Bachelor's Program in Sociology

Read more about the bachelor’s program in Sociology

The bachelor's program in Sociology at the University of Mannheim imparts basic knowledge in the field of Sociology. The program is divided into basic and advanced modules focusing on four areas of study: General and specific types of Sociology, a comparison of European societies, social psychology, and methods of empirical social research.

In addition to the core subject of Sociology, you can select one of the following subjects as a minor:

During the integrated mandatory internship, you can gain first practical experience and in the Social Skills Module, you can improve your presentation, communication, media or IT skills.

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. That’s why the program has repeatedly done well in national and international rankings. In particular, the high quality of the research and the first-class study environment were recognized.

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

By selecting individual specializations during their studies, our students can position themselves in the broad field of sociology at an early stage. Our graduates are qualified for many careers:
In addition to a research career, you can also work in journalism, or in different departments of companies, parties, associations, international organizations or public administration. This includes consulting and strategy development, public relations, organizational development as well as human resources management and personnel development.
Other areas of activity include project and quality management, marketing and communication.

Read more about your career prospects for sociologists

Students of Sociology should

Degree plan
The module catalog offers an overview of the courses and their content. Please see here for an ideal degree plan and a sample course schedule for the first semester.

Studying abroad
It is possible but not mandatory to spend a semester or a year abroad during your studies. The School of Social Sciences is part of a global network and maintains partnerships with renowned universities. You can spend a semester abroad on six different continents. Usually, a semester abroad does not extend the duration of your studies, since credits that you obtain abroad are normally recognized by the University of Mannheim.  The International Office and the School’s exchange coordinators are happy to help you plan a semester of study abroad.

Career Development Module
Students learn about the career options available to sociologists during the Career Development Module. They gain some initial work experience through a twelve-week internship during a semester break. Their experiences are then discussed during an exercise course in the following semester.

With a bachelor's degree in Sociology, you can apply for the following master's programs at the University of Mannheim:

Master’s program in Sociology (M.A., taught in English)

Master’s program in Political Science (M.A., taught in English)

Mannheim Master of Data Science (M.Sc. taught in English)

In our selection process for the Bachelor's Program in Sociology, we take the following criteria into account:

• the 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, journalism, employment at a trade union, social organization, or church association),
• if you are not a German citizen or do not have a German university entrance qualification (Abitur or equivalent school leaving certificate), you must prove German language proficiency at C1 level.