Masters Degrees in Sociology, Netherlands

The Master in Sociology is an English-taught program that focuses on the analysis of problems of social cohesion (e.g., crime, social contacts, solidarity). It does so comparing individuals and countries. The Master program has a theoretical- empirical research focus. That is, social problems and issues are translated into sociological research questions and analyzed with the aid of theories and advanced research methods. Students will also learn how policy solutions can be derived from results of sociological analyses, and to evaluate policy.

Career Perspective Sociology

Sociology is a broad program that can lead to employment in a wide range of fields, giving excellent employment prospects for graduates, both within the Netherlands and beyond. People with a Master's degree in Sociology work for either local or national governmental institutions, private companies, and for research agencies. The work may be in the field of labor and employment, culture, welfare, recreation, entertainment or health care. Sociologists may be employed as researchers, policy officers, advisors or management team members. Jobs in communication, media, research and education are also suitable for sociologists. Some graduates work as organizational or human resources policy advisors in the public or private sector.

The broad and in-depth knowledge acquired during your Sociology studies here at Tilburg will enable you to make a substantial contribution to the analysis of and solutions to today's social problems.

The range of careers open to our sociology graduates include:
•general policy officer, secretary or board member for national, provincial, municipal or private institutes working on issues related to employment, welfare, culture, education, recreation or health care
•adviser on organizational or personnel policy for the government, the education sector or the business sector
•jobs in journalism and the media within the field of verbal and written communication, and jobs in the information sector
•researcher for the government, the education sector or the business sector
•teacher in secondary or tertiary education.

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Sociology and Social Research

This Master focuses on theoretically and methodologically advanced research in sociology; the aim is to develop testable theories to explain social phenomena.

This programme is interdisciplinary in nature and focuses on theoretically and methodologically advanced research in the field of sociology and the social sciences. The substantive focus is on topics such as social networks and social capital, trust and cooperation, social integration, stratification and inequality, households, organizations, and policy studies.

Students learn to develop theories that are testable explanations of social phenomena rather than conceptual systems devoid of empirical content. They also learn to test such theories using authoritative empirical data-sets and state of the art tools of social science research methodology and data analysis. The integration of social theory, empirical research, and methods of data-analysis is a core feature of the programme. The programme offers many and varied career opportunities.

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Sociology: Contemporary Social Problems

During this Master's programme, you will be thoroughly trained to analyse and advise on contemporary social issues.
You will therefore develop yourself into an academic professional and an expert on your chosen theme. In these themes, the boundary between public and private is often transcended, which means that once you complete the Master's, you can work in both the private and (semi) public sectors. Potential careers include social science expert, applied researcher in the corporate world, policy advisor at a ministry or municipality, advisor, project coordinator or consultant.

In the one-year Master's programme Sociology: Contemporary Social Problems, you will be trained to become an expert on one important social theme. You choose one contemporary issue in which you will specialise: Crime and Safety - Internet, Social Media and Networks - Care, Policy and Organisations.

You design your own track in this programme, in which you quickly and rigorously immerse yourself in your specialisation. You will learn about the state-of-the-art in current scholarship. As an expert, you will also learn to think in multidisciplinary terms. In addition to sociology as your core subject, you will also take courses in the social psychology and social geography of your chosen theme.

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Study global problems on small scale

The Master’s programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology teaches students how to do research into the ways in which people experience and cope with global problems at the small scale of their everyday. You will study people who may live lives that are economically fragile, in environments damaged by pollution or disaster or feel they lack the rights of full citizens in the country where they live. However, they manage to survive, keep up hope and laugh with each other despite these difficulties. You will learn to research how people acquire the resilience that allows them to cope with them, and how they maintain continuity in a world that is often difficult to handle.

Learn how to do ethnography

Through the experience of ethnographic research, you will learn how to enter and participate in another world, and to understand it without becoming trapped in the stereotypes of our own. To this end, experienced researchers co-opt students into their own research specialties and train them to work in field research sites that they select and organize together. Intensive coaching by individual supervisors, course teachers, and field research trainers prepares students for your personal field research project. This also speeds up the process of settling in a field site, understanding its research context, and acquiring the skills and art of reporting results to an audience in an academically responsible way.

