Our profile
The Department of Social Sciences is a multifaceted and vibrant department that researches social, environmental, and technological change and helps shape social transformation processes.
Diverse research
The department combines a wide range of thematic expertise with societal relevance and of theoretical and methodological approaches to empirically grounded research. It engages in research and teaching ranging from basic to instructional to application-oriented, thus making a social science contribution to the sustainable development of society.
Broad range of courses
The department offers a broad range of study programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels (including a doctoral program).
Internationality
With its embedding in excellent international research networks and through English-language offerings, it contributes to the reputation and visibility of the TU Dortmund University as a "Focus Department of Internationalization".
Interdisciplinarity
Within the framework of its successful regional and national cooperations, the department sees itself as an interdisciplinary bridge to the educational sciences and humanities as well as to the natural sciences and engineering.
Three areas of the Department of Social Sciences
This fruitful diversity is based on the different tradition lines of the three areas of the Department of Social Sciences:
The Institute for Sociology aims at sound theory-empirical linkages. In doing so, living worlds in change are examined from the local to the global level. Methodologically, Dortmund Sociology is characterized by the fact that we research and teach at a high level and broadly with quantitative to qualitative-interpretative and transformative methods, placing great emphasis on the dialogue of different perspectives.
The Social Research Center (sfs) as an institute of social sciences rich in tradition strengthens the profile of the department with its interdisciplinary and internationally oriented research on the topics of work and social innovation. It shapes socio-political debates and is actively involved in shaping social, technological and ecological innovation processes in close cooperation with practice partners from business, politics and civil society in the region and across Europe.
The Institute for Interdisciplinary Didactics (IDIF) provides subject didactic expertise for the design and implementation of teacher training programs at TU Dortmund University in addition to its research aimed at the fundamentals, processes and results of society-related learning. The focus is particularly on political learning (Economics-Politics/Social Sciences), but also on geographic and historical learning General Studies). In this way, IDIF contributes to the professionalization of teachers in all teacher training programs offered at TU Dortmund University and advances research in empirical subject didactics.
Our profile areas
Aging societies, family & life course
Work, organization & technology
Social innovation, environment & sustainability
Inequality, gender & migration
