COURSE CURRICULUM

The master’s program in Public Sociology and Social Issues explores how major contemporary challenges—such as climate change, systemic racism, and the rise of automated technologies—emerge and evolve in the public sphere beyond traditional politics. These issues play out across media, social movements, expertise, activism, and policymaking, and the program equips students with the analytical tools to understand, navigate, and intervene in these complex dynamics. It emphasizes the development of students’ own engagement with public concerns, fostering critical thinking and the capacity to contribute meaningfully to societal debates. The curriculum is grounded in sociology while drawing insights from related disciplines, including media studies, science and technology studies, anthropology, postcolonial studies, urban geography, and gender and queer studies. Through this multidisciplinary approach, students gain advanced training in publicly relevant social science methods and perspectives. They learn to assess how social issues gain visibility, influence policy, and mobilize communities, while developing practical skills to engage with these processes. By combining theoretical knowledge with an emphasis on applied research and intervention, the program prepares students for careers in policy, advocacy, research, and public engagement, providing them with the expertise to critically analyze and actively shape responses to pressing societal challenges.