- Hello, and welcome to this overview talk
on studying the Social Sciences
at the University of Southampton.
My name is Dr. Brian Moss.
I am the current Admissions
Tutor for Sociology,
Social Policy and Criminology
of SSPC at the University.
Let's take a look at
the programs on offer.
First of all, Southampton.
Why would you pick Southampton?
Well, Southampton has
a diverse student body,
it has a large number of sporting
and cultural activities
on offer to students
and also the university
is a Russell group member.
This means it is research intensive,
providing students with the
best cutting-edge education.
In terms of its global
and national standing,
the University of Southampton
also ranks quite highly.
At the last research exercise nationally,
SSPC ranked in the top five.
But just not just what we offer,
it's what students get back.
I know that all students considering
what are the employment
prospects in terms of the end
and at the point of graduation.
SSPC and the University rank
above the national average,
but of course the most recent figures
from the national authority.
That is to say, most
students end up progressing
on to professional or
graduate-level employment
opportunities after their degree program.
But from the very first
moment it's not just
what we can provide you in terms of class
but it's the overall support that
we can provide you with as students.
Let me take a quick look at
some of the things we do.
From your first day a
student at Southampton
and in SSPC will be offered
a Personal Academic Tutor.
This is an academic member of staff
who will provide general
guidance and assistance to you
in terms of whether it's study, welfare,
health or financial issues.
Signposting you to more
appropriate services to make sure
that you achieve all
that you want to achieve.
The university also offers
what's called the Unibuddy Scheme.
In the first few weeks of term
you will have the assistance
of existing students at the university
to help you settle in.
The university also provides what
are called Enabling Services,
right across the duration of your degree.
These cover health,
welfare, financial issues,
and other support services.
And finally, the university
has an active Students' Union.
Meaning that your interests
will be represented
by a body separate from
the university itself.
To make sure that your
university experience
is as good as it can possibly be.
But don't just take my word for it.
What I've included here are
comments from two students
who recently left the SSPC degrees.
Both had different experiences,
but both achieved
ultimately what they wanted
from SSPC degree options.
Sarah was studying Criminology,
came to us through clearing
and felt it was one
of her most fulfilling experiences.
She found subjects that
she was interested in
and found great support
from the SSPC team.
Emily had an up and down
experience at university.
She took the opportunity and
she was really interested
in certain subjects and
she made the most of that
and achieved her ambition
of a high-standing degree.
Importantly for Emily, she was also able
to access and she will
begin policing career
in the next few weeks.
Two different experiences,
but both coming out
with a good background and
an enriching experience
in terms of SSPC involvement.
Turning to the degree programs,
and the are five degree
programs that we offer.
I've listed them here
using different colors
so you can see what the names are.
If you require more information,
on the individual modules
or entry criteria and so on,
I've also included the web link
at the bottom of this page.
Hopefully this will of use to you
but we will be exploring
some of the aspects
of the programs as we go
through in the next few minutes.
Each of the five degree programs
is structured in the same way.
A student will study
for a three-year period,
and every year will consist of what
are called two semesters.
Semester one will run
through autumn to winter
and Semester two from spring to summer.
And each of the semesters will consist
of a teaching period followed
by an assessment period.
So let's take a look at what
this means in more detail.
On a day-to-day basis for a student
in each semester they
will cover four modules.
A module is basically a set of classes
and assessed or appraised at the end
by some sort of formal
examination of your knowledge.
In terms of a module, a module
composes two types of class.
Lectures, or large-scale classes
where you will be sitting
in a single room with
several hundred students,
as indicated by the
picture at the top here
or smaller classes called
seminars use tutorials
that are based on more
interactive learning
and discussion group work,
as indicated by the second picture.
Any module will comprise
roughly 150 hours of work.
This could be mean on a weekly basis 12
to 14 contact hours across your modules.
However, students will also be expected
to engage in what is
called independent study.
Using the library, reading at home,
going online, whatever it is.
Either to prepare in
advance or to catch up
on material just covered
in a lecture or seminar.
