BA (Hons.) - Sociology

Sociology is both the art and science of making the familiar strange – of pausing before the ordinary to reveal the extraordinary social forces that quietly shape our lives. Studying a BA (Hons.) Sociology programme is increasingly important for today’s generation, as it helps them make sense of an increasingly complex world. It begins with a simple question—why do we live the way we do? and unfolds into a discipline that maps the hidden architectures of power, belief, identity, and everyday life.

The B.A. (Hons.) Sociology programme at UPES provides students with rigorous training in core sociological theories alongside hands-on exposure to research and field-based practice. The sociology course is designed to encourage critical thinking, enabling students to look beyond headlines, hashtags, and histories to understand the patterns shaping our collective futures.

The BA Sociology syllabus includes foundational courses such as Classical Sociology, Sociological Theory, and Sociology of India, ensuring a strong conceptual base. Advanced papers on Power, Hegemony and Social Movements, Social Stratification and Intersectional Sociology, Gender and Labour, and Population and Society allow students to engage deeply with contemporary inequalities and social change.

In a century shaped by rapid social, technological, and environmental shifts, the programme equips students with tools to interpret real-world issues—from migration and environmental crises to identity politics and digital cultures. It also develops a strong sociological imagination, helping students understand the present through the past while preparing them to anticipate future social transformations.
 

Transdisciplinary Learning

Sociology is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing from politics, gender studies, cultural studies, environment, development, and digital society. Reflecting this, the BA (Hons.) Sociology curriculum includes a broad set of electives such as Environmental Sociology, Gender and Digitalisation, Migration and Belonging, and Technology, Urbanisation and Culture, allowing students to examine social phenomena across multiple domains.

Faculty research in areas like labour studies, environmental politics, urban change, digital inequalities, displacement, and identity formation keeps classroom discussions aligned with contemporary debates. This integration of disciplinary depth with interdisciplinary breadth helps students develop layered, holistic perspectives on social problems.

Experiential Pedagogy

At UPES, learning extends far beyond the classroom. Students participate in two structured Social Internships early in the programme, gaining practical insight into community settings, governance structures, and development organisations. Advanced experiential learning continues through the Himalaya Lab, a signature core course that uses the Himalayan region as a field site to teach sociological theory, research methods, and ecological perspectives in real time.

The BA Sociology syllabus culminates in a full-term Field Internship followed by a Dissertation, allowing students to independently design and execute research. Throughout the programme, activities such as field assignments, ethnographic observations, research presentations, and collaborative projects strengthen analytical and methodological skills essential for sociological work.

Global Exposure

Students benefit from interactions with globally recognised scholars, practitioners, and researchers through guest lectures, seminars, research workshops, and collaborative engagements. Faculty members bring perspectives shaped by international training, global research networks, and comparative studies, exposing students to worldwide sociological debates and methodological innovations.

This exposure helps students situate Indian social issues within broader global contexts such as migration flows, climate change, labour precarity, digital transformations, and social movements.

Faculty from Renowned Institutions

The BA (Hons.) Sociology programme is taught by faculty trained at leading research institutions in India and abroad. Their expertise spans sociological theory, gender studies, labour and class, environment, migration, digital culture, political sociology, and social movements.

Their active engagement in research, field-based projects, interdisciplinary collaborations, and academic publishing enriches classroom learning and supports students in developing strong analytical and research capabilities.

• Strong theoretical grounding through core BA (Hons.) Sociology courses such as Classical Sociology, Sociological Theory, Sociology of India, Social Stratification, Modern Social Thought, and Social Change in Contemporary Society.
• Rigorous methodological training in qualitative and quantitative approaches, research design, field techniques, and data analysis using tools like R, preparing students for empirical sociological research.
• Broad transdisciplinary exposure through electives that explore digital cultures, environmental politics, migration and belonging, conflict and gender, urban settlements, deviance, religion, and global transformations.
• Integrated experiential learning via two Social Internships, the field-intensive Himalaya Lab, a semester-long Field Internship, and an independent Dissertation.
• Skill development modules that build competencies in writing, communication, leadership, design thinking, and self-development, complementing the BA Sociology syllabus with industry-relevant skills.

The analytical, research, and field-based skills developed through the BA (Hons.) Sociology programme prepare students for diverse career opportunities across sectors in India and globally. Graduates can explore roles such as:

• Social Researcher 
• Development Sector Professional (NGOs, INGOs, Foundations) 
• Policy Analyst in think tanks or consulting firms 
• CSR, ESG, and DEI Specialist 
• Community Outreach and Programme Officer 
• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Associate 
• Urban and Rural Development Analyst 
• Migration, Environment, and Labour Project Associate 
• Media and Communication Researcher

Students may also pursue advanced degrees in Sociology, Social Anthropology, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Public Policy, Urban Studies, Migration Studies, Environmental Humanities, or Social Work, leading to careers in civil services, research institutions, and international organisations.

The BA (Hons.) Sociology programme at UPES prepares students for diverse career opportunities across research, policy, development, and social impact sectors. The focus is on building strong analytical, research, and communication skills that are highly valued across industries.

Graduates can explore opportunities with NGOs, think tanks, research organisations, consulting firms, media houses, and development agencies, as well as roles in CSR, ESG, public policy, and community development. The programme also supports pathways into higher education, civil services, and international organisations.

Click here for detailed Fee Structure.

Semester 1

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Semester 5

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Semester 7

Semester 8

** This core course takes the Himalaya as our lab for exploring social science theories and methods. It engages with current social, political and economic issues in this fragile eco-system, situating them historically and within wider local, national and global contexts. Focusing on a specific landscape, students can deepen their theoretical and practical skills as social scientists and at the same time can actively contribute to a richer understanding of the Himalaya and its multiple crisis. The course is not a ‘Himalaya studies’ module – although local and international students will certainly learn more about the place they live and study in – but an introduction to theories, approaches and methods used by social scientists, using Himalayas as exemplar site. The students are expected to engage in fieldworks activities and produce papers and reports for a wide audience of stakeholders.

Interested students must meet the following minimum eligibility criteria for the BA (Hons.) Sociology programme: Minimum 50% marks in Class X and XII (any stream).

Selection for admission to the BA Sociology (Hons.) programme at UPES is based on performance in CUET-UG and/or a Personal Interview.