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This archived information is dated to the 2011-12 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Bachelor of Arts in Science, Technology, and Society

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Science, Technology, and Society

REQUIREMENTS

  1. STS Core — requires completion of eight courses satisfying the following requirements:
    1. Interdisciplinary Foundational Course: STS 101 or 101Q
    2. Disciplinary Analyses: six courses, with one in each area, and at least three of which must be upper-level (targeted primarily at juniors and seniors)
      1. Philosophical/Ethical/Aesthetic Perspectives: STS 110, 112, 114, 210; ARTHIST 158A; COMM 131, 137W; CS 181; ENGLISH 176; ME 120, 214/314; PHIL 60, 163H
      2. Historical Perspectives: ARTHIST 158A; CEE 64; CLASSGEN 123, 133; EARTHSYS 145; ECON 116, 226; HISTORY 31/131, 40/140, 41A/141A, 130A, 140A, 208A, 242G, 243G; ME 120; PHIL 163H; POLISCI 116
      3. Social Science Perspectives: STS 190; AA 116N; ANTHRO 82, 180; COMM 1B, 108, 120, 166, 168, 169, 172, 182; COMPMED 87Q; EARTHSYS 57Q, 111, 173, 184; ECON 113, 224, 225; EDUC 358X; ENGR 110; HUMBIO 175; MS&E 181, 185, 189, 193; POLISCI 114S, 122; PUBLPOL 194; SOC 114, 160, 161
    3. Interdisciplinary Senior Seminar: STS 200, Senior Colloquium, or STS 299, Advanced Individual Work, for students writing an STS honors thesis.
  2. Technical Literacy (five courses)—
    1. CS 101, 105 or 106A or equivalent; and
    2. A four-course sequence (minimum of 12 units) in a field of engineering or science (sample sequences available in the STS office)
  3. Thematic Concentration (minimum of 20 units, at least five courses, one each from among those designated on the appropriate concentration course list as foundational and advanced). Thematic concentrations are organized around an STS-related problem or area:
    • Aesthetics, Science, and Technology
    • Development, Science, and Technology
    • History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
    • Information Science and Technology in Society
    • Public Policy, Science and Technology
    • Science, Technology, and Social Change
    • Work, Technology, and Social Organizations

    Course lists for these thematic concentrations areas are available in the STS office and on the STS website. A student choosing one of the certified topics may petition one or more courses not on the corresponding course list if they are germane to the concentration, meet the student's special interests, and are approved by the STS associate director and thematic concentration adviser.

    Alternatively, subject to program approval, the student may choose to design a unique thematic concentration topic and course package.

    Each thematic concentration, certified or self-designed, requires the signature of an appropriate faculty adviser. See the STS undergraduate adviser for details.

HONORS PROGRAM

STS offers students an opportunity to achieve honors through in-depth study of the interaction of science and technology with society. The honors program is open to students majoring in any field, including STS. Students accepted for this program carry out an honors research project, typically beginning in the Winter or Spring Quarter of junior year and finishing by May of senior year. Students who want their projects to be considered for University awards must complete their theses by early May. STS projects usually involve researching and writing an original scholarly essay, although occasionally students have chosen to produce a technical artifact or carry out some other work that itself represents original, creative thinking. When an honors project results in a work other than an essay, the student must also submit an accompanying scholarly exegesis of the work in question. Past honors projects are on file in the STS office library.

ADMISSION

Application for admission to the STS honors program is due in the junior year before the end of Spring quarter. Each student seeking admission to the honors program must submit a research proposal with the name of one potential thesis faculty adviser. For proposal parameters, see the document STS Honors Program, available on the STS web site. Students are also encouraged to apply to join the STS contingent at the Bing Honors College in early September to get a running start on their theses.

REQUIREMENTS
  1. Course Work for STS Majors—Majors must complete STS Core requirements, for a letter grade where available, with a GPA of 3.4 or higher.
  2. Course Work for Non-Majors—Non-majors must complete one course from each of the following categories, for a letter grade where available, with a GPA of 3.4 or higher:
    1. Foundational Course: STS 101 or 101Q
    2. Philosophical/Ethical/Aesthetic Perspectives Course: STS 110, 112, 114, 210; ARTHIST 158A; COMM 131, 137W; CS 181; ENGLISH 176; ME 120, 214/314; PHIL 60, 163H
    3. Historical Perspectives Course: ARTHIST 158A; CEE 64; CLASSGEN 123, 133; EARTHSYS 145; ECON 116, 226; HISTORY 31/131, 40/140, 41A/141A, 130A, 140A, 208A, 242G, 243G; ME 120; PHIL 163H; POLISCI 1
    4. Social Science Perspectives Course: STS 190; AA 116N; ANTHRO 82, 180; COMM 1B, 108, 120, 166, 168, 169, 172, 182; COMPMED 87Q; EARTHSYS 57Q, 111, 173, 184; ECON 113, 224, 225; EDUC 358X; ENGR 110; HUMBIO 175; MS&E 181, 185, 189, 193; POLISCI 114S, 122; PUBLPOL 194; SOC 114, 160, 161
  3. Honors Thesis Credit—All STS honors students must sign up for STS 299, advanced individual work (1-5 units depending on quarterly workload) each quarter of the senior year. For assistance enrolling in a section directly with your faculty adviser contact the STS undergraduate adviser.
  4. To Graduate with Honors—Students must complete course requirements listed above with a 3.4 GPA or higher and earn at least a 'B' on the completed thesis. If all these requirements are met, the designation "Honors Program in Science, Technology, and Society" is affixed to the student's permanent record and appears in the Commencement program.

