The behavior of individuals and groups is systematically examined in a social science degree course. Sociology attempts to identify patterns in interpersonal relationships and explain them in a social context. In contrast to other social sciences such as political science or social work, sociology is fundamentally interested in all aspects and levels of social coexistence. This is also the main topic of the sociology degree course.

The sociology course, which you can complete as a distance learning course, contains 32 modules, which you work on in self-study. The distance learning sociology course includes the following content: Introduction to Sociology, Man and Society, Socialization and Social Roles, Social Groupings, The Beginnings, The Classics, Micro- and Macrosociology, Modern Sociologists, Empirical Social Research, The Concept of Ideology and its Critique, Individualization of Society, Social Structure Analysis, Analysis of Social Inequality, Phenomenological Sociology, Social Change, Structuralist and post-structuralist sociology, sociology of the family, sociology of religion, sociology of law, sociology of work, political sociology, economic sociology, sociology of science, sociology of culture, sociology of population, sociology of technology, sociology of media and mass communication, social movements, environmental sociology, sociology of globalization, postmodern sociology, sociology of gender.

Sociologists with a degree in sociology from a university find employment in research and teaching at Universities, as project managers at the Federal Statistical Office, in market research, in private social research institutions, as research assistants at Universities, but also as journalists, communications officers, PR specialists, in advertising or in the diplomatic service.

The education offered by Studienwelt Laudius is a certificate course in which you receive a school certificate after completing the distance learning course. However, these seminars do not constitute a sociology course in which you receive a Bachelor's or Master's degree.

Ideally, you should have the following personal skills for a sociology course:

• analytical skills
• Systematic way of working
• Enjoy working on the computer
• The joy of research

The following activities can be pursued after studying sociology:

• Prepare research and collect information:
  • read and evaluate scientific texts
  • Define research field, develop research question and determine research methods (interviews, questionnaire, etc.)
  • Set up a working hypothesis
  • Determine the target group for the study
• Analyze results:
  • Test hypothesis, examine results
  • Record research results and write texts, e.g. for specialist journals, companies or universities

The following persons are admitted to a degree program in Sociology:

• Federal or federally recognized high school diploma or university degree (UAS, university, FIT)

or

• Federal Vocational Baccalaureate and supplementary examination of the Swiss Baccalaureate Commission

Detailed information can be obtained from the admissions offices of the universities. Admission practices vary. Before "studying sociology", admission must be clarified individually.

In Switzerland, it is only possible to study sociology at universities. You can choose from the universities of Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Neuchâtel and Zurich.