BASS Sociology and Data Analytics

Year of entry: 2022

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Overview

Degree awarded: BASS
Duration: 3 or 4 years
Typical A-level offer: ABB
Typical contextual A-level offer: BBB

Find out more about contextual admissions.
Refugee/care-experienced offer: Applicants who have been in local authority care for more than three months or have refugee status may be eligible for an offer two grades below the standard requirements.

Find out more about contextual admissions.
Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 6,5,5 at Higher level, 34 points overall. Applicants taking English Language A must achieve grade 4 at Higher or Standard level. Applicants offering English Language B must achieve grade 5 at Higher level and grade 6 at Standard level.
Changes to International Baccalaureate Diploma Mathematics Courses from September 2019, first examination 2021. We are aware of the planned changes to the IB Mathematics curriculum. IB students will be able to choose from Mathematics: analysis and approaches and Mathematics: applications and interpretation. We will accept these two courses at SL or HL.; Full entry requirements
How to apply: Apply through UCAS
UCAS course code: 52L8
UCAS institution code: M20

Course overview

Learn theories about the workings and organisation of societies, and how to contrast these theories in real life, using data analytic and data science techniques.
Learn how to use data and data analytic methods to understand sociological trends, predict and classify sociological phenomena and map and analyse complex network relationships between social agents and organisations
Learn to use a variety of statistical software used in government, industry, and academia, including R, SPSS and other popular packages.
Enjoy the opportunity to study abroad or complete a professional placement on a four-year optional course.

Open days

We are carefully reviewing all our recruitment events considering the developing coronavirus outbreak. View the latest updates on measures we are taking

As we're unable to host on-campus visits, or attend events like UCAS and overseas recruitment fairs now, look at our virtual open day content to learn more about the University.

You will be able to watch videos about the university, including accommodation, student finance and course-specific sessions.

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2022 will be £9,250 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £21,000 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Contact details

School/Faculty: School of Social Sciences
Contact name: School of Social Sciences Admissions Office
Telephone: +44 (0) 161 543 4029
Email: socialsciences@manchester.ac.uk
School/Faculty overview: See: School Subjects

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Social Sciences

Compare this course

Entry requirements

A-level

ABB.
We do not accept two AS-level grades in place of one A-level.
Applicants must be studying at least one of the following A-level subjects: Accounting; Economics; Finance; Business Studies; Development Studies; Government and Politics; Economic and Social History; Mathematics; Anthropology; Sociology; Philosophy; Religious Studies; English Language; English Literature; Geography; Psychology; Classical Civilisation; History; Archaeology; Communication Studies; Environmental Studies; World Development; Biology; Chemistry; Physics; Modern Languages.
We accept native language A Levels providing they are taken in the same sitting as your other subjects. We will not accept combination of Mathematics, Further Mathematics and a native language.
We accept the Level 3 Diploma in Financial Studies (DipFS) as equivalent to an A-level if taken alongside two full A-levels from the list of acceptable subjects above.

AS-level

AS-level results are not considered as part of the standard admissions process at The University of Manchester.

Unit grade information

The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit information where available. Like all other information provided by applicants this may be taken into consideration when assessing your application. Unit grades will not normally form part of an offer conditions.

GCSE

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language.

International Baccalaureate

6,5,5 at Higher level, 34 points overall. Applicants taking English Language A must achieve grade 4 at Higher or Standard level. Applicants offering English Language B must achieve grade 5 at Higher level and grade 6 at Standard level.

Changes to International Baccalaureate Diploma Mathematics Courses from September 2019, first examination 2021. We are aware of the planned changes to the IB Mathematics curriculum. IB students will be able to choose from Mathematics: analysis and approaches and Mathematics: applications and interpretation. We will accept these two courses at SL or HL.

Home-schooled applicants

If you have followed a non-standard educational route and have been, for example, educated at home, your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course to which you applied. You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the academic entry requirements as specified for the course. We will also require a reference which should be written by somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. Please refer to UCAS for further information: UCAS reference guidelines

English language

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

GCSE/iGCSE English Language grade C.
IELTS 6.5 overall with no lower than 6 in any component.
TOEFL (IBT) 92 overall with minimum of 21 in listening and speaking, 22 in reading and 23 in speaking.
iGCSE English (Second Language) grade B,
An acceptable equivalent qualification.

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student from outside the UK and the EU must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language in order to be granted a UK visa (Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. This level is often referred to as the 'B2 level'.

Additionally, our individual Schools may ask for specific English Language proficiency levels that are necessary for their academic programmes. In most cases these requirements are likely to be higher than the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found here

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

Advice to applicants

Applicants submitting mitigating circumstances

If you are submitting information about mitigating circumstances that have affected, or are likely to affect, your academic performance, you should include this in the referee's report.

We cannot consider information that is supplied after an adverse decision has been made on an application.

Examples of mitigating circumstances include family illness, problems with school facilities or an unusual curriculum followed by your school of college.

