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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, with 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 2023

The UK's 2021 Research Excellence Framework ranks our department second overall in the UK, and joint first for the research environment.  

And the QS World University rankings list our department as 6th of 330 sociology departments across the world in 2022. 

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

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The Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge is ranked first for Sociology in the Guardian's Best Universities league table and first for Sociology in the Complete University Guide League Table 2023. The UK's 2021 Research Excellence Framework ranks our department second overall in the UK, and joint first for the research environment. And the QS World University rankings list our department as 6th of 330 sociology departments across the world in 2022.  

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, with a proud tradition of research grounded in engagement with contemporary real-world issues.  

The 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 2023. The UK's 2021 Research Excellence Framework ranks our department second overall in the UK, and joint first for the research environment. The QS World University rankings list our department as 6th of 330 sociology departments across the world in 2022.  

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, as well as providing students with the ability to explore research-led areas of marginalization and forms of exclusion in-depth, examining their contextual specificity, their 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, with a proud tradition of research grounded in engagement with contemporary real-world issues.  

The 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 2023. The UK's 2021 Research Excellence Framework ranks our department second overall in the UK, and joint first for the research environment. The QS World University rankings list our department as 6th of 330 sociology departments across the world in 2022.  

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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