Testimonials

Thomas Gaut (UK): “The SaSR programme was challenging, but well worth the effort.”

"I liked deciding which elective courses I wanted to follow based on my interests and my goals for the future. As one of my elective courses I took part in an internship at NIDI (demographic research institute), where I was given the opportunity to work with a large dataset and to conduct my own research. This internship gave me a good insight into how research is done outside academia and the more explorative side of social research. The programme has a really friendly environment and due to the small groups, we got to know each other well. 

I wrote my Master’s thesis on children’s post-divorce residence arrangements and parents’ residential mobility, where I enjoyed discovering new insights into an under-researched social problem. I particularly enjoyed the course Family and Social Inequality, where we studied a different topic each week with a professor at UU who is specialised in that topic. It was great to explore a broad range of topics with very knowledgeable professors!"

Hannah Kool (The Netherlands): “We went through an entire research cycle by writing a paper in only 4 weeks.”

Hannah Kool

SaSR is challenging from the get-go!

In the first semester we started off with courses on sociological theory and methods & statistics. Then it was time to truly submerge ourselves: we went through an entire research cycle by writing a paper in only 4 weeks. From choosing our research question, to studying literature, analysing data and reporting our findings in a journal article. I’ve never learned so much in such a short period of time.

Thanks to the small class size, we were a tight-knit community

My fellow students came from different countries and from different fields. In SaSR you will find students with backgrounds in economics, psychology, sociology, business or political science, doing sociological research together. SaSR lecturers take their students very seriously, they make you feel like you are their colleague.

A lot of freedom to make your own choices

You'll get to choose 22.5 ECTS in electives. I decided to do an internship at NSCR (Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement). Stijn Ruiter, my thesis supervisor, is a senior researcher at NSCR and a professor at Utrecht University. This allowed me to write my thesis outside the university, at NSCR. I thought that was really cool! You can also study abroad, or take extra courses. It's up to you!

Anastasia Menshikova (Russia): "My fellow students were the most motivated and talented people I have ever met!"

Anastasia Menshikova

"First of all, I think of SaSR as of an exceptional learning environment, where I was able to boost my expertise in research enormously, and this, of course, ensured my career opportunities in academia. Top professors in their fields teach you how to develop theoretical reasoning for your research and how to answer your research questions with rigorous quantitative analysis. Besides this, what I enjoyed truly was learning a lot from my peers. My fellow students were the most motivated and talented people I have ever met, and having discussions with them, getting feedback and help, exchanging ideas was as valuable for me as attending classes. Substantial workload and high demands for quality of assignments and texts was challenging at times, but it was so much worth it."

Anne van der Put (The Netherlands): "Great preparation for a career in research."

Anne van der Put

"SaSR was a great addition to my Bachelor’s degree from University College Maastricht. I gained a lot of in-depth knowledge on methods and statistics. In my thesis, I researched the role social influence plays in health promotion. I am excited to continue this line of research in the PhD position I obtained at Utrecht University! Fellow students also found jobs outside academia. One of my friends now works as a researcher at the Algemene Rekenkamer (Netherlands Court of Audit), for instance. The programme is a great preparation for a career in research, either inside or outside the university."

Jonas Stein (Germany): "Classes are marked by excellent supervision, smooth organisation and state-of-the-art content."

Jonas Stein

"SaSR puts you on track for an academic career in the social sciences. It will sharpen your analytical thinking skills, provides you with outstanding research opportunities and further your writing abilities. Classes are marked by excellent supervision, smooth organisation and state-of-the-art content."

Hilde Brons (Netherlands): "Due to the great variety of research topics SaSR offers, you will be able to choose a topic which interests you the most."

Hilde Brons

"If you want to pursue a research career either inside or outside the academic world, this research Master’s suits you perfectly! The programme really challenged me to exceed my own capabilities. I gained more statistical knowledge and research experience which I use in my current job at Utrecht University. Due to the great variety of research topics that SaSR lecturers offer, you will be able to choose a topic which interests you the most. Besides, the electives enable you to specialise in a specific research topic of your liking."

Milena Tsvetkova (Bulgaria):

"My project will involve an analytical prediction, possibly a computer simulation and a computerised laboratory experiment, so I have lots of exciting stuff and loads of challenging work ahead."

Verena Seibel (Germany): 

"I applied for Sociology and Social Research because I heard about the Master's good reputation. The programme exceeded my expectations. It convinces through its small class size, excellent supervision, and very good structure."