mag. soc.
magister sociologije
magistrica sociologije

03 - Social sciences, journalism and information

0314 - Sociology and cultural studies

5 - Social Sciences

During its 25th regular session, on 21 April 2011, the Council of the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education – NAKVIS officially accredited the two-discipline postgraduate pedagogical study programme "Sociology" (2nd Bologna cycle - MA), implemented by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Maribor, Slomškov trg 15, SI-2000 Maribor, in accordance with paragraph 7 of chapter 11 of Article 51h and chapter 7 of Article 51p of the Higher Education Act of the Republic of Slovenia (ZVis) (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 119/06 – official consolidated text, 59/07 – Scholarship Act of the Republic of Slovenia (ZŠtip), 15/08 - Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia, 64/08, 86/09 and 62/2010 – Exercise of Rights to Public Funds Act of the Republic of Slovenia (ZUPJS)), and with reference to Article 56 of the valid Criteria for the Accreditation and External Evaluation of Higher Education Institutions and Study Programmes (Merila za akreditacijo in zunanjo evalvacijo visokošolskih zavodov in študijskih programov – Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 95/2010).

In order to progress to the second year, students must complete first-year course units totalling 54 ECTS credits. Exceptional progression: Exceptional progression is possible subject to a request from the student and in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes of the University of Maribor. Extension of student status: Extension of student status is possible in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes of the University of Maribor. Advice and guidance during studies: The successful progression to higher years will be supported by a tutoring system and peer (intergenerational) mentoring. In addition to providing students with assistance in completing course units, tutors will offer advice and guidance to students at the start of their studies (incoming tutoring or orientation), during their studies (content-focused tutoring) and on completion of their studies (outgoing tutoring). The Sociology Department will conduct these activities in accordance with the rules governing the tutoring system, which will be drafted by the Faculty of Arts on the basis of starting points drawn up by the working group for the introduction of a tutoring system at the University of Maribor.

The programme does not contain individual segments.

Graduates of the second-cycle master’s programme can continue their studies in third-cycle programmes.

The single-subject pathway in Sociology gives graduates the opportunity to acquire specific professional competences in understanding modern societies and the processes that shape them. Specifically, by incorporating elements of research methodology and content from numerous specific subdisciplines of sociology, anthropology and political science, the pathway enables a high degree of flexibility, in that it strengthens interdisciplinarity, while at the same time its research orientation helps students understand and address the challenges facing modern society. Moreover, thanks to content that contributes to the development of communication skills, scholarly enquiry and research methodology, critical thinking and the ability to understand complex problems, the pathway is directly focused on the future needs of the labour market. According to a recent report from Eurostat, 55% of Europe’s active workforce lacks the basic skills needed to understand and resolve complex problems: skills which are not only increasingly sought-after but also relatively immune to automation. This is important in view of the fact that of the 32 OECD member states, Slovenia has the second highest share of jobs that could become completely automated (an OECD report clearly highlights that the jobs that are least “at risk” are those that require “soft skills”, in other words those skills that, as pointed out above, are strengthened and developed by the programme). Just how important programmes that develop verbal and non-verbal communication skills, storytelling and holistic and critical thinking are for the labour market of the future is clearly demonstrated by, for example, the report “Qualified for the Future: Quantifying demand for arts, humanities and social science skills”, published in February 2021 by the British Academy. Among other things, this report states that those who study, arts, humanities and social science subjects are increasingly frequently (in comparison with STEM graduates) ending up in jobs within the fastest-growing sectors of the economy. This is partly because they are more flexible and adaptable, thanks to their ability to take a holistic view of individual challenges. Employment opportunities for graduates of the single-subject pathway in Sociology consequently relate to all areas of economic and non-economic activity, but in particular to the fields of local/public administration, politics, culture and media, where they can pursue occupations such as researcher, analyst, operations organiser, journalist, systems analyst, personnel officer, marketing officer, sales representative, teacher of social science subjects, and so on. We should point out that exact employment figures for different sectors are not available to us, in part because UM is still in the process of setting up a system for the regular and systematic monitoring of graduate employment outcomes and in part because the Act amending the Labour Market Regulation Act (ZUTD-A), which entered into force on 12 April 2013, did away with the obligation to report job vacancies to the Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS). In the case of employers who do not belong to the public sector and companies that are not majority-owned by the state, the publication of job vacancies is left to their discretion and they are not required to inform the ESS. As a result, the ESS no longer has information on all job vacancies in the country.

