Department of Social Sciences
News
Welcome to the Department of Social Sciences
More and more students are going abroad. Rightly so!
Studying abroad opens new horizons and changes the way you see the world. Exploring a new country and culture opens your perspectives and deepens your insight on your own and another culture.
You improve your language and social skills and gain in-depth understanding into different ways of life. You make new friends for life and can increase your confidence in yourself and others.
Furthermore, stays abroad are becoming vital recruitment criteria for employers. Needless to say. It is a “win-win” –situation for all.
Our faculty covers a broad spectrum in the fields of society, economics, law, politics, technology, science and culture. In addition to the courses of study, we would like to mention the cross-curricular accompanying course in Social and Cultural Sciences (SuK), which has been an integral part of student education at the h_da since 1972. The language centre of the h_da is also located under our "roof". It is open to all students and supports the acquisition of language and intercultural skills. Our department has a total of more than 800 students, studying in the following courses:
The six-semester Bachelor's programme "Information Law" offers a practice-oriented and scientifically sound legal education tailored to the extrajudicial processing of information law tasks. The focus is on questions from the fields of IT and media law, intellectual property law and the law of electronic administration. European and Anglo-American law is a focal point. Small classes of about 60 students allow for optimal supervision. The graduates should be qualified and specialized lawyers in the respective special subjects for the field of information law and yet differ from the classic fully- qualified lawyers in their understanding of other disciplines from the information technology and business environment. You can find more detailed information on the course of studies on the website of the Information Law course of studies.
Contact:
Information Law Flyer (LL.B.) (Pdf-file, 337,2 KB)
The application-orientated four-semester master’s programme deals with science-related licensing issues in the broadest sense, and specifically in practice. It provides detailed information and knowledge of IT and IP contract law, as well as in related areas of International, and specifically Anglo-American, law. Additionally, a significant international content addresses the requirements of communication across national borders as well as communication where technology and law overlap. The specific global licensing management content, based on current and potential future requirements, is both innovative and challenging. With the specialization of global licensing in the international environment, a demanding and demand-oriented orientation is offered, which has not been available on the market in this way before.
Contact:
Global Licensing Flyer (LL.M.) (Pdf-file, 805,7 KB)
The 6-semester-long Bachelor of Science degree in Business Psychology enables participants to understand, explain, and predict human behavior within a business context. The practice-oriented study program is specifically tailored to the scope of duties required in business and society. During their studies, students learn to find psychologically grounded solutions for business- related questions (e.g., how to encourage a company’s employees to be more involved in their jobs). Students are given the opportunity to specialize in two of three areas: (1) work, personnel, and organization; (2) market, consumers, and media; or (3) environment and sustainability.
Starting in November 2020 the interdisciplinary 4-semester-long Master's program in Business Psychology combines contents of psychology with questions of economics. It provides in-depth scientific and practice-oriented knowledge of concepts, methods and techniques of business psychology. Graduates are qualified for management tasks, responsible positions in business organizations as well as in science and research. With the specialisations these vocational chances open themselves: With the emphasis "Work, personnel and organizational psychology" chances lie in the management of personnel departments, in the organizational development or with personnel service providers. With the focus on "Market, consumer and media psychology" career paths exist in national and international marketing, media management, market and trend research and in management consultancies. For the specialisation "Environmental psychology and sustainability" career potential exists, for example, in research and development institutions, in environmental communication and in the areas of corporate social responsibility and sustainability management.
Contact:
Flyer Business Psychology B.Sc. (Pdf-file, 75,4 KB)
How can risks and opportunities be assessed and a proactive Sustainability Management be arranged on this basis? These are the core questions addressed in the four-semester master’s course „Risk Assessment and Sustainability Management” (RASUM). The starting point is the increasing challenges enterprises of all industries are facing as they struggle to integrate „sustainable development“ into their strategies. This calls for employees who are able to combine scientific-technical with organisational and economic perspectives without losing sight of the normative orientation. In interdisciplinary teams, students learn to deal systematically and in a structured manner with risks and opportunities and to use the methods and instruments available for this purpose. This enables them to unfold creative potential within the organization for a proactive sustainability management and initiate the necessary change processes. RASUM provides analytical and strategic skills to overcome alleged system boundaries while also integrating social-psychological and societal aspects.
