Programme syllabus for Master's Programme in Social Sciences (2024)

Decisions and guidelines

The Master Programme in Social Sciences comprises 120credits. The program currently has fivedifferent specialisations;

• Digital Media and Society
• Economic History
• Psychology
• Planning and Human Geography
• Social Work

Entry requirements

Digital Media and Society

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university.

Also required is:

• 90credits within the social sciences; and
• documented written independent academic work (i.e. one or several academic essays or papers).

Language requirements

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.

Economic History

Psychology

Planning and Human Geography

Social Work

Aims

Upon completing the programme students will be able to address advanced work assignments in public authorities, in organisations and in companies as qualified analysts, project leaders or project participants. A solid theoretical and academic in-depth programme will foster a capacity for analytical and synthetic thinking, preparing for independent research in the discipline.

Training in the scientific method is integrated in the courses and the main content of certain methods courses. The ability to independently identify, formulate, and solve problems is a central theme of the programme, regardless of discipline. Students’ ability to make independent and critical judgements established at earlier levels will also be further developed.

Learning outcomes

Goals Expressed as Expected Outcomes

For a Degree of Master of Science (120credits) the student shall

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialised knowledge in certain areas of the field as well as insight into current research and development work, and
• demonstrate specialised methodological knowledge in the main field of study.
• demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even with limited information
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues critically, autonomously and creatively as well as to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames and so contribute to the formation of knowledge as well as the ability to evaluate this work
• demonstrate the ability in speech and writing both nationally and internationally to report clearly and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences, and
• demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or autonomous employment in some other qualified capacity.
• demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for his or her ongoing learning.

Upon completing the programme students shall also

• be able to identify and contextualise processes of change on various social levels
• be able to carry out their own project work based on solid social scientific analysis.
• independently and critically integrate and analyse knowledge in the area of social science.

Progression in the Programme

The programme is a two-year Master, with a clear exit option after one year, with the possibility of taking a one-year Master's degree. Studying at the advanced level represents a clear progression compared with the basic level. The progression in the programme consists of either greater depth in the main field of study, preparation for research or thematic specialisation.

Layout of the programme

Courses in student's main field of study at the advanced level are combined with skills courses and elective courses that are taken together with other programme students from differing discipline backgrounds. The programme thus enables a broad schooling in social sciences in combination with

in-depth study.

The curriculum for the specialisations of the Master programme is based on a common programme structure. The centre of this structure consists of course modules comprising 7.5credits.

On the programme there are courses in student's main area of study (core courses), skill courses (common methodology courses for all students) and elective courses. The students take a least 60credits of core courses, of which 30credits consist of the Master's thesis. Skill courses comprise 30credits and are offered by the programme. The students also take 30credits of elective courses. Each specialisation has an outline prescribing the order of courses. The requirement for the thesis courses are decided by each discipline and are available in the course syllabus of the thesis courses for each specialisation.

Semester 1 starts with studies in a selected subject (major field) and two skills courses. Semester 2 consists of continued studies at the major subject department and two elective courses at another department or a one-year-master degree thesis. In Semester 3 students take two skill courses and two elective courses. The final skill courses prepares for the thesis. Semester 4 is devoted to writing the Master's thesis.

Instruction

Instruction consists mainly of seminars and lectures. Written and oral treatments of articles and literature where students present their own assignments are a central part of instruction. Mandatory elements are included in most courses. Instruction can be offered in English. For the specialisation in Digital Media and Society all instruction is in English.

Degree

The programme leads to a two-year Master's degree (Degree of Master in Social Science, 120credits; for the specialisation in Psychology: Degree of Master inScience, 120credits) in the respective major field. The degreecomprises120credits, with at least 60credits in the major field, including an independent degree project comprising at least 30credits. The programme can be concluded with a one-year Master's degree (Degree of Master in Social Science, 60credits; for the specialisation in Psychology:Degree of Master inScience, 60credits) comprising 60credits (in the respective major field), with at least 30credits in the major field, including an independent degree project comprising at least 15credits.

Other directives

Main fields of study in the programme are:

Economic History

Media and Communication Science

Psychology

Social and Economic Geography

Social Work