The Institute of Sociology has set up a new mailing list. Anyone interested is invited to subscribe: students, members of the Institute, as well as alumni and prospective students. The mailing list is intended for sending messages that are of interest to members and students of the Institute of Sociology. These include, for example, announcements about events, workshops, job postings, etc.
You can subscribe to the mailing list here.

New to the University of Münster and just starting your sociology program?

Starting college brings many new experiences—and especially at the beginning, it’s not always easy to find your way around the department. That’s why the Department of Sociology is hosting a welcome event for first-semester students on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The event offers the opportunity to make initial connections, get to know new fellow students, and start your sociology studies together. In addition, the department’s chairs and units will introduce themselves and provide an initial overview of important points of contact.

The welcome event for first-semester students will take place in the courtyard of the IfS. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to Lecture Hall SCH 121.5.

Here’s what to expect:

• Welcome to the Institute – Greeting from the Executive Board
• Who does what? – Introduction to the departments
• Good to know – Introduction to the Erasmus and Student Office, the SoPoPool, and the BEMA
• Getting to Know Each Other & Networking – Time for initial conversations over drinks, music, and snacks
• Getting Started Together – Small group activities to spark conversations and make initial connections

New to the University of Münster and just starting your sociology program?

Starting college brings many new experiences—and especially at the beginning, it’s not always easy to find your way around the department. That’s why the Department of Sociology is hosting a welcome event for first-semester students on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The event offers the opportunity to make initial connections, get to know new fellow students, and start your sociology studies together. In addition, the department’s chairs and units will introduce themselves and provide an initial overview of important points of contact.
The welcome event for first-semester students will take place in the courtyard of the IfS. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to Lecture Hall SCH 121.5.

Here’s what to expect:
•    Welcome to the Institute – Greeting from the Executive Board
•    Who does what? – Introduction to the departments
•    Good to know – Introduction to the Erasmus and Student Office, the SoPoPool, and the BEMA
•    Getting to Know Each Other & Networking – Time for initial conversations over drinks, music, and snacks
•    Getting Settled In Together – Small group activities to spark conversations and make initial connections

We look forward to a wonderful evening!
 

The results of the seminar placement process for the upcoming semester are now available online!

The seminar placement process was conducted exclusively for the seminars listed here. No placement process was required for any other courses; in other words, your spot is guaranteed if you have already registered via the HIS/LSF portal. Additional registrations for remaining spots in seminars are still possible through the HIS/LSF portal until September 27, 2026.

If you have any questions or need clarification, the Service Office will be happy to assist you.

The BEMA research group at the Institute of Sociology in the Department of Education and Social Sciences at the University of Münster is seeking to fill the position of Research Assistant as soon as possible.
Further information about the position and the application process is available here.
 

The results of the elections for the Senate and the Faculty Councils are available. They are valid for the term of office from October 1, 2027 to September 30, 2028 (or until September 30, 2027 for students).

• Official website of the University of Münster for the elections in the summer semester 2026
• Results of the elections to the boards of the FB06 institutes

Registration procedure: Register for the retake exam via the service office (ifs.beratung@uni-muenster.de) by September 21, 2026 (strict deadline), providing your student ID number and the specific lecture title.

1st Session: September 24, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Room SCH 121.554
"Growing Up": Participation and Inequality in Socialization Processes, Dr. Eisewicht
Family, School, Youth – Socialization in Childhood and Adolescence, Dr. Heimken
"Contingencies": Introduction to Sociological Theory, Prof. Dr. Renn

2nd Session: September 29, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Room SCH 121.554
Social Structure and Culture in the Transformed World of Work, Prof. Dr. Ernst
Statistics II, Prof. Dr. Legewie
Social Structure, Culture, and Social Practice, Prof. Dr. Tezcan

As we do every year, we cordially invite everyone to our summer party on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, starting at 6:00 PM!

Weather permitting, we will meet in the institute's inner courtyard. We will provide a ready-to-use grill, basic sides (baguette, ketchup, etc.), and an initial selection of drinks. You are welcome to contribute to our potluck buffet: whether it’s a salad, cake, dip, spread, or something else entirely—any contribution is warmly welcomed and adds variety to the celebration. What to bring: Please remember to bring your own food for the grill.

