Concerned with how the world works, social science is, in its broadest sense, the study of people and societies. It incorporates a diverse range of subject areas including business, economics, education, geography, international relations, law, psychology, politics, sociology and social policy.

The University’s work in the social sciences began in the late 1700s with the opening of an adult education school here in Nottingham. Over the next 200 years, our people have been (and continue to be) the key to our success – changing government policy, working to understand societal issues and helping to solve global problems.

Professor Todd Landman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Social Sciences, said: “From humble beginnings in an 18th-century adult education school, social sciences at Nottingham has grown to operate on a global scale. Our rich and vibrant history includes the development of social workers during World War II, ground-breaking child development studies, work on human rights and political behaviour, and ambitious students and staff (including a Nobel Prize winner).

“People have always been the key to our success and project by project, we’re working to understand societal issues and to help make the world a better place for everyone. This timeline project tells the story of how social sciences has evolved at Nottingham and is a unique opportunity to look back over more than 200 years.”

To find out more about the story of Social Sciences at Nottingham, you can visit the timeline page here.