Course Plan & Assessment

This section concerns the structure, modules, and forms of examination within the master’s program. The study and examination regulations serve as a formal precedent and can be seen as a contract between you and the university. The study and examination regulations summarize all elements that must be accomplished in order to acquire the master's title. We therefore highly recommend perusing them carefully and closely. 

• Study and Examination Regulations English Version
• Study and Examination Regulations German Version (p. 1371-1390) 

The following table shows you the recommended plan for the master's programme "Sociology – European Societies" with all its modules and ECTS credits. There is no obligation to complete the program in exactly this manner. However, we strongly recommend this study schedule as a blueprint for structuring your studies. Furthermore, it is important to note that the modules are offered only in a particular time period; for example only during the winter or the summer term.

Forms of Examination by Module with expected Scope & Form of Assessment

This chapter will provide an overview of the requirements of each module and scope of the exams.

The figure below shows the first semester of the master’s program with modules 1-3. Every module consists of one introductory course, which is a lecture and one main seminar.

For Module 1, “European Integration and the Development of European Societies since 1945,” it is required to take a 90 minute written exam in the introductory course (lecture), and to write one seminar paper (~3000 words) or three essays in the main seminar. The grade for this module will result from the written exam.

Module 2, “Sociological Theories of Social Change and Integration,” requires written tests in the introductory course (lecture) and one seminar paper (~3000 words) or three essays in the main seminar. The grade for this module will result from the seminar paper or the essays in the main seminar.

Module 3, “Methods of Comparative Research in Social Sciences,” has the same structure as module 1. One needs to write one exam in the introductory course (lecture) and one seminar paper (~3000 words) or three essays in the main seminar. The grade for this module will result from the written exam. 

Overview of requirements of each module based on the Studies and Examination Regulation 2013 (English)

Basics (Semester 1)

* Regular attendance is obligatory

Modules 4-6 are planned for the second semester. Each of these modules consists of one specialization lecture and one main seminar.

The modules 4 “Social Structure and Inequalities in European Societies”, 5 “Culture and Values in European Societies”, and 6 “Globalization and Regional Development” have the same structure and examination requirements. For all three lectures, a written exam is required. The grades for the modules 4-6 however, are given in the main seminars. In one of the modules, the grade is determined by an oral exam. In the two other modules, the grade results from seminar papers. The students are free to decide in which of the three modules they want to do the oral exam. It is not possible to do more than one oral exam.

Consolidation (Semester 2)

* Regular attendance is obligatory

In the third semester, the students are supposed to do their specialization with completing Module 7 and 8.

Module 7 is a research placement, in which the students carry out a small-scale theory-based empirical study. It is required to write a research report of the research placement of about 10,000 words. This report makes up the grade for this module.

In module 8, students attend two specialization seminars. In one of those two seminars, they need to write one seminar paper (~3000 words) or three essays, which is pass or fail.

The final semester focuses on the master’s thesis and its accompanying colloquium. The master’s thesis should be about approx. 24,000 words/80 pages long and is the last examination in the master’s program. More details on the master's thesis can be found here. 

Specialization (Semester 3)

Final (Semester 4)

* Regular attendance is obligatory