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MA in Sociology - Intercultural mediation
Contact person: dr Anna Cichecka (coordinator of the programme)
e-mail: anna.cichecka@uwr.edu.pl
About the programme
Are you engrossed in such issues as contemporary migrations and their impact on shaping new social identities? Are you interested what role cultural factors play in social integration processes? Do you want to know how conflicts arise, how we can prevent or mitigate them, and how the functioning of urban space and changes in the world of work affect social relations?
Each culture uses a specific set of symbols to identify its society. Therefore, a dialogue between people from different cultures may require intercultural mediation. This programme is recommended for anyone interested in developing their communication and conflict management skills. It will be particularly useful for people working in intercultural contexts, including lawyers, land management coordinators, educators, doctors and health professionals, government administrators, people working in intercultural leadership/advocacy positions and university students.
During Intercultural Mediation studies at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Wrocław, you will gain extensive knowledge of the sociology of culture, multiculturalism, sociology of work and employment, sociology of social structures and globalisation. These studies will instil understanding of how cultural factors affect the course of a social change and how this process may be facilitated with the use of knowledge of how people create groups and communicate. You will understand multiculturalism and its challenges for the functioning of societies.
You will also gain important practical skills in the scope of intercultural communication, mediation, negotiations and conflict resolution, which are necessary for work as an intercultural communication specialist, intercultural translator or mediator. You will learn the tools of a social researcher – qualitative and quantitative research methods, ways of gathering and analysing data, as well as basic statistical methods.
Studies in the subject of Intercultural Mediation will keep you up-to-date on the most important social trends, such as transformations of cities (e.g. metropolisation, gentrification or housing situation), changes in the world of work (automation, uberisation or gig economy), migration and many others. You will see how globalisation processes affect the dynamics of social processes and the quality of our lives. Our graduates are highly valued specialists in intercultural communication and facilitators of social processes, who find employment in public institutions, associations, non-governmental organisations, etc.
About the Institute of Sociology
The Intercultural Mediation programme is offered by the Institute of Sociology of the University of Wrocław. The Institute of Sociology is one of the largest scientific and research institutes of this kind in Poland. We are part of the University of Wrocław, which last year was the winner of the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” competition organised by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
We offer the opportunity to attend classes run by outstanding specialists, both researchers and practitioners, in such fields as sociology of work, social psychology, migration studies, border studies, urban and rural sociology, and sociology of gender. Students are supported in conducting research and pursuing their own interests. They will also have individual consultations with lecturers and support in planning and developing their careers.
Candidate's profile
You are interested in issues connected with the sociology of migration, intercultural communication, mediation and conflict resolution studies. You have graduated from a Bachelor’s programme. You have a good command of English (level B2) and have a certificate confirming your skills (IELTS score of 5.5 – 6, TOEFL score of 550 or other exam; this requirement does not apply to candidates who completed an English-language Bachelor Programme or English is their native language).
The Intercultural Mediation specialisation is a two-year supplementary Master’s degree programme in Sociology. It is open to Polish citizens, citizens of other member states of the European Union and non-EU candidates. There are no age limits.
Learn more about criteria of admission to English-language studies and documents required.
Curriculum
The programme of the Intercultural Mediation studies is focused primarily on the analysis of local, regional and global dimensions of culture and consequences of multiculturalism, mainly in the region of Central and Eastern Europe, which serves as an example.
Students participate in such courses as the sociology of culture and multiculturalism, the main paradigms in sociology, labour markets, sociology of social changes and globalisation, cultural factors in migration processes, sociology of nations, ethnic groups and civilisation, intercultural communication, mediation, conflict management and many others. The character of some classes is very practical, e.g. students visit local organisations dealing with social integration and intercultural cooperation and take part in mediation processes. Education ends with the submission and defence of an MA thesis.
Workshops, internships, conferences
Students of Intercultural Mediation have the opportunity to participate in international student exchanges and foreign internships within the Erasmus+ programme as well as numerous bilateral agreements with world-class universities. Each student has a scholarship guaranteed under the Erasmus+ programme.
