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Sociology in the Netherlands: Substantive Features I

Graduate Training in Sociology at the Department of Sociology/ICS Utrecht University Research Master’s program Sociology and Social Research ICS PhD program. Sociology in the Netherlands: Substantive Features I. Strong empirical orientation

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Sociology in the Netherlands: Substantive Features I

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  1. Graduate Training in Sociology at the Department of Sociology/ICSUtrecht UniversityResearch Master’s programSociology and Social ResearchICS PhD program

  2. Sociology in the Netherlands:Substantive Features I • Strong empirical orientation • Quite some focus on the integration of theory and empirical research • Quite some focus on policy relevant research that is theoretically and empirically informed • Less fragmentation of the discipline (in a theoretical / cognitive sense) than elsewhere • More collaboration in research projects and in teaching programs between scholars and between departments than in other countries 1

  3. Sociology in the Netherlands:Substantive Features II • Strong international orientation: • Incentives to publish in English, many publications in international journals and volumes • Dutch sociologists are rather visible at conferences etc. outside the Netherlands • Many international collaborations in research and teaching • Quite some non-Dutch scholars and graduate students (Master, PhD) at Dutch universities • Graduate programs (Master, PhD) completely taught in English; quite some BA-courses taught in English, too 2

  4. Research Master’s Program“Sociology and Social Research” • Two-year program (120 ECTS), full-time, leading to an MSc degree (Master of Science) 3

  5. Focus of the program“Sociology and Social Research” • Sociology as problem- and theory-guided empirical science • Topics and specializations: • Social inequalities: migration and stratification • Trust and cooperation • Households and employment, demography • Social networks and social capital • Policy studies and collective decision making 4

  6. Will You Enjoy “Sociology as Problem- and Theory-Guided Empirical Science”? The program has something to offer if you like one or more of the following: • Sociological theory à la Robert Merton and James Coleman • An empirical research project on how the network of students develops after their studies, and how this network influences their careers • Social psychology, political science, micro-economics as sister-disciplines of sociology • Philosophy of science à la Karl Popper • A good statistics class • An “analytical approach” to society: more interest (as a scientist) in “Sein” than in “Sollen”; being able to distinguish between science and political engagement 5

  7. “Sociology and Social Research”First Year 6

  8. “Sociology and Social Research”Second Year • Electives (15 ECTS) • International summerschool (such as Essex, Michigan, Ljubljana…) • One or two additional courses, preferably related to the master’s thesis project • Brief traineeship (at UU, elsewhere in the Netherlands, or abroad) • Two research seminars (workshop for discussion of progress of master’s thesis project with senior faculty as well as peers) • Master’s thesis (aim: a publishable research article) 7

  9. Combination of obligatory courses and opportunities to study according to individual interests • Obligatory courses: most courses of the first year (52.5 ECTS) – this provides a structured training program and a sound basis for subsequently pursuing individual interests • Opportunities to study according to individual interests: • First year: Field orientation and skills-course (7.5 ECTS) • Second year (60 ECTS): • Electives • Research seminars • Master’s thesis 8

  10. Typical Features of“Sociology and Social Research” I • A small group of students: 10-15 per year • 50% of the students from abroad, 50% from the Netherlands (UU Bachelor’s Sociology, UCU, other Bachelor’s programs of UU or elsewhere in the Netherlands) • Students from different fields of study (sociology, other social sciences like (social) psychology, general social sciences, economics, political science…) • Much interaction between students (including jointly preparing assignments, social activities) 9

  11. Typical Features of“Sociology and Social Research” II • Hands-on experience with social science data-analysis • Thesis as a publishable article (about 50% of the theses are indeed published, often in very good journals) • Other special features • Master class taught by a visiting professor from abroad • Mini-conference • International summer school 10

  12. Typical Features of“Sociology and Social Research” III • Careful and intense supervision • Students are involved in the intellectual and social life of the Department of Sociology and ICS Utrecht (workshops, seminars, lectures,…) • The program is demanding but doable: almost 100% of all students entering the program complete it without any delay, often with very good results • Excellent labor market position of students after completing the program 11

  13. Typical Features of“Sociology and Social Research” IV • Students with very good grades from previous studies are welcome • Are very good grades a necessity? NO! Quite some students entered the program with reasonable grades (GPA > 3.0) and completed it with very good results 12

  14. Furthermore • The program offers quality: • In 2010, the program has been evaluated as the overall best research master’s program in the social and behavioral sciences in the Netherlands. • Very favorable results of teaching evaluations (e.g., ELSEVIER) • Department of Sociology / ICS-Utrecht no. 1 in research evaluations Sociology 2009 and Socio-Cultural Sciences 2001 (comparative evaluation of research programs in sociology and the social sciences in the Netherlands) 13

