Using Psychology to solve Societal and Economic Issues
Master Sociology: Social and Economic Psychology
Key Facts
Degree:
Master of Science
Duration:
4 Semesters
Credits:
120 ECTS
Language:
English
Content:
Knowledge, theories and methods in Sociology as well as in Social and Economic Psychology are applied to relevant current problems and used to develop solution strategies.
International:
1 Optional Semester Abroad
This programme provides you with:
a solid foundation in sociological and advanced methods of cross-sectional data analysis.
in-depth knowledge of social and economic psychology, including advanced skills in decision-making, persuasion, consumer behavior and organisational psychology.
skills for planning, conducting and evaluating psychological studies.
general analytical skills for identifying, understanding and solving societal problems.
Studying social and economic psychology was very inspiring and gave me many new insights. I can already apply this knowledge in various areas such as my part-time job and also in my private life.
This programme is right for you if you:
have successfully completed a bachelor’s or equivalent degree in psychology, sociology, management or business administration, economics, political science, or another relevant discipline, in which you received at least basic understanding of statistics.
are interested in understanding the psychological explanations behind various social and economic phenomena.
are interested in furthering your analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills and wish to refine your writing and language skills.
would like to improve as a team player, because working in groups is often practiced in seminars and will be an asset to you within a working environment.
are eager to develop a profile that will prepare you for working responsibly in exciting areas
Prior knowledge of social and economic psychology is advantageous but not mandatory.
Maria Fernandes and Detlef Fetchenhauer about the new master's programme major social and economic psychology of the WiSo Faculty
Due to the programme’s interdisciplinary nature and also because of the diversity in the backgrounds, students are encouraged to broaden their horizons. Additionally, this program puts an emphasis on the area of business ethics and corporate social responsibility. Theoretical and methodological skills in sociology and psychology are continuously applied to current issues during the course of study.
Programme Overview
Preparing you to solve societal and economic issues
The M.Sc. Sociology – Social and Economic Psychology at the University of Cologne is unique in its interdisciplinary orientation and combination of different subjects. It is also characterised by its well-balanced composition of theory and practical application.
In addition, this programme, with its limited number of places (a maximum of 25), offers you the opportunity to actively engage in discussions with lecturers and fellow students and to intensively work together in small groups.
This programme provides fascinating and in depth insights into the different areas of social and economic psychology. In addition, courses in business administration (e.g. Marketing, Corporate Development) or other areas of social sciences can be chosen, which allow for individual specialisation. This programme is complemented by a theoretical and methodological foundation in sociology.
We give you the chance to complete your master’s degree entirely in English. You will receive training from the internationally renowned Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology (ISS). The ISS has been ranked as Germany’s top department in sociology (Shanghai Ranking 2018, 2019, 2020) and is known for linking sociology and psychology.
Furthermore, the two Chairs of Social and Economic Psychology take on a leading role within the programme: Prof. Dr Fetchenhauer has gained international recognition as a result of his research focus on social trust, economic lay theories and evolutionary psychology, and Prof. Dr Hölzl is an expert on economic decisions, affective forecasting and cognitive judgement errors.
If you would like to find out more about specific details of your master’s programme, you will find it on the program structure page.
International
English taught programme
The M.Sc. Sociology – Social and Economic Psychology is taught entirely in English. Therefore, this programme is open to students from countries all over the world. Hence, studies occur in an environment that is international and intercultural.
Optional semester abroad
The integration of the “Studies Abroad” module into the programme provides you with attractive options for spending a term abroad.
Career Opportunities
Skills acquired in the M.Sc. Sociology – Social and Economic Psychology programme prepare you for a broad range of international professional careers in private enterprises, civil service or in non-governmental organisations.
The special combination of methodical skills and advanced social and economic psychological knowledge, supplemented by further economic or social science subjects, allows you to develop a unique profile, which qualifies you to work in areas such as:
Organizational Development Coaching or Consulting Management and HR Development Market and Opinion Research Marketing and Communication Media
Trainee Programmes Academic Research
This programme offers career opportunities in a wide range of branches, such as in the private sector, in research institutions, public, private or non-governmental institutions.
