Sociology M.A.
Key Info
Basic Information
- Degree:
- Master of Arts
- Start of Studies:
- Winter Semester, Summer Semester
- Standard Period of Studies:
- 4 semesters
- ECTS Credits:
- 120Mehr Informationen
What does that mean?
ECTS are credit points that measure the workload of one's studies.
- Language:
- German
Admission Requirements
-
First university degree, required qualifications according to the examination regulations
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What does that mean?
A first recognized university degree, through which the necessary education background for the Master course of study can be proven. The necessary knowledge needed in order for studies to be successful is determined in the respective exam regulations (PO).
-
Proficiency in German
--- Mehr Informationen ---
What does that mean?
You must provide documentation of your language skills for the language of instruction at the time of enrollment. The exam regulations stipulate the relevant requirements.
Admission to First Semester
- Open
No NC
Admission to Higher Semesters
- Open
No NC
Dates and Deadlines
Technology shapes experience and behavior – demands for technical developments result from this. RWTH Aachen addresses this relationship in the scientifically founded Master's in sociology with a focus on technology.
The curriculum for this Master's encompasses a broad spectrum of courses in technology-related focuses of sociological research at RWTH Aachen, including
- Technical Sociology
- Futurology and Innovation Research
- Gender and Technology
- Organization and Technology
The course of study also facilitates advanced knowledge in both fundamental skills areas Sociological Theory Construction and Methods of Empirical Social Research. Based on a foundation created by these three pillars, students learn to understand the dynamic relationship between technology and society in a methodological and controlled manner and to theoretically reflect.
Embedding this academic program into the research environment of a technical university enables an intensive look at technical developments that are approached from a natural science and technical perspective in other faculties. In this context, sociology focuses, for example, on demand and acceptance in relation to technical innovations, decision making, opinion making, and impact assessments. It investigates the increase of organizational control possibilities through the use of technology and the type of social propogation of new technologies through organizations. Within the context of artificial intelligence, it grapples with the question, how much machines can "behave", that is be accepted by human actors as "communication participants". It is interested in how socio-technical organized structures in our society can be both "gendered", that is originate in an exchange with gender presentations, and be institutionally and symbolically anchored in this way.
Characteristics of the Course of Study at RWTH
The Master's course of study in sociology at RWTH distinguishes itself from other sociology programs in Germany through its embedding into one of the leading technical universities. Sociology puts topics and developments, that are researched at a university from an engineering or natural science perspective, at the focus of its own interest. An example will help: in the technical sciences' search for "intelligent" threads, the sociological question arises about the commercialization of nanotechnological basic research: How are scientific discoveries from a university environment transported by companies into an environment shaped by market processes and profit orientation? How are universities and companies interwoven in the field of nanotechnology as two different spheres of innovation? The Institute of Sociology website contains information about the research collaborations currently taking place between sociology and technology at RWTH? This interdisciplinary inclusion is condensed in the Master's program. The opportunity may arise in individual courses to directly participate in a technology-related interdisciplinary research project. The Hum-Tec Project House website contains more information about the interdisciplinary collaboration at RWTH and promotion for the collaboration through the Excellence Initiative.
Degree Content
The curriculum consists of seven mandatory modules that can be completed in any order. Different electives are offered within the modules each winter and summer semester that can be taken based on one's own interests. The sole mandatory courses are the research internship and the Master's colloquium. Furthermore the Institute's course offerings are now and again supplemented by individual courses from other subjects, such as political science, linguistics and communication sciences, and computer science, not anchored in the curriculum. These courses are counted as elective courses.
Example Program Layout
| Module | Semester 1 | Semester 2 | Semester 3 | Semester 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Sociological Theories I |
Sociological Theories II | Sociological Theories III | |
| 2 |
Methods I |
Methods II | ||
| 3 | General Sociology I |
General Sociology II |
||
| 4 |
Special Sociology III |
Special Sociology I | Special Sociology II | |
| 5 | Technology, Gender, and Society I Technology, Gender, and Society II |
Technology, Gender, and Society III |
|
|
| 6 | Technical Sociology I Technical Sociology II |
|||
| 7 | Field of Application I Field of Application II |
|
||
| Master's thesis |
Colloquium |
Details about the Modules
Sociological Theories Module
In contrast to Bachelor studies, this module focuses on a deeper adoption of sociology theories at the scientific level. The module centers on the question how one can deduce empirical phenomena with the help of sociological theories and concepts.
Applied Methods Module
This module imparts methods skills for empirical social research. During research internships, research interests will be turned into concrete questions and empirical investigations.
General Sociology Module
The courses in this module offer advanced knowledge of those sociological constructions that overarching social structures and fundamental social processes take into account independent of application-oriented limitations, for example differentiation theories, social theories, and theories of social inequality.
Special Sociologies Module
Here knowledge from different special sociologies is taught that form the research focuses of the current instructors at the institute, for example gender sociology, sociology of the family, organizational sociology, and globalization research.
Technology, Gender, and Society Module
Technology is highlighted as a social phenomenon in this module. Coursea analyze the social relativity of technology and its meaning in different social fields. The meaning of gender in technical contexts is one focus.
Technical Sociology Module
This module provides a comprehensive look into current technical sociological debates, special fields, and the history of technical sociology.
Application Fields/Colloquium Module
The final courses support students in finishing their Master's thesis. Sociological theories and methods are applied to certain social fields, and skills are acquired for presenting topics worked on independently.
Programs Abroad
As a Master's program with flexible modules, Sociology offers ideal prerequisites for completing a stay abroad based on one's own wishes. The institute helps students plan their stay abroad, for example through clarifying which courses students will get credit for abroad. Partnerships currently exist with the following universities:Sapienza Universita Di Roma, Universität Graz, University of Maryland, Nuffield-College in Oxford, Utrecht University, University of Karlstad, NTNU Trondheim, and the Institute for Future Studies in Stockholm.
Prerequisites
Exam regulations govern the requirements for starting studies in §3. Furthermore, they regulate academic goals, the course of study layout, and exam procedures. The appendix to the regulations contains the description of the modules, from which the course of study is composed.
Career Prospects
The sociology Master course of study qualifies students to work in a variety of career fields. Good career opportunities are particularly available in:
- Science and Research
- Technology Transfer, Organizational and Technology Consulting
- Associations, Politics, and Administration
- Market Research and Public Relations
- Human Resources
Examination Regulations
Regulations that apply for all Bachelor and Master courses of study as well as detailed information about the necessary documentation of required language skills can be found in RWTH’s Comprehensive Examination Regulation. Examination regulations are only published in German as they are legally binding.
Subject Specific Exam Regulations regulate academic goals, the course of study layout, and exam procedures. The appendix to the regulations contains the description of the modules, from which the course of study is composed.
Faculty
The Master's course of study in Sociology is offered by the Institute of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.