Welcome to our world-leading department 

We are one of the best departments for teaching and research in sociology worldwide. Our vibrant and diverse learning community is committed to a transformational and global public sociology.  

We are consistently ranked in the top 2 of all sociology departments in the UK, and in the top 10 globally.  

• #1 The Complete University Guide Subject League Table 2026
• #1 The Times Subject Ranking 2026
• #2 The Guardian University Subject Ranking 2026
• #6 QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
• #2 The Times Higher Education’s rankings of Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 for research quality in UK higher education. The next REF is published in 2029. 

Our ethos 

We are committed to public facing, theoretically strong, empirically orientated research. 

We have a proud tradition of research grounded in contemporary real-world issues. Our expertise includes social theory; social movements; race, class, and gender; digital sociology and the future of work; health and medicine; war and revolution; conflict and inequalities; as well as environmental issues.    
   
Our innovative methods connect us with politicians and policymakers, technologists and practitioners, community groups and activists.  

Within our interdisciplinary social sciences context, we maintain our distinctive profile as an internationally renowned centre of excellence.