Sociology

The Graduate Program in Sociology is designed for students who have gained undergraduate degree in sociology or other social sciences, such as social or cultural anthropology, history, political science, philosophy, law, economics, psychology, pedagogy, media studies, etc. One of the goals of the program is to cultivate in students the capacity of understanding complex theoretical explanatory schemes and the ability to master sophisticated research and analytical methods.

The composition of courses, however, is not led by the aspiration to cover the entire general basis of the discipline. Rather, cultivation of the abilities is sought to independently collect, critically process and creatively convey various kinds of sociologically relevant information. The accent is put on the independent preparation and work of students, under the supervision of experienced pedagogues.

The prevalent seminar character of classes develops in students the capacity to critically reflect on discussed problems as well as the dispositions for a creative team work. There are three types of courses in the program: General theoretical courses: these lead to independently, critically and creatively mastering basic theoretical concepts as instruments of the sociological analysis and interpretations of concrete social problems and experience of social actors. Methodological courses: these provide the students with knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of various methodological instruments of collecting and processing sociologically relevant data.

They cultivate the capacity to select appropriate methods and instruments of analysis according to the nature of a given problem and sought information. They also develop the ability to interpret empirical data adequately. Courses in field sociologies and thematically oriented courses: these deal with topics like cultural sociology, environmental sociology, ethnicity and ethnic relations, post-communism, migration, etc.

These courses are often related to a research conducted by the given teacher. It is in these courses that the analytical and interpretive capacities cultivated in theoretical and methodological courses are mnore deeply and systematically put in practice and applied to concrete problems and areas of sociological inquiry. The courses are conducted in English.

Access to further studies

Admission to a Master’s degree programme (one to three years) is conditional on graduating from a Bachelor’s degree programme. Passing the master’s degree programme opens the access to further study in the doctoral degree programme. Graduates are awarded the Doctor title (Ph.D.). The standard lenght of a doctoral degree programme is 3 to 4 years.

Example of study plan

1. year

Autumn semester 30 credits

Mandatory courses:

• General Sociology
• Seminar to General sociology

Choice from the blocks of courses:

• NATO History
• Migration and Transnationalism

Spring semester 30 credits

Mandatory courses:

• Seminar to Contemporary Sociological Theory
• Writing Sociology

Choice from the blocks of courses:

• Statistical Data Analysis with SPSS

2. year

Autumn semester 30 credits

Mandatory courses:

• Thesis Project

Research MethodologySeminar to Research Methodology

Choice from the blocks of courses:

• Current Issues in Cultural Anthropology of Post-Socialism

Spring semester 30 credits

Mandatory courses:

• Contemporary Sociological Theory
• Thesis Writing Seminar

Choice from the blocks of courses:

• Information Literacy

Free Choice:

• Study Visit

Anytime

Autumn semester

Choice from the blocks of courses:

• Cultural Anthropology: Culture, Tradition, Heritage

Spring semester

Choice from the blocks of courses:

• Changing Political and Social Identities in Post-Cold War Central Europe

Examination regulations, assessment and grading

Completion of a course means meeting its requirements in a manner of the following:

course-unit credit,

colloquium,

examination,

graded course-unit credit.

Please note: the term "credit" means passing the course (not a grading result), it is different from the term "ECTS credit". The term "graded course-unit credit" means special type of examination method and also differ from the term "ECTS credit".

The due dates of completion of courses are made public by the Examiner or the examination board Chairperson or another academic staff member appointed by the Dean in IS MU at least two weeks prior to the beginning of examination period. The number of dates of course completion must comply the type and form of course completion, number of enrolled students and course characteristic resulting from the requirements for course completion.

Specific admission requirementsAdmission to a Master’s degree programme (one to three years) is conditional on graduating from a Bachelor’s degree programme. Applicants applying for multiple fields (or faculties) at MU (except Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Social Studies) need to take only one test in a given year, as the result is valid for all applications for which the LPT is required. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 CAE score: (read more) Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is part of the Cambridge English suite and is targeted at a high level (IETLS 6.5-8.0). It is an international English language exam set at the right level for academic and professional success. Developed by Cambridge English Language Assessment - part of the University of Cambridge - it helps you stand out from the crowd as a high achiever. 75 (Grade B) TOEFL paper-based test score : 577 TOEFL iBT® test: 90

Accreditation

Masaryk University is a public university and all of its degree programs are accredited by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.