Science, Technology, and Society/Second Major (STS)
Science, Technology, and Society Program
Bachelor of Science in Science, Technology, and Society
(Second Major)
The full major in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) may be pursued only as a second major in conjunction with another degree program in a field of engineering or science, or in other fields on a case-by-case basis.
General Institute Requirements (GIRs)
The General Institute Requirements include a Communication Requirement that is integrated into both the HASS Requirement and the requirements of each major; see details below.
| Summary of Subject Requirements | Subjects |
|---|---|
| Science Requirement | 6 |
| Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Requirement [between three and six subjects can be from the Departmental Program]; at least two of these subjects must be designated as communication-intensive (CI-H) to fulfill the Communication Requirement. | 8 |
| Restricted Electives in Science and Technology (REST) Requirement | 2 |
| Laboratory Requirement (12 units) | 1 |
| Total GIR Subjects Required for SB Degree | 17 |
| Physical Education Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Swimming requirement, plus four physical education courses for eight points. |
Departmental Program
Choose at least two subjects in the major that are designated as communication-intensive (CI-M) to fulfill the Communication Requirement.
| Required Subjects | Units | |
| Tier I | ||
| STS.004 | Intersections: Science, Technology, and the World (CI-M) | 12 |
| Select one of the following: | 12 | |
| Technology in American History | ||
| Finance and Society | ||
| Ancient Greeks to Modern Geeks: A History of Science | ||
| Data and Society | ||
| Bioethics | ||
| Technology and Experience | ||
| Evolution and Society | ||
| Engineering Life: Biotechnology and Society | ||
| Science in Action: Technologies and Controversies in Everyday Life | ||
| Embodied Education: Past, Present, Future | ||
| Tier II | ||
| Select one subject from the list of Tier II subjects 1 | 9-12 | |
| STS.THT | Undergraduate Thesis Tutorial | 6 |
| STS.THU | Undergraduate Thesis (CI-M) | 12 |
| Restricted Electives | ||
| Select a coherent group of four elective subjects in STS, plus four subjects related to the historical and social study of science and technology, in consultation with the STS undergraduate officer | 87-96 | |
| Units in Major | 138-150 | |
| Unrestricted Electives 2 | 66-78 | |
| Units in Major That Also Satisfy the GIRs | (36-72) | |
| Total Units Beyond the GIRs Required for SB Degree | 180 | |
The units for any subject that counts as one of the 17 GIR subjects cannot also be counted as units required beyond the GIRs.
| 1 | See list of Tier II subjects on department's website. |
| 2 | This chart has been calculated based on an overlap of 36 units (three subjects) between the HASS General Institute Requirement and the departmental requirements. Students who develop a program of study with more overlap will be able to select more unrestricted electives to meet the number of total units beyond the GIRs required for an SB degree. |
