Science & Technology Studies, Bachelor of Arts College of Letters & Science
Why major in Science & Technology Studies?
Science and technology shape nearly every part of our lives—from health care and climate change to artificial intelligence, social media, art, and law. Science & Technology Studies (STS) helps you understand how science and technology work in the real world: who designs them, who benefits, who is excluded, and how values, power, and history shape technical decisions.
If you are curious about science and technology but don’t want to study them in isolation, the STS major is for you. The major brings together the humanities, social sciences, and the sciences to help you ask better questions, make stronger arguments, and understand the social consequences of innovation and knowledge.
The Major
Graduation with a degree in Science & Technology Studies requires completion of courses in the social sciences and the humanities, as well as courses in the natural sciences. Upper division work includes 16 units in STS theories and methods, 20 units in a particular STS emphasis area, and 8 units of upper division science coursework (plus prerequisites, if applicable) providing depth, concentration, and field work in the sciences.
Students can choose one of the following emphasis areas:
- Law & Innovation—Explore how science and technology shape—and are shaped by—law and policy. Topics include intellectual property, regulation, privacy, governance, and emerging technologies.
- Health & Environment—Study medicine, public health, biotechnology, and multispecies and environmental science in social and ethical context, with attention to inequality, risk, and sustainability.
- Data & Media Technologies—Examine artificial intelligence, data analytics, algorithms, digital media, and communication technologies, including their cultural, political, and economic implications.
- History & Philosophy of Science—A flexible option for students who want broad exposure across STS without concentrating in a single emphasis area, or who would like to focus on fields like feminist philosophy, multispecies relationships, outer space studies, and many other emerging practices.
Students may alternatively choose not to specialize and instead pursue a more general STS emphasis. Prerequisites for courses in the sciences can be extensive and may require substantial advance planning. Students are encouraged to take advantage of faculty and staff advising to develop their plans of study.
Skills You’ll Gain
Regardless of your emphasis, you will gain analytical, research, and communication skills valued by employers and graduate and professional programs:
Critical Analysis of Complex Socio-Technical Problems
Learn to analyze scientific and technological systems by examining evidence, institutions, values, and power—not just outcomes.
Advanced Writing & Persuasive Argumentation
Develop the ability to make clear, compelling, and well-supported arguments for academic, professional, and public audiences.
Interdisciplinary Research Methods
Gain experience working across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, combining historical, qualitative, and analytical approaches.
Ethical & Contextual Reasoning
Learn to assess the social, political, and moral implications of science, technology, and medicine in real-world settings.
Translation Across Technical & Non-Technical Domains
Build the ability to interpret scientific and technical knowledge and communicate it effectively to diverse audiences.
Data Analysis & Artificial Intelligence Literacy
For students who pursue data coursework. Develop practical skills in data analysis and artificial intelligence while learning to critically evaluate data, algorithms, and evidence.
Careers & Graduate Study
STS graduates pursue a wide range of paths. You can customize the major to your own interests and pursue careers in:
- Health care, medicine, and public health
- Data Analysis
- Law and legal advocacy
- Public policy and government
- Journalism, media, and communications
- Technology and data-driven industries
- Environmental and non-profit organizations
- Museums, libraries, and education
- Management and organizational strategy
Depending on your interests, the major also provides strong preparation for graduate and professional study, including:
- Law and business school
- Medical, public health, and other health-related programs
- PhD programs in the sciences, humanities, or social sciences
- Public policy, information science, and related fields
Change of Major Process
Students interested in switching into the Science & Technology Studies major can start by taking STS 001 to get an introduction to the field's themes and the questions the major explores. To talk through the curriculum, career paths, or whether the major is a good fit, you can schedule an appointment with a staff advisor. To officially change your major to Science & Technology Studies, submit a Change of Major form in OASIS.
Major Advising
To contact a major advisor, see Major Advising.
Faculty Advisor
Professor Gerardo Con Diaz
The major requirements below are in addition to meeting University Degree Requirements & College Degree Requirements; unless otherwise noted. The minimum number of units required for the Science & Technology Studies Bachelor of Arts is 60.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Preparatory Subject Matter | ||
| STS 001 | Introduction to Science, Technology & Medicine Studies | 4 |
| Choose three additional courses: | 12 | |
| Introduction to Philosophy of Science | ||
| Appraising Scientific Reasoning | ||
| Understanding Scientific Change | ||
| Introduction to the History of Science & Technology | ||
or STS/HIS 002Y | Introduction to the History of Science & Technology | |
| Science on Trial: Law, Science, & Technology in the United States | ||
| Sex, Science, & Society | ||
| Drugs, Science & Culture | ||
| Media History 1: Gutenberg to Oppenheimer | ||
| Media History 2: 1945-Present | ||
| Ancient Science | ||
| Ancient Medicine | ||
| Preparatory Subject Matter Subtotal | 16 | |
| Depth Subject Matter | ||
| Methods & Theories | ||
| STS 100 | Methods in Science, Technology, & Medicine Studies | 4 |
| Choose three: | 12 | |
| Data & Society | ||
| Intellectual Property in Science | ||
| Special Topics in Medical Anthropology | ||
| Health & Medical Technologies | ||
| Gender & Science | ||
| Media Theory | ||
| Writing Science | ||
| Laboratory Studies Lab | ||
| Sociology of Science | ||
| Note: Courses taken to fulfill the requirement above cannot also be used to fulfill the emphasis requirement. | ||
| Science Coursework | ||
| All STS majors are required to complete TWO upper division science courses in the same field. Science coursework should be planned in consultation with the faculty advisor or staff advisors. 1 | 8 | |
| Emphasis | ||
| Choose one of the following four options: | 20-24 | |
1. Complete five courses from one emphasis list. | ||
2. Complete four courses from one emphasis list and one additional upper division STS course. | ||
3. Complete four courses from one emphasis list and a research thesis in STS1. The thesis option is open to all students. Students whose GPA meets the honors threshold may also qualify for High or Highest Honors in the College of Letters & Science. | ||
4. STS General Emphasis: Complete any five upper division STS courses (STS: 100-199). Note: Includes courses that are cross-listed with STS. 2 | ||
| Emphasis Lists: | ||
| Depth Subject Matter Subtotal | 44-48 | |
| Total Units | 60-64 | |
- 1
- 2
Including: STS 180, STS 190, STS 192, STS 194A, STS 194B, STS 195.