How your application is considered

Applications are considered on the basis of an assessment of past and predicted academic achievements, the academic reference and personal statement.

Interview requirements

We do not interview.

Returning to education

We welcome applications from anyone who is returning to education.

Contact Tom McCunnie at tom.mccunnie@manchester.ac.uk

Overseas (non-UK) applicants

Applicants classed as international students who are studying foundation year programmes will be considered on the basis they have completed their high school education in full.

Please see our list of approved UK foundation programmes and entry requirements for more information.

We also accept a number of qualifications from around the globe. For further information please see our country-specific information pages.

If you still need help, please email socialsciences@manchester.ac.uk

Deferrals

Applications for deferred entry are considered equally to other applications up to the point of confirmation. Deferred entry is granted on the discretion of admissions staff, and is normally granted for one year only.

Some English Language test results, such as IELTS of TOEFL, are only valid from two years from the test date.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you can apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.

In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may refer back to previous applications or registrations at the University.

If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should include additional evidence of your suitability for the course.

If you are applying through clearing you will need to meet the clearing requirements. In both UCAS Extra and clearing places will be subject to availability.

Course details

Course description

You will learn theories about the workings and organization of societies, but they also learn how to translate these theories into empirical questions that can be studied using real life data.

Specifically, you will learn data analytic and data science techniques to understand social dynamics, predict and classify sociological phenomena and describe and analyse networks of relationships between individuals or organisations.

By completing the core and optional units, you can gain general sought-after skills, including:

how to collect, describe and visualise data;
how to build quantitative models to explain phenomena;
how to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of policies;
how to map and analyse complex social networks;
how to implement key machine learning algorithms;
how to implement data analytic techniques and data science algorithms using statistical software including R, as well as proprietary packages such as SPSS.

The pathway emphasises the application of modern data analytic methods to real life problems, although you will have the opportunity to learn some of the underlying theory, to progress further in your career to more advanced postgraduate courses and to more challenging scenarios in policy and industry.

Special features

Professional Experience Year Opportunity

You apply in year 1 to boost your employability through a paid Professional Experience Year.

If you meet the criteria, the Professional Experience Team and Careers Service will work with you to find a suitable placement in your 2nd year.

You will then complete your Professional Experience Year in 3rd year extending your degree to four years, before returning to University to finish your final year.

Your degree title will be extended to include 'with Professional Experience', giving you the added advantage of relevant work experience when entering the competitive graduate jobs market.

Paid placement opportunity

You can apply for a paid Q-Step internship between Year 2 and 3.

Find out more about the benefits of completing a placement

Study abroad

You can apply in Year 1 to spend a semester abroad in Year 2. If you are successful, you will put together a package of course units at your host university in consultation with your Academic Exchange Advisor in Manchester.

Teaching and learning

Course units feature formal lectures supported by smaller tutorials or seminars where you explore the contents of lectures and recommended reading in greater depth.

Tutorials and seminars are key to improving your written and oral communication skills through group discussions, essay-writing, and presentations.

You are assigned an Academic Advisor who can advise you on selecting course units and career opportunities.

Coursework and assessment

The range of methods is designed to promote in-depth learning and understanding, including:

essays, coursework and other mid-term evaluations;
dissertations;
presentations and group projects;
exams.

Course content for year 1

Year 1 gives you a broad introduction to the Social Sciences.

Students in the Data Analytics pathway must take the core unit SOST10021 Measuring Inequalities.

Course content for year 2

In Year 2 you begin to specialise.

Students in the Data Analytics pathway take two core units:

SOST20022 Essentials of Survey Design and Analysis;
SOST20142 Applied Statistics for Social Science.

Course content for year 3

In Year 3 you choose your final areas of specialisation.

Students in the Data Analytics pathway take the core unit SOST30031 Answering Social Research questions with Statistical Models.

In addition to this, students are encouraged to take:

SOST30172 Quantitative Evaluation (of Policies, Interventions and Experiments);
SOST30036 Data Science Modelling;

and at least one of:

SOST30022 Advance Social Network Analysis;
SOST30012 Theory and Method in Demography.

Course content for year 4

If completing a year professional placement, you will take the Year 3 course content in Year 4.

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and bursaries are available to eligible home/EU students, including the Manchester Bursary. Approximately a third of all our undergraduate UK students will receive bursaries of up to £2,000 per year, in addition to the government package of maintenance grants.

You can get plenty of information and advice on student finance to help you manage your money.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

We have an excellent reputation for employability and are currently the joint most targeted university by top graduate recruiters in the UK.

Graduates pursue a variety of careers including journalism and the media, charities, consultancy, civil service, finance, marketing, social work, teaching, the law and postgraduate study. Recent examples include:

AXA;
Barclays;
the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Houses of Parliament, the Ministry of Justice;
the United Nations;
the Centre for Social Justice;
Google;
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office;
Teach First.

We work with students and the Careers Service to embed employability into our courses through specific careers and networking events.

You can also boost your employability by choosing course units in Year 2 from the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning

Find out more on the careers and employability page