What glues a society together? How can trust and cooperation be promoted and conflict be avoided? What is the role of social networks, social norms and formal institutions in these processes? What causes inequality in general and inequality between men and women in the job market in particular? Why do immigrants have higher unemployment rates and lower-paid jobs? How do environments and institutions shape people’s values, attitudes and behaviours? And how do these individuals’ values, attitudes and behaviours shape society at large?
In the Master’s programme Sociology and Social Research, you will learn how to answer these questions. We will teach you to develop explanations for relevant social phenomena using state-of-the-art theory from Sociology, but also other disciplines such as Economics and Psychology. You will test these explanations using quantitative empirical research methods.
This programme is closely related to the research programme of the Department of Sociology and is embedded in the Interuniversity Centre for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS). The programme is recognised as a high quality programme and has been awarded high ratings by different organisations in the Netherlands.
The programme’s international character offers you global perspectives on sociological topics as well as a broad range of research opportunities. About 40% of our students come from abroad and prominent international scholars teach masterclasses. During your electives, you have the opportunity to follow courses or do an internship at another university or research institute in the Netherlands or abroad. You will be able to choose your thesis topic from a broad range of topics.
In this two-year Master’s programme, you will learn to operate as a highly qualified social science researcher. You will integrate social theory and state-of-the-art quantitative empirical research methods. You will have the opportunity to make choices that fit your goals, by choosing to do an internship and by selecting the topic of your thesis from a list of major sociological research questions, provided by our excellent researchers and lecturers who will be your supervisors. Interdisciplinary cooperation and methodical rigor are the basis for a creative addressing of today’s and future societal challenges, and these are the skills that you will acquire in the Master’s programme Sociology and Social Research. Your studies will prepare you for a career that requires strong research skills in the public or private sector, or as a PhD student.
The Master’s programme in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology focuses on the everyday practices of people to situate them within complex challenges. 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. You will learn to research how these 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.
Through the experience of ethnographic research, you will learn how to enter, participate in and understand another world. To this end, our staff members co-opt students into their own research specialities 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 of reporting results to an audience in an academically responsible way.
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). Staff members are actively involved in our ‘Field Research and Training’ opportunities in West Africa (Ghana), Southeast Asia (the Philippines) and the Netherlands, because they offer students the most effective road to a good research result. Alternative sites become available, however, through Global Ethnography projects.
The radicalisation of Muslim youth is continually in the news and high on the political agenda. What has scientific research revealed about the causes and background of this issue? How should the government and societal actors handle this trend and which policy is effective? An ageing population leads to increasing healthcare costs. How should care for the elderly be structured in order to make it personal and affordable again? The virtual and physical world are increasingly merging. What role does the internet play in shaping political and social movements' ability to self-organise?
As society becomes more complex, the demand for experts continues to expand. In the one-year Master’s programme 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:
You design your own track in this Master’s programme, in which you quickly and rigorously immerse yourself in your specialisation. You will learn about the state-of-the-art in current scholarship. You will become an expert, trained in multidisciplinary thinking. In addition to sociology as your core subject, you will also take courses in the social psychology and social geography of your chosen theme, allowing you to tailor your education to your personal and professional interests.
In this programme, you will learn to translate theory into practice, by using scientific knowledge to design effective concrete (policy) advice for companies or governmental organisations. You will also learn to present research results to a wider audience.
There is a significant focus on your transition to the labour market. You will meet experts working for relevant organisations in the professional field. We will help you find an internship, so that you can gain practical work experience. The practical skills you acquire will be very useful during your internship and in your future career: you will learn more about conducting interviews, communications, time management and designing policy advice.
During this Master’s programme, you will be thoroughly trained to analyse and advise on contemporary social issues. You will develop yourself into an academic professional and an expert on your chosen theme. 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 applied researcher in the corporate world, policy advisor at a ministry or municipality, advisor, project coordinator or consultant.
Why do people migrate? How do immigrants integrate and develop (new or dual) cultural identities? How do host societies respond to immigrants? Why and when do ethnic and religious differences lead to conflicts and misunderstandings? What are the reasons for prejudice and racism, and how can these negative reactions be minimised?
