Master’s Programme in Comparative Social Research Now Offers a Double Degree Option
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HSE has signed an agreement for a double degree programme with the Free University of Berlin in Germany. The agreement encompasses the Master's programme in Comparative Social Research and its German counterpart will be the ‘East European Studies’ programme.
‘HSE has a long-standing relationship with the Free University of Berlin - we run a joint student exchange programme’, explains Christian Fröhlich, Academic Supervisor of the ‘Comparative Social Research’ programme. ‘The Free University of Berlin is one of the best higher education institutions in Germany, and it is particularly strong in sociology. In fact, the university is in 25th place in the QS Ranking by Subject.’
Students will be able to apply for the double degree programme at the end of their first year of study of their main degree. The selection criteria include a letter of motivation, in which applicants should outline their goals. ‘As this is a research programme, the selection panel will assess how the Free University meets the student's scientific research needs,’ says Christian Fröhlich. ‘A student may wish to write their master's thesis under the supervision of a specialist from the Free University of Berlin, there may be some useful courses offered there, or the focus of the student’s research may be in Germany. We will also take into account the student's grades’. German students who would like to study in Moscow will also need to write a letter of motivation outlining their scientific interests and plans.
There will not be any additional entrance exams for the double degree programme. For HSE students travelling to Germany, knowledge of German is not required. Students from the Free University who wish to come to HSE do not need to have knowledge of Russian, as courses in the Comparative Social Research programme are taught in English.
‘Comparative Social Research’ students will spend one or two semesters at the Free University of Berlin, depending on their own goals and strengths. Education in Germany is free, but students will have to pay for their own accommodation and flights. German students in Moscow will be provided with a place at HSE’s student dormitory.
Master's students will write their theses in English under the joint scientific supervision of teachers from both the HSE and the Free University of Berlin.
The double degree programme will be offered to students who began their Master’s studies in 2017 or later.
Christian Fröhlich
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