We welcome applications from the United States of America
We've put together information and resources to guide your application journey as a student from the United States of America.
Overview
Top reasons to study with us
5
5th for Sociology
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2026)
9
9th for Sociology
The Guardian University Guide (2026)
Joint 67th for Sociology
QS World University Subject Rankings 2025
Sociology explores the big questions in today’s world. What is the true impact of migration and racism on individuals and communities? How does living in poverty affect health and wellbeing? What are the social challenges of rapid technological change? How is our daily life influenced by environmental change and how has society changed the environment? This course explores these questions and many more, equipping you with the skills, knowledge and confidence to act as a force for change in your chosen career.
Why Lancaster?
Choose a course that is committed to making a positive difference in society through activism and research, with real-world impact locally, nationally and internationally
Build on your knowledge outside of the classroom through collaborative work with local organisations and guest lectures from international experts and civil society leaders
Learn from world-renowned academics who contribute to important policy decisions through advisory groups, media appearances, blogs and speeches
Learn advanced skills in analysis, communication, teamwork, and statistical analysis from our experts
Take part in lively debates and carry out your own research into topics that matter to you - whether that’s climate change, inequality, gender identity, migration, social justice, race, globalisation, disability – the choice is yours!
Thinking global, acting local
The social issues that national governments and local organisations must tackle don’t come packaged in neat boxes, separated from global challenges. So, we don’t believe you should study like that either. We encourage you to see situations from different perspectives, to understand the bigger picture and build skills to respond to social challenges in meaningful, creative ways.
This course will help you develop a strong understanding of the world around you, the challenges it is facing, and the solutions needed to help tackled these issues. You will explore themes such as identity, inequality, migration, and climate change, as well as social justice, race, globalisation and gender. Through studying these topics from both global and local perspectives - with examples from each - you will gain a detailed understanding of complex situations. You’ll learn how to ask the right questions and take the bigger picture into account when developing creative solutions.
We will develop your critical thinking skills with a focus on the issues that matter to you, reflecting on your interests and life experiences. You will be encouraged to develop a range of effective communication tools and advanced research skills, so you can put your own investigations into topics of interest. You’ll learn to think ethically and sociologically about matters, whether local or global. By the end of the course, you’ll feel empowered to enact positive social change in the world around you.
A world-leading centre for Sociology
Lancaster University is at the cutting-edge of Sociology research. We take a truly global approach. You will benefit from being taught by a community of sociologists whose expertise ranges from the stigma of poverty to environmental change and degradation, from global reproductive rights to gender and sexuality, families, racism and migration. Our supportive and encouraging academics are fully accessible to our students. They share the latest findings from their research at the forefront of the field.
In your final year project, you will be able to draw on their extensive experience to inform your choice of a research topic that is personally important to you, using the advanced analytical skills you have learned through your degree. Throughout your dissertation you’ll be guided by one of our expert academics.
Examples of topics students have previously chosen include:
The impact of Covid-19 on working mothers
Online hate and activism
Refugees and resettlement programmes
Abortion and the rise of the far right
Homophobia and inclusion in sport
Decolonizing climate activism
A vibrant community
Sociology at Lancaster is designed with students at the centre; prioritising your professional, academic and personal development. You will have regular meetings with our academic staff to discuss your progress and build on your study skills and take part in social activities with fellow students.
We organise lots of activities to complement your course and extend your experience and networks. We work with major international and national bodies such as the European Parliament, UNESCO, Equality and Human Rights Commision, and Defra. We also work with major science bodies such as the Royal Society and the Natural History Museum, leading corporations such as Intel and Microsoft, and NGOs including NSPCC, Women’s Aid and Age UK.
Major international conferences, film screenings, public events, and seminars with speakers from external organisations – all of these events and opportunities are valuable for growing your professional network and provide opportunities for professional development, collaboration and discussion.
Sometimes known as a year in industry, your placement year will take place between your second and final year of study and this will extend your degree to four years.
Placements and Internships
Hear from students and employers on how Lancaster University could support you to gain real-world experience and bolster your CV with a placement or internship as part of your degree.