In this Master's programme in Migration, Ethnic Relations and Multiculturalism, you will focus on questions of high societal significance and policy relevance that relate to:
The programme addresses these topics from the assumption that systematic understanding of the precursors and processes of migration and integration is essential for the development of adequate policies and interventions in pluralistic societies.
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:
You will receive extensive training in research methodology, and graduate well prepared for further PhD studies within the Interuniversity Centre for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS) or another institute in the Netherlands or abroad. Your studies will also prepare you for a career in research or advisory positions within academic institutes, policy organisations, and NGOs. The programme’s instructional staff participate in the research groups of the Departments of Interdisciplinary Social Science (Prof Verkuyten and Prof Finkenauer and Prof de Wit), Sociology (Prof Buskens) and Methods and Statistics (Prof Van der Heijden).
The Master's programme in Migration, Ethnic Relations and Multiculturalism is one of the oldest and most established social science Research Master's programmes in the Netherlands. It has an excellent national and international reputation and has been awarded several high ratings by different organisations in the Netherlands.
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.
Do you want to broaden your knowledge of European politics and policies in a programme that combines the study of political science with international relations, history and sociology? Are you ambitious, with a keen motivation to pursue a career that requires strong research competences, such as in a think tank or in academia, or jobs in politics and journalism? And are you interested in being part of a small, close-knit community of students and researchers? If so, the two-year interdisciplinary European Studies programme is the right choice for you.
Unique features
Why this programme?
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:
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
- 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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
The Research Master in Cultures of Arts, Science and Technology is an 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.
Despite strong forces of globalisation, socialcultural sameness does not increase. Power tensions and violent conflicts continue to persist and even erupt.
Why?
To answer this question, we need an anthropological analysis of the relation between cultural diversity and power within the process of sociocultural transformation. The Master's programme Cultural Anthropology: Sociocultural Transformation (CASTOR) equips you with the knowledge and skills to make this analysis.
International fieldwork
This two-year Master has a strong international focus, and it introduces you to the complex interplay of cultural diversity and power in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. You’ll conduct ethnographic fieldwork abroad.
Interdisciplinary character
Several courses offer an interdisciplinary setting, in which you can explore topics that relate not only to anthropology, but also to other areas, such as political sociology, social justice, and psychology.
Research schools
This programme is firmly embedded in local, national, and international research contexts, demonstrated through national and international collaboration. The research programme Sovereignty and Social Contestation participates in the University’s research focus area of Cultures, Citizenship, and Human Rights. Research and PhD training are situated in the KNAW-accredited research school CERES. Courses are taught by staff members with strong international reputations and standing, such as Prof Rebecca Bryant, Dr Kees Koonings, Dr Hans de Kruijf, Dr Geert Mommersteeg, Dr Martijn Oosterbaan, Prof Ton Robben, and Dr Gerdien Steenbeek.
Best Master's
This programme was rated in 2017 as the Best Master’s Programme out of a total of twelve MA programmes in anthropology and development studies.
The Master's Cultural Anthropology: Sociocultural Transformation prepares you for a research career, in academia (including further PhD training), in other research institutes or in private companies. On the foundation of your Bachelor’s degree, this Master’s programme trains you to operate as a qualified cultural anthropologist. As a science practitioner you'll develop the academic skills and knowledge necessary to initiate and develop groundbreaking research on the relationship between cultural diversity and power within the process of sociocultural transformation. Being educated at Utrecht University guarantees that you are equipped with a strong methodological basis.
If you wish to have a career that is less focused on research, then the Master's programme Cultural Anthropoloy: Sustainable Citizenship might interest you. The substantive focus of this programme is on citizenship in relation to a sustainable environment, while the Master's Cultural Anthropology: Sociocultural Transformation focuses on issues of power, (violent) conflict and the state.
Are you interested in raising children? In the way their environment shapes their development? Would you like to learn how to support parents and educators, creating a context where children and youth can reach their full potential? Then this Master's programme may be just right for you!
