Sociology (Bachelor)

Programme content, study objectives and professional fields

Sociological expertise for society(s) in transition: the Bachelor's degree program in Sociology at the University of Vienna

Social dynamics and multiple crises pose major challenges for societies. Sociological expertise contributes to classifying and analyzing current developments, assessing their consequences for society and developing approaches to solving problems. The aim of the BA degree program in Sociology is to provide the basis for this expertise.

In the Bachelor's degree program in Sociology, students acquire basic subject-specific as well as interdisciplinary qualifications. They acquire a wide range of skills and abilities to describe, analyze and interpret society. The focus is on qualifications that prepare students for a practice-oriented professional activity and further academic training. Students acquire the following skills:

1. Sociological competences (basic knowledge of key terms, concepts and theories, knowledge of the structure and dynamics of society at different levels from the individual to global society, exemplary knowledge of selected fields of research and application)
2. Methodological skills (knowledge of the basic methods and procedures of quantitative and qualitative/interpretative social research, skills in the application of social science data collection and data analysis techniques, ability to assess the methodological quality of research work)
3. Interdisciplinary skills (scientific work, critical examination of texts, communication skills, self-organised and project-specific work in teams, knowledge transfer and knowledge transfer to different fields of practice, digital skills adapted to current technological developments)

In addition, the degree programme enables the development of a reflective attitude, which is characterised by, among other things:

• Application of a scientific perspective and a sociological way of thinking that critically scrutinises everyday knowledge and common routines and makes the supposedly self-evident the subject of study
• Willingness to use the skills acquired in the degree programme to shape human coexistence and overcome social challenges and to contribute to an enlightened social discourse
• Self-critical assessment of their own actions and willingness to constructively engage with criticism

Graduates of the Bachelor's degree programme in Sociology are able to analyse the structure of society, social processes as well as interpretations and social actions of individuals and collectives, to contribute to the development of solutions for social problems and thus to help shape society. Their expertise is used in various professional fields, including university and non-university research and (further) education institutions, private and public institutions (e.g. public administration, welfare state institutions, interest groups, commercial enterprises, the media, cultural and NGO sector) as well as regional, national, international and transnational organisations.

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