Choose one of our three specialisations

The Master’s programme in CA/DS offers a unique set of choices: you can join staff members in their Global Ethnography research specialties; you can work with a company, a museum or an NGO in a Policy in Practice project; or you can set up a Visual Ethnography project (subject to previous training). The staff members who supervise these projects are experienced and enthusiastic ethnographers who are proud of the way their MSc transfers skills to students. Staff members are actively involved in the Field Schools in West Africa (Ghana), Southeast Asia (Indonesia and the Philippines) and the Netherlands, because they offer students the most effective road to a good research result. Alternative sites become available, however, through (for example) Policy in Practice projects.

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Social networks – our webs of personal relationships in friendships, communication, online interactions, trust or enmity – play a pivotal role in promoting a sustainable society.

This unique program teaches and applies state-of-the-art theories and methods to enable you to better understand how the content, structure and dynamics of social networks affect society across a wide range of domains. The areas addressed reflect the staff's main areas of research expertise: collaboration in the care sector, joint production in firms, integration of ethnic minorities, transition to renewable sources of energy, bullying among adolescents, and healthy ageing. You will learn to apply theories relating to institutions and human behaviour to social networks, you will use cutting-edge tools and methods to gather and analyze quantitative and qualitative network data, and you will then apply this knowledge so you can analyse and improve policies and interventions.

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What impact did the recent economic crisis have on individuals' living and working conditions, on individuals' study and career choices, on social inequalities and social cohesion?

The International Master in Social Demography is a Double Degree Program offered jointly by the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) of Barcelona and the Faculty of Spatial Sciences of the University of Groningen (UoG). After the successful completion of the program students end up with two official diplomas: Master of Research in Sociology and Demography, issued by the University Pompeu Fabra, and Master of Science in Population Studies, issued by the University of Groningen.

The double degree program, which is entirely offered in English, combines the strengths of two of the highest-ranked Social Science Departments in Europe to offer high level research training in Sociology and Demography.

The programme emphasizes the study of both advanced and developing societies from an unique interdisciplinary and dynamic perspective.

Degree: MSc in Population Studies

Why in Groningen?

The program combines the strengths of two of the highest-ranked Social Science Departments in Europe to offer high level research training in Sociology and Demography. It emphasizes the study of both advanced and developing societies from a dynamic perspective, using analytical and methodological tools from two disciplines. The program has a unique approach for understanding how individuals' main life events both influence and are influenced by the social context in which they live.

Job perspectives

The objective of the programme is to train young professionals and social scientists in the theories, analytical and methodological tools from both sociology and demography to conduct high quality research on how individuals' main life events (e.g. childbirth, education, marriage, occupation, divorce, death) both influence and are influenced by the social and geographical context in which they live.

The program emphasizes the study of both advanced and developing societies from an unique interdisciplinary and dynamic perspective.

After graduation you can find work in business, the government, or non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Demographers are trained to work with and interpret large data files. You can use these skills to make policy or develop programmes. You can also pursue an academic career and apply for a PhD position

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Overview

Learning how to make new discoveries that will contribute to a better understanding of the historical, social political and cultural processes that shape societies.

Are people living in ethnically diverse neighbourhoods more inclined to turn inwards and to ‘hunker down’ compared to people of ethnically homogeneous settings? Are there cross-country differences in the causes of hooliganism, and in the effectiveness of methods used to combat hooligans in different European countries?

More and more comparative questions on societies are being raised. At Radboud University we believe that answers to comparative questions are more informative, lead to a better understanding of societal phenomena and processes, and therefore have more scientific and social importance than answers to questions about one society in one historical period.

This programme therefore fully focuses on teaching students how to perform high-quality comparative research. We look into the degree of inequality, cohesion and modernisation in both Western and non-Western societies. You’ll learn how to translate social problems into empirical research questions and understand the diverse theoretical approaches, research designs, data collections and analyses you need to get the answers you are looking for.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/scs

Why study Social and Cultural Science at Radboud University?