COGNATE COURSES

The following cognate courses offered by other programs or departments may be used to fulfill STS major, minor, and honors core requirements.

  1. Disciplinary Analysis: Philosophical/Ethical/Aesthetic Perspectives—
    • ARTHIST 158A. History of Photography
    • COMM 131. Media Ethics and Responsibility
    • COMM 137W. The Dialogue of Democracy
    • CS 181. Computers, Ethics, and Public Policy
    • ENGLISH 176. Science Fiction: Techno Dreams and Nightmares
    • ME 120. History and Philosophy of Design
    • ME 214/314. Good Products, Bad Products
    • PHIL 60. Introduction to Philosophy of Science
    • PHIL 163H. The History of Scientific Methods, Pythagoras to Popper
  2. Disciplinary Analysis: Historical Perspectives—
    • ARTHIST 158A. History of Photography
    • CEE 64. Air Pollution and Global Warming: History, Science, and Solutions
    • CLASSGEN 123. Urban Sustainability: Long-Term Archaeological Perspectives
    • CLASSGEN 133. Invention of Science
    • EARTHSYS 145. The Environmental History of North America
    • ECON 116. American Economic History
    • ECON 226. U.S. Economic History
    • HISTORY 31/131. Science, Technology and Art: The Worlds of Leonardo da Vinci
    • HISTORY 40/140. World History of Science: From Prehistory to the Scientific Revolution
    • HISTORY 41A/141A. The Emergence of Medicine: The Middle Age and the Renaissance
    • HISTORY 130A. The Rise of Scientific Medicine in the United States, 1825-Present
    • HISTORY 140A. The Scientific Revolution
    • HISTORY 208A. Science and Law in History
    • HISTORY 242G. Einstein: Science, Technology, and Culture
    • HISTORY 243G. Tobacco and Health in World History
    • ME 120. History and Philosophy of Design
    • PHIL 163H. The History of Scientific Methods, Pythagoras to Popper
    • POLISCI 116. History of Nuclear Weapons
  3. Disciplinary Analysis: Social Science Perspectives—
    • AA 116N. Electric Automobiles and Aircraft
    • ANTHRO 82. Medical Anthropology
    • ANTHRO 180. Science, Technology, and Gender
    • COMM 1B. Media, Culture, and Society
    • COMM 108. Media Processes and Effects
    • COMM 120. Digital Media in Society
    • COMM 166. Virtual People
    • COMM 168. Experimental Research in Advanced User Interfaces
    • COMM 169. Computers and Interfaces
    • COMM 172. Media Psychology
    • COMM 182. Virtual Communities and Social Media
    • COMPMED 87Q. Introduction to the Mouse in Biomedical Research
    • EARTHSYS 57Q. Climate Change from the Past to the Future
    • EARTHSYS 111. Biology and Global Change
    • EARTHSYS 173. Aquaculture and the Environment: Science, History, and Policy
    • EARTHSYS 184. Climate and Agriculture
    • ECON 113. Economics of Innovation
    • ECON 224. Science and Technology in Economic Growth
    • ECON 225. Economics of Technology and Innovation
    • EDUC 358X. Developments in Access to Knowledge & Scholarly Communication
    • ENGR 110. Perspectives in Assistive Technlogy
    • HUMBIO 175. Health Care as Seen Through Medical History, Literature, and the Arts
    • MS&E 181. Issues in Technology and Work for a Post-Industrial Economy
    • MS&E 185. Global Work
    • MS&E 189. Social Networks - Theory, Methods, and Applications
    • MS&E 193. Technology and National Security
    • POLISCI 114S. International Security in a Changing World
    • POLISCI 122. Introduction to American Law
    • PUBLPOL 194. Technology Policy
    • SOC 114. Economic Sociology
    • SOC 160. Formal Organizations
    • SOC 161. The Social Science of Entrepreneurship

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