The Institute of Sociology at the University of Bern was founded in 1960 and is the oldest institute of sociology in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. It is part of the faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.

The institute includes four full professorships: one for general sociology (Prof. Dr. Christian Joppke), one for methods of empirical social research (Prof. Dr. Axel Franzen), one for structural social analysis (Prof. Dr. Ben Jann) and one for sustainable social development (Prof. Dr. Sonja Vogt). In addition, the institute is host to a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) professorship (Prof. Dr. Christian Imdorf).

In teaching and research, the main concentrations are comparative political sociology, migration studies, religion, culture, environmental sociology, game theory, network and social capital research, sustainable social development, as well as education, labour markets and social inequality. We offer training at the undergraduate and graduate level. Our Masters programme puts emphasis on the methodological training of students, both quantitative and qualitative.

Since 2014, the institute hosts the SNSF funded project 'Transitions from Education to Employment' (TREE).