- **
Course(s) discontinued; see your advisor for course options.
Law & Innovation Emphasis
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| STS 108 | Intellectual Property in Science | 4 |
| STS/ANT 109 | Visualization in Science: A Critical Introduction | 4 |
| STS 110 | Computing, Data, & Law in the United States | 4 |
| STS 112 | Visualizing Society with Data | 4 |
| STS 113 | Business & Technology in the United States: From Electricity to E-Commerce | 4 |
| STS 114 | The Global Information Age | 4 |
| STS 162/CTS 162 DISCONTINUED FOR WINTER 2026 ** | Surveillance Media | 4 |
| STS/SOC 176 | Sociology of Science | 4 |
| CRD 118 | Technology & Society | 4 |
| CRD 140 | Dynamics of Regional Development | 4 |
- **
Course(s) discontinued; see your advisor for course options.
Health & Environment Emphasis
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| STS/ANT 109 | Visualization in Science: A Critical Introduction | 4 |
| STS/ANT 121 | Special Topics in Medical Anthropology | 4 |
| STS 122 | Health & Medical Technologies | 4 |
| STS/ANT 129 | Health & Medicine in a Global Context | 4 |
| STS 130A | From Natural History to the History of Nature | 4 |
| STS 130B | History of Modern Biology | 4 |
| STS 131 | Darwin | 4 |
| STS 150 | Gender & Science | 4 |
| STS 165 | Built Environments | 4 |
| ANT 104N | Cultural Politics of the Environment | 4 |
| ANT 131 | Ecology & Politics | 4 |
| PHI 120 | Environmental Ethics | 4 |
Data & Media Technologies Emphasis
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| STS 101 | Data & Society | 4 |
| STS/ANT 109 | Visualization in Science: A Critical Introduction | 4 |
| STS 110 | Computing, Data, & Law in the United States | 4 |
| STS 112 | Visualizing Society with Data | 4 |
| STS 113 | Business & Technology in the United States: From Electricity to E-Commerce | 4 |
| STS 114 | The Global Information Age | 4 |
| STS 115 | Data Sense & Exploration: Critical Storytelling with Analysis | 4 |
| STS 151/CTS 150 DISCONTINUED FOR WINTER 2023 ** | Media Theory | 5 |
| STS 152 | Sounding Data: Critical Approaches to Sonification | 4 |
| STS/TCS 160 | Ghosts of the Machine: How Technology Rewires our Senses | 4 |
| STS 161 | (Discontinued for spring 2026) ** | 4 |
| STS 162/CTS 162 DISCONTINUED FOR WINTER 2026 ** | Surveillance Media | 4 |
| STS 163 | History of Communication Technologies | 4 |
| STS/ENL 164 | Writing Science | 4 |
| STS/CDM/ENL 172 | Video Games & Culture | 4 |
| STS/ENL 173 | Science Fiction | 4 |
- **
Course(s) discontinued; see your advisor for course options.
History & Philosophy of Science Emphasis
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| STS 110 | Computing, Data, & Law in the United States | 4 |
| STS 112 | Visualizing Society with Data | 4 |
| STS 113 | Business & Technology in the United States: From Electricity to E-Commerce | 4 |
| STS 114 | The Global Information Age | 4 |
| STS 122 | Health & Medical Technologies | 4 |
| STS/ANT 129 | Health & Medicine in a Global Context | 4 |
| STS 130A | From Natural History to the History of Nature | 4 |
| STS 130B | History of Modern Biology | 4 |
| STS 131 | Darwin | 4 |
| STS 150 | Gender & Science | 4 |
| STS 161 | (Discontinued for spring 2026) ** | 4 |
| STS/ENL 164 | Writing Science | 4 |
| CLA 101E | Topics in Ancient Science | 4 |
| PHI 107 | Philosophy of the Physical Sciences | 4 |
| PHI 108 | Philosophy of the Biological Sciences | 4 |
| PHI 109 | Philosophy of the Social Sciences | 4 |
| PHI 111 | Philosophy of Space & Time | 4 |
| PHI 120 | Environmental Ethics | 4 |
| PHI 121 | Bioethics | 4 |
| PHI 131 | Philosophy of Logic & Mathematics | 4 |
| PHI 189I | Special Topics in Philosophy: Philosophy of Science | 4 |