Science-Technology-Society (Master)
Why study ... Science-Technology-Society?
Knowledge and technologies are deeply intertwined with the ways we live in the world. How we communicate, move, work and care for our health - all this is constantly changing through new scientific and technological options. However, new techno-scientific possibilities also challenge existing value structures and ways of living, which leads to societal debates about risks, ethics and social justice.
At the same time, science and technology are not untouched by the societal environment they are part of. Socio-economic expectations and broader imaginaries of techno-scientific futures are part and parcel of contemporary research cultures, and influence how knowledge is produced and innovations are made.
Understanding the complex relations between science, technology and society is a vital ability in today’s world. The master’s programme in Science-Technology-Society enables students to acquire comprehensive knowledge in this area.
Students acquire the sensitivity to recognise the multi-dimensionality of current technoscientific challenges, enhance their ability to approach complex problems both systematically and imaginatively, gain the expertise to recognise the social and ethical dimensions of science and technology. Students develop their capacity to position themselves in the face of necessarily complex and incomplete information. Furthermore, they learn to communicate issues related to science, technology and society.
Master of Arts
Facts & Figures
- Students: n.a.
- Graduates in the last academic year: n.a.
- Number of semesters needed for graduation (median): n.a.
Data updated on: 20.07.2023
© depositphotos.com / e fired
Admission Procedure
Information about the selection procedure
Information on Previous Studies:
In any case eligible degree programmes at the University of Vienna:
- Mass Media and Communication Science (Bachelor)
- Political Science (Bachelor)
- Social and Cultural Anthropology (Bachelor)
- Sociology (Bachelor)
Generally, due to its interdisciplinary orientation, the master's programme Science-Technology-Society welcomes students from all disciplinary backgrounds. Current students of the programme come from very different fields in the social sciences, humanities, engineering and the natural sciences.
However, it is a legally required step in the admission procedure to check whether the specific degree of an applicant is eligible to a social science bachelor as it is issued at the University of Vienna, or whether eligibility can be reached by prescribing a maximum of 30 ECTS Credits in additional courses.
As previous admission practice has shown, the latter condition can be fulfilled by a large majority of bachelor degrees from different fields, provided that they are issued by an accredited institution of post-secondary education.
The additional courses prescribed for students with a non-social science bachelor are usually seminars in social science research methods or theory. These courses are offered within the master's programme on a regular basis.
Getting Informed
Getting started
Five Concepts
which you will deal with during your studies:
- knowledge production
- science communication
- digitalisation
- innovation
- democracy
... and many more.
Study Programme
© Universität Wien
Study Programme
The master's programme in Science-Technology-Society equips students with the necessary competences to contribute to a critical understanding of the increasingly important relations between science, technology and society on the basis of empirical research. Key elements of the master’s programme are a) a strong orientation towards research, b) internationality in terms of teaching as well as with regard to students’ countries of origin, c) a clear social scientific approach with deliberate openness towards students’ different disciplinary backgrounds, and d) a focus on skills that are essential in today’s world of academia and other contexts of knowledge work.
In its respective specialisations, the MA in Science-Technology-Society provides a comprehensive and critical approach to analysing
- how (techno)sciences and society communicate and interact;
- the cultures and contexts in which knowledge and innovations are produced and used;
- how politics frames and is framed by science and technology.
The MA Science-Technology-Society is a two-year English language programme. The number of students admitted is limited per academic year.
Students' Opinion
© Xingfei Zhong
"The master's programme in Science-Technology-Society has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. The programme nicely integrates empirical work and theoretical reflection, thus providing me with a comprehensive insight into today’s society, whose development is intimately entangled with science and technology. Moreover, the programme’s focus to develop students’ ability to manage projects by themselves impels me to grow in many other areas such as presentation and interpersonal skills. The broad structure of the programme appeals to me very much for it covers a diverse range of subjects and knowledge that cater to today’s job market. And importantly, the truly international environment in the STS department opens up a diverse and cooperative space for each student, which makes it an additional gift to study here!"
Xingfei Zhong
© Bernhard Böhm
"Initially, I got interested in topics related to science and technology during my bachelor's degree in Sociology at the University of Vienna. The decision to attend the master's programme Science-Technology-Society was clear after I had the chance to gain work experience in fields in which the generation of knowledge as well as new technological developments are important.
Appealing to me was that this programme focuses on issues regarding the production of knowledge in our contemporary society and raises questions on how performing research can be understood as a social activity. As emphasis is placed on science and technology studies' heterogeneous theories and methods as well as their use in practice, this enables students to approach the topic of knowledge production from various directions. The different fields and examples analysed in this context range from ethnographic studies of laboratories to investigations dealing with the emergence of new areas of research. Therefore, I was able to develop an individual research interest and improve my skills necessary to carry out case studies on my own.
