Erasmus University Rotterdam - Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Master in Digitalisation in Work and Society
Rotterdam, Netherlands
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* application deadline for non-EEA students: 1 May.
Key Summary
About: The multidisciplinary master examines how digital technologies reshape work, organizations and governance. You'll study AI, robotics, algorithms, platformization and their effects on labor, inequality, ethics, privacy. Teaching combines psychology, sociology and public administration, small classes, links to practice; Erasmus public administration research ranked #1 in ShanghaiRanking 2025.
Career Outcomes: Graduates gain skills to analyze organizational dynamics and design or critique technological interventions. Career opportunities include roles in international tech firms, consultancies, HR strategy firms, public organizations and academia. Typical jobs include business analyst, policy advisor, (transformation) consultant, HR advisor, systems or IT analyst, innovation officer, researcher or PhD candidate.
Is this the programme you're looking for?
If you’re interested in how digital technologies reshape how we work, organise, and govern, this multidisciplinary master track is the right fit for you.
What does this study entail?
If you’re interested in how algorithms (re)shape the way we work, how robotisation is changing relationships among people, or how platformisation is influencing our perceptions of organising and organisations, this master programme is for you. It deals with technologies which have been at the forefront of the popular and academic imagination, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and algorithms.
The programme elaborates on questions such as the type of work that is affected by these technologies and how, the kind of perspectives and (in)equalities this brings about and for whom, the ethical and privacy concerns that may rise, and how we might deal with the consequences of these technologies on the individual, organisational, and societal level. It provides you with tools to navigate these issues, to develop your own understanding of them and to be able to advance technological interventions or intervene in them.
Why choose this programme?
This programme:
- Provides multiple perspectives and tools to study digital transformation technologies in the changing world of work.
- Is a multidisciplinary master that deals with technologies which have been at the forefront of the popular and academic imagination.
- Offers professional skill development to work in organisational contexts pervaded with technological innovations.
- Has dedicated professors from the fields of psychology, sociology, and public administration teaching classes together to offer different viewpoints.
- Organises field trips to organisations to get an understanding of current developments in the field.
- Research of Public Administration at Erasmus University was ranked #1 in the ShanghaiRanking 2025.
The study program in a nutshell
Rapid digital transformations, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and algorithms, change the organisation of work. This raises questions on the individual, organisational, and societal level. For example:
- How does AI reshape collaboration and communication among employees?
- Are hierarchical relationships at work restructured by robotisation?
- Does platformisation influence our understanding of self-employed workers?
The programme provides you with multiple perspectives and tools to study digital technologies in the changing world of work (building on insights from Psychology, Sociology, and Public Administration).
Curriculum
This master programme offers both a theoretical and real world understanding of the changing organisation of work. We will provide many opportunities to apply classroom concepts to the real world, for example by going on fieldtrips to organisations, formulating policy advice, and developing coaching and consultancy skills.
The specialisation seminars will be taught by at least two professors, coming from different fields (e.g., a sociologist and a psychologist) to shed light on phenomena using different academic lenses, illustrating how this will yield different insights, all necessary to get a comprehensive understanding of digitalisation in work and society. The classes will be taught in small groups with lots of room for discussion.
For your thesis you will have the opportunity to join a thesis group that will be supervised by two professors from different fields, again, to secure the multidisciplinary focus of this master and to provide you with a broad perspective. If you prefer to complete your thesis without a group, you will also be provided with two supervisors from different academic backgrounds.
The curriculum is subject to change. No rights can be derived from this information (including the information via the hyperlinks).
Field trips
During the academic year, you will go on several field trips. Last year, for example, we went to the Port of Rotterdam. During a one-hour boot tour, we learned all about the increasing technology in the harbor. Apart from seeing what this master is all about in real life, these trips are a good way to get to know your fellow students and lecturers.
Mode of education
The program consists of 60 EC. It is comprised of one introductory course, two specialization seminars, one elective, and a thesis. Next to studying social scientific approaches from different fields (Psychology, Sociology, and Public Administration), you will be able to participate in field trips and seminars.
Electives
The programme features some electives in block 2, but electives can also be selected from courses offered in other master specializations in Psychology, Sociology, and Public Administration.
Opportunities after graduating
In today’s society, it becomes crucial to understand how technological advancements shape the way we work, organise, and govern. Social science is needed to address the ways in which digital transformation affects people, organisations, and society.
This multidisciplinary master will provide you with a thorough understanding of organisational dynamics in this world shaped by technology. It provides you with tools to navigate technological change, to develop your own considerations, and it enables you to advance technological interventions or intervene in them.
International technology firms, consultancies and HR strategy firms are some of the main employers of our alumni, for instance, IBM, Deloitte and Randstad. In some of these organisations, graduates start off their careers as trainees. Others start working for smaller, nationally operating firms or public organisations (such as The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)), among which specialised software consultancies or universities. Other companies were Kraft Heinz, Calco IT and Finance, Province of Zuid-Holland, Randstad, Take Away and Brunel.
In sum, our alumni have landed in the following positions:
- Business analysts;
- Logistics analysts;
- Policy advisors;
- HR advisors
- (Transformation) consultants;
- System analysts;
- IT advisors;
- Public sector advisors;
- PhD candidates.
Other possible positions would be: innovation officer, trainer, researcher in a municipality or ministry; researcher in a social scientific advisory council.
Is this the right program for you?
Rapid digital transformations, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and algorithms, change the organization of work. This raises questions on the individual, organizational, and societal levels. For example:
- How does AI reshape collaboration and communication among employees?
- Are hierarchical relationships at work restructured by robotization?
- Does platformisation influence our understanding of self-employed workers?
The program provides you with multiple perspectives and tools to study digital technologies in the changing world of work (building on insights from Psychology, Sociology, and Public Administration).
