Sociology: Contemporary Social Problems

As society becomes more complex, the demand for professionals with in-depth skills and knowledge in particular themes grows. During your studies you will get the opportunity to delve into three of four themes. The topics we offer are:

• Criminology and Safety;
• Social Research in a Digital Age;
• Essentials of Care;
• Climate Crisis: Impact and Solutions

For each of these themes we have a dedicated sociological course in which you will learn about the core issues, including policy issues, and will immerse yourself in state-of-the-art research. On top of the courses, we offer you the opportunity to complete an internship and write a Master’s thesis on one of (or a combination of) these themes. Upon completing the master, you will be able to tackle social problems within your chosen field from a multidisciplinary perspective.

In the first half of the programme, you will follow in-depth theory and policy courses, accompanied by various guest lectures from professionals in the field, to bring the material to life. This will allow you to acquire the sociological tools necessary to tackle complex policy problems. During the second half of the programme, you will be utilising these tools in a professional setting. During your internship, you will use scientific knowledge to research a concrete policy or social problem and provide advice for a company, an NGO or a governmental institution. You will also convey your research results to a wider audience in both written and verbal form. An important part of the master is the support offered to students in finding a suitable internship. Internship vacancies and contacts in the specialization themes are offered to students to ensure a smooth transition into the second half of the programme. 

As a Master's student, you will also benefit from intensive contact with our research staff and the exposure to the research done at the Sociology department.
 

You will meet experts working for relevant organisations in the professional field. Your internship will provide you with ample relevant insights into the work field and will help you collect the necessary experience for a starting position. The practical skills you acquire will be very useful in your future career: you will learn more about conducting research, communication, ethics, time management and designing policy advice.

In the 2022 National Student Survey, the programme received an above-average assessment (compared to other 1-year sociology Master's programmes in the Netherlands) for the following components: 

• satisfied with the programme
• general skills
• atmosphere
• connection to practice
• teachers
• engagement and contact