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Why does the Master’s Degree in Social and Political Studies have a research focus?

To guarantee the development of the potential offered by the southwestern region of Colombia, it is indispensable to achieve a significant improvement in the theoretical, methodological and comprehension competences of people trained in social sciences in the region. The master's degree is an ideal academic space for the improvement of these competences allowing the training of professionals dedicated to the production of new knowledge and guaranteeing the continuity and progress in the intellectual, technical and scientific development of the students. This academic space oriented by active learning strategies and with a multidisciplinary approach favors the understanding and critical discussion of different contemporary socio-political processes and structural problems that afflict our society in both local and global contexts. In this way, our master's program provides students with not only the necessary elements to undertake high-quality processes in research, human resource training and advice, but also fundamental competencies to continue their learning throughout life.

Shafts of formation

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Shafts of formation 1

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Shafts of formation 1

Identification and understanding of the perspectives of analysis and research in contemporary Social and Political Sciences

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Shafts of formation 2

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Shafts of formation 2

Interpretation of the complexity of social and political scenarios

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Shafts of formation 3

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Shafts of formation 3

Methodologies for the formulation and execution of research proposals

We have a Master with high quality standards

Why choose Universidad Icesi?

Experience and recognition: Universidad Icesi was founded in 1979 and currently has five faculties and the School of Education Sciences that offer 29 undergraduate programs, 25 master's degrees, 20 surgical medical specializations and a doctorate, all of them approved by the Ministry of National Education. The six faculties are: Law and Social Sciences, the School of Education Sciences, Administrative and Economic Sciences, Engineering, Natural Sciences and Health Sciences.

Objective

The Master’s Degree in Social and Political Studies with a focus on research offered by Universidad Icesi aims to train researchers capable of leading research processes with significant positive impact, both in the academic and scientific world, as well as in communities, social groups and institutions. This training is composed of a balance between knowledge (theories and facts), execution (skills and competences), and the self (values and attitudes).

Methodology

The Master’s Degree in Social and Political Studies has a duration of two years, organized in four academic semesters. It is campus based, daytime program oriented by active learning strategies, with a weekly intensity of 10 to 11 hours of class distributed in four days per week. In addition to the scheduled classes, students are occasionally required to participate in academic activities such as conferences scheduled by the Master's Directorate as part of the complementary training of a researcher.

The Active Learning method involves the interaction of the participants (teachers, students and, in some cases, guest speakers) in the exploration of questions and answers related to topics previously studied in class, projects developed by students in small groups, interaction in the form of debates and forums (virtual or face-to-face), reflective seminars that motivate discussion and the use of resources such as videos, dramatizations and role plays, among others.

The Master’s Degree in Social and Political Studies is configured into three training axes, directly linked to the competences that are intended to be developed: 1. Identification and comprehension of the perspectives of analysis and research in contemporary Social and Political Sciences 2. Interpretation of the complexity of social and political scenarios 3. Methodologies for the formulation and execution of research proposals.

Each of these axes is associated with a coherent body of courses and is linked, directly, with each of the competences to be developed by the graduate. The courses will have activities and contents aimed at fulfilling the different competences of the training and, therefore, each one can be linked to more than one axis of training.

To graduate, students must obtain the necessary credits, and present and develop a research project that demonstrates their analytical, theoretical and methodological competence, within the framework of this master's degree. This research project should have as a result two publishable articles and will be advised by a full-time professor of the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences. The first article will be developed individually and submitted to an evaluation committee. A second article will be developed jointly with the tutor as the second author and the tutor’s approval is required to complete this degree requirement.

A master’s degree with solid academic grounding

The Master's program in Social and Political Studies is supported by the Department of Social Studies and the Department of Political Studies at Universidad Icesi, which have a group of professors with an interdisciplinary teaching and research perspective, in the different areas of knowledge of social and political sciences. This support is further strengthened by the experience in research and intellectual production of the Nexos and Precedente research groups and the following centers:

Centro de Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Jurídicos, Sociales y Humanistas (CIES), which consolidates interdisciplinary research work on legal, social and humanistic issues, and contributes to the understanding and solution of problems of regional, national and international interest.

Centro de Estudios Afrodiaspóricos (CEAF), which promotes innovation, research, teaching and public intervention in aspects related to the stories, cultures, policies and intellectual production of the African diaspora.

Centro de Recursos para el Aprendizaje (CREA), which supports the academic departments of the university in the review, adjustment and innovation of pedagogies and didactics used by teachers, for the realization of the university’s educational project.

Valle Visible (regional chapter of Congreso Visible), which is part of a network of observatories, dedicated to the systematic monitoring and analysis of the Congress of the Republic.

Grupo de Acciones Públicas Icesi (GAPI), whose purpose is the use of legal resources to defend the right to health and social inclusion of vulnerable populations.

Laboratorio Etnográfico, which seeks to strengthen the research training of students through the experience of field work, as a determining pedagogical process in the appropriation of anthropological sensibility and vision.

Laboratorio de Procesos Transnacionales, an academic space dedicated to the study of the different transnational dynamics from a Colombian perspective.

Scholarships: To attract outstanding students, Universidad Icesi and the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences offer two types of scholarships. The first is a grant covering up to 90% of the tuition fees. The tuition fees will be waived when the student meets the requirements for successful completion of the program and the publication of articles, as per the relevant internal regulations of the university. The second possibility is that of a scholarship contract, subject to a rigorous selection process, in which he/she will work at the university providing research, academic or pedagogical training support. The fee waiver does not extend to the registration fee, the Procultura tax, or the graduation fee.