# Digital Sociology

**Source**: https://english.spbu.ru/admission/programms/graduate/digital-sociology
**Parent**: https://english.spbu.ru/admission/programms/graduate

*In Russian*

Level of education Master

Type of instruction Full-time

Duration 2 years

With the additional qualification ‘Specialist in Modelling, Collecting and Analysing Digital Footprint Data’

Programme description

The implementation of the Executive Order of the President of the Russian Federation ‘Strategy for the Development of the Information Society in the Russian Federation for 2017–2030’ and the launch of the national project ‘Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State’ are giving rise to an increasing number of areas of activity that require a combination of traditional and innovative professional competencies in public service, business, research and education.

The master’s programme "Digital Sociology" has been designed in response to the ever-increasing demand for experts who are able to work with data of all kinds and extract information that characterises contemporary society and its elements. Graduates of the programme are capable of identifying challenges and proposing solutions in the form of special social responsibility projects and analytical packages for the needs of public and private institutions, government agencies and local self-government bodies, businesses, socio-political organisations, and the media. In the context of rapid digitalisation, these competences are fundamental.

After the training, graduates of the programme will be able to:

- comprehensively assess the impact of digitalisation on society
- investigate the processes and phenomena of contemporary society by using cutting-edge software and Internet technology
- apply algorithms for data extraction, processing and analysis that are appropriate for the research tasks
- participate in the creation and maintenance of information systems and applications in the subject area (as part of project teams)
- use data for decision-making, evaluating the efficiency of various social programmes and initiatives; and
- organise R&D initiatives involving research and development aimed at acquiring new knowledge about human beings and society and applying it in practice

The programme will benefit: applicants with bachelor’s degrees in social sciences and humanities; social sector practitioners, including managers at different levels; experts with degrees in other spheres, who have basic knowledge of social sciences and a standard set of knowledge of mathematical statistics; and specialists from analytical departments of various industries relevant to working with people and society.

Main courses

- Theories of the Digital Society
- Social Media Analysis: Theory and Applied Methods and Technology
- Python Programming Workshops
- Analytical Platforms
- Big Data Tools for Social Sciences
- Digital Transformations of the Tools of Everyday Activity: VR Technologies, Gamification, 3D Tools, Internet of Things
- Sociology of Smart City

**Optional courses:**

- Project Management in Information Technology
- Workshop on Automated Data Collection and Analysis
- Human Resource Management
- Experiment in Sociological Research
- Seminar on Preparing Graduation Projects
- Political Sociology
- Chinese (online course)
- Hindi (online course)
- Intellectual Property Law in the Digital Age (online course)
- Adapting and Studying at the University (eLearning)
- University. Intro to Corporate Ethics (online course)

Our advantages

A considerable number of competences acquired during the programme are in line with the work field that is in demand in practice:

- Data analyst
- R&D
- SMM, PR и HR
- Digital footprint analyst

Workshops, open lectures and seminars organised by alumni and partner organisations are regularly held. They broaden students’ understanding of current directions in academic and applied research, enabling them to refine their employment strategies.

Teaching staff

- Anna Maltseva, Director of the programme, Doctor of Sociology, Member of the Roster of Experts in Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation; Member of the Expert Council of the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre; Member of the Dissertation Council of the Federal Scientific Research Sociological Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (D 002.011.01); author of 46 ROSPATENT certificates for databases and computer software in the field of social analysis; author of over 100 scholarly publications; permanent consultant for projects at the Centre of Expert Advice at St. Petersburg State University
- Asalkhan Boronoev, Doctor of Science (Philosophy), Honoured Worker of Science of the Russian Federation; Honoured Worker of Science of the Republic of Buryatia; Full Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences; Full Member of the Academy of Social Sciences; Full Member of the Academy of Humanities; expert in the history of Russian sociology and the sociology of interethnic relations
- Vladimir Kozlovskiy, Doctor of Science (Philosophy), Professor, Head of the Department of Sociology of Culture and Communication; Director of the Sociological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Editor-in-Chief of the *Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology* (Zhurnal sotsiologii i sotsialnoy antropologii); Member of the Expert Council of the Higher Assessment Committee; a renowned Russian sociologist; expert in the theory of sociology, the sociology of culture and communication, and the history of Russian social thought; author of numerous scholarly papers
- Yuri Veselov, Doctor of Sociology, Candidate of Economics, Professor, Head of the Department of Economic Sociology; a recognised specialist in economic sociology. He has a wide range of research interests, including the history of economic sociology, the sociology of nutrition and the sociology of trust.  He is the author of monographs, textbooks and articles, some of which have been published abroad
- Victoria Dudina, Doctor of Sociology, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Applied and Field-Specific Sociology; an acknowledged expert in sociological research methodology and applied sociology. She supervises research projects in digital sociology and health sociology. She is the author of publications in peer-reviewed international scholarly journals
- Dmitry Ivanov, Doctor of Sociology, Professor, Head of the Department of the Theory and History of Sociology.  He belongs to a new generation of Russian sociologists who study the latest trends in social development.  He is the author of the original concepts of the ‘virtualisation of society’ and ‘glamour capitalism’, which have received considerable attention in academic circles
- Vladimir Ilyin, Doctor of Sociology, Professor in the Department of Sociology of Culture and Communication; a renowned researcher in the fields of social research methodology, the sociology of culture, everyday life, youth in Russian metropolitan cities and the sociology of consumption.  He supervises research projects and is the author of numerous scholarly papers published in Russia and abroad

Main areas of research

- Social phenomena of the digital society
- Reasons for social stratification in the digital society
- Virtualisation of leisure The social profile of the sought-after employee in the digital age Virtual worlds as sites of socialisation
- Digital footprints of social groups
- Markers of professional values
- E-portfolios as a source of information about employees’ educational strategies
- Self-presentation across social media platforms

Career opportunities

##### Professions

The programme is interdisciplinary and covers a broad scope of knowledge. This will enable graduates to carry out professional activities in the following areas.

Among the prospective jobs are:

- Lead sociological analyst
- Specialist in organising sociological and marketing research
- Expert in sociological expertise
- Specialist consultant in sociological expertise and the application of its findings in sociology and economy
- Head of research
- Project manager
- PR specialist
- HR manager
- Project manager
- Social consultant and social audit specialist
- Social science teacher at higher education institutions
- Marketing analyst
- Digital tutor
- Social media analyst
- Data analyst
- R&D manager
- SMM manager

[This webpage may contain outdated information. The programme descriptions and admission requirements for the 2026/2027 academic year are currently being updated. For the latest information on 2026/2027 admission, please visit the Admissions Office website.](https://abiturient.spbu.ru/en/)

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