Our free e-course will introduce you to some of the key theoretical and methodological topics of the study programme. The course is especially designed for students who do not have a bachelor in Techno-Anthropology.

The course is organised in an introduction and 7 modules. Each module includes mandatory academic literature, video-lectures as well as quizzes and writing exercises. You should expect to spend 6 hours per week for 3 weeks in order to complete the course.

To enrol in the course, please send an e-mail to Introt-a@plan.aau.dk with the subject 'Enrol me'. Next, you will receive a link to the course and further instructions.

If you have any questions in relation to the e-course please do not hesitate to contact programme coordinators:

Copenhagen: Lars Botin at botin@plan.aau.dk

Aalborg: Maurizio Tello at maurizio@plan.aau.dk

Techno-Anthropology is a two-year Master’s programme of 120 ECTS (1 ECTS equals 27.5 hours of work) that focuses on educating students at intervening on the relationship between digital transformations and society. During the first year, each semester consists of both courses and project work and you will follow courses approximately half of the time; in the remaining time, you will work on your group semester project.  

The techno-anthropological approach is based on the Aalborg Model of Problem-Based Learning; a method where specific problems are analysed within a specific context, and potential solutions are proposed, discussed and often implemented. 

During the first two semesters, you get an overview of different theoretical, methodological, and computational approaches to the techno-anthropological understanding of the relationship between digital transformations and society. 
 
On the second year of the programme, you will conduct a major study in an external setting, e.g. in a company, a political or civic organisation, a consultancy firm, a governmental office, or a university abroad that works within your area of expertise. In particular, during your third semester, you are expected to choose your more specific domain of expertise. You will specialise in a professional environment, where your individual interests, competences and skills meet emerging digital technologies in fields such as health, welfare,  energy, and the environment. 
 
The last semester is devoted to your Master’s thesis. During this semester, you can continue analysing the empirical material gathered during your third semester project, or you can create new project. You work in groups of up to 3 people. 

Technological transformations in private, public  and community organisations

This semester takes as an outset that we are living in an age of the Techno-Anthropocene where we shape technology as technology shape us, and together we shape the world. One of the main drivers in this constant process of transformation are digital technologies, which are often hidden in black-boxes or invisible and intangible to the human eye and perception. Project work and courses in this semester will focus on how to make these processes of transformation visible and tangible, hence opening black-boxes to make embodiment possible. 

A key academic focus on this master is the sociotechnical interplay between technologies, people, and organizations. In the master’s programme, major emphasis is put on understanding this interplay specifically in relation to digital transformations. The first semester (TAN7) provides insight into the understanding of the complex technological transformations of digitalization processes.  

PROJECT

Technological Transformations in Private, Public and Community Organizations

COURSES 

• Framing Techno-Anthropological Transformation
• Digital Anthropology
• Introduction to Scripting, Data Mining, and Machine Learning

Facilitating technological transformations in private, public and community organisations

This semester focuses on “Facilitating Technological Transformations” with a particular attention to controversial technological developments and emerging technological products and practices. The semester provides concepts and methods of understanding technological controversies, practice-based descriptions of technical aspects, and methodological approaches to facilitate techno-anthropological transformations.  

Courses support your project work. 

PROJECT

Facilitating Technological Transformations in Private, Public and Community Organizations

COURSES 

• Facilitating Techno-Anthropological Transformations
• Digital Controversy Mapping
• Emerging Science and Technology

During the third semester, 25 ECTS is devoted to major project work. You have three different options: 

• you can do a project while you are physically based in an external organisation/company.
• you can do an action research project.
• you can do a digital ethnographic fieldwork-based project. 

The project work and its fieldwork will give you the chance to go in depth researching a techno-anthropological problem and provide you with practical experience in solving complex techno-anthropological challenges. You will have to document your work in a project report, which will be the foundation for youyour oral examination. 

