Digital Society Minor programme

The Master’s Digital Society programme with 30 ECTS credits is designed as a continuation of the Bachelor study programmes in social sciences and cultural studies as well as in media and communication sciences, economics and computer science. It complements major (specialisation) programmes of 90 ECTS credits. It can be chosen as a secondary programme (30 ECTS credits) with a master's major programme that allows for such a minor

What courses does the programme contain?

The programme aims at fostering the theoretical competencies and analytical methods needed to understand these ongoing changes. Participants will study the emergence, use and impact of digital technologies in societies from a variety of perspectives in the social sciences. The programme broadens students’ understanding of computing and promotes their digital skills. It aims to enable students to understand the socio-technological processes at play in digital transformation. Students are trained to critically “read” digital technologies in society from a conceptual and empirical perspective.

Please visit the courses page for more details.

Admission requirements

The Digital Society Master’s programme with 30 ECTS credits is open to the following graduates holding a Bachelor's degree completed at a university, an education or teacher training college (Pädagogische Hochschule / Haute école pédagogique) or a university of applied sciences in the following disciplines:

  • Law
  • Philosophy, history, political science, art history, musicology, all languages and literature (English, German studies etc.), sociology, social policy and social work, social and cultural anthropology / ethnology, cultural studies, religious studies, theology, educational sciences
  • Computer science, business informatics, software systems
  • Human medicine, sports science, psychology
  • Business administration, economics
  • Communication and Media Sciences, Communication Systems
  • Geography, Environmental Sciences

Applicants with degrees from the University of Fribourg in the following study programmes are also admitted to the programme:

  • European Studies, Eastern European Studies, Software Systems, Biomedical Sciences, Economic and Legal Studies, Business Communication, Environmental Humanities

Other Bachelor graduates will be considered upon application.

Start date

Students can start the Digital Society Minor in the autumn or spring semester. The Digital Society Major with 90 ECTS credits will be launched in 2025. For any preliminary inquiries and to express interest, please contact the Digital Society study advisor or attend the info session on Sep 17.

Language

In principle, the courses are held in English. Exams and written work are also to be conducted and prepared in English. It is recommended that students have good written and oral English skills and can express themselves and communicate orally and in writing in this language. In exceptional cases, supplementary courses in German or French will be integrated into the course programme.

Inter-university agreements and the BENEFRI network

Students enrolled in the Digital Society minor programme for 30 ECTS credits may attend external courses at the Universities of Bern, Neuchâtel or another university for a maximum of 6 ECTS credits.

To recognize these external courses and transfer the credits to the Digital Society minor programme students must submit an application to their study counsellors at the latest by the last day of the semester preceding the semester during which students wish to attended a course at the external university. It is advisable to get in touch earlier than the due date to discuss potential issues. Students are responsible for contacting the external university and for complying with the regulations of the course they have selected.

To transfer the credits earned at other universities, students must submit the relevant documents directly to the secretariat.

Study plan

Visit the information on https://studies.unifr.ch/en/master/int/digitalsociety30/

Download the study plan (v.09Nov2022).

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Anna Jobin. As the current student advisor you can contact her with any question regarding the Digital Society programme.

Disclaimer

This website exists for informational purposes only. Solely the official study plan is binding.