The PhD in Sociology at the University of Minho aims at the advanced training of professionals able to undertake functions of high responsibility and complexity of performance, in various areas of society. This course provides learning contexts oriented to theoretical, analytical and methodological tools which allow to address, in reflexive and innovative ways, with sociological problems by presenting social diagnoses and/or solutions.

This PhD promotes high-level basic and applied research in sociology by providing learning and training contexts for the design, implementation and development of scientific or social intervention projects in various contexts and organizations, in close collaboration with researchers from the Sociology department. Both in the context of social intervention and of development of innovative scientific research, this PhDcourse provides tools oriented towards the production of socially relevant and ethically responsible knowledge.

The PhD course ensures that doctors in Sociology are invested of advanced and consolidated knowledge inthe field of sociology and are able to carry out autonomous scientific activity both In basic and applied research fields.

The training profile encompasses the following components:

1. Theoretical as showed in the capacity for systematic comprehension in a given scientific field of study;

2. Practical as demonstrated in the ability to conceive, design and carry out significant scientific research respecting the requirements imposed by the high standards of academic integrity and quality and critically analyse new and complex ideas;

3. Communicational as revealed in the ability to communicate with other peers and the remaining academic community and society in general within the research field;

4. Participative as reflected in the ability to promote within the academic and/or professional contexts the social and cultural impact of the research.