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Study programmes > All studies > Interdisciplinary Studies on Social Change: Mediterranean and Other European Borderlands > Interdisciplinary Studies on Social Change: Mediterraneanand Other European Borderlands, full-time study, master's degree

Interdisciplinary Studies on Social Change: Mediterraneanand Other European Borderlands, full-time study, master's degree (S2-ISSC)

(in Polish: Interdisciplinary Studies on Social Change: Mediterraneanand Other European Borderlands, studia stacjonarne, II stopnia)
second cycle programme
full-time, 2-year studies
Language: English, Spanish, Italian

Number of places: 30, including: 20 places in the first phase, in the June-July qualification, and 10 places in the second phase, in the August-September qualification.

Field of studies: Interdisciplinary Studies on Social Change: Mediterranean and Other European Borderlands (ISSC)

Form of studies: full-time, second cycle

Responsible units: University of Warsaw „Artes Liberales” Faculty and University of Warsaw Centre of Migration Research.

Language of instruction: English and Spanish or Italian

ISSC are studies offering broad understanding of sociocultural issues, describing problems and challenges faced by the modern world, in perspective of Poland, the borderland and the Mediterranean. Courses are conducted by scientists working at the „Artes Liberales” Faculty and at the Centre of Migration Research, who also carry out research in the areas of interest of ISSC studies.

Program combines the following elements:

  • extensive familiarity with books and research („the canon”) in the field of sociocultural sciences and critical thinking skills;
  • in-depth interdisciplinarity allowing to prepare for future academic career and operating in the highly competitive and dynamic labour market;
  • methodological discipline, regarding both quantitative and qualitative approach, as well as various research methods typical of cultural science , sociological science, political science, economy;
  • participation in the research process;
  • cultural awareness and language skills - compulsory linguistic-cultural module (languages: Italian, Spanish and English) is a significant component of the didactic offer.

Studies are highly individualized: students will be able to choose from among seminars, lectures and monographic discussion sessions, workshops and cultural-linguistic classes. This allows each student to create a different program, adjusted to individual needs and expectations. We provide three main thematic pathways and two linguistic pathways - Italian and Spanish.

Main themes of studies:

  • Subject matter: the issue of mobility / liquidity / variability and various dimensions of contemporary and future crises;
  • Pathway 1: country / sovereignty / institutions (a model of sovereign authority, national state, population managing, globalization, institutions);
  • Pathway 2: social change and identity (social movements, revolutions, wars, post-modern condition, post-colonialism, religion, liberalism / individualism);
  • Pathway 3: risks and crises (historical and contemporary crises, the idea and dimensions of risk, risks / crises) taking three perspectives into account:
  1. methods (managing and authority relations),
  2. institutions’ perspective and
  3. individual perspective (e.g. of migrants or other mobile persons).

Other raised issues include for example: fluid life, security, risk, crisis, state of emergency, disaster; (illustrative subjects: climate catastrophe, mass global and local migrations, authority of science in the culture of post-truth, democracy quality, new social movements, hybrid wars, global threats to public health (pandemics), precarity, work automation, digitization, global economic crises, demographic aging, inequalities and social mobility); lessons from the past: ancient and modern standards of politics / society / entity, revolutions and social changes, role of knowledge and philosophy.

Types of classes:

  • seminars (conducted in tandems);
  • linguistic modules (consisting in acquiring language skills and cultural competences at the same time);
  • methodological workshops: methods of cultural studies research and methods of social research;
  • lectures and monographic discussion panels, often monodisciplinary and detailed;
  • optionally - intensive courses offered by leading researchers from abroad (in close connection with thematic pathways) and serving useful purpose (e.g. academic writing).

Graduate’s profile:

The graduate will acquire extensive humanistic knowledge and basic social knowledge. They will ultimately have a high level of skills regarding interdisciplinary approach to cultural and social issues; they will understand the meaning, but also problems with regard to intercultural communication; they will acquire many soft skills (teamwork, creativity, ability to learn efficiently, ability to present one’s ideas and views in speech and in writing, ability to collect, categorize and synthesize data, especially digital data). They will also acquire extensive language skills (the linguistic-cultural module). They will additionally acquire the ability to obtain / use / interpret / visualize - in a conscious and reflective manner - different types of data, including the so called big data regarding complex social phenomena such as crisis situations, identity issues, migrations, inequalities, or demographic changes.

