Based on the premise that people live together, sociology wants to understand and explain human behaviour: what do we do, think and feel? While a biologist looks closely at the physical aspects, and a psychologist studies the functioning of the brain, a sociologist focuses on society and the relationship between people and society. Who we are and what we do is perhaps most particularly determined by our relationships with others. These relationships can either be personal  (e.g. the influence of parents on their children), or social, i.e. between groups of people with the same characteristics (e.g. age, education level, gender, ethnicity), and who share a similar position in society (e.g. the influence of stigmas on the well-being of ethnic minorities). In addition, there are large organizations such as schools, multinationals, non-profit organizations, media companies and states that determine our lives (e.g. the influence of large mining companies on the health of Peruvian farmers). Looking to understand all this, sociology is the discipline that truly focuses on the study of humans in 21st-century society.

The Faculty of Political and Social Sciences offers three Bachelor's degree programmes, i.e. Political Sciences, Communication Sciences, and Sociology. From the first year onwards, you choose one of these three discipines.

• Bachelor

In addition to building theoretical insights into 21st-century society, the sociology programme focuses on developing three other competencies. You are trained to become a sociology expert, who practices the different steps of developing a research project. Armed with knowledge of social science methods, you learn to integrate new knowledge.  A sociologist’s thoughts and actions result in an oral or written final product. To this end, you develop various communication skills such as presenting, reporting and debating. A number of elective course units give you the opportunity to give shape to your curriculum according to your interests. International exchange projects offer the possibility of gaining experience abroad. The bachelor programme emphasizes on training professionals who are able to function under supervision in a variety of professional contexts. However, the main objective of the Bachelor's programme is continuation into  the Master’s, in which you actively and independently learn to set up and conduct research .

• Master

In the Master's programme you will perfect your knowledge of the core concepts, the main explanatory models, advanced research skills and approaches to general sociology.
In the Dutch-taught Master of Sociology, you immerse yourself in a subdiscipline of your choice by means of a major: Health and Social Demography, Culture and Education, Political Sociology, Conflict and Development in a Global World.
There is also an English-taught Master in Sociology, a programme that consists of three cornerstones: Applied Research, Internationalization, and an Academic Approach to Contemporary Social Problems.

In addition to the (domain) master described here, you can also opt for the Master's Programme in Teaching (in Dutch: 'Educatieve Master') educatieve master (90 sp).

Graduated sociologists are in great demand for their understanding of society, their research skills, their project-based way of acting, and their communication skills. An education in sociology teaches you to gain insight into social phenomena and to manage sociological problems, so that you are well-prepared for the independent execution of academic projects commissioned by a university, the government or a research department. In addition, as a sociologist you are also well-prepared to design, implement and manage actions for social change, as a policy advisor or non-profit organization staff. 

An education in sociology also yields benefits in more co-ordinating positions, when managing departments and projects within organizations (e.g. human resources). Finally, you can apply the skills you have been taught to interpret and explain social phenomena and sociological problems as a journalist or teacher.