Eligibility
Selection methods
Eligibility requirements
You can apply to the Master’s Programme in Contemporary Societies if you meet the following criteria:
You have completed at least a first cycle (bachelor’s) degree at a higher education institution in Finland or abroad, or will do so by the deadline.
You have sufficient skills in English.
You have completed a sufficient amount of studies applicable to the master’s programme.
Admission
If you do not meet these criteria, you cannot apply through this application procedure.
1. You have completed a higher education degree providing eligibility for master’s studies
To apply through the master's admissions procedure, you must have completed, or will complete by the deadline, a higher education degree that provides eligibility for master's studies.
If the degree providing eligibility has been completed in Finland, the deadline is 31 July 2027.
If the degree providing eligibility has been completed outside Finland, the deadline is 31 August 2027.
You can apply even if your degree will not be completed during the application period. However, you must have completed a sufficient amount of studies applicable to the master’s programme by the application deadline. Studies completed after the application deadline will not be taken into account in the assessment of your application.
You can only be accepted if the degree you could complete with the study right you are applying for is sufficiently different in content from the degree you have already completed.
2. Sufficient skills in English
You must demonstrate sufficient skills in English at the application stage. For the methods of demonstrating your language skills, please see the University website.
3. Applicable studies
You can be admitted to the Master’s Programme in Contemporary Societies if you have completed or will complete the following by the application deadline:
Studies having a scope of at least 35 credits and providing sufficient knowledge and skills in a scholarly field or a closely related field of your prospective study track within the master’s programme. The content and level of the studies must be applicable and appropriate for the master’s programme and its scholarly fields, providing sufficient knowledge and skills for master’s studies.
Studies with a scope of at least 15 credits that provide sufficient knowledge and skills in empirical research for master's studies in social sciences. Please note that theses are not considered research methodology studies.
The applicability and sufficient scope of studies will be assessed after you submit your application. The University of Helsinki does not make preliminary assessments of the applicability of studies.
Applicable studies in the Master’s Programme in Contemporary Societies by study tracks:
Consumption and Markets
Consumption and Markets study track is primarily suited to applicants with prior degrees in Social Sciences and business disciplines such as Marketing, Management and Organization Theory, and all students with an interest and substantial number of course work dealing with consumption (e.g. consumer society and culture, consumer practices, sustainability, and welfare and inequality). The study track is suitable for studying consumer society and consumption phenomena with both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
Global Development Studies
Global Development Studies study track is suited to applicants with prior degrees in (global) development studies. Those with a substantial number of credits in (global) development studies along with experience in development practice are also considered, but development studies graduates are prioritized.
Social and Cultural Anthropology
Applicable studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology study track include a significant number of courses in the field of Social and Cultural Anthropology, covering theoretical, methodological, and substantive areas of the discipline, as well as courses in closely cognate social science disciplines.
Social and Public Policy
Applicable studies in Social and Public Policy study track include a significant number of courses in the field of Social and Public Policy, covering theoretical, methodological, and substantive areas of the discipline, as well as courses in closely cognate social science disciplines.
Social Data Science
Applicable studies in Social Data Science study track include (a) previous studies in social sciences with quantitative methodological courses, or (b) studies in computer science, statistics, data science, or computational linguistics, combined with some studies in social sciences.
Social Psychology
Applicable studies in Social Psychology study track include a significant number of courses in the field of Social Psychology, covering theoretical, methodological, and substantive areas of the discipline, as well as courses in closely cognate social science disciplines.
Sociology
Applicable studies in Sociology study track include a significant number of courses and credits in the field of Sociology, with courses covering a meaningful variety of theoretical, methodological, and substantive areas of the discipline.
Selection of study track
You must indicate your prospective study track on the application form. You cannot change this selection after submitting your application.
The Master’s Programme in Contemporary Societies offers seven study tracks:
Consumption and Markets (4 new students)
Global Development Studies (4 new students)
Social and Cultural Anthropology (6 new students)
Social and Public Policy (8 new students)
Social Data Science (10 new students)
Social Psychology (6 new students)
Sociology (6 new students)
The master’s programme can admit up to 44 new students. If the maximum number of students admitted to one of the study tracks is not reached, the other tracks can admit more students than the maximum number announced in advance, thus reaching the maximum number for the master’s programme.
Contemporary societies face urgent and complex challenges: widening inequality, cultural diversity, datafication, environmental crises, and political polarisation. At the University of Helsinki, the Master's Programme in Contemporary Societies (COS) gives you the theoretical depth and cutting-edge methodological tools to analyse these dynamics across Nordic, European, and global contexts. COS allows diverse orientations into these complex challenges, from focusing heavily on theory to focusing heavily on research methodology. Our quantitative and data science method courses provide a wide range of opportunities for students.