The content of the second-cycle Sociology programme is integrated both horizontally within each individual year and vertically across individual units and semesters or years, depending on the pathway. Units that complement each other are taught in a single semester. Knowledge acquired through the units of an individual semester forms the basis for successful work in the units in the semesters that follow. In the great majority of units, the study programme also incorporates deliberate efforts to foster students’ personal development, where during the course students are introduced to the basics of studying effectively in higher education, teamwork, specialised research and writing, and locating specialised sources in databases and other resources. Pathway: Sociology – single-subject non-teaching pathway Horizontal integration: In the first year, students consolidate and expand knowledge and skills related to the methodology of social science research (Social Science Research Methods), where the main emphasis is on enhancing and developing knowledge and skills in specific areas of sociology or anthropology, in part through elective units, where content can also be horizontally integrated with regard to the student’s own preferences. In the second year, students begin the third semester by acquainting themselves thoroughly with the latest sociological theories (Contemporary Sociological Perspectives). They also complete a placement (Applied Sociology Placement) and, above all, deepen and broaden their knowledge within specific sociological fields (globalisation, deviance, sociology of health and illness). In the fourth semester they build on their knowledge and skills with elective content, culminating in the writing and defence of a master’s thesis. Vertical integration: The pathway is designed in such a way that individual units or groups of units are vertically integrated with each other in the following way: - in the first semester, students take two units with a methodological focus (Social Science Research Methods; Social Science Data Analysis) and consolidate and expand their competences in certain fundamental sociological and anthropological fields (Sociology of Family Life and Partnership; Selected Aspects of the Intercultural Analysis of Societies; Religion, Society and the Individual); - in the second semester, on the basis of the above, students further broaden their knowledge in three areas of sociology (Environmental Sociology; Politics and Social Change; Sociological Perspectives on Gender in Contemporary Societies) and build on it with elective content worth 12 ECTS credits; - in the third semester, students begin by acquainting themselves thoroughly with the latest sociological theories. They also complete a placement (Applied Sociology Placement) and, above all, deepen and broaden their knowledge within specific sociological fields; - the fourth semester focuses more on the independent development of the student’s own professional profile through elective units and a master’s thesis synthesising all the knowledge, skills and competences acquired. A concrete example of vertical integration would be the development of methodological skills through the two methodology-focused units in the first semester, which are then put into practice in the more content-focused units of the semesters that follow (e.g. Sociological Perspectives on Gender in Contemporary Societies in the second semester and Sociological Aspects of Globalisation in the third semester). Taken together, these units form the basis for the more autonomous development of professional potentials in the context of elective content and the master’s thesis in the fourth semester.

Criteria and methods for testing and assessing student outcomes are made publicly available and are implemented in accordance with the adopted learning programme, unit syllabuses and information on the unit. The assessment system is regulated in accordance with the Statutes of the University of Maribor and the Rules on testing and assessing knowledge at the University of Maribor. Both documents are available online at: https://www.um.si/o-univerzi/dokumentno-sredisce. Learning outcomes are defined by syllabuses. These are made publicly available and are accessible to all. They can be consulted in the collection of programmes of study at the University of Maribor, which is aimed at students wishing to enrol (accreditation is shown for the cohort of students who will enrol in the following year), and on the Faculty of Arts website (Programmes of study | UM Faculty of Arts). The method of assessment and testing is defined in each syllabus. This means that, on the basis of the published syllabus content, students can compare or check the content and levels of knowledge associated with specific skills. Academic staff encourage continuous work and continuous testing of knowledge, in this way enabling students to maintain a constant overview of their own progress. Students are also verbally informed about assessment criteria and methods when they begin a unit. Following analyses of pedagogical work and evaluation of the programme, appropriate amendments are made to syllabuses. Verification of whether students are successfully meeting the requirements of the programme is done through the testing and assessment of knowledge, which is the basis on which students obtain marks and credits in individual units of the programme, allowing them to progress through the programme and move on to further studies. At the same time, it provides students with feedback on the level of knowledge they have attained. Exam results are entered in an electronic register called the Academic Information Subsystem (AIPS). Results are entered by the exam administrator, who has access to the details of the students entered for the exam. After entering the marks for an individual exam, the exam administrator submits a signed exam report to the Student Affairs Office. This report is kept permanently and represents an official record of the institution. Students are informed of exam results as soon as they are entered and confirmed by the exam administrator, via their personal AIPS account, which they access using a username and password. Students’ knowledge is tested in examinations, colloquia and other forms of testing and assessment, and awarded a positive or negative mark. Positive marks are “excellent” (10), “very good” (9 and 8), “good” (7) and “satisfactory” (6). Negative marks are all marks from 1 to 5. Examination timetables are published in the publicly accessible calendar for each individual academic year (http://ff.um.si/studenti/urniki). Lists of scheduled exam dates for individual units during the academic year are prepared by Departments and published by the Student Affairs Office in the AIPS by no later than 15 November for the current academic year.

