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Sociology Schools and Programs in Spain

23 schools in Spain teach Sociology.

Sociology

Sociology is the examination of social life, causes and consequences. Areas under discussion range from family life to unfriendly mob, from the classifications of race and social class to the shared views attitudes of a common culture. Students of sociology can pursue vocations in consulting, social planning, social research, government service and human resource management. Sociology courses offered at SLU-Madrid include: SOC 1100: Introduction to Sociology and SOC 2930: Special Topics: Comparative Social Institutions.
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Madrid

Sociology

Sociology is the methodical study of human society. Bircham University’s Sociology program concentrates on the core concepts of sociology and the important societal structures such as religion, education, science and technology, family and economic and political institutes. The idea of culture, personality and personality development, role and status, in addition to social order, control, class, and mobility are represented and examined. This program also debates the theories and processes of socio-cultural change. Subjects covered on this course include: Social Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Organizational Behavior, Marriage & Family Relations, Political Sociology, Analysis of Social Problems, Social Problems & Deviance, Personality & Social Development, Multicultural Diversity, Cross Cultural Social Perspectives, Social Class & Stratification, Social Activities & Relations, Social Control & Intervention, Qualitative Social Research and Ethics & Social Responsibility. Subjects account for 3 academic credits each. The Sociology program is available at Specialist, Expert, Bachelor's, Master's & Ph.D. (Doctoral) Degree levels.
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Villanueva de la Cañada

Sociology Studies in Spain

Sociology studies how societies are organised and how they change: inequality, work, migration, family, gender, education and politics. The Universidad Complutense de Madrid describes its aim as building the theoretical and empirical foundations for the scientific knowledge of societies. In Spain it is a university subject, taught as a bachelor's degree (grado en Sociología) and continued in master's degrees and doctorates, with a strong focus on social research methods.

How the degree is organised

Under Royal Decree 822/2021, Spanish bachelor's degrees have 240 ECTS credits and official master's degrees 60, 90 or 120 credits. Official degrees are valid throughout Spain. The sociology degree follows this pattern: at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid it lasts four years (240 credits) on the Getafe campus and is taught in Spanish; at the Universidad de Salamanca it is taught at the Faculty of Social Sciences, also over four years and in Spanish, with 50 places for new students in 2026-27.

The first years combine sociological theory with research methods. The Carlos III study plan, for example, includes social research techniques, survey design, statistics applied to the social sciences and classical sociological theory, followed by subjects such as migration in a globalised world and gender inequalities. Before graduating, Carlos III students must certify B2-level English.

Some universities offer variants of the degree. The Universidad de Murcia, whose degree has 70 places, was the first in that university to run two teaching modes side by side, an on-campus group and an online group. RUCT also lists a degree in Politics, Sociology and Philosophy at the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca and one in Applied Sociology at the Universidad Pública de Navarra.

Where to study sociology in Spain

A search for sociology in the Ministry's Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT) returns 22 bachelor's records, including a few degrees being phased out. Examples with the degree in RUCT:

  • Madrid: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, whose sociology studies have run for more than 40 years at the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology on the Somosaguas campus, and the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Getafe
  • Catalonia: Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and, online, the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
  • Castile and León: Universidad de Salamanca
  • Andalusia: Universidad de Granada and Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Seville
  • Valencian Community and Murcia: Universidad de Alicante, Universitat de València and Universidad de Murcia
  • North and Canary Islands: Universidad de A Coruña, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea and Universidad de La Laguna
  • Distance learning: the UNED

Teaching is mainly in Spanish, and in Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Galicia and the Basque Country partly in the co-official language. Check the language of each course in the university's study plan.

Admission

Students who finished secondary school outside Spain usually apply first to UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' records and runs the tests needed to enter Spanish bachelor's degrees. Documents must be legalised and translated. Each university then applies its own admission criteria, which depend on the previous studies and the country of origin, and admits students by mark where demand exceeds places.

Recognition of the qualification

Homologación of a foreign degree is only for regulated professions, and sociologist is not on the ministry's list. A foreign sociology degree can instead receive a declaración de equivalencia, which certifies its academic level (bachelor's or master's), for example for further study or public-sector job applications that ask for a degree. Students who want to continue a sociology degree in Spain can ask for convalidación of the subjects already passed.

Careers

The Universidad de Salamanca groups the careers of its graduates into teaching, research, social intervention and advisory work. Social research jobs draw on data collection, interviews, surveys and statistics. Other graduates work with groups facing specific problems, in personnel management and organisation in companies and public bodies, or in planning and evaluating programmes and policies, including the estimation of their social impact.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a sociology degree in Spain?

Four years and 240 ECTS credits. An official master's degree adds 60 to 120 credits.

Can I study sociology in Spain online?

Yes. The UNED and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya have the degree in RUCT, and the Universidad de Murcia runs an online group alongside its on-campus group.

In which language is sociology taught?

Mainly in Spanish, and in some regions partly in the co-official language. Carlos III, Salamanca and Murcia list Spanish as the language of their degrees.

Do I need to homologate a foreign sociology degree?

No. Sociology is not a regulated profession that can be homologated; you can apply for a declaración de equivalencia, which certifies the academic level of the degree.