Students may also take part in summer schools organised by the University of Wrocław and other European universities, as well as in international scientific conferences organised by universities and professional organisations. They may participate in lectures and classes run by lecturers visiting our university within the Visiting Professors programme and in activities of student scientific organisations.
In the inter-semester period, students have the opportunity to do an internship in organisations operating on the local market (e.g. associations dealing with intercultural and social integration, non-governmental organisations, educational centres, cultural institutions, etc.) as well as in Polish and international companies in need of specialists in intercultural communication and mediation. Students apply for internships on their own.
Diploma
After graduating from the Intercultural Mediation studies at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Wrocław, you will obtain a Master’s diploma in sociology, Intercultural Mediation specialisation.
The programme is based on the synergy with the international Master Programme Erasmus Mundus MITRA (Transnational Migrations) in which the Institute of Sociology is also involved.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the academic year 2024/2025:
- For the EU candidates (including Polish students) - 2400 Euro / year
- For the non-EU candidates – 3650 Euro for the 1st year and 3500 Euro for the 2nd year
Deadlines
Recruitment for the 2024/2025 academic year begins on 1 February 2024.
Please note that in some countries (e.g. Nigeria) the process of obtaining a student visa can take several months (even 3-4 months), so the sooner you apply the better your chances of meeting the deadlines.
The last date for submitting applications and paying registration fees is 31 August 2024. The date of receipt on the UWr account is decisive.
More detailed info about the deadlines is available here.
Application process
- Students who are not Polish nationals (without a PESEL number) register in the IRC system
- Students who are Polish nationals (with a PESEL number) register in the IRK system (if you want to apply as Polish citizen, but you don't know Polish language, please conntact the programme coordinator)
In order to register, it is necessary to create an account in the recruitment system and to fill in the application form online. See the admission process described step by step.
Required documents:
- Bachelor or Master degree certificate
- Transcript of grades/supplement from bachelor or master studies
- Certificate confirming English Language knowledge on B2 level (it could take several forms, not necessarily results of an exam, here you will find more details)
- Passport photocopy
- Digital passport size photo
Scholarships
If you get good grades, you can apply for a Rector’s scholarship starting from the second year of your studies.
Persons with disabilities can count on broad assistance including material aid.
However, the University of Wroclaw does not cover the costs of the tuition fees. So, if you wish to get a scholarship covering tuition fees, you need to find a sponsor. For example, you can check scholarship opportunities listed by the Go-Poland portal.
Examples of scholarship offers:
Visegrad scholarship for Master's and post-Master's students from Visegrad countries (citizens of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) to study abroad at any accredited university/institute in other Visegrad country and in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine.
Visegrad scholarship for Master's and post-Master's students who are citizens of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine to study in Visegrad countries.
The amount of the support is €3,000/semester for the scholar + €1,500/semester for the host institution.
Deadline: application must be submitted online via My Visegrad by 15 April 2024, 12 PM (noon).
More info: https://www.visegradfund.org/apply/mobilities/visegrad-scholarship/
The NAWA scholarship may be applied for by citizens of the following countries: Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Palestine, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
In addition, the citizens of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan can complete second-degree studies in the fields of humanities and social sciences under the Programme, with the exception of philological studies in the field of the beneficiary’s native language.
Call for proposals: https://nawa.gov.pl/en/students/foreign-students/the-banach-scholarship-programme/call-for-proposals
More info: https://nawa.gov.pl/en/students/foreign-students/the-banach-scholarship-programme
Life in Wrocław
Meet Kamola, Naile and Nicolai, our graduates, and listen about their experiences of living and studying in Wrocław.
Do you have more questions regarding the programme, application or study and life experience in Wrocław?
Write to the programme coordinator dr Anna Cichecka: anna.cichecka@uwr.edu.plVisit our fanpage on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InterculturalMediation
More information:
- Intercultural Mediation detailed programme – Sociology-Intercultural-Mediation
- Syllabuses for courses