The Master’s programme Clinical Child, Family and Education Studies (Dutch:Orthopedagogiek) challenges you to make connections between scientific research and practical issues. It addresses what is needed when problems arise in child and adolescent development, or in parenting or education of children at risk.
This Master’s programme will enable you to develop yourself as an academic and clinical professional. Armed with scientific insights and clinical skills, you will be able to give advice, support, treatment and guidance concerning clinical issues in raising children and adolescents. You can make an important contribution to research of practical care issues related to children and youth. You will help children, youth, their parents and the systems surrounding them to function to their optimum potential. This programme prepares you to work as a scientist practitioner in youth care in clinical or transnational settings.
While studying complex situations you will combine insights from education and child and adolescent studies, psychology, neuropsychology, child and youth psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, juvenile justice, pediatrics and sociology.
This programme’s working language is English. This means that English will be used during lectures, for scientific exchange between students and staff. You may opt to use Dutch or English for your thesis and individual assignments. Certain parts of the programme, such as a clinical internship in an institution with Dutch speaking clients or patients, are only available to students who speak Dutch.
You will take three mandatory courses concerning:
On top of these courses you will follow an elective course, a specialisation (‘track’)and write a Master’s thesis.
Your lecturers participate in highly qualified research in the field of parenting, adolescence, education, development and learning in the research programmes Child and Adolescent Studies and Education and Learning. This means you will benefit from their most recent scientific insights. Moreover, as a Master’s student your thesis can contribute to the current research within the programme concerning projects such as:
The Master’s programme in Clinical Child, Family and Education Studies prepares you for work from a transnational perspective, or for a career in a clinical setting. You will be able to give advice, support, treatment and guidance when problems in child and adolescent development arise. You will be a trained expert in clinical issues in raising future generations. You could work as a policy adviser or care giver in several fields such as youth care, special needs care in schools, care for people with a disability, paediatric rehabilitation, forensic care and (inter)national knowledge institutions. You can also pursue a career in research, for instance at a university or knowledge institution.
Do you ever wonder why mothers are more likely than fathers to work part-time and care for their children? Or why some countries oblige unemployment benefit recipients to follow strict activation requirements while others do not? Maybe you’ve thought about what the expected and real-life benefits and challenges of the decentralization of care are? Or how societies are changing as a result of increasing cultural diversity and social inequality?
If you are interested in studying such issues, this one-year Master's programme is for you. You will develop knowledge about interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives on social policy and interventions, which will help you gain in-depth insight into the methodology and skills needed to research social policy and intervention issues in the domain of health and wellbeing, in particular related to work, care and participation. More specifically, you will look into problems such as:
You will also study people's strategies for dealing with social risks, including:
This will be done by combining knowledge from the behavioural and social sciences.
The academic staff in our faculty participate in a wide variety of research projects into the problems that are central to this Master's programme, including themes as diverse as:
Our Master’s programme is truly an international programme, in both its teaching and its orientation. Many of the problems focused on in this Master's programme have a strong European or global dimension, such as: ageing and care, migration and ethnic relationships, individualization and solidarity, gender and sexual diversity, and social environments and health. The same goes for the policy and intervention approaches that are used to tackle these issues. You will find that this international perspective is a key feature of the programme. You will learn to take this international perspective in a global teaching environment, with staff and students from the Netherlands, Europe and beyond.
In addition to its international, comparative perspective, the programme is also characterized by its interdisciplinary and multi-method approach. This international, interdisciplinary and multi-method focus also applies to the research you will undertake for your master’s thesis, as well as in the exploration of professional practices. In your research, you will draw on a combination of scientific perspectives from the behavioural and social sciences, in particular psychology, sociology, and cultural anthropology. In exploring professional practices, you will also draw on a combination of scientific perspectives, through a focus on social policies, mostly informed by social science, and interventions, mostly grounded in behavioural sciences.
This Master's programme is intended to enable you to become an academic professional. As a graduate of the Social Policy and Public Health programme, you will be able to study social problems from an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective. You will also have acquired the professional and academic skills necessary to design, implement, and evaluate social policies and interventions. These skills will allow you to pursue a career as a social scientist, working with government agencies, social service organizations, civil society organizations, or private sector companies.