The strength of this master's programme is the combination of a well-structured introduction period, which familiarised me with the complex connections between science, technology and society, and the possibility to later participate in specific seminars, according to one's own interests. International lecturers and students with different backgrounds are brought together, which is another advantage of this programme as it enriches the discussions when various viewpoints meet."
Bernhard Böhm, Bakk.phil.
Overview of the programme structure & topics
Here you find the current offer of courses for this programme to gain better insight into the topics and structure. For more information please click on the respective level.
Teachers' Opinion
© Universität Wien
"We are looking for open-minded and dedicated students ready to engage with the complex relationships between science, technology and society. The master's programme has a clear international and interdisciplinary orientation. We hence strongly encourage the participation of students from different cultural backgrounds, as well as from different disciplines - ranging from the social sciences to the humanities, the natural sciences and engineering."
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Felt, professor for science and technology studies
© Luiza Puiu
"In a time in which higher education is becoming more and more massified and anonymous, it’s a privilege to work with a reasonably sized group of motivated students from very different backgrounds, in a context which allows teachers to engage with students’ individual experiences, profiles and development - and be challenged by them."
Dr. Maximilian Fochler, director of studies
After Graduation
Graduates of the master’s programme are qualified for a career at the interface between science, technology and society in a variety of different contexts. They are well-prepared for an academic career in the context of Austrian and international PhD programmes and have excellent job opportunities in the following fields:
- research communication
- national and international research funding organisations, research policy and research management
- as well as companies and NGOs that work at the interface between science, technology and society
Graduates' Opinion ...
© Ryan Crowder
"Following my studies in Science-Technology-Society (STS), I will attempt to move into an international organisation or an academic institution, perhaps one day attaining a professorial or management level position. I feel it is the responsibility of intellectuals to find pragmatic uses of academic knowledge in order to enhance the development of our societies.
The fundamentals of science and technology as a social practice as well as the particular attention devoted to risk communication will provide a solid base towards progress in these organisations. As such, knowledge I acquired within the STS master's programme applies directly to my current position within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), where I focus on the psychosocial consequences of the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Disaster. In particular, STS provides a means of stabilising government decisions during a nuclear emergency by increasing the ability to communicate important knowledge during a crisis. An affinity for science and technology and its burgeoning influence on our societies initially drew me to this programme, and I continue to feel that the impacts of science and technology require more investigation as their joint capacity grows.
Within the programme itself, I particularly enjoyed the small, intimate educational environment provided by the faculty. I found this allowed a greater degree of interaction and freedom between students and teachers alike; a rarity in higher education."
Ryan Crowder, MA
© Gernot Rieder
"The master's programme Science-Technology-Society enabled me, through a number of high-quality seminars and lectures, to deal with the theoretical foundations and fundamental problems of the emerging field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) in a focused manner, providing an ideal basis for PhD studies abroad. Coming from the field of Communication and Media Studies, I found the focus on the relationship between technology and society thematically inspiring and important in terms of issues relating to democracy and governance.
Courses such as 'Grant Writing and Project Management' or 'Scientific Practice and Knowledge Management' introduce the key skills of our contemporary knowledge society. The master programme not only conveys the fundamental 'tools' of modern knowledge work, which are also useful beyond the academic realm, but offers a superb introduction to a research field that is gaining more and more importance. Working within the scheduled time limit, dialogue ability and presentation skills are further qualifications that are supported and developed during the study programme. Furthermore, the international focus of this master's programme taught entirely in English permitted me to refine my verbal and written skills in this language.
In my opinion, the study programme also stands out due to the following aspects: 1) dedicated teachers who prepare their lectures in an exemplary manner, give continuous feedback and show genuine interest in the intellectual and professional development of their students; 2) a fascinating interdisciplinary and international study and research environment for students and (visiting) professors alike; 3) a professional and motivating study and work setting which profits from a close interrelation of (top-level) research and teaching and enables a critical-reflexive engagement with complex sociotechnical and technoscientific topics."
Gernot Rieder, Bakk.phil. BA MA
Graduates' Perspective on the Degree Programme
Graduates ...
- say that this degree programme receives the grade: 1.4 (excellent)
- rate the level of difficulty as: 4.1 (high)
→ These results are based on feedback from 19 graduates.
*You can find further assessments of the degree programme from its graduates’ perspective in the graduate survey of the master's programme in Science-Technology-Society (in German).