Community Studies

Welcome to the Community Studies sector in the School of Health and Social Sciences at the University of Bolton.

What is Community Studies?
Course list
Further information

What is Community Studies?

The term 'community' has been used by politicians, social policy makers, the media, and is often used by people to cover a variety of different groups in society. We all think we know what a community is, whilst in reality it is a highly contested concept that can confuse as much as it can inform us. Community studies is an academic discipline that uses social science approaches in an attempt to examine, analyse, and clarify social issues that affect communities and societies. In other words, investigating issues that can affect us as individuals or group members within society.

The Community Studies degree is designed to:

develop a deeper understanding of a range of contemporary social issues
develop and further your knowledge of the social sciences
give you the opportunity to consider or develop an awareness of working or being active in the community, or in some cases the option of gaining practical experience in a community or agency setting.

You will have the opportunity to learn about social policy, government interventions and the theories behind them. You will have the opportunity to identify what is involved in working in the community and to consider various contexts such as voluntary or community groups, community education, and those involved in providing and using public services.

The prior experience of students on our Community Studies degree is highly valued. We acknowledge that your lives as parents, volunteers and members of varying types of communities, gives you insights and understanding. We want to draw on these important aspects of daily living and lead you into new but connected academic areas.

You will be encouraged to reflect in a social science way using ideas and theories from sociology and social policy. The course is very much an interdisciplinary one. There is the chance to dip into a range of other disciplines such as politics, geography, economics, history and psychology.

The Community Studies degree can be taken as either a single subject or in the major, joint or minor mode, and is offered to students studying full-time or part-time. We welcome applications from individuals currently working in the voluntary or statutory sector in either paid or unpaid capacities.

We aim to offer the highest level of quality tuition in a supportive atmosphere where each individual is treated personally. We pride ourselves on the individual attention students are given, with excellent supervision of independent studies and personal study skills support if needed. Class sizes are small and students benefit from small group teaching and good staff-student relations.

We pride ourselves on valuing diversity and encouraging lively but informed debate. So whatever your background we welcome you onto the programme.

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