Why a Master’s in Research?
Who is it for?
What does it cover?
The rapid expansion of social data in recent years has led to a significant increase in demand for professionals skilled in analysis and interpretation. This master’s program is designed to meet the growing need for expertise in applied researchfor companies, NGOs, institutions, and academia. More than that, it aims to stimulate curiosity, encouraging students to engage in identifying and solving important social issues. The program also fosters a social learning environment that promotes professional networking and idea exchange on theory and research practice.
Launched in 2006, the program builds on the experience of national summer schools for social research organized since 1997 and 2005 by the Department of Political Science and the Department of Sociology at Babeș-Bolyai University, with support from the Soros Foundation, and inspired by the post-graduate training model of ICPSR at the University of Michigan.
Masteratul a fost lansat în 2006, fiind construit pe experiența organizării unei Școli naționale de cercetare socială între 1997 și 2005 de către Departamentul de Științe Politice și cel de Sociologie din Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai, cu sprijinul Fundației Soros, având ca model programul postuniversitar ICPSR, al University of Michigan.
This program is designed for students who aim to pursue a doctorate in social sciences or want to carry out applied research for companies, NGOs, or public institutions. It primarily targets graduates in social sciences, particularly those from political science, sociology, communication, economics, administrative sciences, European studies, or psychology.
It is also ideal for students interested in diverse research methodologies, regardless of their previous experience, and includes internationally recognized methodologies.
Participants have the opportunity to get involved in academic and applied research projects, collaborate with faculty from the master’s program and the Center for the Study of Democracy, or initiate their own research projects, present their work at conferences, and publish in reputable public policy or social science journals.
Studenții vor avea ocazia să se implice pe parcursul celor doi ani în cercetări academice și aplicate, coordonate de către profesorii masteratului și de către membrii Centrului pentru Studiul Democrației, și vor fi încurajați să inițieze cercetări proprii, să își prezinte rezultatele studiilor la conferințe și să publice în reviste de specialitate de bună calitate.
It’s not enough to just identify correlations and causal relationships — you need to construct explanatory models in which social phenomena are measured over time, across diverse groups, and in broader contexts. Communicating the results of such analyses to firms or institutions also requires refined communication skills.
The program covers all stages of research design, including theoretical, cultural, and ethical aspects, as well as data collection, analysis, and result presentation from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives.
Students are trained to use a wide range of analysis software, with emphasis on SPSS and STATA, as well as other tools like AMOS, HLM, R, UCINET, Atlas.ti, and NVivo.
Programul acoperă etapele conceptualizării şi proiectării cercetării, incluzând aspecte teoretice, culturale şi etice, precum şi pe cele ale culegerii, analizei datelor şi prezentării rezultatelor din perspectivă cantitativă şi calitativă. Participanţii la acest masterat vor învăţa să folosească o varietate largă de softuri de analiză a datelor, cu accent asupra SPSS şi STATA, două dintre pachetele de softuri statistice larg folosite în prezent. În plus, sunt prezentate softuri specializate printre care AMOS, HLM, R, UCINet, Atlas.ti, NVivo.
Who teaches?
The program is taught by professors from the departments of Political Science, Administrative Sciences, Sociology, and Economics at Babeș-Bolyai University, along with guest lecturers from universities such as San Diego State University, University of North Dakota, and Purdue University. The teaching team has also been trained at ICPSR at the University of Michigan and collaborates with both public institutions and private research firms.
Some graduates of this master’s program who are now represented in graphs under categories like private companies or NGOs are also current doctoral students or have already completed a PhD.
Universities where our alumni are or have been PhD students include:
Oxford University,
New School,
Utrecht University,
Humboldt University,
University of Zurich,
Catania University,
Central European University,
Boston College,
Exeter University,
School of Advanced Social Studies (Slovenia).
Universities where our graduates are now researchers or professors include:
University College London,
University of Strathclyde,
University of Lucerne,
Mannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Sozialforschung (MZES),
Aberystwyth University,
Central European University,
SNSPA Bucharest.
Since 2014, the Department of Political Science has established a doctoral school, and some of the research master’s graduates have become doctoral students in this program.
Notable companies employing our graduates include:
Evalueserve
Mercury Research
Genpact
Hewlett-Packard
Seonid Studio France
Strategic Communication Laboratories – London
We collaborate closely with several research centers, NGOs, and public institutions.
The main institutional partner is the Center for the Study of Democracy, which offers internships, participation in theoretical and applied research projects, and opportunities for presenting on topics related to research methodology.
We also collaborate with:
Centre for Research on Direct Democracy (Zurich)
Center for Public Health
World Vision
Center for Public Policy
UNDP
Center for Public Participation Resources
Danis Consulting
ProVobis