Contact:
Flyer RASUM (M.Sc.) (Pdf-file, 59,6 KB)
Enterprises and public administrations invest massively in education and professional training programs, in persuasive communication as well as in social trainings and health ads. Do these interventions work? There is a substantial demand for valid fact and detailed evidence. Young professionals in enterprises and non-profit entities need to bring two key competences to their tasks: the ability to assess and evaluate social interventions and innovations, and a solid understanding of professional practice in the workplace. At Hochschule Darmstadt – University of Applied Sciences – we train these young professionals!
Contact:
Flyer Applied Social Sciences (B.A.) (Pdf-file, 54,9 KB)
SuK: Expand your horizons
The accompanying study programme „Sozial- und Kulturwissenschaften (SuK)“ is an integral part of all study programmes at the h_da. It is aimed at students of all natural sciences, engineering, information science, media and design studies.
It is unique in Germany and offers real added value: students learn how to work in interdisciplinary teams and how their activities affect the social, cultural and economic environment. This broadens their horizons and teaches them to think and act responsibly in a professional and social context.
In the SuK-studies you can choose from a wide range of courses with interesting topics. These include exciting questions such as
- Interculturality
- Current issues such as climate change and sustainability
- Many courses with direct practical relevance
- Recurring problems from various fields such as culture, sociology, philosophy, psychology, society, politics, law and economics.
An education in the SuK accompanying study programme pursues the following main objectives:
- Thinking outside the box
- Taking an international perspective
- Learning to act responsibly
- Assume leadership responsibility
- Getting fit for practice
Language Courses: Door-opener to the world
While the world of work is changing rapidly, there are also some constants, like the need for mobility and the importance of international networks for careers that are increasingly global. To prepare our students for an internship abroad, or maybe a semester at a foreign university like one of our numerous partner institutions, or even for a position in one of the many companies in the Rhine-Main area which boast a strong international orientation, the h_da Language Centre offers specialized language courses for the different departments and a wide range of courses in an open program for all students.
Online or in the classroom, the Language Centre assists students in acquiring intercultural communication skills and in improving their language skills in some of the most common and most important languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, as well as German as a Foreign Language to facilitate access to academic life in Darmstadt for a growing number of incoming international students. We also offer language tests which are central to applying for a scholarship for a stay abroad like the DAAD test, and prepare for international language certificates like DSH. Detailed information about our program and activities can be found on our website.
Why you should study in Darmstadt
- Darmstadt is a “City of Science”: See the overview and the whole e-book (external article)
- Darmstadt: Germany’s „city of the future“ (nationwide award winner 2016, external article)
- Darmstadt: Germany’s “Digital city” (nationwide award winner 2017, external article)
- How to survive in Darmstadt – a helpful overview
- Places to go – Darmstadt’s international students spots (video journey)
- Places to see in Darmstadt– explore the city (videos)
- Darmstadt – a map of important bars and clubs in Darmstadt
- Aftershow – und danach? How to find jobs in Darmstadt / Wie man Stellen findet
- Problems abroad? Answers and solutions from a student’s perspective
Additional Information
Related links
International Office - H_da
If you have any general questions: incoming.int@h-da.de
Dean
Prof. Dr. Nicola Erny
Fachbereich GW
Communication
Haardtring 100
64295 Darmstadt
Office: A12, 309
Department Office
Gisa Bengel
Communication
Haardtring 100
64295 Darmstadt
Office: A12, 322
+49.6151.16-38731
+49.6151.16-38925
sekretariat.suk.fbgw@h-da.de
Coordination and strategic development
Prof. Dr. Katrin Döveling
Communication
Haardtring 100
64295 Darmstadt
Office: A12, 3.04
Responsibilities/Area of responsibility: Internationalization of the department, coordination and strategic development. If you have any questions regarding the individual programs, please contact the responsible colleagues of the programs.