Comparative content analysis of master’s and doctoral programmes in demography at world-class universities

Introduction. Global demographic challenges necessitate training specialists who possess both traditional and advanced digital and managerial competencies. However, the structure and content of demographic programmes at leading universities have not previously undergone comprehensive comparative analysis. Aim. The present study aimed to conduct both quantitative and qualitative content analyses of master’s and doctoral programmes in demography at universities across Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, Africa, and Russia. It sought to identify the core and variable components of their curricula, thereby enabling the compilation of a list of key competencies acquired by graduates upon completion of these programmes. Methodology and research methods. The analysis involved automated processing of complete programme texts (tokenisation, lemmatisation), construction of a TF-IDF matrix, calculation of cosine similarity between programmes, and cluster analysis (Ward’s method) based on a binary matrix of key competencies. Thematic similarity networks and a programme dendrogram were visualised, and a bilingual comparative table of competencies was provided. Results. The analysis conducted revealed that all the educational programmes considered provide a fundamental set of competencies, including: comprehensive theoretical knowledge in the field of demographic processes; proficiency in modern analytical methods; the ability to conduct independent research; skills in interdisciplinary collaboration; and the capability to work with big data. Additionally, 30% of the programmes available in the public domain are distinguished by the integration of management and ethical modules, alongside an emphasis on digital demography and project-based activities, which enhances their competitiveness in the international educational arena. It is noteworthy that programmes developed in Western countries exhibit a shift in focus towards applied tasks, accompanied by a reduction in the volume of theoretical and research components. Scientific novelty. For the first time, a comparable quantitative and qualitative analysis of educational pathways in demography has been conducted on a corpus of original programme texts, employing contemporary methods of textual data processing and visualisation. Practical significance. The results obtained facilitate the optimisation of new demography programme development, ensuring a balance between fundamental, research, and applied training, while also broadening the range of competencies through digital and managerial modules.

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