Science & Technology in Society

Aims

The MSc in Science and Technology in Society offers a comprehensive introduction to the interdisciplinary field of science, technology, and innovation studies (STIS). 

You will develop a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between science, technology, and society, alongside analytical tools to:

• Trace the development of scientific knowledge and technologies in social and historical context.
• Analyse how power, politics, and culture shape the production and use of knowledge and technology, including whose voices influence or are excluded from shaping futures.
• Engage with contemporary global issues, from climate change and pandemics to genetic engineering and artificial intelligence, through the distinctive lens of science, technology, and innovation studies.
• Interrogate the challenges confronting research today, from ideological attacks on higher education to the defunding of science, from the replication crisis to the promises and tensions of open science and responsible research and innovation. 

You will work with historical and contemporary case studies and draw from cutting-edge research, developing analytical skills to explore how knowledge and technologies are produced, used, and contested. 

You will gain experience in qualitative, quantitative, or computational methods and build core competencies in critical analysis, research design, and communication.

Structure

You will complete:

• three compulsory courses in Semester 1 
• three or four option courses in Semester 2 
• an independently researched dissertation 

Topics

In Semester 1 of the programme, you will be introduced to key theories and contemporary academic debates in the field, including:

• the sociology and social history of science and technology
• innovation policy and management
• the role of scientific expertise in policy making
• science and technology for international development

In Semester 2, and during your dissertation research, you will be able to call on the expertise of our highly regarded academic staff. They will guide you in the application of your knowledge to address key societal issues and challenges. Depending on your interests, this work might relate to:

• energy and environment
• life sciences and bioeconomy
• data and society

Dissertation

You will complete a 15,000-word dissertation. There are two possible pathways for this: a standard dissertation or a placement-based dissertation. Both offer the opportunity to pursue an independent research project, but with different formats and contexts.

Standard dissertation

The standard dissertation involves researching and writing an extended piece of original academic work on a topic of your choosing, developed in consultation with your supervisor. This pathway allows you to deepen your expertise in a specific area of interest while developing your investigative, critical, and analytical skills through sustained independent research.

Placement-based dissertation

The aim of the placement-based dissertation is to provide you with the opportunity to work on your dissertation within the context of a workplace of your choosing, subject to Programme Director and Placement Adviser approval.

The placements generally consist of eight weeks of research with a host organisation in the UK or overseas, from our network of contacts which includes:

• NGOs
• charities
• social enterprises
• think-tanks
• government bodies

Placements can either be in person, hybrid