Bachelor of Arts

Science, Technology and Society

How have the fields of science and technology evolved over time, and what does the future hold? How should societies manage those fields to achieve just and sustainable communities? The Science, Technology and Society (STS) option within the Interdisciplinary Studies major prepares students to address these important questions through an integrated approach to science, technology, and their relationships to culture, history, and society.

STS students work with faculty members trained in disciplines ranging from biology and mathematics to political economy and philosophy. Housed in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, the degree option enables students to develop their skills in scientific and technological research along with their capacities for critical, creative, and ethical reflection. Students leave the program with the capacity to make informed decisions about the responsible use of science and technology -- as professionals and citizens.

Graduating STS students are prepared for careers with a wide variety of for-profit, not-for-profit, and governmental organizations that analyze, produce, and use scientific and technical knowledge. These careers include planning and administration, public and investor relations, and advocacy and communications, among other areas. STS students also pursue graduate and professional education in such fields as law, education, policy studies, and media and cultural studies.

Science, Technology and Society Sample Courses

Science, Technology and Society (STS) Courses

STS Courses

BIS 205 Technologies of Expression
BIS 232 Using, Understanding, and Visualizing Quantitative Data
BIS 250 How Things Work: Motion and Mechanics
BIS 251 How Things Work: Electricity and Invention
BIS 307 Science, Technology and Society
BES 311 Environmental Chemistry
BIS 350 The Concept of Number
BIS 355 History of Science and Technology
BIS 356 Ethics and the Environment
BIS 381 The History of Life
BIS 382 The Visual Art of Biology
BIS 390 Ecology and the Environment
BIS 411 Biotechnology and Society
BES 430 Air Pollution and Health
BIS 482 Problems in Interdisciplinary Science

Lower Division Prerequisites

1. Two quarters of a 100 or 200-level science sequence, which may be two courses from the same sequence or the first course from any two different sequences.

BIS 250 and 251 (How Things Work) are recommended to satisfy this requirement.

Alternatively, students may take BES 180 and 200 (Introductory Biology) or their equivalents; BCUSP 142 and 152 (General Chemistry) or their equivalents; or BCUSP 143 and 144 (General Physics) or their equivalents.

Other science courses may be accepted if they have a laboratory component and are designed for students expecting to major in the science field in which the sequence is offered.

2. BCUSP 123 (Functions, Models, and Quantitative Reasoning) or pre-calculus

Science, Technology and Society Major Requirements

BIS 300 Interdisciplinary Inquiry (5 credits)
Option Core (5 Credits)
STS Methods Courses (10 credits)
STS Option Courses (25 credits)
20 credits of Additional IAS Coursework (BIS or BES prefix)
BIS 490 Senior Seminar (5 credits)
20 credits of general electives

Note: Within the credits taken in the IAS curriculumn, students must complete 10 credits each in Visual, Literary and Perfoeming Arts (VLPA); Individuals & Societies (I&S); and Natural World (NW).

Science, Technology and Society Core & Affiliate Faculty and Staff

STS Core & Affiliate Faculty

I was drawn to the STS option because the mix of challenging and fascinating classes matches my broad interests exactly and because it offers a way to understand the fast-paced and complex world in which we live. I am also looking forward to the new career possibilities open to me after I complete my degree. Rebecca Evans Class of 2010-11

Warren Buck, Steve Collins, Colin Danby, Cinnamon Hillyard, Gray Kochhar-Lindgren, Peter Littig, Becca Price, David Stokes, Rob Turner

STS Core & Affiliate Staff

Rob Estes, Nicole Hoover