Objectives

The Master’s Degree in Sociology for Sustainability and Global Processes Analysis aims to develop knowledge and skills in the field of sustainability, articulated across its multiple dimensions and firmly grounded in sociological expertise. These competencies are designed to engage in dialogue with other social and natural sciences, while also fostering the acquisition of applied skills. In particular, students acquire competences related to: the sociological interpretation of sustainability, the complexity of ecosystems, and socio-environmental risk; the study of the relationship between scientific and technological innovation and the sustainability of development models; the paradigms of environmental economics and sustainable development; the role of statistics and data science systems; and the interrelations between geopolitical processes and sustainability within the system of international relations.
Specifically, the program is designed to provide advanced knowledge of:
● contemporary sociological theories, with particular reference to sustainability in its social dimension;
● the complexity of ecosystems and socio-environmental risk;
● sociological theories useful for understanding sustainability policies, implemented both by enterprises and by networks including public institutions, at both global and urban levels, as well as for the sociological analysis of sustainability cultures;
● debates and research on sustainability concerning the role of science and technology in contemporary societies, scientific controversies, the social construction of science and technology, and the social learning of science and technology;
● sociological theories relevant to the analysis of the relationship between technological transformations, work, and sustainability;
● foundational disciplines in the areas of the social sciences, environmental economics and sustainable development, statistics and data science for sustainability, the historical transformations of the sustainable development paradigm, sustainability-related policies and administrative actions, law, and organizational competences within public institutions.
Additional objectives of the program include the acquisition of:
● advanced methodological competences for social research, including data collection and analysis with specific reference to sustainability-related issues;
● the ability to work in social research, training, and action-research settings at both local and international scales, with a high degree of autonomy and the capacity to assume roles of coordination and responsibility within research teams;
● soft skills for working effectively within interdisciplinary research groups and for developing collaborative learning processes.
These objectives are pursued through a structured study plan. The first year, common to all students, is devoted to acquiring knowledge and skills in: contemporary sociological theories on social sustainability; theories of complexity and global risks; methodologies and techniques of social research; statistics for sustainability; historical transformations of the sustainability paradigm on a global scale; anthropological perspectives on sustainability; and policies and administrations for sustainable development or, alternatively, scientific and technological innovation and labor processes for sustainable development.
The second year offers two distinct curricula, conceived as complementary articulations of a unified educational project.

  • The first, taught in Italian, focuses on sustainability policies, practices, and cultures at the urban level, or alternatively on labor relations and socio-technical systems for sustainability.
  • The second, taught in English, focuses on actors, policies, and strategies for socially sustainable transitions. It places particular emphasis on the governance of sustainable development policies, the role of digital innovations in supporting such policies, environmental economics and eco-welfare strategies, and the application of network analysis techniques to strategies aimed at sustainable transition.

The teaching provision is primarily organized through integrated courses, many of which adopt a multidisciplinary approach. Instruction combines traditional lectures with applied workshop-based learning activities, employing student-centered teaching methodologies and engaging practitioners and field experts as guest lecturers.
The Course Regulations, in compliance with the applicable regulatory framework, define the share of total student workload to be devoted to individual study and other forms of self-directed learning activities.