The graduate will have the possibility to acquire practical skills useful both in the potential future research work and in the labour market:

  1. the ability to plan / prepare / carry out the research process;
  2. the ability to process and visualize data in an innovative manner;
  3. the ability to link knowledge regarding social processes with evidence-based policies.

The graduate equipped with such competences will be prepared to work for state cultural and social institutions and for non-governmental organizations of similar profile, for companies and institutions dealing with culture animation and introducing to the culture of other countries, as well as for companies and institutions looking for intercultural contacts specialists.

ECTS Coordinators:

Qualification awarded:

MA of Interdisciplinary Studies on Social Change: Maditerranean and Other European Borderlands

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes:

Knowledge -
Understands the cultural and social processes taking place in the Mediterranean countries (and other regions of European borderlands, including Central and
Eastern Europe as well as the Balkans), and their relevance for the entire continent.
Understands the relationships between the various dimensions of social change (especially with regard to various aspects of mobility and "crises") and knows the approaches to this process related to many scientific fields and disciplines.
Understands the historical and cultural ties between the countries and peoples of the northern Mediterranean coast and the rest of Europe.
Knows the terminology of social sciences and understands their role in culture; understands the interdependencies between different social disciplines, as well as their relationship with cultural research.
Knows the terminology of the humanities and understands their role in culture; understands the relationships between individual disciplines that relate to the study of culture and other disciplines in the field of humanities
Understands the value of an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis and interpretation of social changes in the modern world (especially in the Mediterranean countries and in Central and Eastern Europe).
Knows the advanced methods of analysis and interpretation of cultural texts.
Knows the advanced new methods of analysis and interpretation used in social research.
Knows the most important methods of interdisciplinary research.
Has a structured, advanced, detailed knowledge of the culture and language of a selected Mediterranean region (Italian or Spanish), leading to specialization, and recognizes historical and contemporary relationships and interactions within Mediterranean cultures.
Understands cultural texts written in a foreign language (Italian or Spanish), including scientific papers; is able to write analytical texts in a foreign language on his/her own.

Abilities -
Is able to select and make a critical assessment of information coming from various scientific, popular science, journalistic and other sources.
Is able to use basic numerical methods in order to organize, interpret and present data, especially in the context of social research; is aware of the existence of innovative data sources, including the so-called big data, is able to find and use the necessary data for scientific work.
Is able to independently conceptualize research problems, selects the appropriate sources, conducts their critical analysis and evaluation according to previously established criteria, can adapt the methodology accordingly to research theme, draw conclusions with the awareness of various points of view.
Is able to interpret social processes in an advanced and interdisciplinary way, especially the changes taking place in them.
Is able to prepare an oral or written presentation taking into account the needs of recipients, in particular with the use of a range of digital tools; can present arguments to support her/his beliefs and knowledge in a logical and convincing manner.
Is able to present the results of individual and team academic work in an appropriate form: in the form of a structured and argued statement, both in the form of a written study and an oral presentation (conference talk or voice in a discussion). At the same time, adhere to all ethical principles, including those related to copyrights.
Knows the rules of using data sources, including digital sources.
Is able to prepare written works taking into account the requirements for academic work.
Is able to prepare written works of a popular science and other, addressing to a wide audience (journalistic, popular science) and with functional characteristics (design applications)
Is able to use the selected foreign language (Spanish or Italian) at B2+ level, also in an academic context
Is able to plan and implement the process of her/his own development and learning as well as to direct the learning process of others through planning team work.
Is able to plan and organize group work (defining goals, stages, roles, selection of methods). Is able to take part in teamwork in various roles.

Social competences -
Is ready to undertake lifelong learning.
Is ready to take up teamwork - also in a research team.
Is ready to learn about new research methods.
Is ready to accept the competence to choose the most appropriate means to perform the indicated tasks.
Is ready to show respect for partners in the discussion and uses substantive arguments; understands the principles of tolerance and cultural differences.
Knows the academic ethos and uses it to develop his own scientific achievements.

Admission procedures:

Visit the following page for details on admission procedures: https://irk.uw.edu.pl/