Term dates & deadlines
Winter semester 2018/19
General admission period:
10 July to 5 September
Extended admission period:
6 September to 30 November
Master Science, Technology & Society Studies
Contents of degree programme
The Master's degree programme features an interdisciplinary design and builds primarily upon social science theories and methods. The degree programme is based on the idea that the challenges facing society require scientific-technological innovations, which will contribute to general and individual well-being, and thus can be regarded as sustainable and fit for the future.
Students are ideally equipped to engage in professional activities in a variety of institutional contexts and organisations. They gain solid expertise regarding the generation, regulation and utilisation of new fields and applications of research and innovation, as well as the necessary skills to grasp associated controversies arising in the public sphere and to give these due consideration in relation to decision-making processes in diverse sectors of democratic contemporary societies.
Particularities
This degree programme is part of the "European Inter-University Association on Society, Science and Technology“ (ESST), a network composed of similar Master's degree programmes. Students enrolled with the ESST Association are entitled to attend courses belonging to the Master's degree programme at the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, and, vice versa, AAU students are entitled to enhance their Master's degree programme by completing a specialisation module at an ESST partner university. Students can write their Master thesis during the course of their stay at the ESST partner university. In this case, the language of the Master thesis must be English.
Fact Box
Duration:
ECTS:
Level of qualification:
Degree:
Prerequisites:
Entrance examination:
Language of instruction:
4
SemesterECTS:
120
Level of qualification:
Master's degree programme
Degree:
Master of Arts (MA)
Prerequisites:
Yes
Entrance examination:
No
Language of instruction:
German, English
Contact details
Student Advisory Service
E-mail: studieninfo [at] aau.at
Programme Director
Website of the degree programme director
E-mail: sts-master [at] aau.at
Study objectives
Upon completion, graduates of the Master's degree programme "Science, Technology & Society Studies“ are able to
- perform autonomous analyses of current problem areas and fields of conflict with regard to science, technology and innovation;
- comprehend interactions between scientific-technological developments and societal change;
- process insights from social-scientific science and technology research for the benefit of societal processes of decision and design;
- apply the acquired skills in the strategic planning and project management of businesses and in public participative processes;
- contribute actively to scientific research projects.
Admission to the degree programme
The admission to the degree programme must take place before the end of the extension period (winter semester: 10 July to 30 November | summer semester: 8 January to 30 April).
Prerequisites
Relevant Bachelor's degree programme from the spheres of the Humanities, Cultural Studies, or Social Sciences and Business Studies; a relevant Bachelor's degree programme completed at a University of Applied Sciences; or a degree programme of equivalent academic value completed at a recognised post-secondary educational institution.
Students who have successfully completed a Bachelor's degree programme assigned to the groups of Engineering Sciences, Natural Sciences, Medical Sciences, or the Arts, must demonstrate that they have acquired an adequate level of knowledge in the following areas:
- Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Science and Technology in Society worth 8 ECTS credits, e.g. History of Technology, Philosophy of Technology, Sociology of Technology, Technology Assessment, Participatory Processes and Civic Participation, Technology and Science Communication, Environmental System Sciences, and the like, and
- Fundamental Methodological Principles worth 8 ECTS credits, particularly from the Theory of Science, Philosophy, or subject-specific methodologies, and
- Fundamental Principles of the Social Sciences worth 8 ECTS credits, particularly from Sociology, Political Science, Law, Business Studies, Anthropology, Geography, History or Cultural Studies
Programme structure
Overview
| Fach | Fachbezeichnung | ECTS |
| Pflichtfächer | Grundlagen der Science, Technology and Society Studies | 22 |
| Sozialwissenschaftliche Methoden | 12 | |
| Begleitung von Masterarbeiten | 4 | |
| Kompetenzerweiterung | 12 | |
| Gebundenes Wahlfach | Wahl von drei Fächern:
|
36 |
| Masterarbeit | 22 | |
| Freie Wahlfächer | 12 | |
| Summe | 120 |
Practical training
Within the scope of one of the Electives, students can complete a placement, selecting one of the following three options:
- Placement worth 10 ECTS credits in a domestic or foreign business, a body of public administration, a non-profit organisation, or a non-university research institution
- Placement worth 10 ECTS credits in one of the STS research groups at the Alpen-Adria-Universität
- If it is not feasible or possible to complete a placement, students can earn 12 ECTS credits by completing an Elective from the Master's degree programme
Following the completion of the placement, students report on the project semester in the course "Reflection of the Placement" 2 ECTS credits and record their experiences in a written project report.
Relevant professional activities conducted prior to or during the Master's degree programme may be accredited as practical experience worth a total of 10 ECTS credits in certain justified cases.
Periods of study abroad
In general, students are encouraged to spend at least one semester studying abroad. This applies particularly to periods of study spent abroad at the locations of members of the European Programme "European Studies of Society, Science and Technology“ (ESST), in which the AAU Klagenfurt is an active member. It is recommended to schedule the ESST study visit abroad from the fourth semester onwards. Examinations successfully completed within the context of a study visit abroad shall be recognised, provided that the student obtains the programme director's specific permission in advance.
Careers and occupational profiles
Graduates are qualified to perform professional activities, e.g. working for the following types of institutions:
- public administration
- research funding organisations
- professional associations
- businesses in the private sector
- civil society organisations
Continuing your studies
Upon successful completion of the Master’s degree programme Science, Technology and Society Studies, students can continue their studies in the Doctoral degree programme for Science and Technology Studies.
Specialist courses
Within the scope of the free electives and in accordance with the respective curriculum, students can receive credits for individual courses or for entire modules from other subject areas.
Term dates & deadlines
Summer semester 2019
General admission period:
8 January to 5 February
Extended admission period:
6 February to 30 April
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