Sociology is a language for describing the social world. Mastering this language requires immersion in philosophy, mastering research skills, and the ability to produce clear and persuasive sociological texts. A graduate of the Social Theory and Sociological Research program is someone knowledgeable in classical arguments, sample design, social action theory, and big data analysis.
Potential careers
Academic research careers in the social sciences
Research reports and grant applications
International research projects
Investigative journalism
What you will learn
The main form of assessment in the program is written texts. Students will be able to improve their academic writing skills and create reports and grant applications
Students will learn how to work with complex academic texts: identifying a problem, recognizing arguments, and developing an independent interpretation of those arguments
Students will learn to create conceptual theoretical models and use them in empirical research
Potential careers
What you will learn
Academic research careers in the social sciences
Research reports and grant applications
International research projects
Investigative journalism
The main form of assessment in the program is written texts. Students will be able to improve their academic writing skills and create reports and grant applications
Students will learn how to work with complex academic texts: identifying a problem, recognizing arguments, and developing an independent interpretation of those arguments
Students will learn to create conceptual theoretical models and use them in empirical research
Head of the Program
Victor Vakhshtayn
PhD in Sociology, Professor, and former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Moscow School of Social Sciences and of the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
"If the Indiana Jones movies were true, the main character would spend 70% of his time in the library, and 30% would be devoted to expeditions.’ This thought, which I first heard from Teodor Shanin, accurately reflects the researcher's position. We find questions in theoretical texts and address them in the empirical world. A sociologist is always an adventurer and any good adventure begins with reading.
It has been twenty years since I heard this thought from Teodor. In that time, I have traveled to more than seventy countries, conducted about one hundred research projects, and written five books. Through my own experience, I have become convinced that Shanin was completely right. In addition, I was dean of the university that bears his name for thirteen years. So today I want to add a few of my own to his words: any research adventure begins with reading together. Science is a collective endeavor. Sociology is a language. Language is learned through texts. This is what we will be doing in our educational program."
"If the Indiana Jones movies were true, the main character would spend 70% of his time in the library, and 30% would be devoted to expeditions.’ This thought, which I first heard from Teodor Shanin, accurately reflects the researcher's position. We find questions in theoretical texts and address them in the empirical world. A sociologist is always an adventurer and any good adventure begins with reading.
It has been twenty years since I heard this thought from Teodor. In that time, I have traveled to more than seventy countries, conducted about one hundred research projects, and written five books. Through my own experience, I have become convinced that Shanin was completely right. In addition, I was dean of the university that bears his name for thirteen years. So today I want to add a few of my own to his words: any research adventure begins with reading together. Science is a collective endeavor. Sociology is a language. Language is learned through texts. This is what we will be doing in our educational program."
