521221 - Studies in European Societies

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Studies in European Societies - SES

The European societies are facing new challenges: Globalization, European integration and enlargement are changing not only the European nation states, but also their neighbours in the East. The increasing interdependence and complexity of political, economic, social and cultural processes affect all neighbouring European societies.

The Faculty of Sociology of Saint-Petersburg State University in cooperation with Bielefeld University (Germany) will offer a MA program that reflects these challenges. The two-year Master of Sociology degree "Studies in European Societies" (SES) is the first of its kind in Russia.

The program is designed for highly motivated students who want to pursue a career in the developing European-Russian relations and get executive positions in political agencies, non-profit organizations or private businesses, whether on the local, regional, national or international level. The multidisciplinary program equips future decision makers with the scientific knowledge and practical experience they will need to advance the European-Russian relations.

The SES program has an international outlook. It will be taught in English by a team of Russian and German lecturers.

Russian university graduates with a degree in the humanities and, in particular, in social sciences, and good knowledge of English will be especially welcome to apply. MA program students will acquire basic and specialised knowledge of the structures, processes and problems of modern European societies in 25 compulsory courses (lectures, seminars, study groups). The research and practical training in suitable international organisations in Russia or Germany will give students a wide range of professional opportunities in the field of extending Russian-European cooperation. Graduates will have the necessary skills to work for non-governmental organizations, European and Russian foundations, international companies and industrial enterprises, the tourism industry, and the mass media. There are also opportunities for post-graduate study in Germany or Russia.

An education with an innovative outlook :

a multidisciplinary approach

The complexity of modern European societies can only be understood to a limited extent from the perspective of specialised academic disciplines. To be able to comprehend these societies and to take part in their development, future executives and experts need a multidisciplinary education that provides fundamental expertise and knowledge of methods in social sciences: sociology, political science, institutional economics and cultural studies. The multidisciplinary approach of the SES program is reflected in its modular structure.

practice-related studies

All courses within the SES program are taught with an eye on practical examples and with a professional orientation. A compulsory "practical module" is part of the curriculum. An essential part of the curriculum is an internship with international organisations (firms, NGOs and others) in Russia or Germany, along with special preparation and evaluation seminars.

international orientation

Globalization cannot but affect among others the sphere of higher education. Therefore, the curriculum of the program is oriented towards integration into the European space for higher education including the use of Credit Point System "ECTS" promoting academic mobility. Additional language training in English and German is part of the curriculum.

… and a well-tempered curriculum

With its well-balanced mixture of curricular content - combining theories and methods of social science as well as problem-oriented topics - the SES program provides for a thorough understanding of modern European societies.

Curriculum Outline

• Introductory Module
  Teaching and Studying the SES program - Theoretical Foundations of the Social Science Disciplines - Methodology of Comparative Studies
  • 0.1 Methodological Base of Social Science Cognition
  • 0.2 Classical Theoretical Foundations of Studies in European Societies (Disciplinary and Multidisciplinary Approaches)
  • 0.3 Modern Theoretical Foundations of Studies in European Societies (Disciplinary and multidisciplinary Approaches)
  • 0.4 Methodology of Comparative Social Research
  • 0.5 Statistical Methods in Social Research
  • 0.6 Computer Technology in Social Science
  • 0.7 Research Seminar for the Preparation of the MA-Thesis
  • 0.8 Theory and Praxis of Applied Research - Practicum Preparation and Evaluation
• The Political Europe
  Europeanisation of Politics - Nation States - Borderlines
  • 1.1 Constitutional Principles of European Democracies: the National, Supranational, and Global Level
  • 1.2 EU Governance and European Constitutionalisation (incl. European Intergovernmental Organisations and EU Relations to World Politics)
  • 1.3 Redefining Political Relationships between Europe and the NIS
  • 1.4 Nationalistic/Ethnic/Religious Conflicts and Cooperation in Europe
  • 1.5 Processes of Political Unification or Disintegration on the Level of European Nation States
• The Economic Europe
  Transition of Market Systems - Extending European Markets - Economic Globalisation
  • 2.1 The European Regimes of Production and Consumption
  • 2.2 European Market Economies between Global Competition, Regionalisation, and Political Regulation
  • 2.3 Labour Markets, Labour Market Performance, and Employment Policies
  • 2.4 Industrial Relations: Legal Framework, Collective Bargaining, and Deregulation
  • 2.5 Political Economy of the European Integration
• The Social Europe
  Transitions of Social Structures - New Social Policies in Europe
  • 3.1 Evolution and Institutionalization of Social Welfare Systems
  • 3.2 Differentiation and Social Inequality in European Countries
  • 3.3 Challenges and Crisis of Welfare Institutions in Western and Eastern Europe
  • 3.4 Social Security and Personal Risks (Illness, Invalidity, Old Age)
  • 3.5 Social Security and Socio-Economic Risks (Unemployment, Poverty)
• The Multicultural Europe
  Differentiations and Redefinitions of Cultures in Europe
  • 4.1 Normative Foundations of European Civil Society
  • 4.2 Authenticity and Identity: Nations, People, and Religions
  • 4.3 Changing Identities inside and beyond the Nation State
  • 4.4 Migration into and inside Europe and Politics of Exclusion/Integration
  • 4.5 Minorities in Europe - Identities, Rights, and Models of Integration
• English and German Language Training

To learn more about the SES program, please, contact

Dr. Elena Shershneva (Director of program)	Phone number (812) 516 62 50 e-mail eshershneva@yandex.ru
Smirnova Natalja (Head of the Administration)	Phone number (812) 324 08 85 e-mail smirnova@zdes.spb.ru
Krylova Alexandra (Teaching assistant)	Phone number (812) 274 23 82 e-mail krylova4@yandex.ru

You are invited

Our address is: 1/3 Smolny str., entrance 9, 3-rd floor, room 309.