Course program

Core courses are credit, graded courses designed to provide students with a solid foundation in sociology and strong empirical research skills, while developing their abilities for critical thinking, problem solving, and effective written and oral communi¬cation.

Core courses are graded on a 30-point scale, according to the following scheme: (a) Below 18 = failed; (b) 18-23 = sufficient; (c) 24-26 = satisfactory; (d) 27-28 = good; (e) 29-30 = very good; (f) 30 with honors = excellent. Students are generally assessed throughout each course based on class participation, readings, and homework completion.

Students are required to complete six core courses:

• Theorizing in Social Science (24 hours, 3 credits). The course discusses how to construct, develop, and use theories and concepts for the analysis of social phenomena.

• Social Research Design (16 hours, 2 credits). This course provides a general introduction to the design of social science research, from research problem statement to data collection.

• Writing for Social Scientists (16 hours, 2 credit). The course trains students in writing research papers in social sciences.

• Quantitative Social Research Methods (32 hours, 4 credits). The course presents an in-depth overview of the most common methods of quantitative data collection and analysis in social science research.

• Qualitative Social Research Methods (32 hours, 4 credits). The course presents an in-depth overview of the most common methods of qualitative data collection and analysis in social science research.

• Current Debates in Social Science (32 hours, 4 credits). The course provides a critical examination of key issues and debates in contemporary social science.

Elective courses are non-graded courses intended to provide students with the opportunity to expand their research skills and to focus their studies on a particular area of interest. Each elective course gives 1 credit.

Students are required to take three or more elective courses. The choice is made in consultation with – and subject to the approval of – the Director of the ASEP Doctoral Program.

Elective courses are of two types: i) tutorial courses offered by the ASEP Doctoral Program, in which one or more students work on a specialized topic under the supervision of the instructor; ii) lecture courses offered by other doctoral programs and approved by the Director of the Program.

List of elective courses:

• An Introduction to Programme Evaluation Methods

• Data Sources for Social Science Research

• Education and Social Inequalities: The Multifaceted Role of the School System

• European Capitalisms and Welfare Regimes: Models, Challenges, and Future Paths

• Gender Studies

• Interethnic Relations in Multicultural Societies

• Introductory Statistics

• Labor Market, Employment Structure and Migrations

• Mixed Methods Research: From Ontological and Epistemological Issues to Methodological and Axiological Consequences

• Multivariate Analysis Techniques

• Networks and Social Capital

• Organizational Innovation

• Social Inequalities in Health

• Sustainable Development and the Digital Transformation

• The Art of Case Study

• The Concept and the Dimensions of Insecurity in the Urban Context

• Working with Customers in the Service Society

Students are required to participate in the ASEP Colloquium Series (1 credit), seminars held during the coursework period, in which distinguished scholars and professional experts present and discuss their work in progress, latest research findings, or professional experiences.

Students are required to take one or more interdisciplinary courses, for a minimum of 4 credits, from those offered by the University’s PhD School. Students are also strongly encouraged to attend one or more courses at a qualified summer school. Selection of interdisciplinary and summer school courses is made in consultation with – and subject to the approval of – the Director of the ASEP Doctoral Program.

By the end of the coursework period, students are required to write and defend a qualifying paper on a topic of choice. The qualifying paper is aimed at demonstrating the students’ ability to carry out independent research and to communicate findings in written form. It should provide an original contribution to social science knowledge and be written in the form of a publishable journal article. The qualifying paper is researched and written under the supervision of a faculty member and presented at a special departmental seminar.

By the end of the first year, students are required to write and defend the dissertation prospectus. The dissertation prospectus is a plan of the proposed doctoral dissertation research. It should be 15-20 pages long and contain a clear statement of the research problem and questions, a careful definition of the conceptual framework, a preliminary review of the relevant literature, a description of the research design, and a tentative timeline of the research and writing plan. The dissertation prospectus is written under the supervision of the Dissertation Committee and presented at the Annual ASEP Doctoral Conference.

By the end of the ASEP Doctoral Program, students are required to complete and submit a dissertation to qualify for the award of the doctoral degree. The dissertation is a book-length, original piece of empirical research that is of publishable quality and represents a significant contribution to social science knowledge. It is researched and written under the guidance of the Dissertation Supervisor and in consultation with the Dissertation Readers.