
Faculty of Social Sciences
At the Faculty of Social Sciences, we research society, social change and people’s welfare, health and functional ability. The Faculty educates independent professionals for a changing, ever more complex world and engages in critical debate on the status of society and the direction in which it is developing.
The Faculty consists of four Units, which are
News
Research
The Faculty of Social Sciences brings together research on society and health in a new way, and its contribution helps to solve different welfare challenges. The Faculty’s internationally high level, multidisciplinary know-how ranges from understanding the long processes of social change to topical questions on the structure of society, institutions and everyday life.
The Focal Points of Research
The establishment of this new Faculty – one with wide-ranging know-how – will help answer some of the core challenges that our changing society will face in the coming decades. In the field of research on society and health, the Faculty produces topical and critical research that has independent value in answering social problems. While acknowledging that strong academic disciplines are the cornerstone of research, the Faculty’s new strengths are concentrated in areas of multidisciplinary focus that extend beyond traditional boundaries. The new Faculty’s strong research themes cover a wide range of fields:
- Social cognition and interaction (HIP-Lab)
- Gender and body
- Migration, multiculturalism
- Childhood, youth and family research (PERLA)
- Ageing and the health and functional ability of the older adults (GEREC)
- Working life, well-being at work and occupational health (WRC)
- Welfare services
- Causes of cancer, reducing the causes and effects of the disease
- Cultures of politics and governance (TaSTI)
- Science, technology and innovations (TaSTI)
- Violence, conflicts and peaceful change (TAPRI)
- Social theory
- Social history (HEX, Trivium)
Research in Disciplines
Faculty of Social Sciences conducts topical and critical research on society and culture. The research is carried out in research centres and the following Faculty’s disciplines and their joint projects:
History, Philosophy and Literary Studies
Welfare Sciences
- Logopedics
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Vocology
- Biostatistics
- Epidemiology
- Gerontology
- Global Health
- Health in Society (Health and Social Policy, Health Sociology, Health Services Research, Health Care Management and Health Economics)
- Nursing Science
- Public Health
- Social Psychiatry
- Occupational Health
- Gender Studies
- Peace Research (TAPRI)
- Social Anthropology
- Social Policy
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
- Youth Work and Youth Research
Research Centres and Other Reasearch Communities
Research Centres and Other Research Communities
Faculty of Social Sciences has several research centres funded by different external actors (foundations, organisations, the Academy of Finland, TEKES etc.).
Centre of Excellence
HEX - Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence in the History of Experiences. What can we know about the past experiences, and how do we transfer them into accurate knowledge and historically informed decisions? HEX looks for answers to these fundamental questions by rethinking historical experiences, historical explanations and historical knowledge, and their place in the current world. HEX is nominated and funded by the Academy of Finland (Finnish National Research Council) 2018–2025. It is hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences (SOC), Tampere University.
Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care (CoEAgeCare) (2018–2025) coordinated by the University of Jyväskylä.
NORDWIT, the Nordic Centre of Excellence on women in technology-driven careers, was established in 2017. Funded by NordForsk, it is concerned with women’s careers in technology-driven research and innovation in and outside of academe.
Research Centres
Gerontology Research Center, GEREC is a collaborative effort in aging research jointly run by the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Tampere,
Narrare - Centre for Interdisciplinary Narrative Studies draws together the narrative studies conducted at the different schools of the University of Tampere. Furthermore, it functions as a platform for national and international collaboration in interdisciplinary narrative studies.
Prostate Cancer Research Center (PCRC)
Tampere Centre for Childhood, Youth and Family Research (PERLA) is a multidisciplinary venue of youth, childhood and family research.
Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI) is a multidisciplinary and international research centre whose mission is to conduct high quality research on the causes of war, on non-violent resolution of conflicts, and on conditions for peace.
Research Center for Knowledge, Science, Technology and Innovation Studies (TaSTI) conducts research into the functioning of research communities, innovation environments and science and innovation policies.
Tampere Centre for Classical, Medieval and Early Modern Studies (TRIVIUM) is a multidisciplinary venue for researches and teachers of premodern society and culture.
Work Research Centre (WRC) combines basic academic research and contractual research, which serves the actual needs of society. Research focuses on work organisations, their practices and networks, the labour market and labour policy, and welfare, social relations and gender in working life.
Research Communities
CAST
Emerging Technologies Lab
GHSP - Global Health and Social Policy
HoPES - Tampere Research Group for History of population, environments and social structures
Folklife archives
Human Information Processing Laboratory (HIP-Lab)
NSR - The New Social Research programme
Tampere Research Group for Cultural and Political Sociology (TCuPS)
Social Science for the C21st
Speech and Voice Research Laboratory
Research groups that are at work on cancer research at the faculty belong to our regional cancer center, Fican Mid, and to our local TAYS Cancer Centre.
