Program Overview
The MSc Comparative Social Change is a one-year program jointly delivered by Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin, providing students with the theoretical frameworks and practical research skills needed to understand global social change processes and pressing issues. It utilizes Irish social change experiences within a comparative European and global context, training in substantive topics related to comparative social change issues. The program is particularly relevant for students interested in careers in the public and private sectors, international institutions, and civil society organizations.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The MSc Comparative Social Change is a one-year full-time program jointly delivered by the School of Sociology at UCD and Trinity's Department of Sociology. It equips students with the theoretical frameworks and practical research skills needed to understand global social change processes and pressing issues. The program utilizes recent Irish social change experiences within a comparative European and global context, providing training in substantive topics related to comparative social change issues. It has a strong international dimension, drawing on experiences from Ireland, Europe, and countries like India, China, and Brazil (BRICs). The program focuses on advanced training in conceptualizing, designing, and conducting comparative research across countries, examining its role in policy development.
Outline:
Structure:
- 90 Credits:
- 60 Credits Taught Modules
- 30 Credits Dissertation
Core Modules:
- Introduction to Comparative Social Change: Concepts and Cases
- Globalisation and Social Change: India, China and Brazil
- Research Methods
- Dissertation
Optional Modules:
- Students must select a minimum of 10 credits and a maximum of 20 credits from each partner University:
- Comparing Healthcare Systems
- Global Solutions and Applied Social Change
- Nationalism and Social Change
- Religion in Comparative Perspective
- Sociological Thinking in the Digital Age
- Labour, Migration, Conflict
- Gender and Social Change in a Comparative Context
- The Migration Challenge: Comparative Educational Perspectives
Teaching:
- The learning environment is structured around a select range of core and optional modules at Trinity and UCD that critically examine major societal changes in a number of regions and countries across the world, and assess and apply current theories of social change to specific cross-country, institutional and individual cases, provided in small-group settings that encourage and facilitate in-depth discussions of comparative social change.
- Teaching, learning and assessment are based on critical engagement with the material and skill enhancement involving students as active participants in seminar discussions, presentations and practice-based examples of comparative social change; critical readers, thinkers and writers in their written assignments; and independent researchers in their individually supervised thesis.
Careers:
The MSc Comparative Social Change is particularly relevant for students interested in careers in the public and private sectors, international institutions, and civil society organizations. Students receive a solid academic training in social change issues - such as gender, education, and the labor market - which can be applied to real-world problems. This training has the potential to open up career opportunities in fields such as research, policy development, and advocacy.
Other:
- The program is suitable for full-time students who are interested in the study of international comparative social change to further their academic, research or professional careers in the public sector, private sector and civil society organisations.
- The core values of the programme are intended to encourage active, independent learners, who are critical and reflective about international society, and who ideally seek to participate in social change to improve the lives of all.
- The program is offered jointly by Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin, providing students with the opportunity to meet professionals and enjoy the structure and facilities of two leading educational institutions in Ireland.
€10100 / year - EU €18787 / year - Non EU Applicants should bear in mind that they become fully registered students at Ireland's top two universities - Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin - and will have full access to all campus facilities including the libraries, sports centres and postgraduate study facilities. Applicants will have a unique opportunity to study issues of comparative social change in a cosmopolitan environment.
