About the faculty
Our history
Since the late 1800s, the University of Bristol has had a long tradition and excellent reputation in the disciplines of economics, education and law.
The present-day Faculty of Social Sciences and Law was created in 2003 and the range of disciplines has extended to include:
- politics
- sociology
- international studies
- policy studies
- social work
- health sciences
- accounting and finance
- business and management
- marketing
This extended programme has enriched the Faculty and helped us to build our globally-recognised reputation for research and teaching in social sciences and law.
Our Schools
- School of Economics
- School of Education
- School for Policy Studies
- School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies
- University of Bristol Business School
- University of Bristol Law School
Our teaching
Our Faculty offers over 40 single and joint honours undergraduate degree courses and more than 70 postgraduate programmes, with a high percentage linked to professional and research-informed practice.
We provide high-quality teaching in a vibrant and inclusive learning environment, lead national innovations in educational provision and are the lead institute for the ESRC-funded South West Doctoral Training Partnership.
Our research
Our Faculty offers excellent support for research and research-related activities and our academics are internationally recognised leaders in their fields, producing world-class research and scholarship across the social sciences and law.
The Faculty actively cultivates an inter-school, inter-disciplinary ethos, demonstrated by the numerous research groups and clusters operating at both school and faculty-level. We also lead two of the University’s Specialist Research Institutes - Migration Mobilities Bristol and the Bristol Poverty Institute – and work closely with the Bristol University Press, a leading publisher of social science research.
Our graduates
Studying with us opens the doors to an exciting and wide-ranging array of career opportunities.
Our students are supported in developing their employability skills not only by the university’s Careers Service, but also by our faculty’s own Professional Liaison Network, who co-ordinate a range of activities such as mentoring, work placements and networking events, designed to enhance our students’ career prospects.
Our graduates go on to forge successful careers in all sectors: from academia and government, to business and charities.
Did you know?
- The founder of modern economics, Alfred Marshall, held the first chair in economics at Bristol.
- The largest-ever grant for researching UK poverty was awarded to faculty academics by the Economic and Social Research Council.
- Bristol was one of the first law schools in the UK to teach EEC Law.
- Bristol was the first university to establish econometrics as a separate discipline.
Our alumni
Find out about some of our famous alumni.