Master of Social Sciences in Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services, Sustainable Societies and Digitalisation
Tampere, Finland
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 12,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* per academic year for non-EU/EEA students
Introduction
Educating future accessibility professionals
We believe that accessibility should be a norm and this program caters to the increasing need of accessibility professionals in both public and private sectors.
Studies
The Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services studies equip students to design, develop, and implement accessible digital services and environments for both the public and private sectors. The studies do not settle for just web accessibility education but aim to consider various societal domains such as culture, media, and game accessibility, as well as the accessibility of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
Studies educate students not only to fulfill the needs of accessibility laws but also to design more accessible services beyond the scope of the legislation. Furthermore, this specialization educates students to understand the diverse needs of people with and without disabilities.
Project-based learning
The Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services studies address the urgent need for accessibility expertise in an increasingly digital world. Accessibility should already be taken into account when planning digital services. However, there are many ways in which existing services can be modified to be accessible.
As accessibility overlaps with all parts of our lives, the program takes a multidisciplinary approach. This approach recognizes that accessibility is not just a technical issue, but a social one as well, and requires a holistic understanding of the barriers that people with disabilities face. Moreover, the program is project-based. During your studies, you will carry out an accessibility project in collaboration with stakeholders. The project work is integrated into the Master’s Thesis. The program aims to be truly accessible to all eligible students.
Master’s Degree Programme
The master’s Programme in Sustainable Societies and Digitalisation specialization in Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services focuses on awareness of the diversity of digital cultures. After completing the Master’s Programme students understand the role of digital media and communication technology in today’s and future society and recognize its ethical and societal risks. The program consists of the following academically independent specializations with distinct study profiles:
- Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services (ADDS)
- Sustainable Digital Life (SDL)
- Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Societies (AISS) (Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Programme)
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships awarded at admission cover 100% of the tuition fees for the program duration. The program duration is
- three years for Bachelor’s degrees
- two years for Master’s degrees
- five years if the study right is granted for both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree.
Finland Scholarship
Finland scholarships awarded by Tampere University are part of the national Finland Scholarship program. Applicants to Master's programs are eligible to apply. Finland scholarships are awarded at Tampere University to the most merited applicant in each Master's program.
Finland scholarships cover the program tuition fee for the first year of studies and include a 5000 € relocation grant, paid to the student's Finnish bank account after the student has arrived in Tampere and started studies at Tampere University.
In addition, Tampere University awards a Tampere University tuition fee scholarship for the second year of studies to all recipients of the Finland scholarship. The scholarship covers 100 % of tuition fees in the second year of studies.
Early bird offer
In addition to scholarships, an early bird offer is available at admission to all fee-paying students, excluding students who have been awarded a Tampere University tuition fee scholarship or a Finland scholarship at admission. The early bird offer gives a 50 % reduction on the program tuition fee during the first year of studies.
Students may take advantage of the early bird offer by accepting the offered study place and paying 50% of the first-year tuition fee within two weeks after receiving information on admission.
This offer is valid only for the first year of studies. During consecutive years of study, all fee-paying students are eligible to apply for Tampere University Scholarships awarded during studies.
Curriculum
The modern world is becoming increasingly digital, and accessibility is critical in ensuring that everyone can participate in society equally. Over the years accessibility has become more visible in our society mostly due to new accessibility laws. The need for accessibility experts is growing exponentially, and these studies will address this gap in expertise.
Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services will provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to design, develop, and implement accessible products, services, and environments. This specialization provides the basic knowledge of skills that people need currently but also takes into account the new arising needs of accessibility professionals. Accessibility professionals are needed in any field, most urgently in the fields that the accessibility law requires to be accessible, which are the public sector, education, and different services.
The studies do not settle for just web accessibility education but aim to consider various societal domains such as culture, media, and game accessibility, as well as the accessibility of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Studies educate students not only to fulfill the needs of accessibility laws but also to design more accessible services beyond the scope of the legislation. Furthermore, the program educates students to understand the diverse needs of people with and without disabilities.
Structure of studies
Studies in Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services consist of the following elements:
- Advanced Studies in Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services form the core of the degree. The studies include various multidisciplinary courses, a project course, and topical courses on trends in accessibility and methods and technologies for accessibility. The program utilizes project-based learning. During the two years, students will attend to a Project Work course and carry out a research and innovation project in groups. The project work is integrated into the Master’s Thesis.
- Joint Studies focus on general orientation to studies and personal study planning, language studies, and academic writing skills.
- Free Choice Studies
Detailed information on the content and structure of the studies is included in the curriculum. The curriculum for the academic year 2024-20245 will be published in March 2024.
Program Outcome
After completing the Master's Degree students will:
- Be familiar with scientific thinking and capable of applying scientific working methods in his/her area of specialization
- Be motivated for lifelong learning
- Be capable of undertaking scientific postgraduate studies
- Be capable of applying the knowledge acquired and of functioning in internationalizing working life
After completing the Master’s Programme in Sustainable Societies and Digitalisation, specialization in Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services studies students:
- Understand what accessibility is and how diverse it is
- Have familiarized themselves with people with disabilities
- Are aware of different biases concerning disabilities and accessibility
- Can recognize how to make services and digital society accessible and inclusive
- Can identify the accessibility needs and problems in different digital services
- Can communicate inclusively
- Can use critical and constructive thinking to design, facilitate, and evaluate accessible information, communication, and media services for digital society
- Can conduct accessibility testing and evaluation
- Can collaborate with stakeholders
- Can contribute to the development of new and emerging trends in accessibility
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Accessibility is more popular today than ever, and the need for accessibility professionals is urgent. We trust that our students will be employed after graduation for various accessibility expert positions. Also, depending on their bachelor's level background, they can employ service designers, product designers, trainers, or software developers. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of accessibility, existing skills and knowledge boosted with a master's degree in the accessibility field create new opportunities and career paths for our students in multiple fields, in both the public and private sectors, including the third sector.
Co-operation with other parties
The program is project-based. At the beginning of their studies, students will choose a project topic and a collaborator. The project will continue as long as their studies continue, and the end product of the project will be a thesis.
Research Focus
Interdisciplinarity is at the heart of this program, where the realms of social sciences converge with technology development. Students explore a wide range of aspects and fields related to accessibility.
Further study opportunities
The students graduating from Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services are eligible to apply to the doctoral programs of Tampere University. There are two particularly suitable doctoral programs for Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services graduates:
- Doctoral Programme in Media, Communication and Performing Arts (DPMCP)
- Doctoral Programme of Humans and Technologies (DPHAT)