Global and Transnational Sociology, Social Science Research
Analyse policies. Understand change. Master the world.
Global and Transnational Sociology (GTS) provides students with the basis for making sense of globalisation and transnational connections in the contemporary world. National policies and cultures are increasingly related to events and forces outside national borders.
Political processes, cultural trends and organisations are inter-connected across the world. A critical understanding of these patterns and connections is the primary goal of Global and Transnational Sociology. With a special emphasis on sociological neo-institutionalism, GTS offers the students a toolkit to analyse the social, political and cultural forces shaping our global world. The degree also develops the students’ cosmopolitan perspective crucial for a wide span of careers today.
The studies are research-intensive. They integrate with world-class research being conducted at the Tampere research group for Cultural and Political Sociology (TCuPS), and with other specialisations within the Master’s Programme in Global Society. Global and Transnational Sociology provides our graduates a unique insight into the construction of major global trends, preparing them for incisive interventions in today’s globally connected world.
Master’s Programme in Social Science Research focuses on the contemporary issues and problems of governance, conflicts and policy in the globalizing world/society. The programme consists of the following academically independent specialisations with distinct study profiles:
- Comparative Social Policy and Welfare
- Gender Studies
- Global and Transnational Sociology
- Public Policy Analysis
Tampere University - Studying at the Faculty of Social Sciences
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Tutkintonimike
Suunniteltu kesto
Koulutuksen laajuus
Kaupunki
Kampus
Opintojen maksullisuus
Link to scholarship programme
Upon completing the specialisation of Global and Transnational Sociology in the Master’s Programme in Social Science Research, students will be able to:
- comprehend what globalisation is from multiple disciplinary perspectives
- understand a range of theoretical approaches to understand global and transnational processes
- confidently analyse global social change
- investigate transnational elements of local policies and cultural trends
- discuss relevant current literature, approach new scholarship, and critically present in public
- design, conduct and report academic research of the highest quality independently and in teams
- recognise, value and work with cultural diversity
- apply this knowledge in working life
The language of instruction is English.
Global and Transnational Sociology aims to provide students with the basis to critically analyse globalisation and transnational connections in the contemporary world. Covering a range of theoretical training, and focusing on recent neo-institutionalist approaches, GTS offers students a toolkit to analyse the social, political and cultural forces that are shaping our global world. The work of Tampere Research Group for Cultural and Political Sociology (TCuPS) offers an insight to the implication of these theoretical approaches.
Students will learn perspectives of understanding the contemporary world, will appreciate how national policies are made, will unpack the transnational connectivity in contemporary media, and will see into the transnational relations of civil society, culture and modern religion. The studies will also offer students the cosmopolitan and multi-cultural perspective that is crucial for many careers.
The tuition fee of the programme is 10 000 euros per academic year for non-EU/EEA students with a scholarship system for fee-paying students. For more information, please see Tuition Fees and Scholarships.
Studies in the specialisation of Global and Transnational Sociology in the Master’s Programme in Social Science Research consist of the following elements:
- Advanced Studies in Global and Transnational Sociology (90 ECTS) form the core of the degree. They enable the students to acquire in-depth theoretical, methodological and conceptual knowledge in Global and Transnational Sociology. The studies include a Master’s thesis (40 credits) which is an individual research project that enables the student to demonstrate his/her in-depth knowledge in an area relevant to the content of this specialisation.
- Joint Studies (17-22 credits) focus on general orientation to studies, research methods, language studies and academic writing skills.
- Free Choice Course Units (8-13 credits)
For more information, please see the Curriculum.
Global and Transnational Sociology is especially suited for students aiming at careers in social research, policy analysis and consultation, cultural analysis, media, international organisations, and international development. The primary aim of Global and Transnational Sociology is to attract high-quality students into an academic career in global and transnational studies. Therefore, the students will be closely integrated into on-going research and teaching in the field: for instance, the seminar sessions of Tampere Research Group for Cultural and Political Sociology (TCuPS) can be attended by chosen students.
In addition to studies in one’s own Master’s Programme and specialisation, students may take full advantage of the teaching offered by the Tampere higher education community ranging from technical to vocational studies in various fields.
The degree provides eligibility for doctoral studies in Social Sciences. At Tampere University, students can continue, for example, to doctoral studies in the Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences.
Carefully read through the general eligibility criteria and the programme-specific eligibility criteria and see whether you meet them. For additional questions on applying, application documents and application process, please contact our Admissions office. For questions regarding the content of the programme, please contact soc.studies.tau@tuni.fi.
Click to see the admissions criteria
Näytä
Eligibility criteria in the master's programmes consist of two parts: Tampere University's general eligibility criteria, and programme-specific eligibility criteria, which specify and/or add information to the general criteria. Applicant must meet both to be considered eligible. Applicants who do not meet both the general eligibility and the programme-specific eligibility criteria will not be selected as students in Tampere University.
General eligibility
To be eligible to apply to a master’s programme at Tampere University, you must have:
1. Bachelor’s degree - nationally recognized first cycle degree
- an applicable bachelor’s degree at a university or a university of applied sciences in Finland
- a bachelor's degree completed in a university outside Finland which provides eligibility for equivalent University master’s degree studies in the country in which it was awarded.
- with a minimum scope of 180 ECTS credits, three to four years of full-time study
- from a relevant field for the master’s degree programme that you’re applying to
- from a recognised institution of higher education
2. A good command of the English language for academic purposes. For more information, please see Language requirements.
Applicants in their final year of the bachelor’s degree, who are due to graduate in the spring of 2022, are eligible to apply if the degree will be completed by 31 July 2022, provided that you fulfil all other requirements and deliver officially certified copies of educational documents by 22 August 2022. In this case, they would be accepted conditionally. Their applications will be assessed based on the officially certified transcript of records which they submit at the time of applying. Please see special instructions for applicants in the final year of the Bachelor's degree.
