Science, Technology, and Society

Undergraduate Study

MIT students are increasingly seeking to understand the social and historical contexts in which they will work and the social consequences of what they will do in their professional careers. STS subjects help them think realistically and creatively about the intellectual, moral, political, and social issues raised by the rapid growth of science and technology in the 20th century and beyond.

STS contributes to undergraduate education at MIT in several ways. It offers general subjects to introduce students to broad social and intellectual perspectives on science and engineering fields. It also offers more specialized subjects in the history of science and technology and in social and cultural studies of science and technology. Within each of these categories, students can choose both introductory and more advanced subjects.

STS as a Second Major

Students who wish to integrate their professional study of engineering or science with a rigorous treatment of its relation to social and historical forces may pursue STS as a second major in cooperation with the Schools of Engineering and Science. The object of this program is to give those students the full technical and scientific education provided by a science or engineering major, balanced with intensive study of the historical and social contexts of science and technology. Double major applications from students in other schools (e.g., Architecture and Planning; Management; Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Students in the double major program must complete all the requirements of both majors. The STS requirements include 13 subjects as follows:

• STS.004
• At least one STS Tier I subject, in addition to STS.004
• At least one STS Tier II subject 
• Four other STS subjects
• Four subjects related to the historical and social study of science and technology
• STS.THT  
• STS.THU

If a student's other major also requires a thesis, students may coordinate their thesis effort, pending approval of undergraduate officers in both majors. Further details on the requirements of the STS program may be obtained from the STS undergraduate academic officer and the STS academic administrator.

Joint Degree Programs

Students who wish to integrate studies in STS and science or engineering in the context of a single degree should consider this program. It leads to one degree, either a Bachelor of Science in Humanities and Science or a Bachelor of Science in Humanities and Engineering. The STS requirement for either degree is 9 subjects as follows:

• STS.004
• At least one STS Tier I subject, in addition to STS.004
• At least one STS Tier II subject 
• Four other STS subjects
• STS.THT  
• STS.THU

Consult the 21E and 21S degree charts for details on the requirements for these joint degrees. Further details may be obtained from the SHASS Dean's Office, Room 4-240, and the STS academic administrator.

Minor in Science, Technology, and Society

The goal of the minor program is to give students a broad social perspective on the fields of engineering and science: how they have evolved and how they fit into the wider context of society, culture, politics, and values.

The Minor in Science, Technology, and Society consists of six STS subjects, including STS.004, at least one additional subject from the Tier I list, and at least one subject from the Tier II list.

Graduate Study

In collaboration, STS, the History Faculty, and the Anthropology Program offer a doctoral program in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society (HASTS).

The objective of the program is to develop advanced competence in the study of science and technology from a historical and social scientific perspective. Students are expected to develop professional mastery of a field of history or one of the social sciences. They must also master the underlying concepts in science and engineering that relate to their special field of interest.

Graduate students are required to take at least 10 subjects and usually complete them within their first two years. In addition, students must complete STS.840 HASTS Professional Perspective. Normally, all students take the following required introductory seminars in their first year:

Students are encouraged to take 21A.809 Designing Empirical Research in the Social Sciences or 21A.819 Ethnographic Research Methods at some point in their program. To fulfill the remaining subject requirement, students choose from among several departmental seminars designed to offer more in-depth study of particular topics. They may also take subjects offered by other MIT departments and through cross-registration with Harvard.

Students enrolled in the PhD program have the option to earn a SM in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology and Society (HASTS) en route to the PhD by satisfactorily completing first year requirements, submitting a master’s thesis, and completing six subjects (72 units) including the three required seminars above.

Upon the satisfactory completion of coursework, program milestones, and general examinations — normally all to be completed by the third year — students proceed to independent dissertation research and dissertation writing with the mentorship and guidance of a multidisciplinary dissertation committee.

Students from any academic discipline are invited to apply to the doctoral program.

Inquiries

Visit the website for additional information about the HASTS graduate program or contact the STS academic administrator, Room E51-163, 617-253-9759.