[NEW] Data and Society

The Data and Society programme invites you to explore the rapidly changing world through the lens of data, digital technologies and social analysis. Every day we witness transformations reshaping work, cities, communication, mobility and public life. Where do these shifts come from? How do technological systems, global trends and social forces interact? And what do these processes mean for individuals and societies? The programme offers you space to ask these questions — and the tools to start answering them.

At the heart of the programme is a strong focus on the interplay between data and society. You will learn how data is produced, interpreted and used across different areas of life, and how digitalisation is redefining what it means to work, move, communicate and participate in public spaces. You will also gain solid sociological foundations, enabling you to understand how people form groups, how institutions evolve, how inequalities emerge and how broader social structures shape everyday experiences.

Studying in the Data and Society programme means joining an intellectually rich and culturally diverse academic environment. You will work with lecturers and researchers whose expertise spans labour studies, urban sociology, migration, digital cultures, Big Data analytics, research methodology and critical theories of technology. The curriculum integrates classical sociological knowledge with contemporary analytical competencies, from coding basics and statistical modelling to qualitative research and data visualisation.

To deepen your understanding of how data can illuminate social reality, the programme includes practical, experience-based learning. You will participate in research workshops, design your own studies, analyse real datasets and learn how to communicate insights to different audiences — policymakers, NGOs, social movements, institutions or private-sector partners. This hands-on approach helps you understand not only how to gather and process information, but also how to use it responsibly and ethically in real-world contexts.

Upon graduation, you will have developed a broad, versatile set of competencies linking social understanding with analytical reasoning. You will be prepared to work in areas where data-driven approaches meet social expertise — including policy analysis, data and research consultancy, urban development, migration and integration services, labour market studies, diversity management or digital innovation.

You will also acquire the practical research skills needed to conduct your own projects on social change, work, mobility and digital transformation. The programme equips you with transferable skills in critical thinking, data interpretation, communication, teamwork, problem-solving and ethical reflection, preparing you for careers in public administration, non-governmental organisations, international bodies, private companies or for further study in social sciences at the Master’s level.

 

 

  If you are thinking about studying this programme at the University of Wroclaw but still have questions book an online meeting with admission team. Just press the button below and choose a date that suits you. 

 

Entrance exams

1. Rules for applicants whose education certificates come from systems outside EU, OECD, EFTA, or without International Baccalaureate (IB)/European Baccalaureate (EB) diploma, or specific documents from China (高中毕业证书 / Gaozhong Biye Zhengshu) and Ukraine (СВІДОЦТВО / АТТЕСТАТ) recognized on the base of bilateral agreements - starting from 1.07.2025, according to new rules of admission.

Type of exam: Written exam in the form of an essay.

Topics for essay:

• Observing space vs. data about space - Observe a specific public space in your city at different times of the day over a week. What patterns of behaviour do you notice? How might your observations differ from official data about this space (visitor statistics, data from cameras, mobile applications)? What can be measured, and what cannot be captured in numbers?

• Your digital community in numbers and stories - Analyse your digital interactions from the past week (social media, instant messaging, online games). What data about yourself and others do you generate? How does the image of your community, based on ‘hard’ data (the number of contacts, the frequency of communication), differ from your subjective feelings about the closeness and importance of relationships?

• Local event: facts, figures and impressions - Select a recent event in your community. Compare official data about it (attendance, costs, media coverage) with your own observations and conversations with participants. How do these perspectives differ? What do the statistics miss, and what might be invisible to an observer?

• Your educational database - Analyse your own “educational data” (grades, test results, subject choices, study time) and compare it with your own feelings about learning and development. How well do the numbers describe your actual knowledge and skills? What aspects of your development are not reflected in the official data?

• Family demographics vs. family history – Create a ‘demographic profile’ of your family (age, education, income, place of residence, migration history). Then describe how these dry facts translate into everyday life, relationships and decisions. What do the statistics not show that is key to understanding your family?

• Invisible rules in the data age - Observe people's behaviour in a selected environment (school, work, public transport) for several days. What unwritten rules do you notice? How can they be measured or documented? Which aspects of social life in this place can be ‘digitised’, and which will remain elusive to algorithms and databases?

Formal requirements: 

• 1800 – 2500 characters (without spaces), font size 12, line spacing 1.5, min. 3 academic sources in the bibliography (citation style according to chosen format, e.g., the Chicago Manual of Style, Harvard Style)
• Language: English

Evaluation criteria:

• Structure and organization of the text (0–5 points)
• Style and linguistic correctness (0–5 points)
• Substantive content (0–5 points)
• Originality of conclusions and argumentation (0–5 points)

The essay will be assessed on a scale of 0–20 points. A minimum of 10 points is required to pass. Admission will be granted to candidates with the highest scores within the established limit of available places.

We encourage to start preparing essay in advance.

2. In 2025 admission special admission rules apply to candidates holding documents from the EU, OECD, EFTA countries, as well as IB or EB diplomas, and to specific cases from China (高中毕业证书 / Gaozhong Biye Zhengshu) and Ukraine (СВІДОЦТВО / АТТЕСТАТ).

These candidates are not required to take a standard entrance exam. Instead, their qualifications are evaluated based on their previous education - according to old rules of admission.