Sociology and Social Research – Master of Science University of Cologne

The MSc Sociology and Social Research is taught entirely in English, and it welcomes students from countries all over the world.

The University of Cologne's Master's in Sociology and Social Research programme combines advanced training in sociology and social research with the opportunity to take courses in business administration, data analytics, economics, and other social sciences. By choosing this study programme, you will benefit from the multi-disciplinary strengths of the Faculty of Management, Economics, and Social Sciences.

The programme emphasises both scientific rigour and practical relevance. We build on a strong research reputation, regularly publish in internationally leading academic journals, and present our work at conferences around the globe. Since most of our research is empirical in nature, we collaborate with various organisations and institutes – which gives you plenty opportunities to gain practical experiences in private and public research institutes. Among other organisations, strong ties exist to GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in Cologne as well as to the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) and the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB).

The empirical and analytical focus of the programme will enable you to analyse social phenomena using state-of-the-art research methods and to carry out an independent research project. Upon graduating from the programme, you will be ready for a professional career in many areas as well as for PhD programmes in social sciences with us or worldwide.

The research seminar gives a hands-on approach to social research. Another module is devoted to learning how to apply scientific knowledge to solve real-world problems in organisations and society as a whole. The methods training is strongly application-oriented. Furthermore, the department hosts numerous research projects funded by international and national funding agencies.

By joining this programme you will receive training from an outstanding, internationally recognised faculty at Germany's leading sociology department (first rank in Germany in the Shanghai Ranking continuously from 2018 until now).

Furthermore, you will develop the valuable skills to solve real-world problems and challenges arising within organisations and our contemporary society.

15 June for the next winter semester

• The "Core Section" of this programme will equip you with state-of-the-art knowledge of contemporary societies and the ability to use sociological theory to understand the social world. A special emphasis is placed on learning and practising advanced methods for analysing cross-sectional data.
• The "Specialisation Section" will allow you to develop your own profile as a social researcher: You can choose seminars pertaining to your interests. You will learn advanced methods for analysing longitudinal data and will gain practical research experience in the research seminar – one of the highlights of the programme.
• The "Supplementary Section" will give you valuable opportunities to further develop your profile and prepare you for the labour market. You can choose among modules from business administration (marketing, corporate development, media and technology management), data analytics, and economics as well as from other social sciences.
• With your Master’s thesis, you will complete your studies, underline the knowledge and skills you have acquired throughout the programme, and be ready to continue your career as an expert in your field.

There is the possibility to apply for a semester abroad at one of the selected partner universities with a partnership agreement from the Master's programme in Sociology and Social Research. For further information, please refer to the website of the International Relations Center (ZiB WiSo).

No tuition fees

The semester contribution amounts to approx. 320 EUR per semester. The fee includes a public transport ticket for the regional transport throughout Germany ("Deutschlandsemesterticket").

Academic admission requirements include a Bachelor's degree or the equivalent in the respective field and an overall grade point average of at least 2.7 (German grade). Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• At least 18 ECTS in the field of sociology or social psychology
• At least 12 ECTS in the field of methods in quantitative social sciences and/or applied quantitative empirical social research and/or statistics

English language skills B2 CEFR

Please find more information and a full list of requirements here.

15 June for the next winter semester

Scholarships and further financing options

WiSo Career Services

WiSo Student Services