The central aim of the second-cycle Sociology programme offered by the University of Maribor’s Faculty of Arts is to form an educational profile that guarantees all the competences necessary for autonomous activity in a range of working environments that require a considered, knowledge-based, ethical and flexible response to the challenges of life in modern society. To this end, both pathways of the programme enable the development of general competences such as general professional and academic literacy, familiarity with and the ability to use research methods and problem-solving techniques, public communication skills and the ability to use modern digital technologies. Graduates of the single-subject pathway also gain in-depth knowledge of sociology and social science research methodology. The main competences they develop in this context include in-depth and critical understanding of methodological approaches and starting points, the ability to reliably identify the causes of various social phenomena and predict their long-term consequences, and the ability to elaborate strategies to increase desirable social outcomes and mitigate undesirable ones. Graduates of the two-subject pathway acquire solid fundamental knowledge of sociology which they can effectively combine with fundamental knowledge from their other chosen programme. They also acquire in-depth knowledge and skills related to the pedagogical and didactic content of the programme. On completion, graduates will thus have acquired all the competences that, in line with established international standards, are necessary to work successfully as teachers of sociology or related subjects.

The general competences acquired by graduates of the second-cycle Sociology programme are the same for both pathways, although the development of individual competences can differ in each of the two pathways. These competences are the following: • general and programme-specific academic and professional literacy; • the ability to independently accumulate and use knowledge and knowledge resources/sources; • the ability to critically interpret academic and professional literature and other sources of information; • the ability to observe, analyse, synthesise and critically evaluate solutions and consequences; • knowledge of research methods and problem-solving techniques and the ability to use them; • a well-developed capacity for self-criticism, a willingness to pursue further specialisation and the ability to oversee own professional development; • a well-developed ability to work individually and as part of a team; • the ability to use modern digital technologies to organise work and address work problems; • well-developed general public speaking skills; • the ability to resolve specific work problems by seeking out sources of knowledge and applying scientific methods; • the ability to express themselves adequately in writing (articles, papers) and orally (lectures, presentations); • the ability to independently plan and organise work tasks in various fields of work; • personal integrity and the ability to act in accordance with professional ethics.

The subject-specific competences acquired by graduates of the single-subject pathway of the second-cycle Sociology programme are as follows: • thorough familiarity with the achievements, problems and specificities of research in the social sciences; • familiarity with all phases of the research process and the ability to work on a research project as part of a research team; • knowledge and understanding of core theoretical approaches in contemporary sociology and the ability to analyse and interpret them critically from historical and intercultural perspectives; • the ability to analyse data independently and present and interpret them in graphical form using advanced multivariate statistical methods supported by the appropriate IT tools; • the ability to conduct theoretically grounded analysis of media texts and images; • the ability to analyse social processes and conduct comparative intercultural analysis of social institutions and processes; • a broad understanding of contemporary fields of applied social psychology and their characteristics, and of their application in everyday situations and connection with other academic disciplines in the context of addressing current social issues; • understanding of basic concepts and current topics in the sociology of education and the ability to critically evaluate the concept of the knowledge society and related concepts; • knowledge and understanding of political life in the context of broader social phenomena, and of the socially conditioned aspects and fluidity of political life; familiarity with politico-sociological concepts and the ability to apply them in everyday situations within the context of local, national and European political communities; • familiarity with the basic theoretical positions and concepts of the social sciences and sociology that appear within the globalisation discourse, and an awareness of global issues; • thorough familiarity with theoretical and empirical sociological approaches to the research of health and illness; • familiarity with fundamental theoretical perspectives on consumer culture and the empirical methods used to study it, and an ability to think critically and formulate viewpoints on issues connected to consumer behaviour; • familiarity with the social dimensions underpinning different understandings of family life and partnership; • familiarity with fundamental research on adolescence as a unique phase of development; • knowledge and understanding of the social construction of ageing and the sociological concepts of age and ageing; • familiarity with and the ability to analyse and interpret the fundamental theoretical concepts of gender, gender inequality and labour from historical and intercultural perspectives; • familiarity with views and dilemmas in the context of debates on economic development, progress, social equality/inequality and poverty, and the ability to evaluate them critically; • familiarity with selected topics within the anthropology of socialism and post-socialism and with the fundamental characteristics of socialist societies from an anthropological point of view; • familiarity with the fundamental theoretical concepts of activism and the implementation of rights in modern society; • thorough familiarity with the social, economic and political macro-factors of pandemics and their consequences on health, and understanding of the importance of political and social trust, politicisation and political polarisation during pandemics; • familiarity with the concepts of ethnicity and the communication of cultural differences in modern societies as understood by social and cultural anthropology; • in-depth understanding of the role of religion and spirituality in modern society and in the context of the mental state of the individual, and the ability to think critically and formulate viewpoints on issues related to religion; • understanding of theoretical and empirical views within the social sciences and sociology on human impact on the environment and human behaviour in connection with environmental problems; • familiarity with theoretical and empirical sociological approaches to the interpretation of parenting styles and the ability to critically address social factors behind parenting styles at the micro and macro levels, including socio-economic development, ethnic and racial background, social capital, family structure, etc.; • familiarity with theoretical and empirical sociological approaches to the interpretation of the political participation and political culture of young people, and understanding of and an ability to critically address the social factors behind the political participation and political culture of young people at the micro, meso and macro levels.