A placement year is an excellent way to...
try out a role that you may be interested in as a career path
start to build your professional network (some placement students are offered permanent roles to return to after they graduate)
develop skills, knowledge and experience to put you ahead of the field when you graduate
Our Careers and Placements Team...
will help you to search and compete for a suitable placement with expert advice and resources, such as creating an effective CV, and tips for applications and interviews.
You will still be a Lancaster University student during your placement and we’ll keep in touch to check how you are getting on.
The university will...
use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.
If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year.
Careers
The combination of skills, knowledge and experience that you gain on this degree will enable you to stand out from other graduates and claim a fascinating and rewarding career.
You will be able to critically analyse social issues and think creatively about possible solutions. You will have essential teamworking and collaboration skills and the ability to articulate a clear, well-evidence argument, giving you the ability to work with others towards positive action.
Lancaster’s Sociology graduates have gone on to diverse and fulfilling careers, with recent graduates successfully securing roles as:
Civil servants for local authorities, local government and national government
Members of civil society groups, non-governmental organisations, and the not-for-profit sector
Social and policy researchers and consultants
Teachers
Social carers
Police
Journalists
Other roles you might like to pursue include:
Human resource manager
Specialist recruitment manager
Graduate trainee manager
Our Sociology degree also provides a pathway into master’s study, where you may wish focus on a specialist area such as:
Whatever route you choose, you can be confident that your Sociology degree will equip you with advanced skills that can help you succeed in your future career.
Careers and employability support
Our degrees open up an extremely wide array of career pathways in businesses and organisations, large and small, in the UK and overseas.
We run a paid internship scheme specifically for our arts, humanities and social sciences students, supported by a specialist Employability Team. The team offer individual consultations and tailored application guidance, as well as careers events, development opportunities, and resources.
Whether you have a clear idea of your potential career path or need some help considering the options, our friendly team is on hand.
Lancaster is unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which recognises activities such as work experience, community engagement or volunteering and social development. A valuable addition to your CV!
Find out more about Lancaster’s careers events, extensive resources and personal support for Careers and Employability.
Careers
Find out about some of the careers our alumni have entered into after graduation.
Entry requirements
These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. This section will tell you whether you need qualifications in specific subjects, what our English language requirements are, and if there are any extra requirements such as attending an interview or submitting a portfolio.
Qualifications and typical requirements accordion
BBB
24 Level 3 credits at Distinction plus 21 Level 3 credits at Merit
We accept the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in place of one A level, or equivalent qualification, as long as any subject requirements are met.
DDM
A level at grade B plus BTEC(s) at DM, or A levels at grade BC plus BTEC at D
30 points overall with 15 points from the best 3 HL subjects
We are happy to admit applicants on the basis of five Highers, but where we require a specific subject at A level, we will typically require an Advanced Higher in that subject. If you do not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone, we will consider a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers in separate subjects. Please contact the Admissions team for more information.
Merit overall
Help from our Admissions team
If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, complete our enquiry form and one of the team will get back to you.
Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.
Contextual admissions
Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.
Course structure
We continually review and enhance our curriculum to ensure we are delivering the best possible learning experience, and to make sure that the subject knowledge and transferable skills you develop will prepare you for your future. The University will make every reasonable effort to offer programmes and modules as advertised. In some cases, changes may be necessary and may result in new modules or some modules and combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.
Discovery modules
Humanities, arts and social sciences offer important and innovative perspectives on the topics and debates that are shaping our futures. Each year you will take a Discovery module alongside your core subject modules. Discovery modules are designed to empower you to develop your individual voice and skills.
Providing you with the core skills needed to engage critically with ideas and research, this module will dive into what it means, to think and work like a sociologist.
You will develop key academic competencies, including critical reading, analytical writing, and constructing well-reasoned arguments. You'll also gain practical experience in finding, evaluating and using sociological sources effectively. Alongside these skills, the module will help you settle into independent study and introduce digital literacy, preparing you for the rest of your academic journey.
Through interactive tasks and discussions, you’ll build confidence in communicating sociological ideas clearly and persuasively, and by the end, you will have a strong foundation in the essential study skills that will support your success throughout your degree and beyond.