Some students may get advantaged
and take the benefit of independent study
and some might use the library
for restful activities.
Either way, what you
put in to your degree,
what you put in to each module,
will be reflected in your final assessment
and your overall degree.
But between the lectures,
seminars and independent study,
every student will find a
different strength in terms of
how they best prepare and best learn.
In terms of the assessment
type of any module,
assessment can't comprise
several different elements
or several different formats.
These could be essays, single
or group presentations,
exams, book review and proposals.
However, every student,
when they reach year three,
the final year of the degree
program will be required
to undertake what is
called the dissertation.
This is an opportunity
to grasp with both hands.
The dissertation is like a large essay.
In SSPC, it's 10,000 words
long and it is a chance for you
to shine and show what you've learned
in the particular area of study.
It could be around terrorism.
It could be around the
emergence of inequalities
in different societies.
It could be around in
something in Psychology
in terms of motivations of
individuals or offenders.
It will very much come
down to you to pick what
it is you want but you will be supported
by a dissertation supervisor
to get the best out of your dissertation.
One of the questions we
get asked quite a lot
in recent months is how will
we deliver any degree program
under COVID-19 restrictions or
if another lockdown emerges.
And the answer is very, very simple.
Southampton already has
a wealth of experience
in dealing with online learning,
particularly from the March just gone.
In the last six months it has established
and improved its performance
in terms of online learning.
In the years ahead what we're looking at
is a combination of face-to-face
as well as remote learning.
Through this combination
of Personal Academic Tutor,
module leaders, online resources
as well as face-to-face, most
likely seminars and tutorials,
students can be assured of receiving
the best education possible.
Let's take a brief look at
the disciplines involved in SSPC degrees.
These are anthropology, criminology,
psychology and sociology.
Anthropology is about what
it's like to be a human.
How this differs in terms of
expectations and past norms.
It looks at the evolution of populations
and society, digital lives,
language and thought,
and developing institutions
to support societies.
The kind of puzzles you
might expect to encounter
at Southampton could include the effects
of lead poisoning in social housing,
how to respond to bush fires,
like we have been seen in
Australia in recent months
or what to do about food shortages.
Several anthropologists upon
graduation go to work in
organizations like the United Nations,
studying the issues and effects of trying
to deal with food shortages.
Looking at Criminology,
Criminology is the study of crime,
its causes, reactions and consequences.
It looks at different agencies involved
but also links with other social subjects,
History, Geography,
Economics and Web Science.
In terms of the variety of
topics that might be considered,
I've included here a book by one of
the recent SSPC staff
members on police leadership.
Importantly, if you're
studying Criminology
you must understand that
it is not forensic science.
We don't do crime scene analysis.
If a student has an interest in looking
at crime scene analysis
and forensic science,
you would need to study
the natural sciences
such as chemistry, biology and physics.
Criminology has a wide range of topic,
my own area and background
is in policing and probation.
But there are other
issues such as prisons,
criminological psychology,
cyber crime and youth justice.
Academic staff members in SSPC
are constantly producing
books, reports and so on
on abstract and real ideas
about crime and criminology
and I've included one here.
But we also engage with ongoing debate
around these kind of issues.
On the right hand side I've included one
of my own recent articles that looks
at police inspectorates across the UK.
However, beyond these you might consider
other puzzles in Criminology.
These include is COVID-19
an issue for the police,
should England and Wales
or the UK re-introduce
the death penalty, or what should we do
about racism in sport.
There's also the challenge
increasingly of moving beyond
what is called old-style hard crime
and increasingly more digital crime.
Students have the chance
to study a range of topics.
In terms of Psychology,
separately from Anthropology
and Criminology,
Psychology is the study of the mind.
What are the motivations of individuals,
how do the actions of some affect others.
Topics that students could cover
at Southampton include
development of children,
anxiety among workers, the
effects of crime on victims,
the effect of punishment on offenders.
Importantly, for any student considering
the BSc Criminology and Psychology,
it is accredited by the
British Psychological Society.
This is an important aspect of our degree,
a real benefit in terms
of progressing to become
a full psychologist and in
terms of the labor market.