Enrolment in the second-cycle Sociology programme – Sociology pathway (single-subject non-teaching pathway) is open to students who have completed: 1. A first-cycle programme in a relevant field: Sociology and Cultural Studies (0314). 2. A first-cycle programme in any other field, provided that the student completes course units essential for further study, totalling 18 ECTS credits, before enrolling in the programme. These course units may be completed during the first-cycle programme, during programmes of further study or by passing differential examinations before enrolling in the programme. Course units essential for further study: General Sociology (6 ECTS credits), Sociological Methodology (6 ECTS credits) and Social Anthropology (6 ECTS credits). 3. A professional higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in a relevant field: Sociology and Cultural Studies (0314). 4. A professional higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in any other field, provided that the student completes course units essential for further study, totalling 18 ECTS credits, before enrolling in the programme. These course units may be completed during the first-cycle programme, during programmes of further study or by passing differential examinations before enrolling in the programme. Course units essential for further study: General Sociology (6 ECTS credits), Sociological Methodology (6 ECTS credits) and Social Anthropology (6 ECTS credits). 5. An academic higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in a relevant field: Sociology and Cultural Studies (0314). Such students normally have 60 ECTS credits recognised within the programme and are admitted to the second year provided their recognised credits are sufficient to meet the conditions for transfers between programmes laid down by an accredited programme of study. 6. A professional higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in any other field, provided that the student completes course units essential for further study, totalling 18 ECTS credits, before enrolling in the programme. These course units may be completed during the first-cycle programme, during programmes of further study or by passing differential examinations before enrolling in the programme. Course units essential for further study: General Sociology (6 ECTS credits), Sociological Methodology (6 ECTS credits) and Social Anthropology (6 ECTS credits). Such students normally have 10–20 ECTS credits recognised within the programme and are admitted to the year corresponding to the number of credits recognised. 7. A professional higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, and a specialisation programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in a relevant field: Sociology and Cultural Studies (0314). Such students normally have 60 ECTS credits recognised within the programme and are admitted to the second year provided their recognised credits are sufficient to meet the conditions for transfers between programmes laid down by an accredited programme of study. 8. A professional higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, and a specialisation programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in any other field, provided that the student completes course units essential for further study, totalling 18 ECTS credits, before enrolling in the programme. These course units may be completed during the first-cycle programme, during programmes of further study or by passing differential examinations before enrolling in the programme. Course units essential for further study: General Sociology (6 ECTS credits), Sociological Methodology (6 ECTS credits) and Social Anthropology (6 ECTS credits). Such students normally have 10– 20 ECTS credits recognised within the programme and are admitted to the year corresponding to the number of credits recognised.

The following will be taken into account when selecting applicants for the second-cycle Sociology programme: – Results in previous studies: Average mark: 70% Bachelor’s thesis mark: 30% (if previous studies included a bachelor’s thesis) or Average mark: 100% (if previous studies did not include a bachelor’s thesis).

Transfers between programmes are possible in accordance with Articles 2 and 3 of the Criteria for Transfers between Study Programmes (UL RS 14/19). Applicants who meet conditions for enrolment in the proposed programme and the conditions for transfer between programmes will be told what year they may enrol in and what missing course units they must complete if they wish to conclude their studies under the new programme. Transfers are possible between programmes: – which guarantee the acquisition of comparable competences on completion and between which at least half the course units under the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) from the first study programme relating to compulsory units of the second study programme may be recognised under the criteria for recognising knowledge and skills acquired prior to enrolment in the programme.

