This 18-week Level 5 course runs from August to January. You will study Psychology, Sociology, Criminology, Communication and History. In December you will sit a college exam in Psychology and Sociology. If you pass both of these and all other units on the course, you can progress to a second 18-week course starting in January. On the second course you will have the opportunity to sit National 5 exams in Sociology and Psychology as well as studying Politics and Anthropology.

This is an academic course and you need to enjoy reading, writing and researching to succeed.

History
History will focus on the daily lives and experiences of the people between 1850 and 1920, in particular housing, work, politics, poverty and social inequalities. Studying History will enable you to gain a fuller understanding and appreciation of the present and it will help you to develop a critical state of mind.

Criminology
The unit concentrates on the significance of the crime scene and there will be a focus on physical and psychological evidence. Crime profiling will be considered.  Studying criminology will develop your interest in crime and criminals further by exposing you to relevant theory, evidence and investigation, all of which will help to develop you into an inquisitive social science student.

Psychology
The Psychology course has three areas of study:
Research: Students plan psychological research on a chosen topic after studying the research process, research methods and ethics in psychology.
Individual Behaviour: Students study the topic of sleep and dreams and either personality or phobias.
Social Behaviour: Students study the topic of conformity and either altruism or non-verbal communication.

Communication
The Communication unit will enable students to build on skills related to reading, writing, listening and talking. This includes the reading and analysis of texts to show understanding. It will cover the skills of summarising, note-taking and evaluation of written and spoken texts. In addition, it will address the development of the written and spoken word in terms of structure, language and presentation.

Sociology
The Sociology course has three areas of study:
Human society: Students investigate different sociological perspectives and the research methods used in sociology.
Culture and identity: Students develop an awareness of diversity and the impact of family, school, religion, peers, mass media and work on human behaviour.
Social issues: Students develop an understanding of contemporary social issues such as differentiation in education and social inequalities in relation to class, gender and ethnicity.

• Minimum of three passes at  National 4 in relevant subjects 
• These include English, History, Modern Studies, Health Studies and RMPS

• IELTS 5.5

You will be continually assessed through examinations, essays, reports and presentations. 

In December, students will sit college exams in Psychology and Sociology. You will need to pass both of these and all the units to progress to Level 5 Social Science Part 2.

• NC Level 6 Social Science Highers taught at Edinburgh College 
• Other appropriate SCQF Level 6 courses taught at Edinburgh College

• 3 or 4 days per week

44-year-old Jenny Anderson came to Edinburgh College after having spent years raising her three children. She has been given the Award for Academic Excellence in Social Sciences and now graduates with HNC in Social Sciences. Jenny says her education journey isn’t over yet: 

“I think being recognised for an award is uplifting and helps to inspire others. I would say the best thing about studying at Edinburgh College is getting to meet other like-minded people that share a passion for my subject choice. 

My plans for the future are to further my studies, I have a keen interest in children’s mental health and counselling and having achieved this award I am confident I will go on to achieve this. I’m having a few months off with my children and plan to continue my studies in the new year.”