Sociology: Politics, Policy and Society in Comparative Perspective

Program and courses

This Master's program is socially, research and policy oriented. You address social questions related to issues such as populism, class difference, and globalization. You do this academically by doing research, but also practically, by translating these issues into policy, and investigating the effect of policy on behavior. 

• Taught in small, interactive workgroups with excellent individual thesis supervision.
• The Extended Master's program adds one semester to the total program to provide you with a half-year traineeship position to enhance your skills and gain relevant work experience.
• With a Double Degree program, you have the opportunity to earn a degree from both Tilburg University and one of our partner universities:
  • Double degree in Sociology and Social Research (with the University of Trento - Trento, Italy)
  • Double degree in Sociology and Population Studies (with the Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona, Spain)
  • Double degree in Sociology (with the University of Bamberg - Bamberg, Germany)

Related tracks

• The Politics, Policy and Societal Development track gives you a different perspective on sustainable development based on the theories and methods pertinent to the Global Management of Social Issues discipline. This specialization addresses societal issues and sustainable development from a sociological perspective.
• The Health, Wellbeing and Society track combines scientific insights from sociology and health sciences. With a strong collaboration with healthcare organizations, you will learn to become a specialist in the field of healthcare policy, societal resilience, and health and wellbeing.

Typical courses:

• Social Movements: Social Media, Democracy and Change
• Social Policy and Social Risks
• The Social Structure of Western Societies
• Politics and Society in Comparative Perspective

More on the program and courses

Career prospects

As a graduate of the Master's track Sociology: Politics, Policy and Society in Comparative Perspective, you are able to make a significant contribution to the analysis of and solutions to today's social problems. You are specialized in sociological research into social problems, and the impact of policy in areas such as labor, employment, culture, welfare, recreation, education or healthcare. You could work as a researcher, policy officer, advisor, or in management. 

Graduates work, for example, as:

• Policy Officer
• (Junior) researcher
• lecturer
• Advisor
• Scientist
• Journalist

Alumni facts

• Average number of months until first paid job: 7.1
• 70% of our alumni find a job within 6 months after graduation
• 82% would choose the same program again, at the same university.

Source: National Alumni Survey, 2021 | n=11

More on your career prospects

Application and admission

This program starts:

At the end of August and at the end of January

Best preparatory programs:

Sociology, Psychology, Social Geography, Anthropology, Culture Studies, Human Resource Studies, Organization Studies, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Pre-Master’s program

If your previous education does not entirely meet the entry requirements, you can do a pre-Master's program at Tilburg University. For this program, the pre-Master's program in Sociology: Politics, Policy and Society in Comparative Perspective is available to both Research University and Dutch University of Applied Sciences (hbo) students. The pre-Master's program takes half a year (30 ECTS) and starts at the end of August and at the end of January. 

Tuition fees and scholarships

International students find all information about tuition fees and scholarships here.

Interested in this Master's program?

Check your eligibility

Related Master’s programs

• Sociology and Social Research (Double degree with University of Trento, Italy)
• Sociology and Population Studies (Double degree with UPF Barcelona, Spain)
• Sociology: Bamberg – Tilburg (Double degree with University of Bamberg, Germany)
• Health, Wellbeing and Society track
• Politics, Policy and Societal Development track
• Research Master in Social and Behavioral Sciences