Procedures for identifying, verifying and recognising knowledge and skills acquired by a student through formal or non-formal learning before enrolling in the programme (“prior learning”) are regulated pursuant to the Rules on the recognition of knowledge and skills in programmes of study at the University of Maribor (https://www.um.si/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Pravilnik-o-priznavanju-znanj-in-spretnosti-v-studijskih-programih-UM-st.-012-2019-2.pdf). Procedures for identifying, verifying and recognising knowledge and criteria for recognising knowledge and skills apply both to students enrolling at the University of Maribor and to already enrolled students who wish to have prior learning counted towards completion of a course unit in an existing programme.

Students on the single-subject non-teaching Sociology pathway must complete all prescribed course units from the pathway and successfully defend a master’s thesis. This corresponds to a total of at least 120 ECTS credits.

mag. prof. soc. in …
magister profesor sociologije in …
magistrica profesorica sociologije in …

01 - Education

0114 - Teacher training with subject specialisation

5 - Social Sciences

During its 25th regular session, on 21 April 2011, the Council of the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education – NAKVIS officially accredited the two-discipline postgraduate pedagogical study programme "Sociology" (2nd Bologna cycle - MA), implemented by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Maribor, Slomškov trg 15, SI-2000 Maribor, in accordance with paragraph 7 of chapter 11 of Article 51h and chapter 7 of Article 51p of the Higher Education Act of the Republic of Slovenia (ZVis) (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 119/06 – official consolidated text, 59/07 – Scholarship Act of the Republic of Slovenia (ZŠtip), 15/08 - Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia, 64/08, 86/09 and 62/2010 – Exercise of Rights to Public Funds Act of the Republic of Slovenia (ZUPJS)), and with reference to Article 56 of the valid Criteria for the Accreditation and External Evaluation of Higher Education Institutions and Study Programmes (Merila za akreditacijo in zunanjo evalvacijo visokošolskih zavodov in študijskih programov – Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 95/2010).

In order to progress to the second year, students must complete first-year course units totalling 25 ECTS credits and the number of ECTS credits envisaged by the other half of the two-subject programme. Exceptional progression: Exceptional progression is possible subject to a request from the student and in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes of the University of Maribor. Extension of student status: Extension of student status is possible in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes of the University of Maribor. Advice and guidance during studies: The successful progression to higher years will be supported by a tutoring system and peer (intergenerational) mentoring. In addition to providing students with assistance in completing course units, tutors will offer advice and guidance to students at the start of their studies (incoming tutoring or orientation), during their studies (content-focused tutoring) and on completion of their studies (outgoing tutoring). The Sociology Department will conduct these activities in accordance with the rules governing the tutoring system, which will be drafted by the Faculty of Arts on the basis of starting points drawn up by the working group for the introduction of a tutoring system at the University of Maribor.

The programme does not contain individual segments.

Graduates of the second-cycle master’s programme can continue their studies in third-cycle programmes.

The two-subject teaching pathway within the Sociology programme provides students with specific professional competences that are essential for employment as sociology teachers or teachers of various subjects at the primary school level. On the one hand this covers knowledge and skills pertaining to sociology as a discipline, including research methodology, working with computers, using a foreign language in specialist communication, and proficiency in reading, writing and interpreting specialist literature; on the other, it covers knowledge and skills pertaining to didactics and teaching methods in sociology. The employment opportunities of graduates of the two-subject pathway in Sociology are also related to numerous other areas of economic and non-economic activity (education, advertising, tourism, culture, media, social work/care, governmental organisations and NGOs, etc., depending on the subject area of the other study programme), although we should point out that exact employment figures for different sectors are not available to us, in part because UM is still in the process of setting up a system for the regular and systematic monitoring of graduate employment outcomes and in part because the Act amending the Labour Market Regulation Act (ZUTD-A), which entered into force on 12 April 2013, did away with the obligation to report job vacancies to the Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS). In the case of employers who do not belong to the public sector and companies that are not majority-owned by the state, the publication of job vacancies is left to their discretion and they are not required to inform the ESS. As a result, the ESS no longer has information on all job vacancies in the country. Finally, we would like to end by drawing attention to the opinion of Gerald R. Greenberg, a senior associate dean at the Syracuse University College of Arts and Sciences. Dr Greenberg believes that the penetration of the idea that education must necessarily be judged from the point of view of its effects on the labour market is harmful. He also believes that favouring STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) while demonising the humanities and social sciences is harmful both to society and to individuals. Both factors lead to a collective loss of creativity and narrowmindedness (which fuels radicalisation and intolerance), which together threaten social stability.

