Education and research at the Faculty of Social Sciences is diverse, and includes tourism, media studies, sociology, social sciences, gender studies, psychology and social studies.
About the faculty
The faculty is divided into three departments, a research center and a research network, in addition to the faculty administration. Dean Turid Borgen has led the faculty since 2020.

The faculty offers nine bachelor's programs, two one - year studies and seven master's programs, as well as postgraduate education.
The faculty conducts teaching and research within the disciplines of sociology, political science, media and journalism, social studies, psychology, hotel and tourism management, change management, and social work. The faculty stands out in its combination of academic disciplines and professional training programmes, and through its interdisciplinary approach.
The Faculty of Social Sciences is divided into three departments:
- Department of Media and Social Sciences
- Department of Social Studies
- Norwegian School of Hotel Management
Want to become a student? You will find an overview of study opportunities here.
Contact the faculty
The management and administration of the Social Sciences faculty are located in the Ellen og Axel Lund building (link to map), in the middle of the Ullandhaug campus. Switchboard: (+47) 51 83 15 00
More from the faculty
Will study children's cognitive functioning with low-magnetic MRI machine
A portable, low-magnetic MRI machine gives researchers an indication of whether a child is going to follow typical or at...
National Conference in Political Science
Welcome to the annual National Conference in Political Science at the Department of Media and Social Science at the Univ...
Safety and Resilience Through Digital Technologies
Safety and Resilience Through Digital Technologies: A Participatory Study with Women at the Intersection of Gender-Based...
The conference Gender Studies Now 2023
The conference Gender Studies Now 2023 is hosted by the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of Stavanger, 1 - 2 ...
Intensive kickoff for master’s students to break ice and form friendships
The Norwegian Hotel School’s master’s students were welcomed to UiS with a three-day kickoff at Viste Strand Hotel.
Research group in Interactionist Cultural Sociology
Cultural sociology studies the repertoires of meaning and interpretation that people deploy when they navigate everyday ...
Visit from Cuba to enhance internationalization
A delegation from The University of Havana visited UiS to discuss Norwegian/Cuban conference and how to increase the num...
Rune Todnem By appointed Professor of Leadership at the Norwegian School of Hotel Management
After 15 years at British universities followed by two years at the UiS Business School, Rune Todnem By joins the establ...
Students suggest new public transport solutions
As part of the very first ECIU University pilot, students Arne Kragseth and Elisabeth Stene came up with a triple soluti...
UNESCO Chair on Leadership, Innovation and Anticipation
The UNESCO Chair is a collaboration between The University of Stavanger and the Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovati...
Master's students at the Faculty of Social Sciences can now apply for publishing scholarship
A publishing scholarship of 45 000 NOK may be yours if you want to write an article version of your master's thesis.
The potentialities of digital technologies in surviving violence
The project ‘Safety and Resilience through Digital Practices’, will examine the potentialities of digital technologies f...
Cuban and Nordic Welfare
The project shall improve the quality and internationalization of education in social work and sociology at the partner ...
A former student’s experience with MFamily: - We became like a family
Two years, up to four different countries, several class committees, two births and a pandemic. The MFamily class of 202...
How is thinking related to behavior?
The Cognitive Lab provides the natural sciences with a meeting place for the health sciences, psychology and various dis...
Department of Media and Social Sciences
The Department of Media and Social Sciences offer academic programmes within, and do research on, media, sociology and p...
How to encourage and develop Postgraduate Supervision?
This research program area is aimed at preparing better graduate and postgraduate candidates.
The Norwegian School of Hotel Management
The Norwegian School of Hotel Management has been educating hotel managers and other leaders in the tourism and service ...
Department of Social Studies
The Department of Social Studies trains social workers and child care welfare officers.
ISPAS: Paths to Successful Innovation
By developing a new joint curriculum of PhD courses, candidates will be better equipped in areas of innovation and scien...
Dr. philos (PhD Programme in Social Sciences)
Doctor philosophiae (dr. philos.) is a non-supervised doctorate that can be awarded to academics who have completed rese...
PHD 1-2-3
Are you a new PhD candidate? Here you will find an overview of the course of study. The overview applies to all candidat...
Cognitive and behavioral neuroscience lab
The Cognitive Lab provides the natural sciences and research on cognition and artificial intelligence with a meeting pla...
From Cuba to a lockdown in the Red Box
Two Cuban master students at Nordic Master of Social Work and welfare came on a three month stay to Stavanger one week b...
Populism, a necessary challenge for democracy?
The research group aims to understand how socio-political practices and processes work in interaction and changes.
Centre for Gender Studies
Centre for Gender Studies is located at The Faculty of Social Sciences. We conduct research and offer courses in interdi...
PhD Programme in Social Sciences
The PhD programme in Social Sciences at the University of Stavanger is divided into five research schools: Research Scho...
Study programmes
The Faculty of Social Sciences offers a number of studies that deal with the interaction between people, society, systems and institutions. We research in subject areas such as welfare, sustainable development, culture, responsible leadership and the media.

You will find an overview of all study opportunities at the university for English speaking students here.
Research
Through their research, the scientific staff at the Faculty of Social Sciences contribute to a better understanding of social conditions today and in the future.

The research environments at the faculty are in particular doing research on topics within welfare and society, environmental responsibility and sustainable development, responsible leadership, and service innovation. Several of the research areas are interdisciplinary oriented. Some of the research at the faculty is carried out in collaboration with the public sector, private businesses and civil society.
Through critical and independent research, the faculty contributes to solving societal challenges. The research at the faculty contributes to the knowledge base needed by the working life and the public sector, but also raises critical questions regarding established knowledge structures and institutionalized truths.
You can read more about the various research projects associated with the faculty on the different department pages:
The faculty management
The faculty is led by Dean Turid Borgen and Faculty director Lone Litlehamar. Morten Tønnessen and Elisabeth Enoksen are Vice Deans for research and education.
Department of Media and Social Sciences
Department of Social Studies
The Faculty Administration
The Faculty administration plays an advisory role, and is responsible for overall administration and procedures.
The Faculty Board
The Faculty Board is responsible for determining overall goals, priorities and strategies for the faculty.
This entails, among other things, determining study programmes, submitting proposals to the university board, as well as defining areas for strategic initiatives within research and public relations.
The Faculty Board has 9 members. The Board consists of academic and administrative employees, students and external members.
Styret på fakultetet 2017-2021
Chair of the Board: Ingebjørg S. Folgerø (external, Brødrene Kverneland)
External board member: Håvard Haarstad (professor and chair of Senter for klima og energiomstilling, UiB)
Academic staff: Hulda Mjøll Gunnarsdottir, Anders Vassenden, Ingvil Førland Hellstrand, Tore Tjora
Technical and administrative staff: Salim Josef Øndes
Student representatives: Silje Karin Teig, Sander Vebø Byom