Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa
MSc INSIGHT - Interdisciplinary Social Research
Lisbon, Portugal
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Mar 2027
TUITION FEES
EUR 2,300
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: The MSc INSIGHT, Interdisciplinary Social Research at the Institute of Social Sciences (ICS‑ULisboa) offers specialized training in social science research grounded in empirical research methods. It focuses on interdisciplinary approaches, research capacity building and internationalisation. The course centers on studies by ICS‑ULisboa researchers and encourages active citizenship, questioning disciplinary boundaries, creativity and critical analysis. It addresses topics including sustainability, inequalities and digital transformation, preparing students for academic and applied research roles.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can pursue roles as social researchers, policy analysts, research consultants, NGO researchers, data analysts, monitoring and evaluation specialists, programme officers and PhD candidates, across sectors.
The Master's INSIGHT - Interdisciplinary Social Research offers specialised training in the introduction to Social Science research, firmly grounded in empirical research methods, centred around the studies conducted by researchers at ICS-ULisboa. The course promotes active citizenship, questioning disciplinary boundaries, stimulating creativity and critical analysis of social phenomena. By addressing topics such as sustainability, inequalities and digital transformation, among others, the course promotes student engagement in fundamental cultural and ethical issues, contributing to the training of excellent professionals and researchers equipped for the challenges of the 21st century.
The programme's general objectives are based on three fundamental pillars:
- Interdisciplinary approach - providing excellence in social science training that allows for the analysis of complex social phenomena from different methodological perspectives;
- Research capacity building - anchoring the Master's in research carried out within the thematic areas of ICS-ULisboa, such as Inclusion and Vulnerabilities, Citizenship, Sustainability, and Memory and Legacies, as well as specialisations at FC-ULisboa and ISCSP-ULisboa, specifically data science and population sciences;
- Internationalisation - taught in English, aimed at integration into international academic networks and partnerships.
1st Year
1st semester
- Research Design I
- Interdisciplinarity in Social Sciences: Theories and Approaches
- Methodology of the Social Sciences
- Advanced Studies Seminar in Social Sciences I
- Conditional Unit - 1st Semester
2nd semester
- Research Design II
- Interdisciplinary Research in Social Sciences
- Conditional Unit - 2nd Semester
2nd Year
- Dissertation Development Seminar I
- Dissertation Development Seminar II
- Advanced Studies Seminar in Social Sciences II
- Dissertation
- Knowledge - in-depth understanding of the main theoretical-methodological frameworks in social science research, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed approaches; interdisciplinary knowledge on topics such as Inclusion and Vulnerabilities, Citizenship, Sustainability, and Memory and Legacies; familiarity with the various social sciences developed at ICSULisboa, as well as Data Science (FC-ULisboa) and Population Sciences (ISCSP-ULisboa);
- Skills - formulating research questions and developing a research project; selecting and applying appropriate research methods; experimenting with the integration of different areas of knowledge in interdisciplinary approaches;
- Competencies - autonomy in creating a personal academic and research pathway, developing essential methodological and analytical skills for further academic progression and future integration into the job market.
The Master's INSIGHT - Interdisciplinary Social Research, taught in English, welcomes applications from recent graduates in social sciences, or other scientific fields (Social Sciences and Humanities, Life Sciences and Engineering), who are interested in deepening their knowledge both in terms of methods and various themes surrounding contemporary social challenges.
We are particularly interested in candidates with intellectual curiosity and openness to differentiated learning in an academic environment of rigor, freedom, pluralism, and autonomy.