Menu
General Certificate of Education in Sociology AQA

A Level Sociology AQA

Sociology supports progression onto university in degrees such as Psychology, Science and Health. You will receive up to 56 UCAS points and expert guidance applying to Universities worldwide including the UK.
  • Awarding Body: AQA
  • A Level Sociology AQA: 7192
    AS Level Sociology AQA: 7191
  • Learning Hours: 360 Hours
  • Fast Track Available
  • Full A Level Qualification
General Certificate of Education in Sociology AQA
Contact Us
Enrol Now
Enrol

Enrolment Fee £395

Overview

The A Level Sociology Online course with Learn Now follows the AQA (7192) specification and is equivalent to the qualification you would achieve if attending mainstream college. Once completed, you will obtain UCAS points which will support progression to university in degrees such as Psychology, Health & Social Care, Science or Business.

This course would suit adult learners returning to education, students resitting exams or studying alongside other commitments, and learners looking to be accepted into University.

Get 10% discount when ordering multiple A Level courses. Use the coupon code: ALEVEL10 at checkout

Enrol Anytime | Enrolment Fee £395

payment methods

Syllabus

This A Level Sociology Course will help you make sense of the society we live in and understand the culture and identity issues which affect us all.

You will learn a number of skills including the use of evidence to support your arguments, how to investigate facts, and critical thinking. It is relevant to the society you live in so you are bound to enjoy learning about topics that are relevant to everyday life; plus it opens the door to a fantastic range of interesting careers.

The Full A Level has six topics you will need to cover and the AS Level has four topics.  These are listed below.

AS Modules

  • The role and functions of the education system
  • Differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity in contemporary society
  • Relationships and processes within schools
  • The significance of educational policies
  • Apply sociological research methods to the study of education
  • Quantitative and qualitative methods of research
  • Sources of data
  • The distinction between primary and secondary data
  • The relationship between positivism, interpretivism and sociological methods
  • The theoretical, practical and ethical considerations influencing choice of topic, choice of method(s) and the conduct of research
  • The relationship of the family to the social structure and social change
  • Changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce, childbearing and the life course
  • Gender roles, domestic labour and power relationships within the family in contemporary society
  • The nature of childhood, and changes in the status of children in the family and society
  • Demographic trends in the United Kingdom since 1900

A Level Modules

When we consider the school system we think of studying subjects and sitting exams.  We picture children sat in a class being taught reading, writing, maths and science by teachers.  In this topic, you will gain an understanding of what education offers for individuals and this goes beyond a curriculum.  For example, education offers a place to socialise which in turn teaches respect, teamwork and rules.  It also prepares individuals for work helping them gain qualifications.  It will also teach you how society works and prepares individuals for adult life.  You will often find yourself debating whether education benefits everyone equally or helps maintain inequality.

  • The role and functions of the education system
  • Differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity in contemporary society
  • Relationships and processes within schools
  • The significance of educational policies.
This topic will look at research methods particularly within a school environment.  You will consider questionnaires, interviews and observations.  You will also consider factors that affect research in schools along with ethical considerations.

  • Apply sociological research methods to the study of education.
This topic will explain how sociologists study society and evaluate research methods and evidence.  You will learn different perspectives and theories developing critical thinking about social issues.

  • Quantitative and qualitative methods of research
  • The distinction between primary and secondary data, and between quantitative and qualitative data
  • The relationship between positivism, interpretivism and sociological methods
  • The theoretical, practical and ethical considerations influencing choice of topic, choice of method(s) and the conduct of research consensus, conflict, structural and social action theories
  • The concepts of modernity and post-modernity in relation to sociological theory
  • The nature of science and the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific
  • The relationship between theory and methods
  • Debates about subjectivity, objectivity and value freedom
  • The relationship between Sociology and social policy.
Crime refers to behaviour that breaks the law and deviance is behaviour that goes against social norms or expectations.  This topic will help us to understand why people commit crime and recognise patterns of inequality in crime statistics.  You will analyse how society reacts to deviance and explore global crime issues and justice systems.

  • Crime, deviance, social order and social control
  • The social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity, gender and social class, including recent patterns and trends in crime
  • Globalisation and crime in contemporary society; the media and crime; green crime; human rights and state crimes
  • Crime control, surveillance, prevention and punishment, victims, and the role of the criminal justice system and other agencies.
This topic will look into how families are connected to society and how they function.  You will analyse gender roles and power in families.  You will explore changes in relationships and lifestyles and learn how population changes affect society.

  • The relationship of the family to the social structure and social change
  • Changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce, childbearing and the life course, including the sociology of personal life, and the diversity of contemporary family and household structures
  • Gender roles, domestic labour and power relationships within the family in contemporary society
  • The nature of childhood, and changes in the status of children in the family and society demographic trends in the United Kingdom since 1900.
This topic will help you to gain an understanding of different belief systems and how they influence society. You will analyse differences in religious beliefs between social groups and debate whether religion is becoming more or less important.

