SoftwareStudium

SoftwareStudium is an interdisciplinary term used to describe a family of academic programs and research initiatives that study software as both a technical artifact and a social, cultural, and economic phenomenon. It brings together computer science and software engineering with humanities and social sciences to examine how software is designed, used, governed, and experienced.

The concept grew out of the software studies movement and related digital humanities work, emphasizing critical analysis of software ecosystems, licensing, platform governance, software labor, and user practices, while also engaging traditional engineering perspectives. Programs labeled SoftwareStudium typically aim to blend technical training with critical inquiry and public relevance.

Curriculum and methods often include programming, software architecture, data structures, and algorithmic thinking alongside courses on software culture, ethics, law, open source, and digital rights. Research approaches include code studies, ethnography of development teams, empirical software engineering, and platform or ecosystem analysis.

Institutions and programs vary; there is no single standardized degree called SoftwareStudium. Universities may offer related degrees under different names—Software Studies, Software Engineering with Humanities, or Interdisciplinary Software Studies—often housed within computer science, information science, or humanities departments.

Impact and critique: Proponents argue that SoftwareStudium equips graduates to consider both technical and societal dimensions of software, supporting more responsible design, governance, and policy. Critics note potential fragmentation, vague boundaries, and challenges in maintaining rigorous software engineering standards.