
med
How good are teaching staff at explaining things?
94%
med
How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?
86%
med
How often is the course intellectually stimulating?
87%
med
Learning opportunities
83%
med
Learning opportunities
83%
med
To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?
84%
low
How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?
88%
med
How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?
80%
med
To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?
82%
low
To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?
82%
med
Assessment and feedback
82%
med
Assessment and feedback
82%
med
How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?
94%
high
How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?
89%
med
How often does feedback help you to improve your work?
69%
low
How often have you received assessment feedback on time?
81%
med
How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?
79%
med
Academic support
94%
high
Academic support
94%
high
How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?
92%
high
How well have teaching staff supported your learning?
96%
high
Organisation and management
83%
med
Organisation and management
83%
med
How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?
78%
med
How well organised is your course?
88%
high
Learning resources
90%
med
Learning resources
90%
med
How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?
88%
med
How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?
94%
med
How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?
87%
med
Student voice
71%
low
Student voice
71%
low
How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?
68%
med
To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?
71%
low
To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?
75%
low
How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests?
78%
med
Other NSS questions
Other NSS questions
During your studies, how free did you feel to express your ideas, opinions, and beliefs?
86%
med
How well communicated was information about your university/college's mental wellbeing support services?
73%
low
Student information
See who's studying at University of Essex. These students are taking Social Sciences (Including Placement Year) or another course from the same subject area.
Graduate prospects
What graduates do next
Facts and figures about University of Essex graduates who took Social Sciences (Including Placement Year) - or another course in the same subject area.
Graduate statistics
50%
In a job where degree was essential or beneficial
87%
In work, study or other activity
75%
Say it fits with future plans
55%
Are utilising studies
Top job areas
20%
Business and public service associate professionals
15%
Administrative occupations
10%
Protective service occupations
10%
Sales occupations
Graduate statistics percentages are determined 15 months after a student graduates
Earnings after graduation
Earnings from University of Essex graduates who took Social Sciences (Including Placement Year) - or another course in the same subject area.
Earnings
£23k
First year after graduation
£26.6k
Third year after graduation
£30.7k
Fifth year after graduation
Shown here are the median earnings of graduates at one, three and five years after they completed a course related to Social Sciences (Including Placement Year).
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree
Discussions
Discussions
Students are talking about University of Essex on The Student Room.
Chat with University of Essex
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Chat directly with official University of Essex reps
Get accurate, up-to-date answers from the people who know the University of Essex best.
With 9 official university representatives active on The Student Room, you can ask about everything from course content to campus life and get responses you can trust.
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Ask a question on The Student Room and hear directly from those living the experience from lectures to student support services and everything in between. No question is too small. Whether you're comparing universities or need advice on your application, you'll get real answers from students.
University of Essex open days
Are you thinking of applying to this university?
Before you do, it's a good idea to go to an open day. You can have a good look around campus, getting a better idea of what it's like to study there. You'll meet current students and staff and get the chance to ask them questions.
Universities will list upcoming open days on their websites. Most will also have virtual open days; these are a great alternative if you really can't get there in person. For tips on preparing for open days, check the advice section here on The Uni Guide.
