The TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology (SOT) is an academic department of the Technical University of Munich (TUM). It was established on October 1, 2021, as part of a university-wide restructuring that replaced the previous departmental structure with a school system.
The school integrates research and teaching at the intersection of social sciences, humanities, and technology. It was formed primarily by merging the former Department of Sport and Health Sciences with the Munich Center for Technology in Society (MCTS), while also incorporating professorships from other disciplines such as sociology, political science, philosophy, and education science.
Structure and Research Focus The school is organized into several research domains and professorships focusing on:
- Technology and Society: Analysis of the mutual shaping of technology and social structures, including governance of innovation, science and technology studies (STS), and ethics of technology.
- Sport and Health Sciences: Biomechanics, training science, sports medicine, and the sociology/psychology of sport and health.
- Education and Learning: Educational research, vocational education, and technology-enhanced learning.
- Governance and Policy: Public policy, regulation of emerging technologies, and organizational studies.
Academic Programs The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. Key degree programs include:
- B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Sport Science
- M.Sc. in Responsibility in Science, Engineering and Technology (RESET)
- M.A. in Philosophy of Science and Technology
- Various teacher education programs (Lehramt) for vocational schools and grammar schools (Gymnasium) in subjects like Sport, Politics and Society, and Ethics/Philosophy.
Munich Center for Technology in Society (MCTS) The MCTS operates as a central research institute within the school. It serves as an interdisciplinary platform for researching the relationship between science, technology, and society. It coordinates the master's program "Responsibility in Science, Engineering and Technology" (RESET) and hosts the "TUM Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence" (IEAI) in collaboration with other TUM schools.
Mission The school aims to provide "reflexive expertise" by equipping students and researchers with the methodological tools to analyze the societal implications of technological change and to contribute to responsible innovation processes. It emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration with TUM's engineering and natural science schools.
