Welcome to the Department of Social Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Social Sciences is a dynamic and innovative Department within the Glasgow School for Business and Society. We are dedicated to providing both undergraduate and postgraduate students with a friendly, engaging, and research-led learning environment. We are committed to research excellence, public engagement, and community empowerment. Our learning, teaching, research, and community engagement is informed by our commitment to the Common Good.

Social Sciences at GCU seeks to engage with two of the societal challenges outlined in the GCU Research Strategy - Inclusive Societies and Healthy Lives. Therefore, our work contributes to the research themes of Social Innovation, Equalities & Justice, and Public Health & Long-term Conditions.

As a Department, we are organised around the academic disciplines of Criminology, History, Politics & Public Policy, and Sociology & Social Policy. However, our teaching and research also reflects a strong interdisciplinary focus. In research, we contribute to the work of both The WiSE Centre for Economic Justice and TheYunus Centre for Social Business and Health, and we are in partnership with the University of Strathclyde in the Centre for the Social History of Health and Healthcare. Within the Department of Social Sciences, we host the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit and a number of interdisciplinary Research Groups – the Gender Research Group, the Justice, Violence and Gender Research Group and the Sport and Physical Activity Research Group.

Our research in all these areas underpins our teaching and also means our teaching has an applied aspect, focusing on real world challenges to equip our students with the skills necessary for global employability, critical citizenship, and life-long learning. We are also one of the University partners of the Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences (SGSSS).

In addition, our focus on distinct academic disciplines means that we are able to provide strong disciplinary pathways on the BA/BA (Hons) Social Sciences (in Criminology & Policing, History, Politics, and Sociology & Social Policy) and the MSc Health History. However, our interdisciplinarity also means that we make valuable contributions to the MSc International Economics and Social Justice, and the MSc Climate Justice at GCU.

 

Head of Department

Rachel Russell https://www.gcu.ac.uk/gsbs/staff/rachelrussell/