Message from Head of Department

'Ranked 14th in Europe and in the top 100 in the world' 2012 QS World University Subject Rankings

The Department of Sociology is a member of the School of Social Sciences and Philosophy, one of 24 Schools within Trinity College. It is the only Irish institution to feature in the Top 100 QSA World University Subject Rankings for sociology. The QS rankings are based on research output measured by citations, employer evaluations and peer reviews.

The Department is internationally known for its work on race and ethnicity with particular strengths in migration. Several staff were founding members of the Trinity Immigration Initiative. Other main research themes include conflict and social movements, employment and work in Europe as well as digital lives and social networks. Several staff also contribute to the Institute for International Integration Studies (IIIS) and collaborate with one of Ireland’s premier research institutes, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

The Department is strongly committed to the professionalization of third-level teaching. It takes great pride in having won recently two Provost’s Teaching Awards for outstanding contribution in the pursuit of teaching excellence at Trinity College. The Department offers courses to over 1,000 undergraduate students. Our research-led teaching approaches include a range of innovative methodologies to develop independent learners and equip them with transferable skills needed for today’s knowledge-based societies.

Equally important to the Department is its internationalisation strategy. It is one of very few at Trinity College where around one third of undergraduate students participate in Erasmus and non-EU international exchanges. Each year, the Department welcomes a growing number of visiting students from around the world who enrich our shared multicultural learning environment. For details about the various exchange and visiting programmes please visit the International section on this site or contact Dr Antje Röder.

The Department has an active postgraduate programme. It is home to the unique one-year MPhil in Race, Ethnicity, Conflict and has a new structured PhD programme combining advanced methodological training with transferable skills workshops. There are around 25 PhD students and our doctoral graduates have positions in academic institutions, non-governmental organisations and the private sector. The Department provides some financial support for postgraduates. PhD enquiries should be directed to Dr Anne Holohan and MPhil enquiries to Dr Andrew Finlay.

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Dr Daniel Faas

Head of Department