How can the ‘sociological imagination’ help us make sense of important contemporary topics? Focussing upon the sociological study of these topics, this module will explore how sociology explores them compared to other methods. These topics might include:
Identity
Family
Crime
Inequality
Health
Consumption
Climate change
By the end of the module, you'll be able to define sociology in your own terms and use core sociological ideas to critically analyse contemporary social challenges. You will also be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate more specialised topics, theories, and research methods as you progress in your studies.
How do we make sense of justice? What issues of justice and injustice do the Social Sciences explore? What questions are asked, what evidence is used and what changes do these disciplines hope to inspire?
In this module you will be introduced to the ways in which subjects in the School of Social Sciences approach and make sense of injustices and justice. By comparing and contrasting what people in these fields read, research and talk about when faced with these issues and experiences, you will gain a clearer understanding of your discipline, how it is studied at university level and how it makes sense of the world.
Additionally, you will develop the characteristics and critical thinking skills that are valued in your discipline. In short, you will explore both topics and your discipline’s unique orientation to them, giving you a better sense of what it means to be part of your new academic community.
Exploring how sociology can contribute to real-world change, this module focusses on the role of public sociology in addressing social inequalities, informing policy and engaging with communities.
You will examine how sociological research can shape public debates, influence decision-making and be used as a tool for activism. Through case studies and practical activities, you will learn how sociologists communicate their work beyond academia—whether through media, policy engagement, or grassroots initiatives.
The module will also encourage you to critically reflect on the ethical and political dimensions of public sociology. On completion, you will have a deeper understanding of how sociological knowledge can be applied to contemporary challenges and how you can use sociological insights to contribute to wider issues.
How do sociologists decide what to study and how to study it? This module introduces you to key debates in sociological research, exploring how different perspectives shape the questions we ask and the methods we use.
You'll examine objective vs subjective positions, as well as feminist and decolonial critiques that have challenged traditional research approaches to sociological research. Through discussions and exercises, you'll begin to develop your own research interests and approach, reflecting on what it means to conduct sociological enquiry.
By the end of the module, you’ll have a solid foundation in the principles of sociological research and a clearer sense of how to turn your questions about society into meaningful research practice.
How are your personal experiences connected to broader social forces? This module introduces you to the ‘sociological imagination’—a way of thinking that helps you make sense of the relationship between individual lives and society.
Drawing on classic and contemporary sociological debates, you’ll explore key questions about individualism, institutions and social change. You'll learn to critically analyse how biography and history intersect, engaging with foundational ideas in the discipline.
By developing your own sociological take on these themes, you’ll gain essential skills in critical thinking, argumentation and analysis—preparing you for further study and enabling you to see the world in new and insightful ways.
With a focus on your professional development, choose one from four Discovery modules in year 2.
Core
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Preparing you for independent research, this module will guide you through the process of developing sociological research questions, selecting appropriate methodologies and considering ethical and practical challenges.
You will explore different research designs, from case studies and comparative analysis to trend studies and mixed-method approaches. Through practical workshops, you will refine your ability to justify methodological choices and align them with research aims.
Following on from Research in Action, this module is distinct in its focus on the conceptual and strategic aspects of research design, rather than specific data collection techniques. It will provide you with the necessary skills and confidence to undertake your Independent Research Project at Level 6, ensuring you are well-equipped to conduct original sociological inquiry.
Introducing you to a diverse range of theoretical perspectives from around the world, this module will analyse how different social theories help us understand the emergence and transformation of our societies.
Through exploring these theories’ historical contexts and contemporary relevance, you will engage with key debates on topics such as capitalism, class, colonialism, globalisation and social reproduction and examine how these issues are theorised across different intellectual traditions.
Encouraging you to think critically about the connections between theories and the contexts in which they develop, you will foster a global and comparative approach to sociological thought.
Through close reading and discussion, you will develop skills in analysing, comparing and applying social theories to contemporary social issues. You will also gain a strong foundation in social theory and the ability to critically engage with the ideas that shape our understanding of the modern world.
Equipping you with essential research skills to explore pressing social questions, this module will dive into how sociologists investigate the world around us.
