Career prospects
The professional field has a serious need for specialists educated in the social sciences: social scientists who can apply theory and research to specific social problems in practice. This Master’s programme will ensure you are well prepared to do so. You will deepen the knowledge you gained during your Bachelor’s with state-of-the-art knowledge from sociological methods and theories. Moreover, you will learn how to apply this knowledge to problems and research questions in practice, with a significant focus on ethics and integrity. You will specialise by following a “track” on a particular theme, so as a Master’s graduate, you will also have the required specific knowledge of this theme.
Where do sociologists work after graduation?
- Organisation consultancy firms | HR | Business: 32%
- Ministries | Municipalities | Government: 27%
- Education | Culture | Urban renewal: 11%
- Healthcare | Welfare | Youth care: 8%
- Research and science: 7%
- NGOs and INGOs: 5%
- Marketing | Advertising: 2%
- Other: 9%
To the job market: non-academic careers
As a graduate of the Sociology: Contemporary Social Problems programme, the following professions, among others, will be open to you:
Organisational consultant at a management consultancy
You conduct research and advise companies on organisational issues such as change projects, policy implementation and structural changes.
Political party staff member
You help shape the party’s political ideology, which you translate into policy proposals. You ensure these proposals gain political and social support and are implemented.
Trainee with the Dutch government
You are part of a programme in which you specialise in a specific area of government policy. You are often a main link between the government and various social institutions.
Researcher at a planning agency
You conduct research on various areas of society and collaborate on reports to monitor or support government policy. One example of a planning agency is the Netherlands Institute for Social Research, a scientific institute that conducts solicited and unsolicited social science research.
Public affairs staff member at a sector organisation of healthcare insurers
You are involved with the strategic process of responding to political decision-making, changes in society and public opinion that influence the functioning of the organisation.
To the job market: Academic careers
One of the possibilities after you graduate is to do a PhD at Utrecht University or at another university in the Netherlands or abroad. PhD students conduct scientific research for a period of four years.
One of the things I really like about doing my PhD, is how much I'm still learning: about doing research and my thesis topic, but also about myself. I've got 3,5 more years to go, and I am looking forward to it. So far, I love what I'm doing!
Career development
We will thoroughly prepare you for your future career. You can join activities within your Master's programme, as well as activities offered by the faculty and university.