  15. Life after the Research Master’s“Sociology and Social Research” • The PhD program of the Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS) • Join another PhD program in the social sciences in the Netherlands or abroad 14

  16. ICS PhD Program inSociology and Social Science • The Interuniversity Center of Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS): research center and graduate school at the sociology departments of Groningen University, Utrecht University, and Nijmegen University • Four year Ph.D. program in sociology and the social sciences; English as language of instruction • A new cohort of 10-15 Ph.D. students is selected each year in spring and starts in September, with full scholarships (“AIO-positions”) • Many Ph.D. students are non-Dutch, many have a non-sociology background such as economics, psychology, mathematics, computer science, history,… • “Life after the ICS”: Research and teaching positions in universities, research departments of government agencies, research institutes in the NL or abroad 15

  17. ICS PhD Training Program:Facts and Figures I • Each year, the ICS selects a new cohort of 12-15 PhD students • Sociology background: +/- 60%; other: +/- 40% • From outside the Netherlands: +/- 35% • Typically 150-350 applications per year • Sociology background: +/- 35%; other: +/- 65% • From outside the Netherlands: 35-50% 16

  18. ICS PhD Training Program:Facts and Figures II • PhD students have a salaried position for a period of 4 years; no tuition fees; salary is more than competitive with even the most attractive stipends at, e.g., US research universities (certainly so since there are no tuition fees) • Strong incentives for PhD students and supervisors to indeed complete the PhD thesis within 4 years • Timely completion of thesis or completion with a delay of less than 1 year: +/- 60% (corresponding average in the Netherlands for all behavioral and social sciences: 15%; for all sciences: 28%) 17

  19. ICS PhD Training Program:Facts and Figures III • 1990 – March 2010: 175+ defended PhD theses • Labor market position of ICS PhDs • University positions: +/- 60% (meanwhile many full and associate professors) • Non-academic research: +/- 35% • Other: +/- 5% • Unemployed: negligible (< 1%) 18

  20. ICS PhD Training Program: Substantive Features • Yeargroup: PhD students start together at September 1st; students follow all courses together • Each PhD student has a team of (typically: three) supervisors; supervision is regular and intense. • Each PhD student has applied for and is assigned to a roughly defined project and is expected to further design and specify the project during the first year; at the end of the first year, a complete project proposal is submitted for evaluation and funding to the Dutch Science Foundation (NWO). 19

  21. ICS PhD Training Program: Courses • Students follow three obligatory courses during the initial 18 months of the PhD program: • Theory construction and modeling • Writing a research proposal and a first paper • The integration of explanatory models with models of analysis and measurement, including a master class by a senior scholar from abroad Each course: several full-day class meetings; students prepare 2-3 days each week for the class meetings • Students follow additional more specialized courses depending on their specific project 20

  22. ICS PhD Training Program:Other “Ingredients” I • Program completely taught in English • At the respective location, each PhD student is a member of a small research group of some senior faculty, postdocs, and other PhD students who work on related projects, interact on a daily basis, and meet regularly in workshops • Thus: much interaction with supervisors, other faculty, and peers 21

  23. ICS PhD Training Program:Other “Ingredients” II • Traineeship abroad: 2-3 months during the 2nd or 3rd year of the project • 3 “Forumdays” per year: all ICS PhD students, faculty, and postdocs meet; PhD students present their project and receive feedback from peers, postdocs, and faculty • PhD students are strongly encouraged to present their work at conferences outside the ICS, in the Netherlands and internationally • PhD students are strongly encouraged to publish in scholarly journals (or edited volumes) while working on their thesis 22

  24. ICS PhD Training Program:Other “Ingredients” III • Course offerings related to “soft skills”, e.g.: • English for academic purposes • Writing and presenting skills • Career planning, labor market orientation • Contributions to undergraduate teaching: +/- 15% of the time during years 2-4 23

  25. ICS PhD Training Program: The PhD Thesis • Typically, a PhD thesis is a collection of +/- 4 research papers, plus an introduction and a conclusion chapter • Very often, at least some of the papers are published articles or they have at least been submitted • PhD theses in the form of a research monograph have become less common over the years • Each PhD thesis includes empirical analyses (more precisely: at least some quantitative tests of hypotheses) 24

  26. In addition... • Both the Researchmaster’s-program and the ICS Ph.D. program are small: favorable student:staff ratio, intensive supervision, faculty always “within reach” • Both programs: strong international orientation. Many students pursue some course work and traineeships abroad. Many students as well as faculty are non-Dutch. Faculty maintains an extended network of international contacts, publishes typically in international journals 25

  27. Conclusions: additional information • Ask questions now • Visit relevant web pages: • www.uu.nl/programmes/sasr • http://www.ics-graduateschool.nl/ • Department of Sociology UU • Contact students who follow(ed) the programs 27

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