The kind of puzzles you
might expect to cover
in Psychology could include,
how can violent offending be reduced,
how can we manage trauma,
or what to do about burn-out
among blue-light workers,
nurses, fire-fighters and police officers
and in terms of anxiety
and the effect it might
have on their own families.
Importantly, our staff in SSPC
are producing ongoing
research in this area such as
the book here on Psychology
and Crime by Dr. Craig Webber.
Finally, we have Sociology.
Sociology is about the study of society
and its various elements.
Families, education, media, military,
communities, governments and inequalities.
I've included again some
of the topics covered
by SSPC staff in recent
books on the right hand side.
But the research at Southampton
is wider than just these books.
It covers digital work
and the digital economy,
race and ethnicity and whiteness,
young people, internships and so on.
Some of the puzzles that
you might expect to see
in Sociology could include,
does redlining exist outside the USA?
Or that certain minority groups are forced
into certain areas and
then can't access loans,
can't access schooling
and services, and so on.
What jobs will be taken
by robots in the future?
How can we stop the spread of fake news?
What do we think about fast fashion
or animal testing in terms of cosmetics.
These are some of the issues
that come up time and again
that you might have a
particular interest in
and we will encourage that in
your growth at Southampton.
Sociology, Psychology, Criminology
and Anthropology do mesh
and do share common topics.
Examples could include the position
of dominant versus marginal groups,
that has been in the press
in recent times on the BBC
or the position of
young people in society.
It could be about global
and local capital and labor,
the regulation, profit transfer
and the treatment of workers
such as Unilever who own Ben and Jerry's.
It could be issues around
the position of sport
or it could be such
issues as wildlife crime,
the effect of this in the economy,
and society and the environment.
Common to each of these,
Sociology, Anthropology,
Criminology and Psychology
is the study of politic.
What should we do, what
can we do on these topics.
The basic program structure for SSPC
is that all five degrees will share
a common first year program
I've tried to represent this
by using five seeds
going into a common soil.
So, for example, in year one
for incoming students studying
Crim, Sociology, Sociology
and Criminology and
Sociology with Anthropology,
Understanding Everyday Life
is a module that they will share.
As well, they will do that
with students from Crim and Psychology.
Another module shared will
be Criminal Justice Studies,
the examination of the
criminal justice system,
the courts, the police,
prison, and probation.
There is also an
Introduction to Criminology,
Criminological theory and perspectives.
Why do certain individuals commit crime,
how do these theories develop over time.
And there are also differences between
the four degrees that
some students will take
and the fifth degree, Crim and Psych.
So, for example, Crim and Psych,
students will consider
Introduction to Psychology
and then will advance on that
in terms of Behavioral Neuroscience,
why do people behave the way they do.
For more information on the modules,
please visit the web link
that I set out earlier on.
While there is a common
first year program,
in years two and years three,
there will be individual focus
in the different streams
for Crim, Sociology,
Sociology and Anthropology,
Criminology and Psychology
and Sociology and Criminology.
And I've tried to represent this
that while there is a common soil,
five different shoots will emerge
in years two and year three
in terms of the individual stream.
So, here is an example of
some of the modules available
to students in years two and year three.
In Anthropology and
Psychology on the left,
and then in year two and
year three on Criminology
and Sociology and on the right.
And students can pick across
these modules as well,
making sure that they
have their core stream
but also can pick aspects
from other modules on offer.
One of the things we try
and do in Southampton
is encourage you to extend
and widen your degree.
This could include a semester abroad,
occurring in year three
and popular destinations
include Canada, Norway,
Australia and Spain.
Specific SSPC destinations
include Japan, Brazil,
Canada and the Netherlands.
And students can receive
financial support to go abroad.
I went abroad as an undergraduate
and it was of benefit to me in terms
of improving my French language,
in terms of broadening
my cultural horizons
and in terms of getting my first job.
A student could also decide
to take a year in employment.
This would take place after year two
and can be up to 12 months
outside the university
in an employment position.
And as importantly, this
would feature on your degree.
