The interdisciplinary Master’s degree program in Sociology at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU) is experience-oriented, international, and flexible.
Experience-oriented: Sociology at the KU focuses on every-day phenomena and processes and is based on the principle that the first step towards knowledge is always experience.
International: Students may spend a semester studying abroad. Various international opportunities are also available in Eichstätt. The Sociology department offers a range of courses that are taught in English and takes part in an annual international summer school, which Sociology students may participate in as part of their degree programs.
Flexible: Students may choose methods of empirical social research and statistics as an additional subject in the degree program. In this subject, they have the option to combine qualitative and quantitative methods.
The subject can be studied in the Interdisciplinary Master’s degree program as a major or minor subject in the Aisthesis. cultural and media studies variant or in the flexible variant in the amount of up to 65 ECTS credits, in combination with at least one other subject and/or the Studium Individuale.
Students study classical and current sociological theories and the relationships between them (10 or 20 ECTS credits).
Students gain in-depth knowledge of the processes and dynamics of social and cultural change through a comparison of theoretical and analytical approaches (10 ECTS credits).
Students develop specific classification and causal analysis processes in contexts where they are typically applied (5 ECTS credits).
Students learn specialist data collection techniques that are used in survey research, such as factorial surveys and randomized response techniques (5 or 10 ECTS credits).
Students learn how to acquire knowledge of social and cultural processes through comparison and triangulation of theoretical analytical approaches (10 ECTS credits).
Students are introduced to research processes in the social sciences, from developing a research question to conducting empirical field research (10 or 20 ECTS credits).
Students discover the connections between individual disciplines and develop their independent critical thinking skills.
Students may choose elective modules from a range Master’s degree programs offered by the KU. This allows them to broaden and deepen their knowledge and also gives them greater flexibility if they choose to spend a semester abroad.
Students are introduced to fields where sociologists may work, such as market and opinion research, through an internship lasting at least 250 hours (15 ECTS credits).
KU students and alumni have voted for their University to be Germany's most popular university in the 2024 ranking of the online portal StudyCheck. This is the third time in a row, as KU was also voted the most popular university in 2021 and 2022. The ranking was based on over 78,000 evaluations for more than 500 higher education institutions and universities. 97 percent of students questioned for the ranking would recommend studying at the KU to others.
"There is no better praise for a university than almost 100 percent of students and alumni agreeing: I can only recommend studying at the KU! That is why we are very pleased with the ranking’s outcome, because it expresses the high level of satisfaction of our students," says KU President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien.
The KU maintains a partnership network with around 300 universities worldwide. The KU International Office supports students in the planning phase and provides information on different financing possibilities for stays abroad.
The Interdisciplinary Master’s degree program provides for an internship at a private or public institution, which brings students into contact with possible professional fields at an early stage. Students also have the possibility to complete their internship abroad; for individual advice and support in finding an internship and financing possibilities, the KU Career Service and the International Internship Service are happy to help.
The KU has two campuses: Eichstätt and Ingolstadt. Seven faculties are located in Eichstätt. The Ingolstadt School of Management (WFI) and MIDS (Institute of Applied Mathematics, Machine Learning and Data Science) are located on our Ingolstadt campus.
This degree program is taught on our Eichstätt campus.
The district of Eichstätt and the city of Ingolstadt are located in the heart of Bavaria. This central location also means that the KU is easy to reach. Eichstätt impresses with its unique combination of baroque architecture, modern amenities and the picturesque nature of the Altmühltal natural park.
Short distances and lavish green spaces characterize the KU campus in Eichstätt. The KU is a campus University with modern facilities. The buildings on campus are located close to the Eichstätt old town.
Studying at the KU not only provides you with the specialist knowledge you need, but also aims to open up real future prospects for its students. We want to support our students in finding their own personal path to their individual dream future! The question is not "What career do I want to pursue?", but rather "Who do I want to be?"
Some offers and study conditions are different for international students – our International Office is happy to provide help and support. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our team. We are happy to accompany you on your way to the KU and hope that we can welcome you in person soon!
The application process for international applicants is now completely digital. You can register online in our application portal and carry out and submit your application. After you have carried out the application and uploaded your documents, you do not need to send your documents to us again by post. You do have to submit certified true copies only if you are admitted at the time of enrollment.
Depending on the course of study, you may be asked for information on internships, professional experience, etc. Please upload the relevant documents in the upload area for all the information you provide, even if these are not mandatory fields!
Before you start the application process, please read the additional information on this page, in particular the information on the respective (German) language requirements and university entrance qualifications.