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Contents & Aims

Modules & Courses

Our Program Network

Career Prospects

Fees & Funding


Contents & Aims

The Master’s program “Sociology – European Societies” is a research-oriented program. It reflects current debates in theory-driven and problem-oriented research and students learn to develop their own empirical research project in the third semester. The curriculum offers a range of approaches to theory and (mostly quantitative) methods – spanning fields of culture, social structure, politics, European integration, and transformation. Furthermore, it encourages active participation in research, from the identification of relevant questions to delivering sound results. The program has a strong focus on quantitative methods for the social sciences.

The program emphasizes the comparative sociological study of European societies in a globalized and transnational world. It aims to enable students to apply theoretical and empirical tools of sociology to:

  • describe and explain social structural, economic, and cultural differences across European countries;
  • understand the ways in which European societies are transformed by processes of regional integration;
  • investigate Europe in the context of globalization and in contrast and connection to other world regions.

All lectures and most seminars are taught in English, some seminars are offered in German.

The following research groups are involved in the teaching of the Master’s program:

Modules & Courses

The following table shows you the ideal course of the master’s program “Sociology – European Societies” with all its modules and ECTS credits. There is no obligation to complete the program in exactly this manner. However, we strongly recommend this study schedule as a blueprint for structuring your studies. Furthermore, it is important to note that the modules are offered only in a particular time period; for example only during the winter or the summer term.

The program is divided into four stages: Basics – Consolidation – Specialization – Final stage.

Semester

Modules

ECTS Credits

Basics (1st)

Winter

Module 1

European Integration and the Development of European Societies since 1945 (10 ECTS credits)

Module 2

Sociological Theories of Social Change and Integration (10 ECTS credits)

Module 3

Methods of Comparative Research in Social Sciences (10 ECTS credits)

30

Consolidation (2nd)

Summer

Module 4

Social Structure and Inequalities in European Societies (10 ECTS credits)

Module 5

Culture and Values in European Societies (10 ECTS credits)

Module 6

Globalization and Regional Development (10 ECTS credits)

30

Specialisation (3rd)

Winter

Module 7

Research Placement (15 ECTS credits)

Module 8

Area of Specialisation (15 ECTS credits)

30

Final (4th)

Summer

Final colloquium

Master's Thesis (30 ECTS credits)

30

Total

    

120
  • Please see a detailed description of the Teaching Contents here.
  • Please find the current Course Catalog (winter semester 2021/2022) here.

Our Program Network

The Master’s program benefits from the involvement of renowned research centers and institutes:

  • Three institutes for Area Studies at Freie Universität, the Institute for East-European Studies (OEI), the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies (JFK), and the Institute for Latin American Studies (LAI), offer institutional and historical comparative perspectives on European societies in a global context.
  • Two world-leading research centers of the social sciences, the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) and the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) offer rich and in-depth perspectives on current sociological research and provide access to valuable data.