So you would be showing an employer
that you have real experience
that they could utilize
and make you more attractive to them.
Another way of extending
and widening your degree
is through what are called
Curriculum Innovation modules.
These take place in second
year and they are intended
to give students transferable
skills for employment.
Subjects include Living
and Working on the Web,
something that has become
increasingly important
since the advent of COVID-19
or Ethics in a Complex World,
how should a firm behave?
A final way to extend
and widen your degree
is through taking what
are called minor modules.
A student would complete five
modules during their degree,
starting in semester two of year one.
And if you complete the five modules,
this minor aspect of
your degree would appear
on your degree certificate,
again giving you an advantage
to a prospective employer.
There are 23 subjects on offer,
including Film, International
Relations, and Sustainability.
However, it's important to
note that among these 23 there
is also the wider advantage
of having modern languages.
And students can pick from
among 11 modern languages
on offer, including French,
Spanish, Chinese and Arabic.
Again, adding to your profile
and making you more appealing
to an employer at the point of graduation.
So where is it that SSPC graduates end up?
Most of the students who
come to us are interested
in one of the three areas of
police, prisons and probation.
However, SSPC and the social sciences
is much wider than that.
I myself have a background
in social sciences
on policy research, so, I'd be interested
in encouraging students to
look at social research roles.
There are a number of
consultancy firms in the UK
and further afield, but there
are also civil service roles,
and education and non-governmental
or charity roles as well.
Students, importantly,
should see an SSPC degree
as a potential stepping-stone,
not their end-point.
This means that an SSPC degree
at Southampton will prepare
you to show that you can read,
analyze and propose original material
on policies for an employer.
So students could go into
other career areas such
as human resources, business,
accountancy or teaching.
Whatever you decide, whatever
you're interested in,
we have a Careers Practitioner to SSPC
who will assist you from first year
right through to your point on graduation.
I've pictured Laura Messenger here,
our Careers Practitioner,
and Laura is well placed
to help any student identify
what their goals are
to try and achieve them.
If you're still unsure about everything
I've presented so far, let me
try and give you four points
about why you should consider
a social sciences degree in Southampton.
First, the program, the teaching
and modules on offer cover
a wide range of issues, by experts,
and people who have
published in their fields.
Two, the issue of instruction.
Outside the standard modules,
we have careers support,
the Social Impact Lab
trying to encourage you
in such things as developing
social enterprises.
Like Tom's shoes for example.
Where the firm sells one shoe
for every shoe that it sells
it provides a pair of shoes to a person
in the developing world.
Or in terms of the library
about its resources
and its spaces for working.
The campus life, Southampton
offers an excellent campus life
in terms of sporting and
cultural, recreational activities,
in terms of learning and social
spaces around the campus,
and in terms of student services
to support you during your three years.
And finally, in terms of knowledge.
Not only do we offer the
core modules in teaching
and instruction, but we also
have in SSPC what's called
the Institute of Criminal
Justice Research,
where we invite in experts in their field
to provide a presentation of their work.
There's also the research software there,
where students gain hands-on experience
of using such things as digital mapping
that could be used in
the likes of redlining
of areas that I mentioned earlier on.
You could also look at
quantitative analysis
and using database analysis,
again a skill that employers look for
from my own experience having used it
in the past and in different roles.
So to take these four points
of Program, Instruction,
Campus Life and Knowledge together,
what I try and give you
is the acronym of PICK.
What I encourage you to
do is PICK the right path
and pick Southampton for an SSPC degree.
If you still have questions,
there will be links available
on the day available to you
but also on our website
at the moment there
is an 'Ask our students
and staff' facility.
This is where you can contact the students
and ask a question about what's life like
or what does the degree entail and so on.
And I've given you the web link here
through which you can do that.
Also take a look at the
University's Twitter page.
Here, broad information
and specific information
about the University and university life
is updated on a regular basis.
All that remains for me to do
is to thank you for listening,
to wish you the best in your choices
and we hope you will consider
a social sciences degree
at the University of Southampton.
We look forward to seeing you,
hopefully in the near future.
