Q. What’s the first thing you teach your students?
The very first thing we teach students is that the social world is complex: that you should not assume that there is one viewpoint in the world that is the ‘right one’.  There are many ways of looking at the world, and things do not have to be the way they are!  

Q. Please explain in detail what students will learn during each part of your course?
The BSc in Social Sciences is an interdisciplinary degree.  In the first year, all students take a compulsory module in research methods, but then choose three from introductory modules in sociology, contemporary history and politics, social policy and psychology.  In the second year, all students take two modules in research methods (two from psychology, history and sociology) and then can choose widely from our portfolio of optional modules.  We offer a wide range in sociology, social history, social policy, urban studies, geography and psychology: from Contested Cities and Britain on Film to Forensic Psychology and Applied Social Psychology, from Social Ethics and Politics and Society to Health Policy and Women and Work.  Third years undertake a dissertation on a social science topic of their choice, and then choose widely from this range of modules.  The beauty of our programme is that it offers students the ability to choose as broadly as they like or to develop specific interests.  

Q. Why do you love your subject?
I love history and sociology because I have always been curious about the ways in which we do and think about things in society, and how we got to that point as opposed to any other!  I am particularly interested in the ways in which the neediest in our society are able to make their voices heard – and if not, who speaks for them, and why.  I really enjoy interviewing people about their experiences and also digging around in the archives looking at historical documents.  You never know what you are going to uncover.

Q. What qualifications route did you take to realise your career?
I did a BA in English and History followed immediately by an MA in 20th Century Literature.  Whilst studying for my MA, I started volunteering for a charity as an archivist and this reignited my interest in history.  After my MA I worked in a secondary school for 18 months, before studying for my PhD in History.  I looked at the relationship between charities, the state and working class communities in London between 1918 and 1959.  After my PhD I taught as a visiting lecturer at another university and then held a postdoctoral fellowship before joining Kent in 2007.

Q. What skills do your students have by the end of the course?
Graduates of the BSc in Social Sciences develop key transferable skills in communication, report writing, team working, project management, leadership, problem solving and reflection throughout their studies.  Graduates of this interdisciplinary programme are adaptable and flexible in their ways of thinking about issues and problem solving, and approach tasks in a rigorous, ethical, yet creative and reflective, fashion. Our students learn to consider a range of perspectives on social issues, and as graduates have a strong awareness of the cultural contexts that can inform their work.

Q. What kinds of careers can your students hope to embark on after graduation?
To name but a few: teaching, research, local government, the Civil Service, management in the public, private or voluntary sectors, marketing, care and counselling, psychology and the police.

Q. What’s the best way to go about getting an entry-level job in your industry after graduation?
There is no single industry that our graduates go into.  What we encourage our students to do during their time with us is to work on their personal portfolio of interests and activities.  Students build up an e-portfolio from the very beginning of their time with us, which forms a record of how their skills and talents grow on our programme and that can be shown to employers.  We support students in volunteering through the Kent Certificate in Volunteering scheme as well as offering a module in which students can gain credit for volunteering in the local community.  Volunteering is attractive in itself to employers, but it can be a useful way of trying out career possibilities and learning about the world whilst giving something back to the community.  
Q. Where can students find great sources of information to learn more about your subject?

See our webpage:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/undergrad/2012/subjects/social-sciences

Our graduates have expertise in at least two subjects, so it is important to know something about the subjects we teach more broadly and what the graduate attributes for these are.  

UCAS employability by subject profiles:
http://www.ucas.com/seps/profiles/sociology
http://www.ucas.com/seps/profiles/history
http://www.ucas.com/seps/profiles/psychology

Prospects:
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_sociology_your_skills.htm
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_public_social_policy_your_skills.htm

Q. What advice do you have for people interested in studying a course like yours?
Come to an Open Day and talk to the academics who will be teaching you. Bring questions about how the course meets your specific interests and ambitions.  It helps if you are doing relevant A-levels (e.g. Sociology, History, Psychology, Geography, Politics, Economics) but it’s not essential.

Q. How competitive is the job market for your graduates and what will set them apart?
The job market is tough for everyone at the moment (Spring 2011) but applicants joining our programme now will be well-placed for a future in which there is a need for highly-skilled and committed graduates.  Graduates of the BSc in Social Sciences are adaptable and flexible in their ways of thinking about issues and problem solving, and approach tasks in a rigorous, ethical, yet creative and reflective, fashion. Our students learn to consider a range of perspectives on social issues, and as graduates have a strong awareness of the cultural contexts that can inform their work.

Q. What career paths and options are available to students that complete your course?
A wide range!  Teaching, research, local government, the Civil Service, management in the public, private or voluntary sectors, marketing, care and counselling, psychology and the police.