Master’s Programme in Digital Social Science
LUT’s social scientists solve challenges arising from a digitalised future at the interface between people and technology. Studies in social sciences provide you with a diverse skillset and wide-ranging knowledge about human behaviour in digital environments with intelligent technologies.
Robotisation, new AI applications, social media platforms, and real-time big data measuring online and offline human behaviour bring new opportunities and challenges to people’s everyday life and well-being. How we adapt to new-generation digital technologies will influence our behaviour and society. Concurrently, the world of work and companies need experts who can anticipate and respond to the economic, political and societal impacts of technologies.
Social scientists from LUT are equipped with skills and knowledge to examine trends and deliberate on the societal, political, economic, human, and well-being consequences of technologies. These skills and knowledge are further enhanced by possibilities to engage with entrepreneurs and organisations to build professional networks and obtain practical experience from real-life cases. Thus, this master’s programme is relevant for you if you want to apply social sciences to build a sustainably digitalised future through fair and responsible technological transformations.
The Master’s Programme in Digital Social Science offers you a plurality of perspectives and skills to understand changes arising from digital technologies. It focuses on the link between human factors and technologies as well as the socioeconomic impacts of traditional and emerging digital technologies. The programme considers societal changes in the digital age and how digital technologies are integrated into the economy and our daily lives. Digital technologies are studied as a medium for people’s and societies’ interactions and social behaviour. The programme also examines the social sustainability of digital transitions, the political economic embeddedness of digital transitions, and the impact of such transitions on well-being. As a result, the Master’s Programme in Digital Social Science empowers you to make informed decisions related to digital technologies.
What will you learn in the programme?
After graduation, you will understand traditional and emerging digital technologies and their societal impacts. You will know how to combine digital data with the analysis of society, processes, policies, and human practices. These skills and knowledge will be of value to a wide range of employers, such as business enterprises, public or third-sector organisations, or software developers. You will have the skills to design, implement and manage digital technologies within their social context. You will also know how to pay attention to the social sustainability of digital transitions and their impact on human well-being.
You will acquire:
- an understanding of the impacts of digital technologies on individuals, organisations, and societies;
- expertise in analysing changes in the digital technology landscape;
- knowledge of designing, implementing, and managing digital technologies in their environments;
- skills to use digital technologies and data to analyse and solve societal issues;
- an understanding of the ethics of digitalisation and society.
Degree structure and studies
The Master's Programme in Digital Social Science is a two-year programme. It leads to the degree of Master of Social Sciences, M.Soc.Sc., which is 120 ECTS credits.
The programme includes core, advanced specialisation, language and multidisciplinary studies on critical systems of the society as well as a master’s thesis. Read more in this academic year’s curriculum.
Career prospects
The master’s programme empowers students to appreciate the link between human factors and technologies and recognise the socioeconomic impacts of traditional and emerging digital technologies. This programme also enables students to understand well-being and social sustainability during digital transitions. Hence, as a graduate, you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to understand the impacts of digital technologies on people’s behaviour and well-being and the functioning of societies.
After graduation, you may find work as a data analyst, data scientist, user experience researcher, consultant, director of human resources, policy analyst, or head of community relations.