Admission to studies leading directly to a master's degree will be based on the applicant’s bachelor's degree conferred by a university or a university of applied sciences. Depending on programme-specific admission requirements, the programme may take into account skills previously acquired by applicants when considering applications.
Please see detailed information on the General eligibility criteria web page.
Programme specific eligibility criteria:
To be eligible to apply to the specialisation of Global and Transnational Sociology in the Master's Programme in Social Science Research, an applicant must have a successfully completed Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, political science, cultural studies, or in a related discipline appropriate for the content of the programme.
When applying to a master’s programme at Tampere University, you must submit evidence of your good command of the English language for academic purposes. You have two options of demonstrating your English language proficiency: language tests or previous studies.
In both cases you must submit a document as a proof of language skills. Please see detailed instructions and additional information on the language requirements web page.
Tests and the required minimum results
TOEFL iBT/ TOEFL iBT Home Edition/ TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition
92 overall with no section below 20
IELTS Academic/ IELTS Indicator
6.5 overall with no section below 5.5
PTE Academic
62 overall with no section in Communicative Skills below 42
C1 Advanced, previous as CAE
C
C2 Proficiency, previous as CPE
C1
National Certificate of Language, Proficiency (English)
Proficiency level 5 on all the subtests (reading, writing, listening and speaking).
Please see detailed instructions and additional information on the language tests accepted on the language requirements web page.
Previous studies
It is possible to be exempted from submitting a language test score if you have completed particular studies listed by Tampere University that demonstrate your good command of English for academic purposes. Only studies that fulfill the criteria will be accepted, so if you apply without a valid language test result, carefully examine the exemptions listed by Tampere University and how to submit documents.
10 students.
Students are selected to the programme from those applicants who submit a complete application (application and sufficient application documents) by the deadline and fulfil the official eligibility criteria.
The student selection is made by an admissions committee based on the academic qualifications and merits shown in the application documents. Please note that not all applicants fulfilling the requirements can be admitted.
Students admitted to a Master’s Programme may be required to complement their earlier degree with complementary studies. The complementary studies will be decided at the faculty case by case (maximum 60 ECTS credits).
The number of eligible applicants annually exceeds the number of students that can be accepted. The student selection is made by an admissions committee on the basis of the academic qualifications and merits shown in the application documents.
In the selection process, the following judgmental requirements are evaluated as a composite:
- High enough academic performance in Bachelor’s degree studies
- General quality of all previous university studies
- Specific quality of all previous university studies: documented interest in Global and Transnational Sociology
- Evidently high academic and professional motivation to study in this specialisation at Tampere University
The applicants with the best combination of merits will be selected.
Admissions step-by-step checklist
- Check the general eligibility and programme-specific eligibility criteria of the programme/s you wish to apply. You are allowed to apply to three programmes at the same time.
- Read through the instructions on how to apply and start preparing your application documents as early as possible!
- Take a language test if required, please see the language requirements.
- When the application period opens, fill in the online application at Studyinfo.fi during the application period and upload required enclosures to the application. The application period is 8 December 2021 at 8.00 (UTC+2) - 12 January 2022 at 15.00 (UTC+2).
- Upload all required enclosures and send the educational documents by post to Tampere University Admissions Office within two weeks, by 26 January 2022 at 15.00 (UTC+2). The documents must reach the University by the given deadline and they must be delivered according to the country-specific requirements, if applicable.
- You can apply for a scholarship on the application form, if applicable.
- Wait for the admission results to be announced at early April 2022 (Originally end of March. Information updated on 23.2.2022).
- If you are offered a study place, remember to accept it by the given deadline. Pay the tuition fee, if required.
- Start preparing for your arrival in Finland well in advance.
- Register as a student and join the Tampere University community when the studies start in August 2022!
Additional information on application process in detail.
Online application form
The online application form will be available only during the application period at Studyinfo.fi. The application period starts on 8 December 2021 at 8.00 (UTC+2) and ends on 12 January 2022 at 15.00 (UTC+2).
You will need to upload copies of all required documents as enclosures on the application form. In addition to the general application enclosures, some programmes have listed additional programme-specific enclosures that are needed when applying to these specific programmes.
In addition to uploading the application documents as enclosures to your application form in Studyinfo.fi, you must submit the officially certified copies of your educational documents to Tampere University Admissions Office by post according to the Tampere University instructions. Applicants whose degrees have been awarded in certain countries need to pay special attention to the documentation and documents from these countries must be submitted in a particular way. These country-specific requirements must always be followed first and foremost, prior to the regular requirements.
Applicants must post the educational documents to Tampere University Admissions Office so that they arrive by 26 January 2022 at 15.00 (UTC+2). Please see the list of the required general application enclosures and detailed instructions on the Application documents webpage.
There are no programme-specific enclosures when applying to this programme.
However there are programme-specific questions on the application form and you will be asked:
- Please list up to five courses that you have taken relevant to globalization, global studies, transnational studies, and global sociology. For each course list: the title; level, language of instruction; grade awarded; name of university; and up to three sentences describing the content.
There is a small delay in the admissions process and the admission results will be published in early April 2022 (Originally end of March. Information updated on 23.2.2022). All applicants will be informed about the admissions results.
Please see additional information regarding the publication of student selection results and Tampere University rectification procedure.
