Access to Humanities and Social Sciences (Social Science Pathway)

Builds the academic writing skills required for social science study, covering argumentation, essay structure, referencing and presenting ideas with scholarly clarity. These skills are developed progressively and applied in every subsequent assignment.

Develops strategies for reading social science texts critically and efficiently, and for recording information from a range of primary and secondary sources in ways that support essay writing and independent research.

Introduces the major theoretical perspectives in psychology — including behaviourism, psychoanalysis, humanism and cognitive approaches — and examines how these frameworks differ in their explanations of human thought and behaviour. Contemporary applications of each perspective are explored.

Examines the concepts of crime and deviance, the reliability of crime statistics, and the major sociological and criminological theories used to explain criminal behaviour. Learners explore how patterns of crime and criminality are shaped by social factors including class, gender and ethnicity.

Explores human development across the lifespan, from the nature/nurture debate and early attachment through to cognitive development in childhood and the psychological changes that accompany ageing. Key theorists including Piaget, Bowlby and Erikson are examined and applied to real-world contexts.

Investigates the relationship between family structures and wider social forces, examining how roles within families are negotiated and contested and how feminist perspectives have transformed sociological analysis of domestic life and gender inequality.

Examines the mental processes by which people perceive, remember, think and use language, drawing on key theoretical models and empirical research. Learners consider the contributions of cognitive psychology to understanding development, attention, memory and perception.

Analyses the relationship between social differentiation and inequality, exploring how factors such as class, gender, ethnicity and disability produce and perpetuate unequal access to resources, opportunities and power in contemporary society.

Examines theoretical explanations for psychological disorders alongside the therapeutic approaches used in their treatment, evaluating the evidence base for different interventions including cognitive behavioural therapy, psychoanalytic approaches and pharmacological treatments.

Explores definitions and measurements of poverty, its historical context in Britain and the theoretical debates about its causes. Learners examine why particular social groups are disproportionately affected by poverty and critically assess recent policy responses.

Examines the biological basis of behaviour, focusing on brain localisation, the methods used to investigate brain function and the complex two-way interaction between neural processes and observable behaviour. Implications for understanding mental health and neurological conditions are considered.

Explores sociological perspectives on health and illness, examining how definitions of health are socially constructed, how inequalities in health are explained and reproduced, and how medicine functions as an institution of social control. Learners critically evaluate the relationship between social factors and health outcomes.

Investigates theories of social influence, exploring how individuals are shaped by groups, authority, conformity and obedience. Learners apply these theories to real-world examples of collective behaviour, organisational dynamics and social change.

Explores how neurotransmitter systems regulate behaviour and how psychoactive substances alter these systems at the synapse. Learners examine the mechanisms of specific drug classes and consider the role of serotonin-targeting medications in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.

Applies key criminological concepts to two contemporary crime issues, comparing and contrasting different theoretical approaches and evaluating their utility for understanding the causes, patterns and responses to crime in modern society.