The content of the second-cycle Sociology programme is integrated both horizontally within each individual year and vertically across individual units and semesters or years, depending on the pathway. Units that complement each other are taught in a single semester. Knowledge acquired through the units of an individual semester forms the basis for successful work in the units in the semesters that follow. In the great majority of units, the study programme also incorporates deliberate efforts to foster students’ personal development, where during the course students are introduced to the basics of studying effectively in higher education, teamwork, specialised research and writing, and locating specialised sources in databases and other resources. Pathway: Sociology – two-subject teaching pathway Horizontal integration: In the first year, students consolidate and expand knowledge and skills related to the methodology of social science research (Social Science Research Methods), where the main emphasis is on deepening and developing pedagogical and didactic knowledge and skills. In this context, units are closely horizontally integrated in terms of content, in that they all relate to the broader area of pedagogical work. The same can be said for the second semester, which is dedicated above all to specific pedagogical and didactic aspects within sociology, logically complemented by elective content, where students choose two elective units from the PDP (Pedagogy-Didactics-Psychology) module and one from Sociology. The third semester consists of four sociological units with related content that combine to form a complete whole, complemented by one more sociological didactic unit (Didactics of Sociology 3). The fourth semester is mainly devoted to the master’s thesis (9 ECTS credits), which is complemented by a free elective unit (3 ECTS credits) and final teaching practice (3 ECTS credits). Vertical integration: The pathway is designed in such a way that individual units or groups of units are vertically integrated with each other in the following way: - the main emphasis in the first and second semesters is on deepening and developing pedagogical and didactic knowledge and skills. Students also consolidate and expand knowledge and skills related to the methodology of social science research (Social Science Research Methods) and deepen their knowledge of a chosen area of sociology via an elective unit; - in the third semester students enhance their knowledge, above all by studying special sociologies, while also reinforcing and honing knowledge and skills related to the teaching of sociological content (Didactics of Sociology 3); - the fourth semester is largely dedicated to synthesising acquired knowledge, skills and competences in a master’s thesis. Students also hone their competences through final teaching practice and a free elective unit.

Criteria and methods for testing and assessing student outcomes are made publicly available and are implemented in accordance with the adopted learning programme, unit syllabuses and information on the unit. The assessment system is regulated in accordance with the Statutes of the University of Maribor and the Rules on testing and assessing knowledge at the University of Maribor. Both documents are available online at: https://www.um.si/o-univerzi/dokumentno-sredisce. Learning outcomes are defined by syllabuses. These are made publicly available and are accessible to all. They can be consulted in the collection of programmes of study at the University of Maribor, which is aimed at students wishing to enrol (accreditation is shown for the cohort of students who will enrol in the following year), and on the Faculty of Arts website (Programmes of study | UM Faculty of Arts). The method of assessment and testing is defined in each syllabus. This means that, on the basis of the published syllabus content, students can compare or check the content and levels of knowledge associated with specific skills. Academic staff encourage continuous work and continuous testing of knowledge, in this way enabling students to maintain a constant overview of their own progress. Students are also verbally informed about assessment criteria and methods when they begin a unit. Following analyses of pedagogical work and evaluation of the programme, appropriate amendments are made to syllabuses. Verification of whether students are successfully meeting the requirements of the programme is done through the testing and assessment of knowledge, which is the basis on which students obtain marks and credits in individual units of the programme, allowing them to progress through the programme and move on to further studies. At the same time, it provides students with feedback on the level of knowledge they have attained. Exam results are entered in an electronic register called the Academic Information Subsystem (AIPS). Results are entered by the exam administrator, who has access to the details of the students entered for the exam. After entering the marks for an individual exam, the exam administrator submits a signed exam report to the Student Affairs Office. This report is kept permanently and represents an official record of the institution. Students are informed of exam results as soon as they are entered and confirmed by the exam administrator, via their personal AIPS account, which they access using a username and password. Students’ knowledge is tested in examinations, colloquia and other forms of testing and assessment, and awarded a positive or negative mark. Positive marks are “excellent” (10), “very good” (9 and 8), “good” (7) and “satisfactory” (6). Negative marks are all marks from 1 to 5. Examination timetables are published in the publicly accessible calendar for each individual academic year (http://ff.um.si/studenti/urniki). Lists of scheduled exam dates for individual units during the academic year are prepared by Departments and published by the Student Affairs Office in the AIPS by no later than 15 November for the current academic year.

