Sociologists are regularly seen as the often maligned front-line of social work. Yet graduate study and postgraduate Sociology offers masters courses in a range of related disciplines seen as increasingly important. Even social work itself is undergoing a revolution in terms of both theory and professional practice. If there is one field of graduate study that attempts draw together a wider range of academic study than most, then it’s sociology.

Sociology as an academic discipline has by definition lived life on the edge.  Categorising and attempting to understand social groups, practices and dynamics is fraught with danger. Whether political theories, religious beliefs or other academic disciplines, Sociology has been accused of much and credited with less. Yet Sociology, its development and theories, is perhaps the very bedrock of much of the modern world. In many ways the subject informs and is informed by almost all human activity.

The first Sociologist?

Karl Marx electrified and generated the world of Politics and political theory with the publication of the Communist Manifesto. However, his theories were based on an attempt to understand social groups and interactions, notably class structures. Whilst the conflicts of the last century owe much to disputed political theories such as communism, what is not in doubt is that Marx was perhaps the first sociologist; and most probably better as a social analyst than political theorist.

So what does a modern postgraduate course in Sociology have to offer, and what career prospects can you expect from a Sociology masters degree?

What will you study?

If Sociology is the attempt to study and understand human groups and relationships, then the range of graduate subjects offered by such a masters course is often impressively large. General Sociology often still involves the study of past and present class and social group structures. This includes the roles of and effects on individuals as well as groups. Whether class, ethnicity, gender, religion or disability, which groups people belong to often affect their life chances, likely income and even health and length of life. Measuring effects and social indicators such as income, health, educational achievement and mobility is critical. Understanding the processes involved in producing these effects is even more challenging.

A good postgraduate course in Sociology should give you, both a grounding in past social theory and analysis, as well as an understanding and awareness of current research and theoretical development. Other subjects on a Sociology masters can include the study of culture and identity, economic performance, political involvement and citizenship, health and biology and other themes such as educational attainment.