- A majority of our courses are exclusively created and offered for the research students enrolled in this programme, and therefore perfectly match the needs and desires of social and cultural researchers.
- This programme is linked to the Nijmegen Institute for Social and Cultural Research (NISCO) who offer an excellent research environment and have extensive social science databases that students are free to use.
- You’ll participate in group-oriented education and be part of a small, select group of highly motivated national and international students.
- You’ll be given your own workplace (equipped with a computer) in a room with your fellow students to enhance solidarity. Every student also receives personal guidance and supervision.
- You’ll write two scientific journal papers which will not only give you plenty of practise but will also give you a good academic research portfolio that you can use when applying for research positions.
- A large majority of our graduates gain PhD and other research positions; almost all of our graduates found work shortly after graduating.

Multidisciplinary

The programme combines the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, development studies and communication science. This programme is therefore ideal for Bachelor’s students from these disciplines with an interest in research. However, we believe that students from disciplines such as political science, economics and human geography can also profit from this Master’s.

The Research Master’s in Social and Cultural Science trains aspiring researchers and is ideal preparation for PhD positions or research positions in relevant non-academic research institutes. Or you could build a bridge between academic research and the world of practice, thereby influencing policy-making in the public and private sphere.

Quality label

This programme was recently awarded the quality label ‘Top Programme' in the Netherlands in the Keuzegids Masters 2015 (Guide to Master's programmes).

Career prospects

The career prospects of a graduate of Social and Cultural Science are good; almost 100% of our alumni found a job or research position immediately after graduating.

Job positions

There are plenty of options open to graduates of the research Master’s in Social and Cultural Science:
- Scientific research career (academia)
The programme provides an excellent basis for a scientific research career and attaining PhD positions.

- Societal research career
Our graduates can also go on to have careers in relevant non-academic research and policy institutes like government ministries, Statistics Netherlands (CBS), The Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP) and The Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR) and foreign equivalents.

- More
Of course, this Master’s programme does not close other doors. Students with a research Master’s are also highly sought after by (commercial) businesses and organisations because of their analytical and communication skills and in-depth understanding of social and cultural behaviour. Other careers, such as policymaker, manager, journalist, etc are certainly within reach.

Find information on Scholarships here http://www.ru.nl/scholarships

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/scs

Our research in this field

Half of the Master’s programme in Social and Cultural Science consists of practical research training.

In the first year, you’ll do a research project in which you conduct a small-scale empirical research under guided supervision of a senior researcher. The comparative research issue is typically part of the ongoing research within a Radboud chair group. Finally, you’ll write a scientific journal paper regarding the research results. The project is done in small groups (2-3 students) and prepares you well to independently conduct a comparative empirical social science study for your Master’s thesis in the second.

- Master’s thesis topics in the field of Social and Cultural Science
For your Master’s thesis you are completely free to tackle any social issue in the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, communication science or development studies. Important is the ability to reflect on the societal significance of your research question and the societal importance of your research. Thesis topics vary widely:
- Many theses are concerned with cross-country comparisons of behaviour or attitude measures using European cross-sectional survey data on, for example, xenophobia or gender roles.
- Others theses compare classrooms and the effect ethnic composition has on interethnic bullying or the impact of the economic crisis on African migrants in Athens, Greece, or the utilisation of different sexual health services by Aboriginal adolescents.
- Thesis topics can also be found in the field of communication science, like examining the news on extreme right political parties in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands and correlating it with election results, or studying patterns in TV drama (e.g. increasing Americanisation) and comparing these media trends with societal processes such as individualisation.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/scs

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Migration, Ethnic Relations and Multiculturalism

This Master allows you to develop the knowledge, attitude and skills needed to evaluate and conduct premiere research in this important field.

Through your studies, you develop into a well-qualified science practitioner. You will acquire the skills and knowledge to go on to PhD training or a research career outside academia. You will receive a structured and systematic training in theoretically and methodologically advanced research, that will equip you to help solve social science problems in the fields of migration, ethnic relations and multiculturalism.