You will learn a range of methods, from qualitative approaches like interviews, ethnography and discourse analysis to quantitative techniques such as survey analysis and social statistics. Through hands-on exercises, you will develop your ability to collect, analyse and interpret data. The module allows you to deepen your understanding of specific methods while working independently and in groups, supported by expert guidance.
Whether designing a research project, writing a dissertation, or producing policy reports, this module provides the practical foundations and essential research skills needed to conduct rigorous and impactful sociological research.
Optional
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Not all professional contexts are the same – and within any organisation there are diverse people with varied backgrounds. This module focuses on enhancing your intercultural competency and cultural awareness, with a particular emphasis on ‘place-based’ learning. Considering the cultural dynamics of the North West of England and the broader UK helps us reflect upon intercultural dynamics in very different locations.
Through analysis, discussion and self-reflection you will strengthen your ability to navigate diverse workplace settings and enhance your employability in today’s interconnected world.
Hone a strong sense of purpose and gain the satisfaction of applying your skills and knowledge to a community, charity or student-led initiative.
Your challenge will be to take responsibility for arranging and completing a voluntary or fundraising activity—locally, virtually or during vacation periods at home. You will need to show that you have made a positive difference through this activity.
In class, you will be asked to reflect on this experience and explore the wider social impact of the work. In doing so you will build your confidence in your ability to contribute meaningfully to society through your future personal and professional path.
Explore how gender identities and sexualities are constructed, normalised, and navigated in relation to media and popular culture. Drawing on feminist and queer media research, we examine how representations in the media play a role in reinforcing gender binaries and heteronormative social roles and identities, focussing on how media and popular culture have been co-opted as a space of creative resistance.
The module takes an intersectional approach, examining gender and sexuality within complex relations of class, race, ethnicity, dis/ability and age. We examine these questions by engaging with a wide range of spaces and platforms including film, television, fashion, music, public space, and digital and social media.
You are invited to collaborate in an interdisciplinary team with other students as you explore major global challenges such as climate change, inequality or emerging technologies.
Throughout the module you will examine how the humanities, arts and social sciences contribute to understanding and addressing complex issues. Classroom discussions and activities focus on the process of identifying problems and considering innovative, ethical responses, while helping you to consider and articulate the relevance of this work to your personal and professional development.
Despite widespread beliefs in social progress, racial inequalities and racism persist across the globe. This module equips you with the tools to critically examine race and racism from a sociological perspective, exploring their historical foundations and contemporary manifestations.
You will engage with key theoretical approaches and empirical case studies to understand how racism operates at individual, institutional and structural levels. Topics may include colonialism and imperialism, everyday racism, whiteness and racial capitalism, as well as the politics of resistance and anti-racist movements. The module may also address forms of racism such as Islamophobia, anti-Blackness, misogynoir, anti-Semitism and xenophobia, considering how they intersect with other social inequalities.
By the end of the module, you will have developed a critical understanding of race and racism as central to the organisation of social life and will be equipped to analyse and challenge racial inequalities in various contexts.
Explore how ideas can be developed into real-world projects with lasting value. Through hands-on collaboration and problem-solving, you will develop innovative projects, learn how to bring ideas to life and explore ways to sustain them.
Whether you are working in a team or individually, you will be encouraged to experiment with different approaches to making a difference in artistic, cultural, social and community spaces.
Explore gender through a transnational and decolonial approach, as this module examines its intersections with race, class, nationality, sexuality, disability, religion and the environment.
You will analyse historical and contemporary examples from around the world, engaging with key debates that shape feminist research and activism. Drawing on diverse feminist perspectives, including Black, Indigenous and queer critiques, the module will challenge you to think critically about complex topics such as:
Sex work
Sexual violence
Islamophobia
Transgender rights
Reproductive justice
Ecofeminism
Migration
The course also brings these perspectives and positions to bear on what it means design, conduct and reflect the researcher’s positionality in the processes and practices of qualitative research. Through these activities, you will explore how feminist theories connect with lived experiences and shape struggles for social justice.
The future of state-funded welfare is one of the most pressing social questions of our time. This module explores the history, purpose and politics of welfare states, examining what social welfare is, who it is for and how it should be funded and delivered.
You will consider the social and political debates that have shaped social welfare and trace their development over time. Topics covered may include education, health, housing, social security and unemployment. You will explore how welfare systems are funded, managed and organised and analyse the impact of social welfare cuts on poverty and social inequality.