The central aim of the second-cycle Sociology programme offered by the University of Maribor’s Faculty of Arts is to form an educational profile that guarantees all the competences necessary for autonomous activity in a range of working environments that require a considered, knowledge-based, ethical and flexible response to the challenges of life in modern society. To this end, both pathways of the programme enable the development of general competences such as general professional and academic literacy, familiarity with and the ability to use research methods and problem-solving techniques, public communication skills and the ability to use modern digital technologies. Graduates of the single-subject pathway also gain in-depth knowledge of sociology and social science research methodology. The main competences they develop in this context include in-depth and critical understanding of methodological approaches and starting points, the ability to reliably identify the causes of various social phenomena and predict their long-term consequences, and the ability to elaborate strategies to increase desirable social outcomes and mitigate undesirable ones. Graduates of the two-subject pathway acquire solid fundamental knowledge of sociology which they can effectively combine with fundamental knowledge from their other chosen programme. They also acquire in-depth knowledge and skills related to the pedagogical and didactic content of the programme. On completion, graduates will thus have acquired all the competences that, in line with established international standards, are necessary to work successfully as teachers of sociology or related subjects.

The general competences acquired by graduates of the second-cycle Sociology programme are the same for both pathways, although the development of individual competences can differ in each of the two pathways. These competences are the following: • general and programme-specific academic and professional literacy; • the ability to independently accumulate and use knowledge and knowledge resources/sources; • the ability to critically interpret academic and professional literature and other sources of information; • the ability to observe, analyse, synthesise and critically evaluate solutions and consequences; • knowledge of research methods and problem-solving techniques and the ability to use them; • a well-developed capacity for self-criticism, a willingness to pursue further specialisation and the ability to oversee own professional development; • a well-developed ability to work individually and as part of a team; • the ability to use modern digital technologies to organise work and address work problems; • well-developed general public speaking skills; • the ability to resolve specific work problems by seeking out sources of knowledge and applying scientific methods; • the ability to express themselves adequately in writing (articles, papers) and orally (lectures, presentations); • the ability to independently plan and organise work tasks in various fields of work; • personal integrity and the ability to act in accordance with professional ethics.

The most important subject-specific competences acquired by graduates of the two-subject pathway of the second-cycle Sociology programme over the course of the programme can be divided into two groups. The pedagogical competences group includes: • the ability to communicate effectively with learners and establish a stimulating learning environment; • the ability to adapt lessons to the cognitive, social and emotional maturity of learners; • the ability to plan, implement and evaluate the learning process; • the ability to use modern principles, methods and techniques of testing and assessing knowledge; • the ability to use modern information and communication technologies in teaching and other pedagogical work; • the ability to manage a class effectively; • the ability to connect with colleagues and the wider environment as part of a team; • the ability to communicate effectively with parents; • the ability to reflect critically on own teaching practice and plan own professional development; • a capacity for ethical reflection; • the ability to establish an inclusive school climate; • understanding of the educational process and the importance of authority and establishing discipline in the educational process, and the ability to work effectively within it; • knowledge of the role and activities of teacher and learners in the education process and the ability to analyse and evaluate a teacher’s educational styles, methods and principles; • the ability to observe and describe a lesson in accordance with a prepared protocol; analyse specific aspects of the activity of teacher and learners; use and create individual school documents for completion/compilation by teachers; analyse the work of a teacher, a learner and other pedagogical staff according to prepared criteria; prepare and write a lesson observation report and analyse simple didactic phenomena; • familiarity with fundamental didactic concepts and phenomena, their characteristics and principles (didactic games, concrete didactic environment, didactic resources at school); • the ability to plan, implement and evaluate the learning process; • the ability to use modern principles, methods and techniques of testing and assessment; familiarity with authentic forms of testing and assessment and the ability to use them appropriately; • the ability to communicate effectively with learners and parents, manage a class effectively and establish a stimulating learning environment; • the ability to adapt lessons to the cognitive, social and emotional maturity of learners; • the ability to plan, implement and evaluate the teaching of sociology and the ability to provide learning support during lessons with sociological content; • familiarity with traditional approaches in sociological discourse and coherent mastery of knowledge within social science disciplines, including the ability to integrate knowledge from different fields and apply this knowledge to the education process at the primary school level. The most important competences in the second group of subject-specific competences acquired by graduates of the two-subject pathway of the second-cycle Sociology programme are: • a good overall grasp of social science research (including more complex questions of epistemology and social science methodology); • understanding of and the ability to critically evaluate basic concepts and current topics within the sociology of education and with regard to the globalisation of education; • understanding of basic concepts and current topics in the sociology of education and the ability to critically evaluate the concept of the knowledge society and related concepts; • familiarity with and understanding of political life in the context of broader social phenomena, and of the socially conditioned aspects and fluidity of political life; familiarity with politico-sociological concepts and the ability to apply them in everyday situations within the context of local, national and European political communities; • the ability to understand the history and development of cultural studies, the sociology of modern and post-modern culture and sociological studies of consumption; • familiarity with the basic theoretical positions and concepts of the social sciences and sociology that appear within the globalisation discourse; • familiarity with fundamental research on adolescence as a unique phase of development; • thorough familiarity with theoretical and empirical sociological approaches to the research of health and illness; • familiarity with the social dimensions underpinning different understandings of family life and partnership.

