The primary goal of the program is to enable students to deepen and broaden their knowledge of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of social pheonomena, structures and processes. In a wide range of courses on social theory, migration, religion, ethnicity, cultural policies, economic sociology, globalization, dynamics of modernity, institutional change, urban processes and gender relations, students are encouraged to articulate individual positions with regard to bridging the two disciplines in the topics they study. One of the main endeavors of the program is to develop the research skills of students by offering solid training in methodology.

Sample Courses for the Master’s Programs:
Key Issues in Sociological and Anthropological Theory; Colonialism and Post-colonialism; Social Memory; Urban Change and the Right to the City; Cultures of Capitalism: An Anthropological Reading of Post-Socialist Economic Transformation; Debates on Globalization and Development; Introduction to Research Methods—Quantitative and Qualitative (mandatory course); Ethnographic Methods; Ethnicity and the State; State Theory and Research; Logic of Social Inquiry (mandatory course)

Entry Requirements for the Master’s Programs:

In addition to meeting the General CEU Admissions Requirements, applicants must provide:

• a 500-word outline of their proposed research topic (1.5 spaced) for their MA thesis. The thesis topic should fall within the broad thematic focus of the department and the areas of interest of its faculty. Previous work in relevant fields as well as research experience in related areas, if any, should be also mentioned. Your MA proposal should specify your proposed MA research project, and why you think you and the project are a good fit for our department. This can include specifying your proposed topic and methods; a brief literature review which situates your project within existing scholarly work; the social relevance of your project to the world at large; and reference to your proposed project's suitability to CEU's Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology. We strongly encourage you to visit the CEU's Center for Academic Writing site. For further guidance on how to write a research proposal: http://caw.ceu.edu/online-writing-resources#Genres 
• two recommendation letters
• writing sample in English (for example a chapter from the undergraduate thesis).

Please note that we only conduct interviews for shortlisted PhD applicants. The department may want to do this by phone, skype or in person. MA applicants are usually not interviewed.

For information on financial aid policy for MA applicants, please visit CEU’s policy on financial aid. Questions regarding university-level financial aid policies can be directed to the financial aid office.

In exceptional cases, applicants with a three-year bachelor’s degree may be allowed admission into one-year master’s programs. The applicants should be aware that they may not be able to pursue a doctoral degree in the European Higher Education Area if they have accumulated less than 300 ECTS credits in their prior university studies. Applicants wishing to pursue an academic career should choose their master’s program accordingly (two-year master’s in case they completed a three-year bachelor’s degree, and one-year master’s in case they completed a four-year bachelor’s degree). For the list of conditions under which exemptions may be granted, please refer to the program’s website.