What skills do I need before starting a sociology degree?
Before starting a sociology degree, it helps to have curiosity about society and social change, critical-thinking skills, and the ability to read, evaluate, and explain evidence. Clear academic writing, respectful discussion of differing viewpoints, organisation, and basic numeracy or data-handling skills are also useful. You generally do not need prior sociology study, but requirements vary by course.
Key points
- Practise comparing sources and identifying assumptions, bias, and the strength of evidence.
- Refresh basic statistics, graphs, percentages, and possibly spreadsheet skills, as some courses include research methods.
- Build confidence in structured essay writing, note-taking, time management, and independent study.
- Empathy, openness, and care when discussing sensitive or unequal social experiences are valuable.
Things to check
- Specific subject prerequisites and admissions criteria depend on the university, country, and course, so check the official course information.