Study programme | Study overview | Management, Society and Technology

When your parents got their first mobile phone, it wasn’t much more than a curious add-on to their lives. Today, we use our smart phones 24/7 and digital technologies are increasingly interwoven with everything we do. Do you want to gain a clear understanding of today’s technologies and use it for the good of society? Then Management, Society and Technology is the modern Bachelor's in public administration for you.

FIRST TIME AT UNIVERSITY

When you are a first-year student, you experience many new things. Here we start explaining at least a few of them.

You complete modules

Your Civil Engineering Bachelor’s programme is three years and is designed according to the Twente Educational Model. Every year you have four ten-week modules; so, during the course of your studies you complete twelve modules. In every module you work on a current subject from society or the business world. Within that subject all the different parts of your study come together: theory and practice, researching connections and designing solutions, self-study and teamwork.

Study points - how do they work?

At university you will come across something called study credit. Also known as EC(s). The abbreviation EC is derived from the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), which allows you to compare courses internationally. One credit equals 28 hours of work; you need to reach 60 credits each year. You receive credits for every assignment you pass. Your programme decides how many hours it takes to complete an assignment, write a project report or study to pass an exam.

Did you get 45 credit points or more? Then you can continue on to the second year

In order to pass from first year to second year, you have to get a minimum of 45 out of 60 points in the first year. You need at least 45 EC in your first year in order to continue with the programme. At the end of your first year, we will give you a Binding Study Advice (BSA). If you reach 45 EC, you can be sure that you are in the right place and can keep up with the programme. If it doesn’t go exactly as you had planned - because of personal circumstances, for example - then we are of course always available to advise you.

Specializations

After the core modules you can choose between three specializations: (1) Systems Analysis and Data Science; (2) Public Administration; (3) Global and European Studies. The specialization takes one semester.

Specialization 1: Systems analysis and Data Science

The specialization Systems Analysis and Data Science offers students the opportunity to use their interests in mathematical analysis to better tackle complex social systems. One module focuses on systems analysis. You build a simulation model for a complex societal challenge, such as the optimization of evacuations in emergency situations. The other module focuses on data science. You learn to analyze patterns in big data to get new insights in complex phenomena, such as the spread of fake news in social media.

Specialization 2: Public Administration

The specialization Public Administration offers students the opportunity to specialize in top-down and bottom-up decision-making. One module focuses on complex collective decision-making. You use rational choice models to forecast the outcomes of collective decision-making by many stakeholders. You learn how to influence these outcomes. The other module focuses on citizen involvement in public organizations. You study how the collaboration between professionals and citizens affects the quality of public services.

Specialization 3: Global and European Studies

The specialization Global and European Studies offers students the opportunity to focus on the international and European dimensions of societal challenges. One module focuses on current European crises, such as Brexit. The other module focuses on the position of Europe in the world. You learn how the European Union operates as one international institution among the big powers in the world, such as China or the U.S.