We look forward to a relaxed evening with you!

On July 1, 2026, at 12:15 p.m., you can learn more about our Master’s program in Sociology, “Antinomies of Social Dynamics,” at an online information session via Zoom:
https://uni-ms.zoom-x.de/j/99497851566
Meeting ID: 994 9785 1566
Passcode: 656300

On July 2, 2026, at 12:15 p.m., another in-person information session on this master’s program will take place (location: Conference Room 553a at the Institute of Sociology).

Starting this semester, the IfS is offering advising for thesis projects and has compiled a range of information and tips for writing a sociology thesis. Office hours are held every Thursday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in Room 546a during the lecture period. Individual appointments can also be arranged upon request both during and outside the lecture period. 

Starting in the winter semester 2027/28, a new Erasmus partnership has been established for undergraduate students with the Universitat de València. As one of the oldest and largest universities in Spain, it is also among the most active European institutions in international exchange programmes. The Sociology degree programme is broadly structured and practice-oriented, combining sociological theory with empirical social research, social policy, and various fields of application.

The Erasmus application deadline of the Institute of Sociology (IfS) for the winter semester 2027/28 and the summer semester 2028 is 31 January 2027.

The new master’s program “Diversity and Social Inequality” launched at the Institute of Sociology at the University of Münster in the 2025/26 winter semester. With its clear practical focus on addressing diversity in organizations, the program approaches the currently highly controversial topic of diversity from a scientific and empirical perspective. Graduates of the program will be able to supplement normative-political discourses on diversity with empirical findings and to evaluate and support existing and planned measures aimed at strengthening diversity in organizations.

On May 4, 2026, at 12:15 p.m., you can learn more about the program at an online information session via Zoom:
https://wwu.zoom.us/j/68982272288?pwd=UldNcU92SEc2T1hxUG01VHZyN1A5dz09
Meeting ID: 689 8227 2288
Passcode: 567602

On May 6, 2026, at 12:15 p.m., another in-person information session will take place (location: Conference Room 553a at the Institute of Sociology).

The “Declaration on Independent Writing of Term Papers” has been updated. Please include the new text with your term papers and assignments: See here.

The Institute of Sociology is delighted to welcome Prof. Dr. Nihad El-Kayed, who took up her position as Professor of Migration, Diversity, and Social Cohesion on January 1, 2026. In January, she will already be offering a block seminar entitled “Social Structures, Hierarchies, and Inequalities – Theoretical and Empirical Approaches.” Registration and further information are available directly from Prof. Dr. Nihad El-Kayed.

Starting in the winter semester 2026/27, there will be a new Erasmus partnership between the IfS and Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi. The Middle East Technical University in Ankara is one of the most renowned and largest universities in Turkey. The language of instruction is English.

Information about studying at ODTÜ can be found here. Information about the Department of Sociology can be found here.

The application deadline is January 31, 2026. All questions can be answered by the Erasmus Advisory Service.

New at the institute of sociology:

Sociology students can take advantage of career advice in the institute of sociology from the Employment Agency Münster-Ahlen.
Further information can be found here.

From the winter semester 2026/27, there will be a new Erasmus partnership between the IfS and the Uniwersytet Gdański in Poland.

The Institute of Sociology in Gdańsk is one of the most renowned sociological institutions in Poland and offers a wide range of courses in Polish and English (especially in the field of social sciences).

The application deadline is January 31, 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact the Erasmus Advisory Service at IfS Münster.

• Institute of Sociology Gdańsk
• Erasmus Incoming (in Poland)
• current English-language courses

On June 1, 2025, Prof. Dr. Nicolas Legewie will take over the professorship for Methods of Empirical Social Research at the Institute of Sociology at the University of Münster. He has already stood in for the professorship in the winter semester 2023/24 and in the summer semester 2024 and can now be reached again at his previous e-mail address (nlegewie@uni-muenster.de).

We are delighted to welcome him back and look forward to working with him in the future!

For the protection of the employees, FB06 does not accept calls with a suppressed phone number. If it is not possible for you to transmit your number for technical reasons, please contact the person you wish to speak to in advance by e-mail.