Why study social science?
Are you fascinated by people, communities and society? Do you want to help solve some of the greatest challenges facing our world today? Then studying the social sciences may well be for you.
What is social science?
Social science explores how people, communities and society influence the world around us. It looks at how people behave, examines social, economic and political processes, and understands how and why people interact in the way they do with each other and the environment.
The social sciences encompass a range of subjects including business, economics, geography, international studies, law, politics, psychology, sociology and more. Watch our video to hear from social scientists in a range of careers explain more about what social science is.
Is studying social science for me?
Are you interested in how people influence the world around them? Perhaps why individuals behave in certain ways and how they respond to situations? Are you intrigued by how new technologies, such as AI, can be used to benefit society? By how we can adapt to and mitigate climate change? Do you want a career in business or to work on developing new policies in government? Do you want to design sustainable cities and societies or to create positive social change?
The social sciences provide the skills, knowledge and insight to do all of this and more. They help us to understand how the world works and provide the tools to address society’s biggest challenges, shaping society for the better.
Studying business and management gives you an understanding of key business functions and how they operate, while developing your analytical and evaluation skills through exploring the perspectives of different stakeholders.
Studying economics helps you understand how choices are made and the effects of these choices – including how markets, governments and societies operate in the real world.
Studying geography gives you a wide perspective on the varied challenges facing society and helps you understand the social, economic and physical processes that shape our world, as well as opportunities to apply innovative technologies and data to problem solving.
Studying politics helps you understand how governments, policies and international relations work, as well as develop your negotiation, debating, leadership, reasoning and communication skills.
Studying psychology gives you an understanding of why we do what we do, examining people’s behaviour, cognition and emotions. All of which are fundamental to helping improve the way we live.
Studying sociology provides insights into critically analysing the workings of wider society, understanding people and deepening your knowledge of cultures and communities – opening doors to a variety of roles which are people-focused.
Whether you study one social science discipline, or several, the skills and knowledge you will gain will stand you in good stead for your future career.
Studying social science at...
Studying the social sciences for your post-16 qualifications, like at A Level, AS Level, Highers and Advanced Highers, is a popular choice for many students who want to understand more about the societies we live in, people’s behaviour and the nature of our changing human world. They open up a huge range of opportunities for further study and career options in the future, not only in roles related directly to these areas but the transferable skills gained from the study of social science can be applied to many different sectors too.
That’s why business studies, economics, psychology and sociology are ranked in the top 10 most studied subjects at A Level in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and why the number of students studying A Level geography, law and political studies has been steadily increasing too.
If you’re unsure of what to study for your post-16 qualifications, The Student Room has a range of resources that can help you choose which subjects to take in the next stage of your education.
With the social sciences offering the opportunity to learn about all aspects of people and wider society and to develop a variety of skills, it’s not surprising that many students who study these subjects at GCSE and as part of their post-16 qualifications go on to study a degree at university. In fact, 47% of UK students graduate from university with a social science degree and 60% of global leaders have undergraduate degrees in social science fields. So, it’s certainly a popular choice!
There’s a huge variety of courses available depending on where your interests lie. You may already have a clear idea of the social science area or type of course you’d like to study at university based on what you have enjoyed learning so far. But equally the thought of choosing the right degree, university or subject area for you can feel daunting.
To help you identify what you might enjoy studying at university, and the potential careers that might interest you after your course, take a look at the following resources from other organisations.
You don’t have to go to university to develop your career, there are plenty of apprenticeships which will further build on and enhance the skills and knowledge you have gained from studying the social sciences. Apprenticeship opportunities are available in a range of sectors related to applied social science including in business and administration, care services, education, teaching and childcare, sales and marketing, law and legal studies, and health and science. You can find out more about apprenticeships on the UCAS website.
Find out more about the types of careers available when you study social sciences with our range of interviews with social scientists.
I am a social scientist
Meet a range of social scientists working in varied careers across different sectors. Find out how they got to where they are now, what they enjoy most about their role and the skills they use from studying social science in their day-to-day jobs.
