Requirements for the Major in Science, Technology, and Society

The STS major has a core curriculum based on the research and teaching interests of the faculty. All courses are either U.S. or internationally focused and either science or technology focused. Majors must take three required courses and choose a minimum of eight electives from the list of STS approved courses below. Courses taken abroad or otherwise not on this list require the approval of the STS Program director.

• ST 112: Introduction to STS (required)
• ST 485: Technology Matters or ST 483 Honors (required)
• ST 486: Senior Project: The Craft of Research or ST 484 Honors (required)
• One 200-level or higher course in natural science or computer science beyond the all-college requirement
  
• One STS internationally-focused course (designated I)
• One STS U.S.-focused course (designated U)
• One STS science-focused course (designated S)
  
• One STS technology-focused course (designated T)
• Three approved STS electives

Electives are chosen from the list of STS approved courses to fulfill the I, U, S, and T foci, but a course that satisfies two or more foci may not be counted twice. In choosing the eight electives, students must take a minimum of three courses designated or cross-listed as ST. A student may not count more than two 100-level electives toward the major.

Senior Projects 

All senior STS majors will take ST 485, which will prepare them for research through seminar readings, literature reviews, and proposal writing. This is the first part of a year-long capstone experience in which students design and complete a final integrative project in science, technology, and society. This is followed by ST 486, an intensive research and writing experience with final public presentations. Any member of the faculty may serve as an advisor for STS senior projects.

Honors in Science, Technology, and Society

Students with a 3.5 GPA in the major (and at least 3.25 GPA overall) may request permission to undertake an honors thesis. They will enroll in ST 483 and meet with other STS seniors to prepare a literature review and proposal, which must be approved by a panel of faculty members. Students continuing in the honors program will enroll in ST 484 under the supervision of an advisor and second reader. Upon successful completion of the thesis and fulfillment of all requirements for the major, and, if a 3.5 GPA in the major is maintained, the student will be invited to deposit a copy of his or her thesis in Miller Library and will graduate “With Honors in Science, Technology, and Society.”

Requirements for the Minor in Science, Technology, and Society

Science, Technology, and Society 112, 485, 486, two other STS courses, and at least two courses from the list of STS approved courses.

List of STS Approved Courses

* Key: International = I; U.S. = U; Science = S; Technology = T

• Anthropology 
  
  • 112 Cultural Anthropology I
    
  • 256 Land, Food, Culture, and Power I
  • 297C Anthropological Perspective on Science and Religion I
    
  • 341 Culture, Mobility, Identity I

• Biochemistry
• • 362 Medical Biochemistry S
    

• Biology
  • 115 Biology of Women U, S
  • 133 Microorganisms and Society U, S
  • 164 Evolution and Diversity S
    
  • 245 Biology of Race and Gender S
    
  • 274 Neurobiology S
  • 275 Mammalian Physiology S
• Chemistry
  • 112 Chemistry for Citizens U, S
  • 118 Chemistry of Life S
  • 217 Environmental Chemistry S
• Computer Science
  
  • 232 Computer Organization T
• Economics
  • 231 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics U
    
  • 341 Natural Resource Economics U, S
    
• Environmental Studies
  • 118 Environment and Society U
  • 234 International Environmental Policy I
  • 265 Global Public Health I
    
  • 266 Environment and Human Health I, T
  • 271 Introduction to Ecology S
    
  • 319 Conservation Biology S
  • 493 Problems in Environmental Science S
    
• Government
  • 333 Globalization and Social Innovation I, S, T
• History
  
  • 245 Science, Race, and Gender S
    
  • 246 Luddite Rantings U, I, T
  • 364 Environmental and Health History in Africa I, S
    
  • 394 Ecological History I, S
  • 445 Nuclear Madness I, U, T
  • 446 Global Health History I, S
  • 498A 20th-Century Environmental History I, U, S
    
• Mathematics
  • 376 History of Mathematics S
• Philosophy
  • 126 Philosophy and the Environment U, S
  • 213 Philosophical Inquiries into Race I, S
  • 317 Philosophy of Science S
  • 318 Philosophy of Nature S
    
• Psychology
  
  • 233 Biological Basis of Behavior S
• Science, Technology, and Society
  • 112 Science, Technology, and Society (required)
  • 175 Science in Ancient Greece I, S
    
  • 215 Weather, Climate, and Society I, U, S, T
    
  • 253 Energy, Power, and the American Century, 1901-2001 U,T
    
  • 271 History of Science in America U, S
  • 297 Body, Place, Planet  I, U, S, T
    
  • 358 Climbing the Oil Peak I, T
  • 397 Research Seminar: Carbon Dioxide I, S, T
    
  • 483 and 484 Honors in STS
    
  • 485 Technology Matters (required)
  • 486 Senior Project: The Craft of Research (required)
    
  • 491/492 Independent Study

• Sociology
• • 258 Health and Medicine  U
  • 298 Social Medicine and Global Health I
  • 397 Special Topics in Health and Medicine U