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Sociology (Political and Economic Sociology) is no longer accepting new applications.
Teaching
The course offers seminar-style teaching on eight core lectures and additional research methods courses.
Students are expected to write two 3,000 word essays in the Michaelmas term. These are formative essays, which are not assessed, giving students the opportunity to receive feedback on their writing and research before submitting any assessed work. .
During Lent term, building on readings, lectures and supervisions, students submit a 4,500 to 5,000 word Field Review Essay, which offers a comprehensive review of research related to one of their core lectures.
Students work towards a written dissertation supported by supervisions and a dissertation workshop.
| One to one supervision | Students will typically receive approximately eight hours of supervision on their dissertation, spread across the three terms. Additional supervisions are provided for the research essays and the assessed Field Review Essay. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
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| Seminars & classes | Core course: 16 hours (eight two-hour sessions) in the Michaelmas term. Research methods: seminars: twelve hours of optional seminars. In addition, students are welcome to attend any other relevant lectures offered by the Department or across the university, including any specialist research methods courses run by the Social Science Research Methods Programme. |
| Lectures | 8 lecture-seminars during Michaelmas term (usually 2 hours each). In addition, students are welcome to attend any other relevant lectures offered by the Department or across the university. |
| Practicals | Dissertation workshop: ten hours. |
| Journal clubs | Within the Department, various reading groups and clusters are offered. |
| Literature Reviews | Written assignments require students to conduct extensive literature reviews in their chosen areas of research. |
| Posters and Presentations | Students present their dissertation proposals in a workshop usually held during the Lent term. |
Feedback
Students receive written feedback on each essay and the dissertation. Feedback is also given during the dissertation workshop on the direction and progress of the dissertation research.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
Students write a dissertation of not less than 15,000 and not more than 20,000 words on a subject approved by the Sociology Postgraduate Education Committee, falling within the field of the pathway chosen at the beginning of the course. The dissertation counts for 70 percent of the final mark.
Essays
Students write one Field review essay of between 4,500 and 5,000 words on topics approved by the Sociology Postgraduate Education Committee. This essay counts for 30 per cent of the final mark.