Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences

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A most powerful troika: Sociology, Political Science, Communication Studies

Three crucial disciplines to build a deep understanding of today’s societies. By tearing down the walls around three social sciences, the English-taught Bachelor of Science in the Social Sciences (BScSS) program enables you to build solid bridges between them. And this is exactly the kind of fundamental skill you can take with you wherever you go - for example towards a specializing Master's program and, later, a thriving European career.

The analytical approach of the program implies that core courses take turns with so-called ‘interdisciplinary’ ones. The advantage of this clever mix? It teaches you to shift between and combine insights of sociology, political science, and communication studies. In other words: you learn how to analyze complex social issues from multiple angles.

Enriching concepts of different social sciences by confronting them with each other gives you another important edge. It turns theoretical knowledge into a tangible asset for investigating social reality. This is obviously a major pro for your future employer(s), especially since the BScSS program also equips you with an extensive methodological toolkit. This is valuable know-how you will carry along with your entire career - it doesn’t age and it will especially serve you well in the data-driven future.

From the start, courses will be taught by both VUB and Ghent University lecturers.

During the first year you will be introduced to the three main disciplinary perspectives: communication studies, political sciences, and sociology. You will also get your first taste of research methods, develop your academic writing skills and you're will learn to process, structure, and discuss key ideas in the social sciences.

During the second year, we build on the insights developed in the first year, hone your skills in critical thinking and further work on your capacity to analyze, discuss and present academic research. This is also the year in which we start to more actively combine the insights from the three disciplines and explore the points of convergence and difference between them.

In the third year, you will have to choose an orientation in accordance with the discipline in which you want to specialize: sociology, communication studies, or political science. In this year you will have the opportunity to go abroad for a semester (through the Erasmus program or the other exchange opportunities offered by the BScSS). Your experience will culminate in the writing of a bachelor paper in which you will demonstrate the academic skills you have developed over the past three years.

The bachelor BScSS:

1. has an active knowledge of the most important theories, currents, and concepts prevailing in the domain of the social sciences.
2. is familiar with the historical developments that have occurred in the fields of sociology, political sciences, and communication sciences over time.
3. recognizes the cross-sections, the intersections, and the cross-fertilisations that are noticeable amongst the different social sciences.
4. is able to apply social theories and concepts on a well-delineated, socially and scientifically relevant research topic that relates to the European Union or other (international) institutions.
5. knows the historical, political, juridical, and socio-economic structures that shape the activities and define the agency of European political institutions, private and public social organizations, and media organizations.
6. can formulate a valid scientific research question on a topic that relates to the social sciences.
7. can identify, gather and critically process the relevant sources and literature on a specific social sciences research topic.
8. knows how to set up a scientific and methodologically correct research design.
9. possesses the methodological knowledge and skills of data selection and data processing that prevail within the domains of the social sciences.
10. masters the techniques of good and accurate research reporting in oral and written form.
11. has an investigative, problem-oriented, and critical attitude towards social, political, and media-related phenomena and scientific research results with regard thereof.
12. recognizes the multilayered and complex character of social, political, and media-related facts and phenomena.
13. reflects and evaluates his or her learning process and results critically.
14. acts in a professional and responsible manner.
15. is able to perform teamwork, he or she possesses good communicative skills, and is solution-oriented.
16. prioritizes scientific integrity and honesty in his or her scientific research activities.
17. approaches dominant tendencies within the social and the policy domain in a critical manner.
18. has awareness of the social role and function of social scientists.
19. has knowledge of and insight into the main institutions, actors, and processes of decision-making and policy-making of the European Union.

Students can pursue your academic career in one of the available English-taught master programs at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

You can join, either directly or via a short preparatory program, a Master of Science in Communication Studies or a Master of Science in Management.

There is no doubt that your Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences (BScSS) will stand out in the labor market. However, the biggest added value of the program lies in paving the way for ambitious follow-up trajectories, such as master programs and internships.

Your third bachelor year is designed to help you prepare for this choice. You major in one of the three social sciences composing the program. It allows you to build expertise in this domain, but without losing track of the other two sciences. That way all choices for master programs remain open, but you’ll have more insight into what you really want to master.

At the same time, this last bachelor year offers you multiple contacts with professionals from organizations gravitating around EU institutions through guest lectures and site visits. It’s a great way to start building your network, with an eye on the future.