FIRST STEP

Application for admission in TUMonline
You can find general information regarding the application process and a list of the necessary documents here.
The template for the list of best credits (analysis of curricula) and the form for proof of successful participation in a module in the field of social-scientific methodology can be downloaded from the application portal.

SECOND STEP

Submission of documents by the end of the application deadline.

Essay questions for the application period 01 January – 31 May 2025 (for admission in the winter semester 25/26)

Please write an essay on one of the following topics (1-3 A4 pages (excluding references), Arial 11, line spacing 1.5; Harvard system of referencing):

Question 1

From the presence of "microplastics" in our environments and bodies, to the health of effects of "forever chemicals," to the question of recyclability, the issue of the use and disposal of plastics is a growing concern. Reflect on plastics in a context with which you are personally familiar (e.g. local plastic use, local recycling programs, local regulations governing plastics where you live/lived; you are also invited to reflect on your own consumption and disposal practices). Define a research question(s) to explore these issues that considers the intersections of science, technology, and society. Briefly outline an approach you might take (methods, data, theoretical framework) to explore this question(s). What tentative results do you think you might find?

Question 2

In response to innovation imperatives, whereby new technologies are increasingly posited as necessary to solve a wide range of problems, many people have started to look more deeply at systems and practices of maintenance and repair as ways to address sociotechnical challenges. Reflect on issues related to repair and maintenance in a context with which you are personally familiar (e.g. local laws supporting reparability, local maintenance economies, repair issues with particular technologies; you are also invited to reflect on your own repair and maintenance practices). Define a research question(s) to explore these issues that considers the intersections of science, technology, and society. Briefly outline an approach you might take (methods, data, theoretical framework) to explore this question(s). What tentative results do you think you might find?

The essay is assessed according to the criteria a) spelling and grammar, b) identifying, describing and reflecting upon complex interrelations between technology, science and society by using specific examples, c) formulating relevant issues and questions, d) outlining an appropriate research idea

Please note that your essay and letter of motivation has to be your own unaided work, and that all direct or indirect sources used are acknowledged as references. Your work can be examined for the use of unauthorized aid and in order to determine whether your work as a whole or parts of it may be deemed as plagiarism. Any attempt of deception/plagiarism will be penalized.

 

Letter of Motivation

A written statement (1-2 A4 pages) of the reasons for choosing the STS program at the Technical University of Munich in which the candidate explains the specific abilities and interests that make him/her particularly qualified for the program. This statement is assessed according to the criteria a) language, b) demonstration of eligibility and motivation e.g. through program-related extracurricular activities, vocational training, internships or stays abroad, c) link between personal interests and the STS program.

Detailed information concerning the eligibility requirements, the necessary documents and the aptitude procedure can be found in the Examination and Academic Regulations for the Master’s Program Science and Technology Studies. Only the German version of the regulations is legally binding.

• German Version
• English Version

THIRD STEP