Study programme

In the first period, all students follow a joint programme. During this period, various aspects of contemporary social problems and policy processes are tackled by building a theoretical and empirical toolkit sharpened by real-life examples from professionals in the field. You will also embark on the 'Academic Professional' course. This course covers the entire year and will help you develop your professional identity in preparation for the labour market. 

You will choose 3 of 4 themes to delve into:

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

We believe in the importance of linking theories and contemporary theories to tackle important societal issues. While delving into three different themes using a sociological lens, students will also have the opportunity to explore intersecting societal issues, for instance, domestic violence as a topic linking care and crime, or online bullying as a topic linking digital social research and crime.

Your internship and thesis will be closely related. During your internship, you will do research at an organisation or company. Institutions where students may do an internship and conduct research include: policymaking and policy-evaluation units of municipal, provincial, national or international governments, semi-government agencies and strategic policy units within large companies, consultancies and NGOs. For students who want to profile themselves as experts in one of the four themes we tackle in period two, we will offer support in finding an internship and thesis topic that match the theme (or intersecting theme) as closely as possible.