Interdisciplinary methodology

This two-year Master's programme contributes to interdisciplinary theoretical and empirical knowledge in the social sciences. You will learn the main theories and approaches developed in:
-Social and cultural psychology
-Sociology
-Political science
-Anthropology

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The Master Victimology and Criminal Justice at Tilburg University is the only Master's program in Europe and one of a handful of programs worldwide, focusing on victimology.

What is this master about?

Victimology can be considered the younger sister of criminology. Its object of study is the position of victims in society. Drawing upon the insights offered by law, psychology, criminology and other social sciences, victimologists look at the consequences of becoming of victim of crime, accidents or disasters with the ultimate aim of setting people on the path of recovery and restoration.

For whom is it meant?

Being the top-notch program in Victimology and Criminal Justice, this master is aimed at motivated students with educational backgrounds in criminology, law, psychology, sociology, anthropology and liberal arts.

Why study Victimology and Criminal Justice?

The Master aims at teaching students to academically analyze and professionally solve psychosocial, economic, political, and legal problems arising from victimization. It particularly focuses on the victim within the context of the criminal justice system.

Students can expect to acquire the necessary intellectual knowledge and skills to tackle victimological or related challenges in either a academic research or professional setting. With a growing need for employees with an academic background in victimology in international and national, governmental and non-governmental organizations in the field of criminal justice, health care, disaster relieve, human rights, etc. graduates of this program have a wide range of employment opportunities. The master also offers an excellent preparation for those who want to pursue a Ph D.

Career Perspective Victimology and Criminal Justice

Victim-related issues are of increasing interest within academia, policy-making, and the public and the private sectors at both the national and international levels.

Graduates of the Master in Victimology and Criminal Justice are in high demand by institutions and organizations dealing with victims of crime and/or human rights violations, such as:
•ministries
•local governments
•victim support or assistance bodies
•national, European and international public or private institutions dealing with victims of crime and/or human rights violations

Furthermore, with the growing importance of victims' rights in criminal justice systems, graduates of this Master's program can expect to embark on a rewarding career in victim-related services within judiciaries.

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The two years Research Master's programme prepares you for a career in science and is part of the Graduate School of Behavioural and Social Sciences. The degree focuses on theory-guided analysis of empirical data and generalizable explanations of both human behaviour and social phenomena. As a student of this programme, you will specialize in one of the following areas:
- Social and Organizational Psychology
- Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology
- Sociology
- Education and Development
- Psychometrics and Statistics

With your supervisor, you will determine the focus of your programme to suit your ambitions, talents and interests. The two-year degree includes a traineeship and a Master's thesis project. You may extend this Master's thesis project to a proposal for a PhD programme. The Research Master also includes a general course that provides an overview of research within the Graduate School of Behavioural and Social Sciences.

Why in Groningen?

Unique characteristics of the programme are:
- For two years it was the highest student ranked Research Master's programme in the Behavioural and Social Sciences in the Netherlands!
- Students work one-on-one with internationally acknowledged researchers
- Students determine the focus of their programme so that it suits their own ambitions and interests

Job perspectives

The Research Master's degree programme in Behavioural and Social Sciences is designed primarily for highly talented, motivated and ambitious students who are interested in pursuing a career in research. This Master's degree qualifies students to conduct fundamental and applied scientific research in the social and behavioural sciences. Holders of this degree are well equipped for further study and training for a PhD thesis, and for employment in the public or private sector. The faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences aims to open a number of PhD tracks for the most talented Research Master's students.

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At first sight, the arts and sciences appear to be worlds apart. While sciences draw on strict procedures, the arts seem to be exempted from such rules. Yet both practices are governed by conventions - such as a consistent focus on innovation - that help to explain their cultural impact.

Moreover, the arts, science and technology mix and mingle in interesting ways. The arts provide scientists with metaphors to describe their work. The sciences are objects of cultural critique in the arts. The arts continuously incorporate new technologies. And both the arts and sciences “imagine” our culture’s future. That is why it is so important to study the contributions of the arts, science and technology to modern culture. And it is why we study all of these in one programme. CAST has roots in the internationally known field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and is at the same time uniquely embedded in empirical cultural research.