Consumer behaviour has both individual and societal aspects. The choice of products, their use, and their disposal are influenced by situational, personal and social factors. Exemplary societally relevant dimensions of consumption are compulsive shopping, consumer debt, or sustainability.
Application information and requirements
Requirements and selection procedure:
A Bachelor degree or equivalent in the respective field (worth at least 180 ECTS) credits and an overall grade point average of at least 2.7 (German grade). Applicants must meet the following requirements:
At least 18 ECTS credits in the field of Social Sciences or Business Administration or Economics
At least 12 ECTS credits in the field of Statistics or Methods in Quantitative Social Sciences, or Applied Quantitative Empirical Social Research
Application in the case of unfinished Bachelor studies: In cases where present Bachelor studies have not been fully completed, application is permitted if the candidate has earned at least 80% of the required credits and will have achieved the remaining results by 30 September at the latest. The specific admission criteria governing the designated course of study (including the overall grade) must already have been fulfilled on the basis of the exam results available at the time of application.
The Admissions Board will communicate its decision by the end of July. Enrolment usually takes place in August.
The following documents must be uploaded to the Master's online application portal by the WiSo Faculty - certified documents are recommended but not obligatory. For enrolment, all documents must be presented in original or authenticated form.
Bachelor degree certificate | If you have not finished your bachelor studies but have passed at least 80% of the examinations (at least 144 credits in a bachelor degree carrying 180 ECTS credits), you can apply by submitting a confirmation of all credits earned so far, along with a provisional average grade computed and certified by your examination office. Please note that the remaining credits must be earned by 30 September.
Transcript of records | list of all taken modules and courses including grades and credits
Transcript of semester abroad | only if examinations passed abroad should be considered for the admission criteria as well | the courses have to be recognised by the home university as part of the bachelor programme and recorded in the transcript of records.
University entrance certificate | A-levels/ High school diploma
Official description of the content of all taken bachelor courses | e.g. course catalogue or PDF-file with link to course description at the website of the University (see FAQ 1.12)
2) Applicants, who did not obtain their bachelor's degree in Germany must additionally apply online via uni-assist until 15 June. For your online application, please select "Winter Semester" and search for "Universität zu Köln".
Please note, you have to document your education in detail. You start with the certificate from the last school you graduated from (which entitles you to begin university studies in your home country) and continue up to the current state of progress in your university studies. Furthermore, you have to hand in all documents in original language and additionally in translation either in German or in English language.
Uni-assist recommends sending in the application at least eight weeks before the deadline expires. This ensures that uni-assist can inform applicants in time if they need to submit further documents. Only after the handling fee has been paid, the application will be evaluated.
The following documents are required by uni-assist - certified documents are recommended but not obligatory.
(translated) bachelor degree certification or attestation of 80% studies and Transcript of Records | Please submit all certificates in their entirety: include the diploma certificate as well as the overview of subjects and grades. You must not omit any parts of the certificate or single pages. In order to calculate your grade, uni-assist needs the grading system used by your university for your degree. More information can be read here.
(translated) university entrance qualification | e.g. A-level, High School diploma
proof of English language proficiency
all documents listed above in the original language | Only if the original document is not available in English or German language. Information about translation and authentication of documents can be read here.
only for applicants with Chinese (except Hongkong) or Vietnamese bachelor’s certificates | original APS certificate| certified copies cannot be accepted!
please check whether you need to hand in further additional depending on the country of origin: country-specific documents
not mandatory, however, useful for the uni-assist evaluation:(translated) diploma supplement
Application and admission procedure:
Information on the application process and deadlines can be found on the application website.
If you are interested in more detailed information on the contents of the programme or the course of study, please contact Prof. Dr. Fetchenhauer, Chair of Social and Economic Psychology:
For students the WiSo Student Service Point offers not only advice on studying but also support on all aspects of career choice, career planning and the application process:
WiSo Student Service Point Phone: +49 (0) 221/470-8818
wiso.uni-koeln.de