Enrolment in the second-cycle Sociology programme – Sociology pathway (two-subject teaching pathway) is open to students who have completed: 1. A first-cycle programme in a relevant field: Sociology and Cultural Studies (0314). 2. A first-cycle study programme in another field: Social Sciences, Journalism and Information (03), Arts and Humanities (02), Education Science and Teacher Training (01) – provided that before enrolling in the programme the student completes course units essential for further study, totalling 12 ECTS credits, and a corresponding number of ECTS credits in the other half of the two-subject programme. These course units may be completed during the first-cycle programme, during programmes of further study or by passing differential examinations before enrolling in the programme. Course units essential for further study: General Sociology (6 ECTS credits), Social Anthropology (6 ECTS credits). 3. A professional higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in a relevant field: Sociology and Cultural Studies (0314). 4. A professional higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in another field: Social Sciences, Journalism and Information (03), Arts and Humanities (02), Education Science and Teacher Training (01) – provided that before enrolling in the programme the student completes course units essential for further study, totalling 12 ECTS credits, and a corresponding number of ECTS credits in the other half of the two-subject programme. These course units may be completed during the first-cycle programme, during programmes of further study or by passing differential examinations before enrolling in the programme. Course units essential for further study: General Sociology (6 ECTS credits), Social Anthropology (6 ECTS credits). 5. An academic higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in a relevant field: Sociology and Cultural Studies (0314). Such students normally have 30 ECTS credits recognised within the programme, along with a corresponding number in the other half of the two-subject programme, and are admitted to the second year provided their recognised credits are sufficient to meet the conditions for transfers between programmes laid down by an accredited programme of study. 6. An academic higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in another field: Social Sciences, Journalism and Information (03), Arts and Humanities (02), Education Science and Teacher Training (01). Such students normally have 10–20 ECTS credits recognised within the programme, along with a corresponding number in the other half of the two-subject programme, and are admitted to the year corresponding to the number of credits recognised. 7. A professional higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, and a specialisation programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in a relevant field: Sociology and Cultural Studies (0314). Such students normally have 30 ECTS credits recognised within the programme, along with a corresponding number in the other half of the two-subject programme, and are admitted to the second year provided their recognised credits are sufficient to meet the conditions for transfers between programmes laid down by an accredited programme of study. 8. A professional higher education programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, and a specialisation programme, adopted before 11 June 2004, in another field: Social Sciences, Journalism and Information (03), Arts and Humanities (02), Education Science and Teacher Training (01). Such students normally have 10–20 ECTS credits recognised within the programme, along with a corresponding number in the other half of the two-subject programme, and are admitted to the year corresponding to the number of credits recognised.

The following will be taken into account when selecting applicants for the second-cycle Sociology programme: – Results in previous studies: Average mark: 70% Bachelor’s thesis mark: 30% (if previous studies included a bachelor’s thesis) or Average mark: 100% (if previous studies did not include a bachelor’s thesis).

Transfers between programmes are possible in accordance with Articles 2 and 3 of the Criteria for Transfers between Study Programmes (UL RS 14/19). Applicants who meet conditions for enrolment in the proposed programme and the conditions for transfer between programmes will be told what year they may enrol in and what missing course units they must complete if they wish to conclude their studies under the new programme. Transfers are possible between programmes: – which guarantee the acquisition of comparable competences on completion and between which at least half the course units under the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) from the first study programme relating to compulsory units of the second study programme may be recognised under the criteria for recognising knowledge and skills acquired prior to enrolment in the programme.

Procedures for identifying, verifying and recognising knowledge and skills acquired by a student through formal or non-formal learning before enrolling in the programme (“prior learning”) are regulated pursuant to the Rules on the recognition of knowledge and skills in programmes of study at the University of Maribor (https://www.um.si/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Pravilnik-o-priznavanju-znanj-in-spretnosti-v-studijskih-programih-UM-st.-012-2019-2.pdf). Procedures for identifying, verifying and recognising knowledge and criteria for recognising knowledge and skills apply both to students enrolling at the University of Maribor and to already enrolled students who wish to have prior learning counted towards completion of a course unit in an existing programme.

Students complete the programme when they have completed all prescribed course units in the two-subject teaching pathway and, at the same time, all prescribed course units in the other subject or programme, corresponding to a total of at least 120 ECTS credits (60 ECTS credits from the two-subject teaching pathway in Sociology and 60 ECTS credits from the other subject or programme). In two-subject pathways, students can prepare a thesis for an individual subject or as a joint master’s thesis.