Study programme - Courses | Msc Philosophy of Science, Technology & Society

Guide businesses, policymakers, and researchers by analysing emerging technologies and how they impact society

Unlike any other Philosophy degree, the Master’s in Philosophy of Science, Technology & Society is an interdisciplinary programme centred around philosophy of technologies. You will focus on philosophical anthropology and discuss how technology affects our understanding as human beings. For example, how should we think about cyborg applications that may enhance human functioning beyond the body’s natural capabilities? You will also look into philosophy of science and philosophy of action and analyse the role of machine learning in modulating societal debates. For instance, how do filter bubbles limit people’s exposure to diverse views?

You will learn from researchers and staff members who are also part of the Dutch Research School for Philosophy (OZSW) and the Netherlands Graduate Research School for Science, Technology & Modern Culture (WTMC).

Co-decide the content of your Master’s Philosophy

You can customise your Master’s by choosing elective courses or participate in one of three tracks to gain deeper insights into a specific topic of your interest. If you want to pursue an academic career, you should consider applying for the 4TU Ethics and Technology track to expand your research skills.

4TU Ethics and Technology Track

Do you want to continue with a PhD after your Master’s? At the end of the first year, you can choose to enter a special one-year Ethics and Technology track offered by the 4TU Centre for Ethics and Technology. You will take the courses together with PhD students. The track is preparatory for a PhD in Ethics and Technology: upon completion, you have a higher chance of finding a PhD position.

AI in Science and Society track

Are you curious about how AI is shaping our world? The AI in Science and Society track offers an opportunity to explore the ethical and societal implications of AI. At the end of your first year, you can choose this specific track. Graduating with this track sets you apart, preparing you for the growing number of AI-related roles in fields like healthcare, finance, education, and governance.

Science, technology and Sustainability track

Environmental problems, including how to understand and tackle them, are at the heart of contemporary controversies. The Science, Technology and Sustainability track offers second-year students relevant expertise to analyse and address such controversies. Courses cover the political, historical, decolonial and justice-related dimensions of sustainability transformations. Academic job opportunities, especially at the level of PhD positions in both Philosophy and Science, Technology and Sustainability, are also increasing due to the increasing allocation of grant funding to sustainability-related projects, especially in the Netherlands.

Examples of courses you can follow as part of this Master’s:

In the compulsory course Philosophical Theories and Methods, you will learn methods for actively interpreting and evaluating philosophical texts as well as analysing and building arguments in a structured way.
In TechnoLab, you will immerse yourself in the scientific underpinnings of new technologies that are being developed and studied at the University of Twente, such as robots assisting people with disabilities, by visiting labs and interviewing researchers.
Design your own AI prototype in the elective course Ethics and Epistemology of AI and Robotics. The course gives a systematic introduction to the ethics and epistemology of AI (including robotics) in the context of a larger debate in the humanities.

What will you learn?

As a graduate of this Master’s, you have specific scientific knowledge, skills, and values that will help you in your future career.

Knowledge
After completing this Master’s, you have:
- knowledge of philosophy of technology, including approaches from a scientific, technological, and societal standpoint and the ability to relate these approaches to one other;
- knowledge of various philosophical subfields: ethics of technology, social and political philosophy of technology, philosophical anthropology, epistemology, and metaphysics of technology, among others;
- understanding of core theories such as phenomenology and post-phenomenology, mediation theory, and analytic philosophy.
Skills
After completing this Master’s, you can:
- formulate plausible problem statements and appropriate research questions based on a critical review of relevant material;
- critically reflect and discuss by taking different stakeholders' needs, interests, and values into consideration; you can also formulate relevant and well-phrased critical questions;
- write in a clear and well-formulated way and give presentations to specific target audiences using a suitable format and appropriate media.
Values
After completing this Master’s, you are:
- able to critically reflect on the role of science and technology in society;
- able to work across boundaries of knowledge and create new knowledge from various sources due to the international and interdisciplinary contents of the programme;
- well prepared for starting a PhD position in Philosophy of Technology or Science and Technology Studies.

Related master’s

Is this Master’s not exactly what you are looking for? Find out more about these related master’s: