Method Course Selection – Spring 2025

Overview

During the second half of the spring semester of their first year, students in the master's programmes listed below apply for elective courses in theory of science and methods in order to fulfil the requirements for your degree. This internal application and admissions process is coordinated by Graduate School.

Please read the information on this page carefully before you submit your application. If you have any questions about the application process, you can contact us at counselling [at] sam [dot] lu [dot] se (counselling[at]sam[dot]lu[dot]se). If you are a Graduate School programme student, you are welcome to contact us at this email address with questions about your study plan and programme/course-specific rules listed below. In case you are a student in a program that is not coordinated by Graduate School and have questions about the specific rules that apply to your program, please contact your study advisors at your home department. Questions regarding course content can be directed to the relevant course coordinator indicated on each course page linked below. 

Programmes that participate

First-year students in the master's programmes listed below will apply for these courses in an internal application process:

• Development Studies
• Global Studies
• Politics and Society of the Contemporary Middle East
• Social Scientific Data Analysis
• Social Studies of Gender
• Cultural Criminology
• Media and Communication Studies
• Political Science
• Social Anthropology
• Sociology
• Sociology of Law
• Welfare Policies and Management

Course options

Period 3 (March 24 to April 29)

In Period 3, you will choose from six courses in research methods that Graduate School offers, plus one course offered by the Department of Gender Studies:

SIMM16 - Introduction to Quantitative Methods, 7.5 credits
SIMM25 - Fieldwork, 7.5 credits
SIMM30 - Participatory Methods of Change and Development, 7.5 credits
SIMM34 - Digital Media Research, 7.5 credits
SIMM55 - Research Interviews, 7.5 credits
SIMM56 - Process Tracing, 7.5 credits
GNVN33 - Feminist Methodologies and Methods, 7.5 credits (offered by the Department of Gender Studies – only an option for Social Studies of Gender students and Gender Studies majors in Graduate School programs)

Period 4 (May 5 to June 8)

In Period 4, we offer five courses, four in research methods and one in theory of science:

SIMM23 - Theory of Science for the Social Sciences, 7.5 credits
SIMM27 - Methods of Text and Discourse Analysis, 7.5 credits
SIMM32 - Quantitative Methods: Multivariate Analysis, 7.5 credits
SIMM35 - Digital Ethnography, 7.5 credits
SIMM48 - Qualitative Analysis and Coding (using software), 7.5 credits

Information meeting about method electives

We will hold an online information meeting on 27 January 2025 at 15:30, about a week before the application period starts. In this meeting, we will tell you more about the different course options and how to apply, and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the course offerings and the application process. 

You can access the Zoom meeting by clicking on the link below or using the meeting ID:

Zoom meeting link: https://lu-se.zoom.us/j/66011012032?pwd=mmFWbHP7B83Vap1vpSfCfPCTUXtHbM.1
Zoom meeting ID: 660 1101 2032
Passcode: 361428

Application process

Applications will open on 3 February at 9:00 and close on 10 February at 12:00 (noon). You will submit your application through this form. Please note that you will not be able to view the form before the application period starts. 

For each period, you will select one first choice preference plus two alternates in case your first choice is not available. We will do our best to accommodate these priorities but cannot guarantee admission to your first choice. 

Placement is based on first come, first served with a few exceptions based on programme and course eligibility requirements. Please read the programme-specific information and course-specific information sections on this page carefully before you submit your application.

Should you submit multiple applications (e.g. you changed your mind after initially applying and will reapply to change your course selection), only your most recent application will be considered.

You will receive a confirmation email shortly after you submit the form. After the application period closes, we will process all applications that are submitted as quickly as possible. A notification email will be sent to you with information on which courses you have been admitted to no later than ten days after the application deadline. 

If you have any questions about the application process, please email us at counselling [at] sam [dot] lu [dot] se (subject: Spring%20term%20method%20course%20selection) (counselling[at]sam[dot]lu[dot]se). In case you encounter problems opening and submitting the application form, please first try a different browser before reaching out to us.

Programme-specific information

The programmes listed below have specific requirements and rules mandating the courses or types of courses that students may take. Please read carefully before you submit your application if you are in one of these programmes. 

Social Scientific Data Analysis

• SSDA students can only be admitted to courses in qualitative methods. 
• This means that you may not select courses in quantitative methods (SIMM16 or SIMM32) or theory of science (SIMM23) in your application.

Media and Communication

• Students in this programme must take SIMM34 - Digital Media Research in Period 3 and will be directly admitted to the course. 
• You will only choose Period 4 electives in your application. 
• You may only select research methods courses, which means that may not include SIMM23 - Theory of Science for the Social Sciences in your application. 
• Should you select SIMM35 - Digital Ethnography in Period 4 as your first choice, you will be prioritised for admission to this course.

Sociology

• Sociology programme students may not take SIMM16 - Introduction to Quantitative Methods because they have taken SOCN06 - Methods and Social Analysis during their first term. 
• As the content of both courses cover introductory-level quantitative methods, they cannot be included in the same degree. 

Sociology of Law

• Sociology of Law programme students must take SIMM23 - Theory of Science for the Social Sciences in Period 4 and will be directly admitted to this course. 
• You will only choose Period 3 electives in your application.

Course-specific information

While most courses are open for all students to apply, there are a few exceptions that are listed below.

GNVN33 - Feminist Methodologies and Methods

• GNVN33 - Feminist Methodologies and Methods is a course offered by the Department of Gender Studies in Period 3. 
• This course is only open to Social Studies of Gender programme students and Gender Studies majors from the following Graduate School programmes: Development Studies, Global Studies, and Social Scientific Data Analysis.
• Students from other programmes or majors may not include this course in their application.

SOCN06 and SIMM16

• Any students who have previously taken SOCN06 - Methods and Social Analysis within their programmes may not take SIMM16 - Introduction to Quantitative Methods. 
• As the content of both courses cover introductory-level quantitative methods, they cannot be included in the same degree. 

SIMM32 - Quantitative Methods: Multivariate Analysis

• A minimum of 5 ECTS in quantitative methods is required for a student to be eligible for admission to this course. 
• Each student's merits are  assessed on an individual basis, which means that we check your transcripts from your previous studies.
• Completion of SIMM16 will satisfy the necessary eligibility requirements. 
• Applicants who select SIMM16 and SIMM32 as their first choice in each period will be prioritised for admission to both courses.