Social and Historical Studies
Welcome to the department of Social and Historical Studies. We offer undergraduate degrees in History, Criminology and Sociology and from 2013, new combinations in Social Policy with the prestigious Policy Studies Institute.
The department is located at 309 Regent Street. We make the best use of our location, and London – with its vibrant cultures and subcultures, institutions, museums and galleries – is an inspiration, a theme and a subject for much of our study.
There is no better place than London to organise your work placement module or to access learning resources.
Sociology
Sociology at Westminster is a hub of interaction and exchange. We set out to host a dialogue between students from all over the world, between different classes, cultures and beliefs.
Our teaching begins at this fascinating social intersection, using our students' rich experience as the starting point of sociological investigation and using London itself as our greatest learning resource.
History
History remains among the most fascinating and best-loved of the arts and social science disciplines, and Westminster’s History degree offers you an exceptional and distinctive programme, making the most of our West End location.
The course is modern and UK-focused, but as Britain was shaped by her relationship with Europe, the empire and the wider world, there are many opportunities to study European, American and imperial history as well. A distinctive element of the degree is its focus on the history of London.
Criminology
With crime frequently in the news and always an important issue, a degree in Criminal Justice has never been more relevant. Westminster’s Criminologists are concerned with who commits crimes and how offenders should be punished, but at the heart of Criminology are fundamental questions about how ‘crime’ is defined, how criminal law is made, how definitions of crime and justice vary historically and cross-culturally. Where better to study this fascinating discipline than in the heart of the UK’s policing and criminal justice systems?
Social Policy
From September 2013 we will be offering two new degrees in combination with the Policy Studies Institute: Social Policy & Criminology and Social Policy & Sociology. Our PSI team are all professional researchers actively engaged in real policy research and evaluation.
Students will benefit from enhanced research methods and learn how theory can be applied and tested. They will have access to PSI’s array of policy and research stakeholders through speakers and internship/work-placement opportunities.
All of our lecturers are actively engaged in researching and writing, and research underpins much of our teaching. We encourage students into a community of scholars, through teaching which enthuses and inspires them.
We use a range of assessment methods to help them learn and to equip them with the skills required in today’s competitive job market. Students may also take credit-bearing internships or work-placement modules and have the opportunity to take a semester abroad, in the United States or Australia.
Several of our courses can also be taken in combination with degrees in English and Politics.
For more information, contact:
Dr Martin Doherty
Acting Head
Dept of Social and Historical Studies
University of Westminster
309 Regent Street
London W1B 2UW
T: +44 (20) 7911 5800 ext 2121
E: M.A.Doherty@westminster.ac.uk
Courses
Find out more information about studying these subjects at Westminster
Staff profiles
Take a look at the staff within Social and Historical Studies
