University College Isle of Man (UCM) has added a new course to its degree offering.

Applications to study the BSc (Hons) in ‘Applied Social Science’ open in November, with psychology, sociology and criminology forming the majority of the syllabus.

Students on the three-year degree will all study the same core modules in their first year, including ‘Self and Society’, ‘Understanding Social and Public Policy’, ‘Media Representation and Society’, ‘Introduction to Psychology’ and ‘Introduction to Criminology’.

In their second and third years, students will then choose which area they would like to specialise in; psychology, sociology or criminology.

Following completion of the course, students are able to seek roles within the police, social work and caring professions, teaching, marketing and human resources.

Gail Corrin, UCM’s higher education manager, said: ‘With 64 Manx students studying psychology, sociology, criminology and related subjects at university in the UK in 2022, we were keen to provide an option for these students to study in this area without having to leave the island.

‘This degree is the best of all worlds by combining elements from each of these disciplines. Plus, students get the added benefit of meaningful work placements on the island which means they build strong industry connections for when they graduate.

‘Typically, across our other degrees, we see 91% of students gaining relevant employment on or before graduation, so this is a really good opportunity for people who want to work in the industry to get a foot in the door.’

As well as studying the full degree, some modules will be available for individual professional development support for those already working in these sectors.

For more information, you can visit https://www.ucm.ac.im/