Social Sciences B.A.

 

How do multicultural communities work? How do new technologies influence social development? What encourages violent attempts and conflict resolution and what supports peaceful ones? Those who wish to deal with the social challenges of the future must collect facts, observe causes, and understand complex relationships to then create solutions for problems. Social scientists are occupied with this focus on observation, comprehension, and explanation.

Social scientists not only work with a number of theoretical approaches and investigation and analysis methods typical to social science. Ideally they also include different perspectives in order to simultaneously understand as many facets of social phenomena as possible.

RWTH offers a unique opportunity in Germany to study a special combination of five social science and humanities disciplines in its curriculum:

• Political science focuses on the organization of a free and just social order. Students at RWTH work with theories and approaches to politico-security considerations, international relations, and political and democratic theory reflections on the political problems and shape of modern societies.
• Sociology explains social phenomena as the result of interactions between different players. Aspects such as the association of technology, gender, and society, family, and terrorism are particularly understood as consequences of these mutual actions, described with theories, and analyzed with empirical methods.
• History contributes to the analysis of different political, economic, societal, social, and cultural systems. It opens door to mentalities and environments and significantly contributes to our understanding of the past. Students at RWTH acquire a breadth of knowledge on all historical epochs and methods.
• Catholic theology reflects on and interprets religious value systems, their symbolic forms of expression, and conflicts over values and symbols within social processes. RWTH students learn to understand and evaluate the relevance of religiously motivated phenomena, players, and institutions in social contexts.

• In philosophy modules, students explore argumentation theory and ethics while also critically examining the philosophy of science, the philosophy of technology, and current issues and positions in political philosophy, theoretical philosophy, and practical philosophy.

In the third year of your studies, you will have to choose one of these subjects as your major.

 

Degree Content

The multiperspectivity of the curriculum is an optimal prerequisite for acquiring different key academic skills such as reading, learning, and working techniques, the ability to search for literature, and communication strategies. Students receive a comprehensive education in scientific investigation and analysis methods such as quantitative statistics and the interpretation and critique of texts and sources. From the third semester on students are able to focus on one of the disiplines. This prepares students for a subject-specific Master's program.

Curriculum

1st to 2nd Semester	3rd to 4th Semester	5th to 6th Semester
Foundation	Concentration	Specialization
Propädeuticum Introduction to Sociology Introduction to Political Science Introduction to Historyinterdisciplinary Introduction to Theology Introductuion to Practical Philosophy	Specialized Modules: Conflict and Consensus Science, Technology, and Society Methodical Modules: Source Studies Empiral Social Research Methods	One Major: Political Science Sociology History Catholic Theology Minor Modules: Political Science Sociology History Catholic Theology Philosophy Module Research Questions Bachelor's Thesis
Supplementary Section
Foreign Language Internship Interdisciplinary Studies, Data Literacy, Rhetoric, Communication, and Presentation

Information about the content of the individual foundational sciences can be found on the page specific contributions of the subjects. You can find a module plan and a sample course of study layout on the Faculty’s page about the curriculum. The course of study webpage offers additional detailed information about the program.

In the seminars particular value is placed on small groups, in which students actively work together and are supervised. The connection to professional practice is ensured through internships, the acquisition of professionally-relevant soft skills, and partially through experimental games. An six-week mandatory internship opens up professional prospects during studies. To support and accompany students during the internship as well as with career orientation, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities provides a special Career and Practice Service.

Programs Abroad

International experience is extremely important for social scientists in order to assess global developments and specific national situations. The course of study offers opportunities to include a stay abroad starting in the fourth semester. The Faculty of Arts and Humanities offers study abroad programs and internship opportunities worldwide. During their studies, research, or internship abroad students can improve their language skills in the native everyday environment and simultaneously acquire other technical qualifications.

Students profit not only from the Faculty's own study abroad programs but also from the University's strategic partnerships with international universities. For example, while completing their final project or paper they can complete a brief stay at one of the IDEA League universities. The UROP Abroad program, the only one of its kind in Germany, offers the possibility to participate in research projects at international universities as a Bachelor student. These stays abroad are partially funded by RWTH financial aid. All of RWTH's cooperative programs are presented on the webpages about study abroad.

 

Prerequisites

Personal Prerequisites

Students in the social sciences should ideally have great interest in socially relevant structures and questions and be enthusiastic about their scope and relevance in an increasingly technologically dominated environment.

Language Skills

Latin skills are not necessary for the history Bachelor's modules but are recommended for a Master's in history. You can acquire these skills in a bridge course or during your studies at RWTH Aachen.

Enrollment Prerequisite

Proof of the Subject Specific Self Assessment RWTH Subject Self Social Sciences

 

Decision Aids

The course of study in Social Sciences at RWTH Aachen is characterized by its interdisciplinary approach. It combines multiple social science subjects from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities with each other and creates points of contact to numerous other faculties at RWTH Aachen, for example business administration, economics, economic and social history, medicine, or geography. Furthermore the gap to the engineering sciences - with their RWTH Aachen specific interdisciplinary orientation towards social future problems and their mastery - is also bridged. Students do not end their studies as sociologists, historians, theologians, or political scientists, but as interdisciplinarily shaped social scientists. A specialization in one of the named subject areas is possible in a limited manner started in the third year of studies. However it can be first intensified through the framework of a Master's program.

 

Media Library

Do you want more glances and impression? Use our diverse information available! You can find our recommendations in the media library.

 

Career Prospects

The social sciences course of study qualifies graduates for a wide array of work requiring research, analysis, and evaluation skills and the comprehensive illustration of social and general themes. The acquired methods and ability to flexibly think are crucial.

Social scientists can develop, critically evaluate, and communicate founded approaches to solutions for current and future social problems. They often find work in public administration and political and religious institutions. Here they are usually responsible for the conceptual contribution to a project or topic area. However, they can also work in communication, for example as editors in media and publishing. As professionals in cause and effect relationships they also work in strategic company planning and corporate communication.

Graduates of RWTH profit from the course of study's interdisciplinary orientation. The ability to master different perspectives and methods of investigation is a critical advantage when dealing with complex relationships.

 

Master's Degree Prospects

After they have acquired an international perspective on social contexts during their Bachelor's studies at RWTH Aachen, graduates can specialize and expand and advance their knowledge in a specific disicpline. They can choose from five subject-specific Master's programs, Political Science, Sociology, Historical Studies – History as Culture of Knowledge, Theology and Global Development as well as Governance of Technology and Innovation.

 

Module Handbook and Examination Regulations

The module handbook provides a description of all modules of a degree program and offers a comprehensive insight into the program contents.

The examination regulations are comprised of legally binding provisions on learning objectives, prerequisites for study, the course structure and processes, and examination procedures.

Regulations that generally apply to all Bachelor's and Master's degree programs, including information on language proficiency requirements, can be found in RWTH's General Examination Regulations. These general regulations are further specified and complemented by the subject-specific examination regulations.

If two examination regulations are valid for a degree program during a transition phase, the most current version shall apply to students enrolling in the program for the first time.

Please note that only the German examination regulations are legally binding.

Module Handbook
Subject-Specific Examination Regulations
RWTH's General Examination Regulations

 

Faculty

The course of study is offered by the Department of Social Sciences in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.