Innovation and Societal Change - Master of Science programme

Society is facing many severe challenges, such as environmental degradation and climate change, large inequalities between people and places, as well as changing geographies of innovation and production caused by geopolitical frictions. Contemporary societal challenges are complex, fundamental, and enduring, and innovation can contribute to mitigate them. The programme will give you a systemic perspective on innovation, meaning that you will learn about the full process from idea to development, the diffusion of new products, services, solutions and processes, and evaluate their intended and unintended societal impacts.

The Programme will prepare you to become a driving force of change. During the programme you will meet students from different disciplinary backgrounds, and together build knowledge and skills within:

• Innovation processes in different organisations – such as firms, public sector, and civil society - as well as cooperation between different actors.
• How innovations impact society – both intended and unintended effects and how impact may differ between places and societal groups.
• How innovation processes can be governed – and the opportunities and limitations for policy actors at local, regional, national and international levels.
• Methods to study and work with innovation – including practical tools to understand, follow, and promote innovation processes.

About the programme

The programme is suitable for you who want to work with societal change. You will get practical knowledge in how innovation can be planned, governed, and implemented. The teaching builds on interdisciplinary research and provides multiple perspectives on social, environmental, and economic change. This is conducted partly through traditional teaching methods, such as lectures, seminars, and workshops, and partly through collaborations with organisations where you as a student get to practically engage with real-world challenges.

In the program, you will meet teachers who conduct research on different aspects of innovation and who come from different disciplinary backgrounds. This interdisciplinary team of teachers is in various ways connected to CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research at Lund University.

The programme consists of two semesters. During the first semester, the focus lies on building your knowledge base on innovation, innovation processes and their governance. During the second semester, your new competences will deepen and be put into more practical use in collaboration with external actors. The coursework consists of both individual components and group work. Working in groups will prepare you for working with different societal actors in your working life.

Career Prospects

During the program, you will develop a range of generic competences such as critical analysis, problem solving, presentation skills, information gathering, teamwork, and evaluation skills. These are all important when working with innovation in a reflective and responsible way. You will also develop competences related to working in interdisciplinary teams. These competences are attractive to many employers.

The job market will look different for you and your fellow students depending on your previous studies. There are two main career paths after completing the program. The first track is to join employers who focus on societal development. These are found in the private sector, among NGOs as well as in public authorities at municipal, regional and national level. The second track is to continue in academia. After completing the program, you are eligible to apply for education at postgraduate level.

The program is aimed at both Swedish and international students and the job market, whether inside or outside academia, is broad and international.