At the University of Stirling we want to improve society, as well as understand it. Using our expertise in Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, we teach and research modern life, crime, social diversity and inequalities in society to improve social welfare.
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Our teaching and research are committed to social justice and equality so that we can address the most pressing social questions of our times.
You'll study and research topics that matter – not just to learn about social problems, but also to explore how we can solve them.
Our research is world-leading and consistently supports policy-makers and practitioners. But it's not just about evidence and policy, it's also about people. We imagine better futures by collaborating with activist networks and working with people with lived experiences of the social issues and systems that we research. That may be in our local context of Stirling and Clackmannanshire, national contexts of Scotland and the UK, or in international contexts and communities.
Throughout our division, we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, embedding a wide range of (in)equalities and their intersections within our research and teaching.
We offer you flexibility with our combined courses, giving you the choice to develop your interests and help you to be the difference in your career.
We have a particular specialism in teaching social research methods at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, training the next generation of researchers with an emphasis on rigour, critical analytical thinking, and an applied orientation towards future careers and employability.
The world is not short of social problems. Poverty, inequality, unemployment, inadequate housing and crime persist in the twenty-first century, damaging people’s physical and mental health and accompanied by a persistent sense of crisis in public services.
Our research seeks to understand the processes that drive such social problems and to examine what works to address them. We have a deep commitment to ensuring that our research is focused on the real world, aiming to inform policy-makers and practitioners as they seek to improve lives.
We offer PhD or MPhil supervision in any of the areas covered by in our division. Find out about opportunities for PhD research in Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology.