What Natalja says about the Master's in Social Scientific Data Analysis

Introducing Natalja 

Hi! My name is Natalja and I'm the student ambassador for the Master's programme in Social Scientific Data Analysis. I am happy to answer any questions you might have about the programme, courses, student life, and life in Lund and Sweden via the Unibuddy Platform, where you can chat with me (see below). Please note that I cannot answer questions about the application process, scholarships, or residence permits. 

Why did you choose Lund University? 

"I wanted to learn more about social science research and methods but also have the opportunity to gain practical experience during my Master’s. Social Scientific Data Analysis offers both: a focus on research and teaching practical skills like R, plus the option to do an internship in my third semester."

What are your first impressions of your programme? Does it meet your expectations? 

"To be honest, I didn’t really have any particular expectations about the programme and its courses. I am really satisfied with it even though it has some drier content – theoretical knowledge and can be demanding at times but the assignments are hands-on tasks and can be a pleasure."

What have been the highlights of your first months in Lund? 

"Well, besides starting my Master’s, the trip to Bosjökloster during the Orientation Weeks was one of my highlights. It was a sunny and warm day. I learnt about Swedish-Danish history – I love history and got to pet ponies. Other aspects I am enjoying so far, are getting to know new people, making friends from all over the world and learning a new language." 

What do you think of the teaching style in Sweden? 

"The flat hierarchy including being on a first-name basis with your teachers was something I hadn’t had before in my studies. It took some weeks to get used to it but now I like it and see the advantage of it. Another aspect, which is new to me, is to have one course at a time which really allows one to focus on the taught topics and not stress about how to juggle multiple courses with different topics at the same time. Further, we have a lot of group work and interactive classes which can be challenging – as probably everyone knows who has worked in a group before."

How international is your programme? 

"I’d say the programme is very international even though it’s relatively new. Our cohort (group of students who start the same programme in the same year) is also very big this year – about 40 students. I think there are only a handful of students from Scandinavian countries. The rest is quite mixed, we have students from North and South America (i.e. USA and Columbia), other parts of Europe (i.e. Greece or Italy) and Asia (i.e. India or China)."

What are you most looking forward to in your programme? 

"I am looking forward to the elective courses in the second half of the next semester. The elective courses offer the opportunity to learn more about qualitative methods, such as text and discourse analysis, ethnographic fieldwork and interviews."

Stay tuned! A more comprehensive testimonial from this student will be published once they have completed their first semester at Lund and have more insights to share about their programme.

Have more questions for Natalja?

You can chat with her and other current students directly via Unibuddy by clicking the card below.