Perfect preparation for a research position

The Research Master in Cultures of Arts, Science and Technology is a selective, intense, and highly reputed programme. The programme is designed to give you the best possible preparation for a professional research position. During your master’s, you will therefore not only study theories from history, sociology, philosophy, the arts and the qualitative social sciences, but you will also follow a number of courses that specifically focus on research methods such as qualitative interviewing, conceptual analysis, archival research, ethnographic observations and rhetorical, narrative and discourse analysis. Most importantly, you will actually learn to work with these methods by writing review papers, research papers and proposals. You will work closely with faculty research staff on their projects and gain a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at how academic research is actually done.

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The research-intensive master’s in European Studies is an interdisciplinary programme that combines political science and international relations with history and sociology. Research plays a primary role from the outset, with research projects integrated into each core module. You will gain in-depth training in methods such as quantitative and qualitative techniques, comparative methods and discourse analysis. You will also develop skills in designing research, writing research proposals, publishing your work and applying for funding and research positions. For the elective component, you can choose to take specialised courses, complete a research internship or do an exchange abroad. The master’s programme culminates with a thesis and the development of a PhD research proposal.

In this programme, you will:
- Learn to critically analyse and discuss challenges facing the EU
- Gain experience working in a multidisciplinary, international academic environment
- Receive in-depth training in conducting high-quality research
- Focus on designing, implementing and publishing your own research

A future in research

The overall objective of this programme is to equip graduates for high-level research careers in and outside academia. Thanks to the networks and activities of the research staff at Maastricht University, you will enjoy unique access to researchers at other universities, policymakers at EU institutions and member state administrations, Brussels-based interest groups, think tanks and other actors. Students in this programme also take active part in the Politics and Culture in Europe research programme, which is one of the largest research groups in European Studies.

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Development and Socialisation in Childhood and Adolescence

This Master focuses on general processes of socialisation and child rearing and offers insight into the development of young people.

The Development and Socialisation in Childhood and Adolescence (DaSCA) programme focuses on general processes of socialisation and child rearing and on normative developmental pathways. Considerable attention is given to the risk factors involved in the development of children and adolescents with a view to developing treatment strategies and preventive systematic intervention programmes.

The programme courses focus on theory and research in development and socialisation in childhood and adolescence, methodology and statistics, and basic academic skills. In the second year students will complete an internship and write their thesis in the form of a draft research article for international publication. Until now about 70% of DaSCA graduates obtained a PhD position within 4 months of graduation, whereas the the other graduates obtained research jobs outside university.

Looking for more information? On http://www.uu.nl/masters/en/development-and-socialisation-childhood you will find more information on the study programme, on where our alumni start their professional careers and much more.

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What is the meaning of citizenship in modern culture? What is the value of democracy? What does today's sociopolitical atmosphere mean for the future of liberty itself? Given the current international backdrop of cultural conflicts, political strife and radical new technologies, a thorough understanding of such issues is more urgently needed than ever. In the master's programme in Politics and Society, you will gain insight into how culture has become a source of concern and conflict in the national and international political arenas. You will also explore the different professional roles a student of politics and society can play in political organisations, in the media or in think tanks.

You can choose to follow this programme completely in English or completely in Dutch.

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The master’s programme in Globalisation & Development Studies is a social science programme that focuses on how globalisation trends affect and interconnect different areas of the globe while marginalising others and how they produce diverse ‘local’ responses. While acknowledging the roles of the state and the market, you will examine the processes of globalisation and development ‘from the ground up’. You will look at how they are experienced in the everyday lives of families, indigenous communities, migrant diasporas, grassroots organisations and NGOs.

This programme builds on 20 years of globalisation and development teaching at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. It has a pronounced global and transnational orientation: from the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion, to emancipation and empowerment, hybrid identities, transnational social and political formations, and new possibilities for transforming society. You will develop a sound knowledge basis in the concepts, theories and issues relating to globalisation and development. Using Problem-Based Learning (PBL), which is very well suited for Globalisation and Development Studies, your learning is problem-driven and theory-driven and requires students to be active rather than passive.

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