Data & Society

Groundbreaking data-driven technologies harbor enormous potential. But they also pose immense social and societal risks. Students of the English-taught Master's degree program Data & Society (M.Sc.), therefore, learn to analyze and shape technological developments in the context of human behavior, social needs, and political conditions.

The program is strongly interdisciplinary and application-oriented. It combines in-depth Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Informatics skills with a thorough understanding of the social, political, and ecological implications of innovative technological developments and their application. Students acquire specialized technical and social science skills in the areas of Data Perspectives, Human & Society, Regulatory, and Sustainable Development. They critically examine data, algorithms and AI-supported decision-making processes, human behavior and social dynamics, ethical and philosophical considerations of technology, the political and legal framework conditions for the use of technology, and the requirements for sustainable technology use.

Graduates of the degree program are competent engineers and scientists with specific expertise in evaluating modern technologies' opportunities, risks, and regulations. They are able to reflect on, analyze, and assess the economic, ecological, social, political, and ethical dimensions of data-based technologies and manage their use in line with specific requirements. As a result, they are just as well qualified to take on leadership roles in technology-driven companies or public administration as they are to continue their academic work within the framework of a doctoral dissertation.

For a comprehensive description of the program, please refer to the degree program documentation:

• Degree program documentation for the Master’s program in Data & Society (PDF, German)

The language of instruction for this program is English.

Learn more about recognized certificates and other ways to prove your language skills.

• Information on exams
• Information on studying abroad

The tuition fees for international students from third countries for this degree program are 6,000 euros per semester.

Many international students can have their fees waived or receive scholarships to finance them. You can find all information on waivers and scholarships here.

Please note: The semester fee as a contribution to the student union must be paid additionally. It varies depending on where you are studying. You can find all information on the semester fee here.

Minimum requirements to apply for a Master’s program at TUM are a recognized undergraduate degree (e.g. a Bachelor’s) and the successful completion of the aptitude assessment procedure. The aptitude assessment allows the TUM school to which you are applying to evaluate your individual talents and motivation for study.

During the application period, you must apply through the TUMonline application portal and upload your application documents.

If you receive an offer of admission, you will additionally have to submit individual documents as notarized hardcopies by post to be enrolled.

Generally, applicants with a qualification for postgraduate studies (e.g. a Bachelor’s) obtained outside of the EU / EEA must have their documents reviewed in advance through uni-assist.

• Degree Certificate and Diploma or Subject and Grade Transcript of Studies to Date
• Complete and Current Résumé
• Letter of Motivation (max. 150 words)
• Passport
• Proof of English Language Proficiency
• Preliminary Documentation (VPD) if the qualification for graduate studies (e.g. a bachelor’s) was obtained outside the EU/EEA (from winter semester 2025/26: outside Germany)

• A statement on which and to what extent (in credits) modules from the Master’s degree program Data & Society have already been successfully completed as part of additional studies or a continuing education program; a form for this purpose is available in TUMonline

• A declaration that the statement on reasons for choosing the degree program is the your own work and was prepared without any external help, and that you have clearly identified any ideas taken from outside sources

We may require additional documents depending on your educational background and your country of origin. Complete the online application to receive a comprehensive list of the required documents. 

• Most Current Photo (as for ID)
• Application for Enrollment (signed)
• Degree Certificate and Diploma (certified copy)
• Digital notification of your health insurance status from a German public health insurance provider (requested by applicant)
• Transcript of Records (certified copy)

We may require additional documents depending on the type of educational background you earned and your country of origin. After accepting an offer of admission in TUMonline, you will receive a list of documents you must submit to TUM in hardcopy for enrollment.

Application period for winter semester: 01.04. – 31.05.
Application period for summer semester: 01.10. – 15.01.

During the application period, you must apply through the TUMonline application portal and upload your application documents. Please be aware that we can only process your application if you upload all required documents within the application period.

We will review your application as soon as it is complete. Please check your TUMonline account regularly, to see if we have any queries to your documents or if you have to amend one or more documents.

After receiving admission, you will see in TUMonline which documents you have to submit for enrollment, and in which form. Please note that you always have to send the signed application for enrollment and all notarized hardcopies by post.

We recommend that you submit the documents for enrollment as soon as possible after receiving admission. If individual documents are not available by then, you can submit them up to 5 weeks after the start of the lecture period. You will, however, only be enrolled once we have received all documents.

You can check the status of your application at any time in your TUMonline account.

Selection takes place through an aptitude assessment procedure. Aptitude assessment is a two-part procedure after the submission of an official application to a program. In this procedure, the TUM school determines whether you meet the specific requirements for its Master’s degree program.

In the initial stages, the grades you obtained during your Bachelor's program, as well as your written documents, will be evaluated using a point system. Depending on the amount of points accumulated, applicants are either immediately admitted, rejected, or invited to an admissions interview.

• Aptitude Assessment for Master
• Description of the aptitude assessment (FPSO, appendix 2, German) (PDF 162 KB)