Media, Technology and Society
Shaping Futures in Media, Technology & Society
We live in a time of rapid change and significant societal and technological transformations. In these times, working with media means embracing complexity: How do we make sense of Big Data? How can we tackle the ethical implications of algorithms? How should we communicate the challenges of the Anthropocene? MTS is an international Master of Science. We educate students to shape organizations' and companies' futures at the interface of Media, Technology, and Society.
We discuss and scrutinize the role of technologies, analyze their societal impact, and develop corresponding concepts and strategies for media organizations, companies, and NGOs. Our master’s program is rooted in professional fields like journalism and public relations. Grounded in empirical research, we encourage our students to critically assess media realities and engage in thinking, shaping, and leading technological and social futures.
Research Media Practise in our LABs
How does social media use contribute to experiencing technostress? How can chatbots support onboarding processes? How do fact-checking agencies cover fake news? Who distributes political content within a network of media users? In our laboratories, we tackle real-life questions from media and communications practice, drawing on empirical methods and theories from media studies.
Learning Paths
MTS graduates are experts in the development, planning, implementation and evaluation of new forms of communication, media and study methods for journalism and strategic communication. At the same time, they are sensitized to the ethical dimensions of digitization, for example with regard to sustainability and the use of data. We offer the following learning paths
- Planning and conducting research
- Assessing technology
- Embedding innovation in journalism and strategic communication
- Understanding Data
- Implement stragety and change processes
Understand the Social Impact of Technology
How can we assess technological risks? Why is autonomous technology depending on human work? Why is innovation sometimes to hard to achieve? What makes smart technology smart? In the lecture ‘Technology’ we deep-dive into concepts. and theories from Science and Technology Studies to understand the "social shaping of technology" (MacKenzie & Wajcman) better. Against this background, we discuss current technological phenomena from smart homes to nuclear power plants, and from fake news to platformization.
Image Source: Spaceship Earth, 1982 Buckminster Fuller & Shoji Sadao, CC BY-SA 3.0
"MTS enabled me to exercise scientific thinking and develop and expand my academic and research skills. Besides, the lecturers encouraged me to experiment with cutting-edge techniques while having fun combining two of my passions: technology and media."
Cristian Edel Weiss
MTS Alumnus, Journalist and PhD student in Political Science at the University of Mannheim
“My goal at MTS to blend creativity with marketing, social media, altruistic work, and social awareness, while bringing a bit of my country to Germany and a bit of this country to Mexico. I aim to find a balance between all these elements that ties together everything I’m passionate about, ultimately contributing meaningful research to these fields of study ”
Lina Catize
MTS student
„The Media, Technology and Society program at h_da equipped me with the skills to understand the impact of digital media on society. Now, as a press officer working for a labour union, I use this knowledge to effectively advocate for worker's rights.”
Lisa Merz
MTS Alumna, Press and public relations officer for DGB Hessen-Thüringen
“The MTS program gave me the tools to not just create media, but to analyze, research, and understand it in a broader sense. Instead of guessing what might resonate, I now have the knowledge and skills to identify what works, why it works, and how it fits into the broader cultural and media landscape.”
María José Vargas
MTS Alumna, Communication & Content Manager at the International Career Service Rhein-Main.
“I have a great time studying MTS because it gives me different perspectives on various media topics. I especially like the family-like atmosphere in the courses, which makes me feel at ease while studying.”
Marc Ebling
MTS student
Professional fields
Graduates have a wide range of career opportunities in the editorial and consulting fields where Media, Technology and Society interlock:
A brief overview of some possible career fields after graduation:
- Researcher in Communications or Journalism
- Product Manager in Media Development
- Consultant for Media Innovation Management
- Manager Data Security & Compliance
- Manager Corporate Social Responsibility
- Science and Technology Journalist
- Environmental and Climate Journalist
- News Media Editor
- Consultant for Publishing and Media Strategies
- Content Strategist
- Communication Strategist
- Media Marketing Manager
- Consultant for New Media Marketing
- Online Community Manager
- Media Digitization Consultant
- Content Manager
- Consultant in Communication Management
- Social Media Manager
- User Experience Consultant
"Studying MTS gave me some ultimate life hacks: the ability to analyze viral trends and audience needs, to navigate the complex world of digital publics and how to make sense of cat videos."
Vanessa Kokoschka, MTS Alumna, PhD student and research associate at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences
“With MTS, the h_da offers a great space to experiment and explore new media worlds with open-minded, international spirits.”
Jakob Vicari
MTS lecturer and Data Journalist, Professor for Data Journalism at Hochschule Hannover and Founder & Lead Creative Technologist tactile.news
“The world we live in today is driven by data and propelled by technology, whether we like it or not. MTS is all about agency – becoming a sovereign subject, actively contributing to this development for the better of all of us, rather than just remaining an object shaped by it.”
Olaf Steenfadt
MTS lecturer, Founder and Managing Director Global Media Registry (GMR)
Electives on Methods and Processes
How can we turn information into knowledge? How can we tell stories from data? How can change be embedded into organizational structure? And which processes foster innovation? In our Electives on Methods and Processes, offered each Winter, we draw on tools from digital humanities, organization, and entrepreneurial studies and data-driven communications to tackle complex topics and steer change processes.
Image source: Digital poster presentations from our Laboratory
