EXPLORING THE NATURAL SCIENCES AND THEIR RELATIONS WITH SOCIETY AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE

Science and technology form part of our day-to-day lives, wherever we are. We constantly have to make decisions that draw on scientific and technological knowledge. The MSc in Science Studies provides you with insight into how science works and how scientific discoveries and knowledge have affected our lives and our societies. You will learn to place scientific knowledge within historical, philosophical, and social perspectives. You will also gain a multi-faceted perspective on the many challenges and opportunities that science provides.

SCIENCE, CULTURE AND SOCIETY

The MSc in Science Studies is open to students with a science bachelor’s degree who are seeking a wider perspective on how the natural sciences have developed in their interaction with society and contemporary culture. The programme includes the following themes building on the bachelor’s science background – history and philosophy of science; science, technology, and innovation; science and society; and science and communication.

Students in the programme will learn to understand the social and philosophical implications of science, the forces that drive technological change, and contemporary developments within research and within the public understanding of science. Knowledge of the development of science and the ability to analyse science in a cultural and societal context can be useful in many different situations. Graduates may seek to be communicators, presenting the challenges and opportunities that science represents through the media. This knowledge of the interaction between natural sciences, technology and society is relevant in public administration, in business and industry, and in many kinds of organisation.

STUDENT LIFE

The Centre for Science Studies has excellent study facilities, including the new shared library for science studies and many natural science programmes. It is notable particularly for its extensive collection of books and journals in the science studies field. The centre is small, which means that students work in close collaboration with the academic staff, and it has gained a reputation for a lively social life. Researchers and students interact on a daily basis, get together for bi-weekly colloquia, and meet up every Tuesday in an informal setting for coffee and cake.

CAREERS

Science Studies graduates will have a sound understanding of the social and philosophical implications of science, the forces that drive technological change, and contemporary developments within research and the public understanding of science. Thus equipped, graduates can seek a career communicating science and its challenges and opportunities to the general public through the media. They can also use their knowledge of the interaction between the natural sciences, technology, and society in public administration, business and industry, and in many different organisations.

Previous graduates are working as project managers and communication officers in private companies and public organisations, civil servants in public administration, teachers in the Danish high schools, and science writers and editors.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

A bachelor of science degree from a Danish university or international equivalent, or a bachelor’s degree including at least 60 ECTS credits in science studies, can qualify students for admission. Other qualifications can also provide admission to the Master’s programme, provided the university assesses that their level, extent, and content correspond to the degrees mentioned above.

SELECTION CRITERIA

As the Master’s programme admits only a limited number of students each year, meeting the admission requirements does not in itself guarantee admission to the programme. Student places are allocated on the basis of an overall assessment. In evaluating qualified applicants, the admissions committee assesses applicants according to the following criteria: academic background; overall grade level of bachelor’s degree; grades achieved on relevant courses; and relevant courses (measured in credit units) included in the bachelor’s degree.

Relevant courses include core courses within the history and philosophy of science and technology, science communication, and related areas.