Study Sociology in Mannheim

Possible master’s programs

• Master’s program in Sociology (M.A., taught in English)
• Master’s program in Political Science (M.A., taught in English)
• Mannheim Master in Data Science (M.Sc., taught in English)
• Mannheim Master in Social Data Science (M.Sc., taught in English)

What causes social inequality in Germany? What are the differences between societies across Europe? In the bachelor’s program in Sociology, you will deal with current social issues and questions and analyze them using scientific methods.

The program teaches you basic knowledge in the field of Sociology. It is divided into basic and advanced modules focusing on four areas: general and specific types of Sociology, a comparison of European societies, social psychology, and methods of empirical social research.

In addition to your major in Sociology, you can choose a minor from a wide range of subjects. These include:

• Political Science
• Psychology
• Media and Communication Studies
• Business Administration
• Public Law
• Economics
• Applied Informatics
• Mathematics
• Bachelor’s degree subjects at the School of Humanities

During the integrated mandatory internship, you will gain initial practical experience, while the Social Skills module offers you the opportunity to improve your skills in the field of media practice, presentation and communication, or IT.

Interdisciplinary approach
The program has an interdisciplinary approach: Your minor, the career development module, and the social skills courses ensure that you are ideally prepared for the world of work. 

Top positions in rankings
This program has repeatedly achieved leading positions in national and international rankings. This is, in particular, due to high quality of research and an excellent study environment.

Personal support
Our students value the personal support given by the academic advisors, the opportunity to work in small groups, the good computer equipment, and the library’s long opening hours.

Thanks to the opportunity to choose your own specializations, you can start focusing on specific career paths in the field of sociology early on in your studies. Possible areas of work for our graduates include:

• journalism
• companies
• political parties and associations
• international organizations
• public administration 

You also have various options regarding your specific field of activity:

• consulting and strategy development
• public relations, marketing, and communication
• organizational development
• human resources management and development
• project and quality management

As a master’s graduate, you can also pursue a career in research. 

More information on career prospects and career opportunities for sociologists

Career development module and internships
In the career development module, we introduce you to potential career paths for sociologists. By completing a twelve-week internship during the semester break, you will gain initial practical experience. You can also split up your internship and complete parts of it during the lecture period. One possible way to do this is by working as a student assistant. Our internship manager will be happy to provide individual advice. In a subsequent exercise course, you will discuss your internship experiences with the group.

If you wish to study Sociology, you should 

• be interested in society, social contexts, and questions related to social sciences,
• be capable of analytical and critical thinking,
• enjoy working with complex texts, theories, and methods,
• have a good level of English proficiency,
• enjoy debating, and
• not be afraid of mathematics and stochastics. 

The bachelor’s program in Sociology is currently selective. The following selection criteria are taken into account:

• grade average achieved in your university entrance qualification
• the grades achieved in Mathematics and English
• other achievements relevant to your application (such as experience in a federal, state, or local public administration, public relations work for a political party, journalistic activities for the press or the media, work in interest groups such as trade unions, social organizations, or church associations)