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Postgraduate Study

4 courses offered in the Department of Sociology

The Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge is a world-class centre for teaching and research in Sociology. It has a proud tradition of research grounded in engagement with contemporary real-world issues.  

Our Department is ranked first for Sociology in the Guardian's Best Universities league table and first for Sociology in the Complete University Guide League Table 2024.

The Times Higher Education World University ranking 2024 rates our department second overall in the UK for the Social Sciences. And the QS World University rankings list our department as 2nd of 521 sociology departments across the world in 2023.  

Our PhD programme combines taught content in research methods and academic skills with independent study under the supervision of one or more experts in the student's chosen field.  

Many who graduate from our PhD programme go on to become professional researchers or academics; others work in national government, international organisations, NGOs, think tanks, and consultancies. 

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Our Department is ranked first for Sociology in the Guardian's Best Universities league table and first for Sociology in the Complete University Guide League Table 2024.

The Times Higher Education World University ranking 2024 rates our department second overall in the UK for the Social Sciences. The QS World University rankings list our department as second of 521 sociology departments across the world in 2023.  

This MPhil pathway is designed to give students an advanced understanding of major themes and debates in political and economic sociology.  The topics may vary from year to year and might include some of the following – state institutions, nationalism, capitalism, democracy, revolution, ideology, social movements and environmental catastrophe, among others. Prospective students are, therefore, encouraged to check if they are concerned about the coverage of specific topics in the year of entry. 

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The Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge is a world-class centre for teaching and research in Sociology. It has a proud tradition of research grounded in engagement with contemporary real-world issues.  

Our Department is ranked first for Sociology in the Guardian's Best Universities league table and first for Sociology in the Complete University Guide League Table 2024.

The Times Higher Education World University ranking 2024 rates our department second overall in the UK for the Social Sciences. The QS World University rankings list our department as second of 521 sociology departments across the world in 2023.  

The MPhil in Sociology provides students with a firm grounding in theoretical and empirical analysis, which are at the core of understanding the workings of social inequality. 

The Sociology of Marginality and Exclusion pathway will equip students with a broad understanding of theoretical approaches to marginality and exclusion. It will also provide students with the ability to explore research-led areas of marginalization and forms of exclusion in-depth, examining their contextual specificity, transformations over time, and their impact on other aspects of social and political life.

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The Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge is a world-class centre for teaching and research in Sociology. It has a proud tradition of research grounded in engagement with contemporary real-world issues.  

Our Department is ranked first for Sociology in the Guardian's Best Universities league table and first for Sociology in the Complete University Guide League Table 2024.

The Times Higher Education World University ranking 2024 rates our department second overall in the UK for the Social Sciences. The QS World University rankings list our department as second of 521 sociology departments across the world in 2023.  

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1 course also advertised in the Department of Sociology

From the Department of History and Philosophy of Science

The MPhil in Health, Medicine and Society is a full-time 9-month course run jointly by the Departments of History and Philosophy of Science, Sociology and Social Anthropology. It introduces students from a range of backgrounds to research skills and specialist knowledge relevant to their research interests and provides them with the opportunity to carry out focused research under close supervision by senior members of the University. Students will develop a critical and well-informed understanding of discourses of history, philosophy, sociology and anthropology of health and medicine, and those intending to go on to doctoral work will learn the skills needed to help them prepare a well-planned and focused PhD proposal.

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Department Members


Professor Sarah Franklin
Head of Department

  • 25 Academic Staff
  • 9 Postdoctoral Researchers
  • 87 Graduate Students
  • 159 Undergraduates

http://www.sociology.cam.ac.uk/

Research Areas