Sociology and Social Research - Universiteit Utrecht

Officiële omschrijving
This programme is offered by Utrecht University’s Department of Sociology and by the Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS), a graduate school and research centre in which the Departments of Sociology of the Universities of Groningen, Utrecht and Nijmegen cooperate.
The programme is interdisciplinary in nature and focuses on theoretically and methodologically advanced research in the field of sociology and the social sciences. Given that social science is problem-driven rather than data-driven, the aim is to develop theories that are testable explanations of social phenomena rather than conceptual systems devoid of empirical content.
Students will follow theory and research methodology courses, attend research seminars and take part in an internship with an independent research institute. They will conclude the programme by writing a Master's thesis in the form of a publishable research paper.
At the end of the programme, students will have an excellent overview of important issues in contemporary sociology and theoretical models of human behaviour. They will have expertise in problem-guided and systematic sociological theory-building, and will be able to apply complex and advanced techniques for data analysis.
After having completed the programme, students will have an excellent labour market position through hands-on expertise in social science data analysis as well as practical experience in professional writing and reporting on social science research.
Although the programme is explicitly designed to prepare students for PhD studies at the ICS or elsewhere, graduates may also pursue a professional career in non-university social science research institutes.