The module also examines the moral and political tensions within welfare debates, such as distinctions between ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ recipients. Engaging with diverse sources—including academic texts, policy reports, and media—you will develop critical insights into the past, present and future of welfare provision.
Core
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This module will allow you to spend the year working in a graduate-level placement role in the industry or sector that interests you most. Throughout the year, you will build an awareness of what is required in the professional workplace whilst developing a range of transferable skills.
During the module you will reflect on and critically analyse: your own career readiness, the ongoing development of your self-awareness in terms of skills and professional knowledge, and your understanding of current workplace practices and professional etiquette.
Our Careers and Placements Team will support you during your placement with online contact and learning resources.
Choose one from seven Discovery modules offered in your final year and develop the crucial ability to apply your knowledge and skills to diverse contexts.
Core
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Take an advanced look at how sociologists use paradigms, theories and concepts, as this module takes a deep dive into every stage of research.
Each week, you will explore a contemporary sociological study to see how key theoretical ideas shape research—from selecting topics and framing questions to choosing methods, interpreting data and influencing change. You will engage with a range of social theories, critically examining how they inform methodological strategies, site selection, sampling and the dissemination of research.
Running in parallel with your Independent Research Project, this module supports you in refining your conceptual approach and applying theoretical insights to your own work. By the end of the module, you will have developed a deeper understanding of the role of theory in sociological research and gained the confidence to use complex sociological ideas to shape and strengthen your own projects.
Develop and refine your research question, design an appropriate methodological approach and critically engage with relevant literature, as you conduct an original piece of sociological research on the topic of your choice.
With guidance from an academic supervisor, you will collect and analyse data, interpret your findings, and produce a well-structured research report or dissertation. This project allows you to apply the knowledge and skills you have developed throughout your degree, demonstrating your ability to work independently, think critically and contribute to sociological debates.
It is an essential opportunity to deepen your expertise in an area of personal and academic interest while developing transferable skills in project management, problem-solving and analytical writing.
Optional
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What happens when radically different forms of art meet? How do these fused forms change our understanding of the world? We will draw on material from different periods and continents, to explore works of art where, for example, film meets history, poetry meets philosophy, fine art meets sociology, religion meets fiction, and theatre meets politics.
How might we engage with the implications of environmental transformation locally, nationally and globally? Where do we have agency and capacity to intervene?
This module brings together a range of perspectives—historical, political, philosophical and cultural—to explore the nature and severity of the effects of the climate crisis on our world.
Current environmental crises demand urgent sociological attention. This module explores key sociological theories and methods for understanding environmental change, justice and sustainability. You will examine how social structures, cultural practices and economic systems shape environmental problems—and how they might be transformed to create more just and sustainable futures.
Topics may include:
The changing relationships between humans and animals
The sociological study of consumption and waste
The social lives of objects
How climate change exacerbates inequalities
How communities respond to environmental disasters like storms and floods
Throughout the module, you will critically engage with real-world cases and develop your own sociological manifesto for environmental change. By the end, you will have the tools to analyse environmental challenges from a sociological perspective and to contribute to debates on sustainability and social transformation.
What does it mean to imagine a world without borders? Using materials typically derived from case studies, reports, archives, film, television and literature, this module foregrounds interdisciplinary approaches.
You will be encouraged to develop your understanding of migration and displacement, and to envision alternative global migration futures in ways that can impact future policy, political and societal perspectives.
How are health and illness shaped by society? This module explores sociological perspectives on health, illness and healthcare, focusing on how social structures and inequalities influence health outcomes.
You will engage with key debates on medicalisation, health inequalities, mental health and the politics of healthcare provision, considering how forms of social organisation shape access to care and the experience of illness. The module also examines how health is central to social reproduction—the processes that sustain daily life and future generations—including the role of care work, reproductive labour and biopolitics.
Drawing on contemporary and historical examples, you will critically analyse how power operates in medicine, how bodies are regulated and categorised and how definitions of ‘normal’ and ‘pathological’ are socially constructed. By the end of the module, you will be equipped to analyse health and medicine as deeply embedded in wider social and political contexts.
