Faculty of Social Sciences

Faculty of Social Sciences

Faculty of Social Sciences the home of perceptive, analytical interchange! The ability to work on all levels of society demands an in-depth understanding of contemporary issues. Students Salla Niemelä, Mikko Pousi and Laura Raikunen consider the comprehensive analysis of social phenomena and their critical discussion a definite asset of the faculty also from the student point of view.

The Faculty of Social Sciences is a vibrant scientific community of two thousand academic individuals. Its nearly 200 teachers and researchers and ca. 1 800 students all take an active role in the activities and development of the faculty. The expert staff in the faculty seize contemporary challenges and analyse civil and social issues from the perspective of their respective fields. Together they form and reform an elaborate picture of society. The Faculty's teaching is based on the latest research and introduces the central concepts and methods of each discipline. Researchers in the Faculty conduct both applied research, which is immediately beneficial to society, and more theoretical studies. The Faculty naturally plays a key role in driving societal development. Disciplines contemporary history economic sociology logopedics philosophy political science psychology social policy social work sociology statistics Research units Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience - CCN Centre for East Asian Studies - CEAS Centre for Learning Research - OTUK Centre for Parliamentary Studies Public Choice Research Centre - PCRC Turku Centre for Welfare Research - TCWR

Opportunity and options There are plenty of options both within the curriculum and outside it. Index is the student organisation and common platform for students of the social sciences and education in Turku. Chairperson Sonja Nylander considers students in the social sciences active in student life and student politics as well as social activism but also in their extracurricular activities. One of the biggest student events of the year in Turku is the Shrove Tuesday carnival.

Contemporary history facilitates an analytical and comprehensive understanding of the ever-changing political and social questions of our time. Economy of sociology studies the economy and economic issues from a sociological perspective. Logopedics researches disruptions in speech, voice, language, and communication, their manifestations, underlying factors and rehabilitation. Philosophy analytically studies the principal questions underlying societal activities, culture and the special sciences, such as the nature of knowledge, justice and freedom of the will. Political science studies political systems, international relations and administration. Psychology studies human activities and the factors that wield an influence on them. Social policy studies deficiencies in welfare, various social problems which may decrease the prevalence of welfare, and actions to promote welfare. Social work studies the preconditions for and obstacles to the welfare of individuals, families and communities as well as preventive mechanisms to social problems. Sociology studies societal activities, systems in society that they give rise to and their interrelationships. Statistics develops computational methods for summarising and understanding information while controlling the sources of uncertainty. Bachelor s degrees Bachelor of Social Sciences, B.Soc.Sc. Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), B.A. (Psych.) Bachelor of Arts, B.A. (in logopedics) Master s degrees Master of Social Sciences, M.Soc.Sc. Master of Arts (Psychology), M.A. (Psych.) Master of Arts, M.A. (in logopedics) Licentiate degrees Licentiate of Social Sciences, Lic.Soc.Sc. Licentiate of Arts (Psychology), Lic.A. (Psych.) Licentiate of Arts, Lic.A. (in logopedics) Doctoral degrees Doctor of Social Sciences, D.Soc.Sc. Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology), Ph.D. (Psych.) Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D

Teaching based on all the latest research Teaching a highly internationalized student body in the Faculty of Social Sciences has been not only inspiring but fun. Professor Dong Wang does research and gives teaching on contemporary Chinese history. Baoqi Zhang, Pilvi Ahonen and Olavi Hartonen study in the two-year English-language Master s Degree Programme in Asian Studies and take part in Wang s courses on East Asian societies.

The strengths of the teaching in the Faculty lie in its comprehensiveness, its breadth, and its sound basis in research. Students learn especially to master various research methods. The degree structure is flexible and offers students a wide range of opportunities. Most graduates are employed in expert and managerial positions in research, education, communications and administration. Logopedics, psychology and social work provide the professional qualifications required by law. Approximately one half of Faculty alumni are in the public sector, one third in business and a significant amount is employed by various non-governmental organisations. Also the international job market is open to social sciences graduates with the right disciplinary combinations. Combined with the opportunities offered by international student exchange and internships, the professional outlook is extensive. Students and degrees per year Total number of students ca. 2 700 Women 60 %, men 40 % 50 incoming and 70 outgoing exchange students 250 international students, 20 of whom are studying towards a doctoral degree 150 master s degrees, 200 bachelor s degrees, ca. 10 licentiate and 10 doctoral degrees

Multidisciplinarity at its finest The relationship between the mind and the brain is one of the classical questions of philosophy. We combine methods from psychology and neuroscience in its study. Researcher Henry Railo of the Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience specialises in studying the neural basis of conscious visual perception with the TMS method.

Research in the Faculty covers a wide range of disciplines from psychology to philosophy. Academic cooperation is both highly international and multidisciplinary, crossing boundaries between nations as well as fields of study. At the core of studies on the social sciences lies the analysis of society and activities within it. The behavioural sciences also explore individual choices and ethical decisions. Research conducted in the Faculty is especially critical of the reliability of various source materials and particularly of the validity of conclusions made on their basis; it is vital to see beyond immediately apparent explanations. There are many paths to achieving a licentiate or doctoral degree in social sciences, philosophy or psychology. One option is choosing a doctoral programme. The faculty coordinates two national doctoral programmes, a Finnish-language programme in psychology and an English-language one in Asian studies. The Faculty s areas of strength in the University of Turku strategy: Research on institutional design and social mechanisms Learning and education research Research on processes of cultural and social interaction Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence coordinated at the faculty: Public Choice Research Centre (2008-2013) Partner in Centres of Excellence: Finnish Center of Excellence in Learning and Motivation Research Nordic Center of Excellence in Cognitive Control Nordic Centre of Excellence in Welfare Research

Contributing to decision-making Best wishes now and in the future for your research, career and life! Professor Timo Soikkanen gives the doctoral sword to D.Soc.Sc. Outi Luova during the University of Turku doctoral graduation ceremony. The tradition of this promotion ceremony is nearly 800 years old. Doctoral degrees are conferred upon doctoral students and doctors honoris causa, with each new doctor receiving the sword for symbolic defense of the basic values of science: the search for and defense of truth.

Faculty alumni contribute to society by working in influential expert positions. They are employed in administration, politics and business, and as psychologists, social workers, speech therapists, philosophers and civics teachers. Experts who have graduated from the faculty or are members of its staff play a leading role in contributing to practical decision-making and developing sociopolitical planning both in Finland and abroad. In addition to providing various sectors of society with new knowledge based on research, scholars and research also contribute by presenting constructive social criticism. This means the study of the dominant values in society, challenging established conceptions. Doctors honoris causa of the Faculty of Social Sciences academically distinguished partners or public figures who have promoted the university include, among others, Nobel peace prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari and professor Ulrich Teichler. Contributions to daily life and society at large KiVa national antibullying programme Multiprofessional Teaching Clinic Studia generalia lectures Taking part in public discourse

www.soc.utu.fi/en Tel. +358 2 333 51