Sociology With A Focus on Technology B.A.

 

What characterizes social conflicts? How do they arise? How do social norms affect action and when and why are there deviations from these norms? How do individuals interact in organizations, families, associations, companies, or networks?

How people act, why they do what they do and what consequences result from their actions is the subject of sociological research. Sociologists develop theories and methods to understand cooperation and interaction between people and thereby obtain appropriate descriptions and explanations of social phenomena. Sociology is a multifaceted subject, which is divided into more specific sociologies in order to thoroughly investigate specific social phenomena.

A key focus of sociology at RWTH is the manifold interweaving of social action with technologies and techniques. These have a great significance in our everyday lives. They help us to come to grips with life, but they also change our social interactions. Sociologists focus on the social consequences of technology and the influence of social phenomena on its emergence and development//on the creation and development of technologies.

This interaction between technology and society is the special focus of the course at RWTH Aachen University, which is a university of technology. Students will learn how to address issues and problems arising from the socio-technological developmental dynamics of societies using theoretical and conceptual frameworks, analyze them empirically, and reflect them critically. Graduates of the program are put in a position to actively shape the future. With its particular focus on the topic of technology research, the hands-on degree course offers a relevant education with an applied orientation, giving graduates a crucial competitive edge in a crowded job market .

In addition, the course offers comprehensive theoretical and methodological training in sociology. It consists of the following components:

• General Sociology offers an introduction to the methods of scientific research, teaches basic competencies in sociology, and encourages students to apply the treated sociological theories
• The Research Methods and Empirical Approach component trains students in applying methodological skills. They learn to define sociological problems and to work on them using social sciences research methods.
• The Technology and Science Research component has a primary focus on the investigation of socio-technical interrelations and the fundamentals of the sociology of science.

 

Degree Content

This course is complemented by an interdisciplinary area, which offers students the opportunity to acquire knowledge from psychology, computer science, economics, engineering, or ethics as electives.

An internship during your studies forms the bridge between academic and application-oriented work and is intensively prepared and followed up on. In this way, you can put the indispensable methodological and practical skills you will learn into a professional context.

Study Structure

General Sociology	Introductory Course I and II, Introduction to Sociology, Invitation to Sociology, Classical Sociology, Current Topics of Sociology, Theories of Sociology, Specialization Colloquium, Bachelor’s Thesis
Area of Research Methods and Empirical Procedures	Empirical Research Methods in Sociology I and II, Data Analysis for the Social Sciences I and II, Methods of Technical and Academic Research, Teaching Research Project
Area of Technical and Academic Research	Cycle of Lectures on Responsible Technical Design, Foundations of Technical Sociology, Perspectives of the Sociology of Science, Practical Disciplines of the Sociology of Science, Engineering and Society: Specialization Sociology of Technology, Technology and Diversity, Sociotechnical Transformation, “Technology, Organization, and Society”
Interdisciplinary Supplementary Area	Mandatory Section History of Ideas and Political Theory, Introduction to Academic Theory, data.ONE: Data Literacy Basic Course I, Internship
	Core Elective Section Introduction to Ethics, Decision Theory, Social Psychology, Change Management, Ergonomics and Human-Machine Systems, Introduction to Programming for Data-driven Sciences, Communication Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Media Psychology, Foreign Languages, "Presentation, Rhetoric, Communication"

Exchange Programs

International experience is extremely important for sociologists to be able to assess global developments and specific circumstances on a national level. For this reason, the course of study offers good opportunities for a stay abroad from the fourth semester on. The Faculty of Arts and Humanities offers study and practical opportunities worldwide. Through semesters abroad, international internships, and research stays, students can improve their language skills in typical everyday life situations, while also acquiring further professional qualifications at the same time.

In addition to Faculty-specific exchange programs, RWTH students also benefit from the University's strategic partnerships with institutions abroad. For example, they can complete short stays at one of the IDEA League universities as part of their term papers. The UROP Abroad program, which is unique in Germany, offers the opportunity to participate in research projects at international universities, starting during the Bachelor phase already. These periods spent abroad are partly funded with specific programs at RWTH. All the Universitys' cooperation programs are presented on the website for outgoing exchange students from RWTH.

 

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.

Enrollment Prerequisite

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

 

Career Prospects

This degree program qualifies students for a variety of professions. Students are introduced to possible career prospects early on. The course of study offers a wide range of options to prepare students for the requirements of some specific occupational fields.

In the fields of technology transfer, organizational and technical consulting, technically-oriented sociologists can analytically and reflexively accompany development and organizational processes, or support organizations and companies in their commitment as technology producers in a goal-oriented manner.

The ability to analyze social phenomena in a structured way and to evaluate them as a consequence of the interaction of different actors with their own interests plays a major role in the work of associations, the public service, and management consultancy.

In market research and public relations work, too, technology-focused sociologists use their knowledge of data collection and evaluation in order to record acceptance processes and life needs and to specifically advise politicians and companies.

 

Master's Degree Prospects

After completing the Bachelor course of study, students can continue at the University for a Master in Sociology. This specialization phase offers a variety of opportunities to analyze the connection between technology and social developments and to develop solutions for various problems with the acquired methodological knowledge.

As an alternative to the Master in Sociology, graduates can also choose interdisciplinary degree programs, such as Governance of Technology and Innovation, Empirical Educational Research, or Computational Social Systems. In some cases, however, students may have to complete additional requirement modules (Auflagen) as a condition of being admitted to the degree program.

 

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.