The Master’s Program with Thesis in Family Studies at Ibn Haldun University has been established to provide both an academic and practical response to the multilayered demographic and social transformations taking place in contemporary Türkiye and globally. Processes such as urbanization, global migration, increasing divorce rates, population aging, declining fertility rates, and the widespread use of digital technologies are fundamentally transforming family structures. These transformations affect not only individual relationships but also the care economy, intergenerational solidarity, gender roles, and social welfare systems.
In this context, the family has evolved beyond being merely a sociological unit into a multidimensional field of study located at the intersection of law, economics, psychology, social services, and demography. Emerging social risks—such as poverty, the integration challenges of migrant families, domestic violence, the disproportionate burden of care on women, and the impact of digitalization on family relations—make the need for scientifically grounded analysis and policy development more critical than ever.
Built upon the strong theoretical foundation, research methodology expertise, and institutional collaborations of Ibn Haldun University’s Department of Sociology, the Master’s Program in Family Studies provides a robust response to this need. The program aims to train specialists who can analyze the family from an interdisciplinary perspective, are proficient in qualitative and quantitative research methods, and can effectively utilize AI-supported data analysis tools.
Another key factor in establishing the program is the growing demand for experts across the public and civil society sectors. Institutions such as the Ministry of Family and Social Services, local governments, non-governmental organizations, research companies, and media organizations require qualified professionals capable of developing family-oriented policies and offering applicable solutions through data-driven analysis of social problems.
Guided by this vision, the program not only delivers theoretical knowledge but also aims to produce tangible outputs, including policy development, project design, and impact evaluation. Through applied work—such as preparing policy briefs for local governments, producing evaluation reports for NGO projects, and designing service models for public institutions-students gain direct field experience.
In summary, the Master’s Program with Thesis in Family Studies at Ibn Haldun University is designed to train qualified researchers and professionals needed in the field by approaching the demographic and social transformations experienced both nationally and globally with a scientific, interdisciplinary, and practice-oriented perspective.
The primary aim of the Master’s Program in Family Studies at Ibn Haldun University is to train well-equipped specialists who can scientifically analyze the effects of dynamics such as urbanization, migration, aging, low fertility, increasing divorce rates, and digitalization on family structures in Türkiye and globally.
The program seeks to develop qualified human resources capable of addressing the family not only as a sociological unit but as a multidimensional institution spanning law, economics, psychology, social services, and demography, and who possess the ability to conduct independent research and produce innovative policies.
The program is structured within a unique and interdisciplinary framework that integrates in-depth theoretical knowledge of family structures with applied research skills. The main topics covered include:
Fieldwork, institutional collaborations, and project-based learning approaches support this theoretical and methodological scope.
Türkiye is undergoing a profound demographic and social transformation driven by rapid urbanization, global migration, rising divorce rates, population aging, declining fertility rates, and the widespread use of digital technologies. This process deeply affects and reshapes the sustainability of family structures, parenting roles, intergenerational ties, and the care economy.
At the same time, it makes critical social risk areas—such as poverty, gender inequality, the integration challenges of migrant families, and domestic violence—more visible. Therefore, the need for experts who can produce family-focused scientific data, develop preventive policies, and design innovative, field-based solutions is increasing exponentially.
Institutions such as the Ministry of Family and Social Services, local governments, NGOs, and research centers particularly demand qualified professionals who can proactively address current challenges. Built on Ibn Haldun University’s strong academic and methodological foundation, this program is designed to address these societal and institutional needs directly.
The core vision of the Master’s Program in Family Studies at Ibn Haldun University is to train specialists who can approach the institution of the family from a multidimensional perspective and integrate scientifically grounded research findings into solutions for social problems.
In this context, the specific objectives of the program are: