The Master's degree program in Social Economics qualifies you to meet great challenges in business, government, and society.
The Master's degree program in Social Economics prepares you for management or key positions at social economic companies, interest groups, international organizations as well as corresponding educational and research institutions.
The program teaches you how to independently conduct research and gives you an opportunity to select a specialization, such as public and non-profit finance, gender studies, educational science and didactics, law, sociology, general management competence, social science methods, etc.
Key Facts
Degree
Master of Science (MSc)
Duration
4 Semesters
ECTS
120 Credits
Language
German (Level C1)
Location
Linz
Program
Full-Time
The Master's degree program in Social Economics allows you to deepen your problem-solving skills in the areas of business, civic studies, and society:
In addition, you can choose your individual area of specialization:
The Master's degree program in Social Economics gives you the freedom to learn how to work independently as a scientist and acquire the following skills:
Graduates of the Master's degree program in Social Economy can pursue a variety of occupations. You set your area of focus and determine your career path.
As part of the Master’s degree program, students are required to complete courses totaling 120 ECTS credits in the following areas.
SEMESTER | S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Labor and Employment | x | |||
Institutions and Policy Processes | x | |||
Policy Fields | x | |||
Social Security | x | |||
Gender and Diversity | x | |||
Democracy and Society | x | |||
Social Science Methods | x | x | x | |
Electives | x | x | x | |
Autonomous Coursework | x | x | x | |
Master's Thesis | x | |||
Master's Thesis Seminar | x | |||
Master's Degree Examination | x |
In order to be admitted to the Master's degree program in Social Economics, you must fulfill the following requirements:
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Department
Admissions Office
Building
Room
1st Floor, Room 113A/B
Phone
+43 732 2468 2010
After completing your graduate degree, you can continue your education by pursuing an advanced degree:
Do you need help registering or do you have questions about the program? Contact the JKU's Office of Student Information and Academic Advising (SIBS)!
What are the differences between the Master's degree programs Social Economy, Sociology, Civic Studies, and Comparative Social Policy and Welfare?
The academic degree program in Social Economics focuses on deepening and supplementing interdisciplinary problem-solving skills at the interface of politics, society and business. You learn how to look at social problems from different academic perspectives as well as play a key role in developing integral solutions.
The Master's degree program in Sociology is comprised of a comprehensive and in-depth theoretical and empirical analysis of social problems from a sociological perspective.
The Master's degree program in Civic Studies focuses primarily on contributing to democratic co-determination in the sense of being an "adult" citizen.
The Master's degree program in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare (COSOPO) is unique in Austria, offering an opportunity to study social policy from a comparative European perspective. Students can study on a part-time basis and part of the program is held at European partner universities. The COSOPO program is held entirely in English.
My undergraduate degree is not in Social Economics. Will I still be able complete the
Master's degree program in Social Economics?
Even if your undergraduate degree is not in Social Economics, you can still enroll in the Master's degree program in Social Economics. The pre-requisite is being able to show you have had 12 ECTS credits in the subject area of of Societal and Social Policy, 12 ECTS credits in Business Administration, and 12 ECTS credits in the subject area of Sociology. If you lack some of the required ECTS credits, you can still be admitted to the program on condition (in the form of taking individual courses, but only up to a maximum of 20 ECTS credits). Detailed information is available in the curriculum under §2 Admission Requirements.
Is the program offered on a part-time basis?
In general, yes. However, courses requiring on-site attendance take place throughout the day (such as immersion courses, seminars) so that you must have a certain amount of flexibility in your schedule..
How good does my English have to be?
There are no formal requirements for proficiency in English, however, you should be able to understand articles and textbooks written in English. During the semester you can improve your English through independent studies.
What are the options to specialize during the program?
In addition to taking mandatory subjects in the field of societal and social policy, the Master's degree program in Social Economics requires completing a minimum of two elective subject areas worth a total of at least 30 ECTS credits. You can choose from a broad range of elective classes. Some elective courses have no prerequisites, such as a main focus on law, philosophy and economics, a main focus on gender studies, main focus on social philosophy and philosophical anthropology, main focus on educational sciences and subject didactics, etc.
Subjects you already completed during your undergraduate studies also required for admission to the graduate degree program are excluded. This means, if you completed a Bachelor's degree in Social Law for example, you will have to take Labor Law, or vice versa.
Some elective subject areas allow you to choose between a main area of focus with 12 and/or 9 ECTS credits or the specialization field with 18 ECTS credits. If you wish to take the elective course "Public and Non-Profit Finance", for example, the prerequisites include having taken and successfully passed the introduction course to Public and Non-Profit Management (PNP 1).
You can only transfer credit for a maximum of 3 electives. If you do not wish to specialize, then you must choose 3 focus courses that will also appear on your transcripts. You must, however, complete these courses in full (any additional ECTS credits cannot count toward fulfilling the autonomous studies requirement).
You may choose an area of specialization and a focus within the same subject area - i.e. General Management Competence - providing you choose different classes.
What is the procedure to successfully complete the Master's degree program in Social Economics?
In order to successfully complete the Master's degree program in Social Economics, you must submit a Master’s thesis, pass a Master's thesis colloquium as well as pass a Master's examination. In addition to the Master's thesis, you must also complete a Master's thesis seminar. The Master's thesis should be between 70-100 pages. Additional information is available on the Gespol-Institute's Moodle page regarding academic papers as well as in the course catalog.
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