Explore the meanings of love and friendship from historical, philosophical, literary, and social perspectives and consider what these concepts could mean to us today.
Drawing on materials from Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, China, Europe and beyond, this cross-disciplinary module compares how different cultures and eras have understood and lived love and friendship, and how these ideas and practices continue to shape human experience.
The way we experience love and friendship within both social structures and cultural practices changes, and you will use historical and social case studies to examine these shifts.
Throughout the module you’ll cultivate the ability to analyse complex ideas across cultural contexts, building critical skills and disciplinary expertise.
Migration is a mainstay of public and political debate. This module offers students an opportunity to apply key sociological theories and concepts to the study of migration and to develop the critical and analytical skills needed to understand and evaluate it as a distinctly social phenomenon.
Focusing on the relationships between migration, inequalities and societies today, the module explores sociological understandings of why people migrate, migrant experiences and the impacts of migration on both sending and receiving communities. It explores the strengths and limits of the key theoretical approaches and conceptual frameworks within the sociology of migration including:
Transnationalism and diaspora
Coloniality
Criminalisation and securitisation
Politicisation
Bordering and migratisation
Through a range of empirical case studies, it demonstrates what these approaches reveal about inequalities, identity and belonging, migrant networks, rights, racism and harms.
What are the possibilities and pitfalls of community and citizen action, voice and agency? This module uses interdisciplinary case-studies to critically examine collaboration with communities.
You will participate in activities such as a mock citizens' assembly, visit local community groups and hear different points of view from a range of guest speakers on concepts like power, race, gender, class, affect and justice.
What do we understand by queerness? Looking back at earlier interpretations, we imagine how queerness might evolve—how it might be lived, felt and understood in the future.
You will explore queer futures from a range of perspectives and viewpoints, while examining both feminist and queer theory, as well as queer media and cultural texts and material relating to areas such as activism, politics and healthcare.
Who does technology benefit or harm, and what should its role in society be? This module examines the social and ethical issues surrounding the development of modern technologies and their use in the modern world, with a vision to shape our future relationship with technology.
How do ideas understand, transform and conserve the world? In this module we will study examples of powerful ideas such as the nation, free speech, liberation, the free market, culture and nature. We will use case studies to help us explore the relationship between analysis, imagination and practice.
Fees and funding
Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session, starting at the beginning of each academic year.
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
College fees
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small college membership fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2025, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses.
Computer equipment and internet access
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
Study abroad courses
In addition to travel and accommodation costs, while you are studying abroad, you will need to have a passport and, depending on the country, there may be other costs such as travel documents (e.g. VISA or work permit) and any tests and vaccines that are required at the time of travel. Some countries may require proof of funds.
Placement and industry year courses
In addition to possible commuting costs during your placement, you may need to buy clothing that is suitable for your workplace and you may have accommodation costs. Depending on the employer and your job, you may have other costs such as copies of personal documents required by your employer for example.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
Home fees are subject to annual review, and are liable to rise each year in line with UK government policy. International fees (including EU) are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
We will charge tuition fees to Home undergraduate students on full-year study abroad/work placements in line with the maximum amounts permitted by the Department for Education. The current maximum levels are:
Students studying abroad for a year: 15% of the standard tuition fee
Students taking a work placement for a year: 20% of the standard tuition fee
International students on full-year study abroad/work placements will also be charged in line with the maximum amounts permitted by the Department for Education. The current maximum levels are:
Students studying abroad for a year: 15% of the standard international tuition fee during the Study Abroad year
Students taking a work placement for a year: 20% of the standard international tuition fee during the Placement year
Please note that the maximum levels chargeable in future years may be subject to changes in Government policy.
Scholarships and bursaries
You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.
You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status:
Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.
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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.
The information on this site relates primarily to the stated entry year and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.
The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.
More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.
Our Students’ Charter
We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. Find out more about our Charter and student policies.
Open days and campus tours
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Most first-year undergraduate students choose to live on campus, where you’ll find award-winning accommodation to suit different preferences and budgets.
Our historic city is student-friendly and home to a diverse and welcoming community. Beyond the city you'll find a stunning coastline and the world-famous English Lake District.
