Social and Economic Data Science, M.Sc.
The digitalization of various domains of society has produced an abundance of data about human behaviour and social interactions. Inside and outside academia, specialists with a solid background in computer science and statistics, as well as social science methods are needed to extract value from these data to inform decision-making. The interdisciplinary Master's programme in Social and Economic Data Science provides the knowledge and skills necessary to collect, manage and analyse diverse data sources created from administrative processes, network logs, social media, surveys or experiments. The MSc in Social and Economic Data Science puts a heavy emphasis on foundational issues including problems of measurement, representation and causal inference which are often overlooked in current big data analytics.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Science (M.Sc.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Required English | C1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 30.04 |
| Admission | Admission restriction (NC): a competition of school grades |
| Tuition fee | €1,500 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €164 per semester |
| Practical semester | Optional |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
The programme has an admission restriction: the average grade of your certificate, converted to the German scale, decides. The cut-off changes every year — last year's value shows the order of magnitude, not a promise.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →About the programme
The MSc in Social and Economic Data Science is tailored for students with a BA degree in the behavioural and social sciences, and a proven interest in quantitative and computational methods. The modular structure of the programme covers the methodological, mathematical, computational and statistical foundation of data science, advanced computational and statistical methods, programming and scripting, and applications to question of crucial interest in economics, political science, psychology and sociology. The departments involved offer many opportunities for student exchanges, internships and collaborations with ongoing research projects. The programme's broad methodological and substantive scope prepares the students for a rapidly growing job market for data scientists in industry, government, NGOs and academia.
What you study
To make sure that all students meet the same academic standards, they will attend fundamental courses from outside their original academic field during their first and second semester.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
The acquired skills will enable our graduates to work for polling firms and market research institutes, in online marketing, as political advisors or consultants. Some graduates have decided to strive towards a doctoral degree, while others have found positions at Start-Ups a well as international companies, such as:
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- Blackwood Seven
- codecentric
- Deloitte
- GfK Zürich
- Haufe-Lexware Services GmbH & Co. KG
- KNIME AG
- Lufthansa Industry Solutions
- OneMarketData
- SpringerNature
- Steadforce GmbH
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (Baden-Württemberg), international students | €1,500 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €164 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | interest in the collection, processing and analysis of quantitative social science data knowledge in at least two of the following areas: Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics and Social-scientific Methods |
|---|---|
| Language | English C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 30.04 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 3Application directly to the university until 30.04Send the documents well before the deadline — an incomplete application cannot be completed after it.
- 4Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Video about the programme
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Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 30.04.2027 (198 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.