Goals and Learning Outcomes

Of course, sociology isn’t just about studying society in an abstract way. In fact, your studying at AUCA will help you to better understand how contemporary society got to be this way and how your own life has been shaped by a range of forces.

In this regard, MA in Sociology prepares you for making choices about your life and career not just by providing you with a dynamic set of subject-specific and transferable skills, but also by encouraging you to think about your own position in the world, how you got here, and what your life could be about in the future.

Knowledge and understanding

You will gain knowledge and understanding of:

• sociological theory
• the historical development of sociology as a field of disciplinary inquiry
• methodological innovations and research design
• the philosophy of social research
• the political and policy implications of social research
• key developments in contemporary sociology.

Career-specific skills

You gain specific skills in:

• understanding what you are learning in your studies of social life and how this knowledge is useful to your own future, both in terms of your career and your own personal development
• carrying out an independent research project from inception to conclusion
• developing ability to conduct interviews, surveys, focus groups and interpret and challenge numerical data and statistics
• planning, organizing and carrying out a complex research project with international collaborators
• communicating in a clear and coherent manner in both written and oral communication
• designing a study to find answers, designing the appropriate instruments, coding and analyzing the data, reporting (orally and in writing) on the findings, and making recommendations
• based on the findings
• learning specific software like SPSS and MAXQDA to assist in data entry, analysis and presentation of findings