Studies
The Faculty of Social Sciences educates students for the various sectors of working life; critically and independently thinking experts with mastery of extensive entities, who understand society in a variety of ways and know the means to change it.
Please see How to Apply -pages for more information on e.g. degree programmes, exchange studies and applying for studies at SOC.
Degree Programmes
The Faculty of Social Sciences offers eight degree programmes (Bachelor 180 ECTS + Master 120 ECTS) in Finnish:
Degree Programme in Health Sciences
Degree Programme in History
Degree programme in Literary Studies
Degree Programme in Logopedics
Degree Programme in Philosophy
Degree Programme in Psychology
Degree Programme in Social Sciences
Degree Programme in Social Work
Master's Degree Programmes
The Faculty offers six international Master's degree programmes (120 ECTS) in English:
Master's Programme in Social Science Research:
- Comparative Social Policy and Welfare
- Gender Studies
- Global and Transnational Sociology
- Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research
- Public Policy Analysis
Public and Global Health:
Minor study programmes
North American Studies programme (NAM): In Student's Guide, North American Studies -site.
Doctoral Studies
The Doctoral degree takes approximately four years and is worth 240 ECTS credits. Doctoral studies require independent research and a Doctoral dissertation. All doctoral students of the University are members of a doctoral programme and of the University Doctoral School. The Faculty hosts eight doctoral degree programmes that cover the fields of Humanities, Medicine, Psychology, Health Sciences and Social Sciences.
Doctoral Programmes at the Faculty of Social Sciences (SOC) -page summarises the doctoral programmes, degrees and fields of study in the programmes.
Doctoral Programme in Health Sciences
Doctoral Programme in History
Doctoral Programme in Literary Studies
Doctoral Programme in Medicine
Doctoral Programme in Philosophy
Doctoral Programme in Psychology and Logopaedics
Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences
International Doctoral Programme in Epidemiology (IPPE)
Open University Studies
The course offering of the Open University consists of separate courses as well as course entities of the degrees of the University of Tampere. The Open University is for everyone - regardless of age and previous studies. Teaching is organised in Tampere, Seinäjoki and Pori. In addition, distance learning is possible on many courses. Open University courses
Faculty
The Faculty of Social Sciences is a community of about 3,000 students and 430 employees, and its profile is firmly placed at the centre of the University of Tampere’s areas of strength: teaching and research in the fields of society and health. The teaching and research at the Faculty support people’s welfare, health and functional ability in our globalising and complex world, and the Faculty offers important contributions to solving various welfare challenges.
Faculty Administration
Dean
Juho Saari
rm. Linna 6062
tel. +358 (0)40 828 1027
Vice Dean for Education
Marko Salonen
rm. Linna 5079
tel. +358 (0)50 318 6210
Vice Dean for Research
Sami Pirkola
rm. ARVO B338
tel. +358 (0)50 318 7267
Executive Assistant
Marjo Silvala
rm. Linna 6110
tel. +358 (0)50 327 5931
Special Adviser
Heli Pispa
rm. Linna 6058
tel. +358 (0)50 520 2926
Heads of Units
History, Philosophy and Literature: Marjaana Niemi
Welfare Sciences: Timo Harrikari
Health Sciences: Marja Kaunonen
Social Research: Johanna Ruusuvuori
Heads of Degree Programmes
Philosophy: Panu Raatikainen
History: Mervi Kaarninen
Literature: Mari Hatavara
Logopaedics: Leena Rantala
Psychology: Elina Vierikko
Social Work: Kirsi Juhila
Health Sciences: Jutta Pulkki
Social Sciences: Noora Ellonen
Heads of Doctoral Programmes
Health Sciences: Kirsi Lumme-Sandt
History: Raisa Toivo
International Doctoral Programme in Epidemiology (IPPE): Pekka Nuorti
Literature: Sari Kivistö
Medicine: Anssi Auvinen
Philosophy: Jani Hakkarainen
Psychology and Logopaedics: Jari Hietanen
Social Sciences: Semi Purhonen
Contacts
Postal address:
Faculty of Social Sciences (SOC)
33014 TAMPERE UNIVERSITY
FINLAND
Visiting address:
Linna-building, 6. floor., Kalevantie 5
Kauppi campus (Health Sciences)
Postal address:
PL 100
33014 TAMPERE UNIVERSITY
FINLAND
Visiting address:
Arvo, 3. floor
Arvo Ylpön katu 34
33520 TAMPERE
Personnel:
Please use University's People Search
Guidelines for Applying for the Title of Docent
The University may, upon application, award the title of docent to individuals who have a comprehensive knowledge of their field, a capacity for independent research or artistic work demonstrated through publications or some other manner, and good teaching skills.
Criteria, application procedure and faculty-speficic instructions