  • Ideology, science and religion, including both Christian and non-Christian religious traditions
  • The relationship between social change and social stability, and religious beliefs, practices and organisations
  • Religious organisations
  • The relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices
  • The significance of religion and religiosity in the contemporary world.

What can you do with an A Level in Sociology?

Students in the past have progressed onto the following degree courses:-

•Sociology •Psychology •English studies •Business studies •Law •Teaching

Studying A’ Level Sociology at University gives you all sorts of exciting career options, including:-

•Social work •Human resources •Advertising •Policing •Marketing •Journalism •Law •Teaching.

Previous Knowledge Required

There are no previous entry requirements for this course, however students are expected to have a reasonable standard of literacy. 

You have the freedom to start the course at any time and continue your studies at your own pace for a period of up to 24 months from initial registration with the full support of your Tutor.

Enrolment Fees

Our Enrolment fee for this course is noted at the top of this page where you can enrol directly onto the course.  This fee includes access to your course including tutor support for 2 years.

Our enrolment fee includes:

  • All study materials covering the full specification.
  • Full support where you can also message your tutor as many times as you need to.
  • Access to our online Library with a full range of eBooks.
  • Help completing university applications including UCAS and The Common Application.
  • Reference and predicted grade for University.
  • Assignment marking and feedback
  • Marked and graded practise examination papers
  • Eligibility for a Totum Card if you reside within the UK
  • Fast Track A Level if required and flexible learning from home 24/7.

The only other fee you will need to pay is for your exams which is due approximately six months prior and this will be paid directly to the exam centre.

Assessments

Students will be required to arrange and pay for their examinations at an AQA approved centre. We can provide an extensive list of these centres for you.

A Level Exams
There are three exams for the full A Level qualification. The length of each exam is two hours long.

Paper 1 Paper 1 Paper 1 A Level Qualification

AS Level Exams
There are two exams for the AS Level qualification. The length of each exam is 1 hour 30 minutes long.

Paper 1 Paper 1 AS Level Exams

This A’ Level Sociology course forms part of the linear qualifications. This means that learners will sit exams for their particular qualification at the end of the completed course in the June series.

You will not be able to carry forward your AS qualification to the A’ Level qualification as they are now classed as entirely independent qualifications and you will sit either AS or A’ Level exams.

A Level Sociology Online Course Outcome

On successful completion of all your exams for the A Level Sociology Online Course, you will be awarded one of the following qualifications:

A Level in Sociology with AQA | AS Level in Sociology with AQA

Click here for more information about AQA and to be taken to their official website

Still unsure? Look through our FAQs

A Level Sociology will cover a wide range of topics including education, families, crime and beliefs.  For each topic there will be theories, sociologists and case studies to remember.  For exam questions you will be expected to explain sociological ideas, evaluate different perspectives and use evidence.  If you enjoy discussing society along with social issues and are comfortable writing essays, you should enjoy this subject.

You will not be required to purchase any books with this course.  We automatically include logins to our online e-Library which includes access to following eBook(s):

AQA A Level Sociology Book 1 –  David Bown, Laura Pountney, Tomislav Maric (Hodder Education)

AQA A Level Sociology Book 2 –  David Bown, Laura Pountney, Tomislav Maric (Hodder Education)

Not see the book you are looking for? Ask us and we will let you know if we have it!

 

A Level Psychology – Psychology shares topics with Sociology which includes behaviour, social influence, identity, crime and research methods.  Sociology looks at society and groups whereas psychology focuses more on individual behaviour.  Pathways after these subjects include clinical psychology, criminology, social work and counselling.

A Level Politics – Both Politics and Sociology study power, inequality and social structures.  Crossovers include government policies, social inequality and ideology.  Sociology will explain how society works whilst politics focuses on how countries are governed.  Pathways include Law, International Relations and Journalism.

The AQA Sociology course can only be taken within the UK and some British Overseas Territories. If you are located outside the UK, you can take the Cambridge Sociology course which offer exam centres worldwide.

AS and A levels are standalone qualifications, however the Full A Level carries more UCAS points than the AS Level.  It also requires more study hours as follows:

  • AS Level = 180 hours
  • A Level = 360 hours
You will see the difference in the content above under ‘syllabus’ but you can also refer to our article on ‘what is as level’ for more information.

You will receive access and support for two years, however you can complete it much sooner if you want to.  Exams for this subject fall in May/June each year and therefore you are able to choose which exam sitting you want to apply for.  We have more information on exam timetables here.

Request More Information about this course…