Postgraduate taught 

Digital Society MSc

AI & Digital Society (Radboud-Glasgow)

AI & Digital Society (Radboud-Glasgow)

The Master in Artificial Intelligence (in Nijmegen, Netherlands, in year 1) and the MSc in Digital Society (in Glasgow, Scotland, in year 2) is a dual masters degree programme delivered jointly by Radboud University and the University of Glasgow.

This exciting programme will enable you to understand and analyse Artificial Intelligence technologies, while learning about the social, economic, and cultural implications of digital technologies.

Why this programme?

You will receive an MSc in Digital Society from the University of Glasgow and a Master in Artificial Intelligence with a specialisation in ‘Intelligent Technology’ (Societal Impacts of AI track) from Radboud University.

  • This programme is interdisciplinary, incorporating technical knowledge about AI, machine learning and statistics, ethics, and sociological theories and methods.
  • The programme in Artificial Intelligence at Radboud University will enhance your knowledge of the technical aspects of AI, its societal impact and its ethical implications.
  • The degree, from within the subject of Sociology, at the University of Glasgow will increase your knowledge about the role of digital technologies and digitalisation across different societies.
  • The dual degree will allow you to gain holistic knowledge about AI technologies and digitalisation, which is ideal for a variety of forward-looking career trajectories.
  • You will be provided the training needed to understand cutting-edge technology, which is a skill valued by most employers.

Programme structure

This dual degree is a two-year programme, with your first year spent studying at Radboud University and the second year at the University of Glasgow. This programme brings together technological and sociological expertise to better understand the role of Artificial Intelligence, and other digital technologies, in our contemporary societies.

This programme consists of a total of 120 EC credits. The dissertation is joint and will be coordinated by both universities.

Year one - Radboud University

Core courses
  • Ethics for AI (6 ECTS)
  • Advanced Academic & Professional Skills (6 ECTS)
  • Applied Machine Learning (6 ECTS)
  • AI in the Professional Workfield (3 ECTS)
Optional courses may include
  • Choice of 4 core AI courses (24 ECTS)

Year 2 - University of Glasgow

Core courses
  • Digital Society: Theory & Substantive Issues (20 SCQF)
  • Practical research and working with data in the Digital Age (20 SCQF)
  • Living Lab (20 SCQF)
  • Improving Health and Society: Programme Development and Evaluation (20 SCQ)
  • Introduction to Social Theory for Researchers (20 SCQF)
  • Thesis/Dissertation - UofG and RU. (60 SCQF: 30 SCQF each joint supervision, face to face and/or online)

Pre-entry requirements

Radboud pre-master requirements

  • Some candidates may require a pre-master programme to integrate and align a candidate’s background, education and experience.
  • Candidates that are admitted to the pre-master, and successfully complete it, are automatically admitted to the dual degree programme.
  • The AI pre-master comes in two different versions, a 30 EC and a 60 EC version.
  • The version a candidate will need to complete in order to access the master depends on their specific background, and will be evaluated individually. Indicatively, the following are the requirements for, in order:
    • (i) direct access to the master
    • (ii) access with a partial 30 EC pre-master integration
    • (iii) access with a full 60 EC pre-master

(i) Admission requirements for direct access to the dual degree programme

You can expect to enter the dual degree programme directly if your background satisfies the following conditions:

  • A Bachelor's degree in Artificial Intelligence from Radboud University.
  • A Bachelor's degree from a Research University in Artificial Intelligence or a related programme with a comparable content that sufficiently prepares for an advanced Master's programme in AI.

A typical directly admissible candidate should have:

  • Substantial knowledge of Computer Science. In particular, sufficient programming experience and software development experience, (at least 15 EC).
  • A sufficient Mathematics background (knowledge of calculus, linear algebra, statistics).
  • A broad knowledge of core Artificial Intelligence techniques (such as logic, machine learning, search & planning, reasoning under uncertainty) at an introductory level (at least 15 EC).

(ii) Admission requirements with a partial 30 EC pre-master integration (6 months) if during your bachelor you have acquired only part of the skills listing in (i)

  • The typical candidate for this mode of access has a Bachelor degree in a STEM discipline (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; including computer science) and typically have ample mathematical and programming experience, while lacking core AI skills.

A typical candidate, admissible with a short 30 EC pre-master integration, should already have:

  • A sufficient Mathematics background (knowledge of calculus, linear algebra, statistics)
  • A broad knowledge of Computer Science. In particular, sufficient programming experience and software development experience (at least 15 EC).

(iii) Admission requirements with a full 60 EC pre-master integration (1 year)

Any candidate with a Bachelor degree is potentially eligible to access the programme with a 60 EC premaster integration. Every candidate will be evaluated individually. However, typical candidates are students with a psychology (cognitive psychology, neuropsychology etc.), biology, biomedical sciences background, who have a good knowledge of brain and cognition but lack the other skills that are necessary to perform well in our programme.

How to apply

The application procedure for the dual degree programme starts after you are admitted to the Artificial Intelligence programme at Radboud University.

Please contact the Radboud Admissions Team if you have any questions regarding the application process:

When the time comes for you to apply for year 2 at Glasgow, full details are on the Glasgow Digital Society programme page:

If you have specific questions for information that are not programme-related please go through the University of Glasgow admissions enquiry portal.

There are also excellent resources at the University of Glasgow with all the relevant links including information on how to apply, scholarships, events, accommodation, information for international students, etc.

The School of Social & Political Sciences (Sociology)

The University of Glasgow was established in 1451 and is the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world. We are proud of our diverse University community, and welcome staff and students from 140 different international countries.

The School of Social and Political Sciences holds double accreditation, which is an internationally recognised benchmark that validates our credibility and performance. We are part of the Russell Group, meaning our teaching approach is research-led and mixes theory with practice. We believe that this truly enriches the learning experience of our students.

The School is a leading hub of interdisciplinary social science, bringing together research, innovation and student education to tackle the key social and political challenges of our time. We also work to build employability into your learning, ensuring that you get the best possible head-start for your career after graduation. Discover what opportunities are available as part of our student experience.