Sociology

Labour market inequalities, ethnic and gender diversity, political conflict about culture and identity, and the vicissitudes of the welfare state are just some of the issues that define today’s public debates in the West. If you are interested in these or related issues, then the Sociology program at KU Leuven  is the choice for you.

KU Leuven organizes regular online info sessions. You can find more information on the KU Leuven website.

About the program

TheMaster of Sociology offers three specialisations with each its own study program. Choose the specialisation you are interested in and read more about program and application.

Culture and Societyoffers a program in cultural sociology. It learns you to study the cultural shaping of issues such as social inequalities, political conflicts, controversies about ethnic identities and contestations of the authority of science.

QASSoffers a program in the responsible collection and analysis of quantitative data bodies. It teaches how these data can be used to understand today’s social, cultural, and political issues.

Solidarity and Social Risks in Europeoffers a program in the organization of solidarity in Europe. It addresses the new social risks and challenges that have emerged across European welfare states in the past decades.

program structure

• Truncus communis: every student chooses two out of three courses that provide advanced training in social research skills. The options include a course on quantitative methods ('From Problem to Analysis'), on qualitative methods ('Advanced Qualitative Methods'), and on theory use in social-scientific research ('Sociological Theory in Action').
• Specialisation: students choose one specialisation including the master’s thesis. The master’s thesis is the written report about the research project the student has independently conducted under close supervision of one of the program’s staff members, all of whom are experienced researchers.
• Electives: students finalize their personal program by adding one or two electives so that their total study load amounts to at least 60 ECTS credits. These electives can either be selected from the two specialisations in the program that have not been chosen, or from a sizable list of English-language master courses in fields like cultural anthropology, economics, law, media studies, and many more.

Courses include:

• From Problem to Analysis
• Advanced Qualitative Methods

• Sociological Theory in Action
• Art and Society

• Race, Ethnicity and the Postcolonial Condition
• Culture and Inequality