Besides this major project, you will attend a course in Reflexive Project Design and Competence Development (5 ECTS), where you are taught different methods and theories related to project work, and learn how to critically reflect upon your own role as a practicing Techno-Anthropologist working in professional settings. Moreover, you learn to formulate your techno-anthropological competences. 

The Master's programme is finished with the completion of the Master's thesis (30 ECTS). You can choose to analyse the empirical data you have collected from the field work you did on the 3rd semester, but you can also choose to work in another research area.

Find the curriculum for the programme in Copenhagen here.

Find the curriculum for the programme in Aalborg here.

As a techno-anthropologist, you work with technology and humans in situations demanding profound insight into the development and distribution of technological solutions in an ethically acceptable way. 

You contribute to design processes and technological design with knowledge, skills and competences that ensure accountable and responsible technological innovation, development, implementation, and use. 

You analyse and map the need for, and the distribution of, knowledge in the area of technology culture in an organisation. 

You conduct advanced analyses to understand user insights and experiences of technologies and involve users in interventions.

You use qualitative ethnographic methods, such as fieldwork, workshops and design games, to facilitate user involvement in the development of solutions and technology. 

You can perform implementations and evaluations of technology. You evaluate how technology can be implemented in the best way, taking context, culture and practices in society and organisations into consideration. 

You work with different types of digital mapping software to gain insights into online debates and controversies (e.g. 5G, vaccines and windmills). You contribute to a profound understanding of how communities behave online and how they might act offline. 

You bridge the professional and technological gaps between different stakeholders and actors by, for example, analysing collaboration in technological projects (e.g. cooperation between stakeholders in primary and secondary health care digitalisation). 

As a project manager, you can work with innovation and link management, designers, engineers, technicians and users. You facilitate user-driven innovation processes when developing design concepts and new technological prototypes. 

Are you a student at AAU? In AAU Study and Wellbeing Guidance, we can help you with, among other things, choices during your study programme, study doubts, study techniques, motivation, wellbeing, leave and study resignation or perhaps just a conversation about your thoughts regarding your study programme and wellbeing. We are happy to talk to you about anything big or small.

See opening hours and contact information

Aalborg University is famous for its problem based learning which means that you work in a group on a written assignment each semester - possibly in collaboration with an industrial partner. This study method is also called “The Aalborg Model for Problem Based Learning”. The method is highly recognised internationally; including by UNESCO.
The problem based project work at Aalborg University gives you the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and competencies at a high academic level in an independent way. You get to apply theory to practice when you work to solve real-life problems, which will ensure that you are well prepared for your future career.
Learn more about PBL.

When doing project work, you work closely in groups with other students who have roughly the same academic interests and ambitions as yourself. This gives you the opportunity to cooperate, share knowledge and to explore larger and more complex academic problems than you would have been able to do on your own. Furthermore, the groups serve a social purpose and make it easier for you to get to know your fellow students.
Learn more about group work at AAU.

Aalborg University works closely with the business community, which means that during your studies you work with real issues from companies and organisations. Thus, you will already have the opportunity while studying to obtain practical experience with the theory you learn at the university.

At Aalborg University, we offer research-based teaching, which in short means that your lecturers conduct research in the same area they teach. You thus have access to the latest knowledge and dedicated teachers who are passionate about what they teach. The teaching material thus not only includes books but may also consist of current articles from journals. 

The laboratories at Aalborg University are of the highest standard, and they play an important role in the teaching. You will work under the best laboratory conditions with access to state-of-the-art technology, which is vital for your benefiting from the teaching.

As a university city, Aalborg has many advantages. The city is Denmark's fourth largest, and a good 20 percent of the municipality's inhabitants are students. The city has much to offer when it comes to culture, sports and leisure, but at the same time, has a manageable size and safe environment. Compared to other university cities in Denmark, it is easy to find good student accommodation in Aalborg.
Learn more about student life in Aalborg and what it means to study in Aalborg.