The Institute of Sociology is part of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Science (WISO) of the University Bern and holds three full professorships. These include the following chairs: A Chair of General Sociology (Prof. Dr. Christian Joppke), a Chair of Methods of Empirical Social Research (Prof. Dr. Axel Franzen) and a Chair of Social Structure Analysis (Prof. Dr. Ben Jann).
Sociological research at the University of Bern combines the both equally relevant fields of basic theoretical and methodological research with research on contemporary sociological questions. It is dedicated to advancing the discipline by addressing present day issues such as migration, environmental sociology, sustainable development as well as social inequality and labor markets. Other main research areas at the institute are game theory, comparative political and cultural sociology and network and social capital research. Since 2014, the institute hosts the SNSF funded infrastructure project Transition from Education to Employment (TREE). Furthermore, the institute is closely associated with the Interfaculty Centre for Educational Research (ICER), which was founded in 2018.
The aim of our reaching is to equip students with the central theoretical and methodological skills that allow for independent analysis of sociological questions throughout their academic and professional careers. The Institute of Sociology seeks to ensure successful and swift transition to the labor market after completion of the university degree. In addition to imparting the core teachings of our discipline to our students, the Institute of Sociology is strongly committed to promoting interdisciplinarity at all levels of academic education.
Our undergraduate program is dedicated to general studies of social science and includes introductory courses to all disciplines of the faculty during the first year. The second and third years concentrate on deepening the student knowledge in the fields of sociology and political science. Undergraduate studies are completed with the degree "Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences" (180 ECTS-Credits).
The institute offers a three-semester postgraduate program, which leads to the degree "Master of Arts in Sociology" (90 ECTS-Credits). To account for the international positioning of the University of Bern, the Institute offers a variety of courses in English at the bachelor's and master's level.
Especially talented and ambitious students are encouraged to complete a doctoral program of another three to four years of studies to acquire the title "Doctor Rerum Socialum".
