Undergraduate Major in
Science and Technology Studies (STS)

http://sts.ucdavis.edu

DIVISION OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS

PURPOSE WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY

The STS major is designed to facilitate the analysis and synthesis of science, technology and medicine in a way that actively creates connections between the varieties of perspectives and concerns in the humanities and the sciences. The STS major takes science, technology, medicine, and their social, political, economic, and cultural contexts as its objects of study. The STS major draws on the research programs of faculty in a wide range of departments, including American Studies, Economics, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, and History and Philosophy of Science. The STS major will create an opportunity to analyze science and allied practices from historical, philosophical, sociological, political, anthropological, and cultural perspectives. In doing so, an STS major will prepare students for careers that must address the broad social, cultural and political ramifications of science, technology and medicine such as law, journalism, public policy, economics, government, and science education.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

A MAJOR IN STS will meet the needs of many different groups of students at UC Davis. The STS major is designed to allow students to explore many different sciences and to integrate diverse perspectives arising from comparisons among the sciences. STS is an excellent major for students who want to pursue a broader understanding of science than is available within traditional science majors. STS is also an excellent major for students in the social sciences interested in interpreting science, technology and medicine as part of society and culture. Because science is such a pervasive component of contemporary life, there are many vocations which would benefit from a background in STS. For example, STS would be an excellent major for careers in science or technical writing, science education, aspects of the law or business dealing with science, technology, or medicine. Finally, STS is an ideal major for students interested in pursuing graduate degrees in history, philosophy, or sociology of science or in science and technology studies. Expression of this kind of interest has already resulted in two students--one with a background in physics, the other with a background in studio art--successfully getting approval for independent majors in History and Philosophy of Science.

REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Science and Technology Studies

PREPARATORY SUBJECT MATTER (16 UNITS)

NOTE

Additional preparatory courses may be required by upper-division courses listed within the modules and courses used to meet the science requirement. Students should meet with their advisor to plan for prerequisites for these courses. Premedical students electing the major should be aware that additional courses are necessary and advising from the Health Sciences Advising Office is recommended.

DEPTH SUBJECT MATTER (44 UNITS)

Total Units for Major: 60-80 units

MODULES

CULTURAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

CRD 118 Technology and Society
CRD 162 People, Work, and Technology
HIS 139A Medieval and Renaissance Medicine
HIS 139B Medicine, Society, and Culture in Modern Europe
STS 130A History of Nature and Natural History
STS 131 Darwin
STS 150 Gender and Science
NAC 100 The Culture of Nature
NAC 180 Field Work in Nature and Culture
SOC 176 Sociology of Knowledge

ETHICS, VALUES, AND SCIENCE POLICY

ARE 120 Agricultural Policy
ARE 147 Resource and Environmental Policy Analysis
ESP 165 Science, Experts and Public Policy
HIS 185B History of Technology in America
NAC 120 Environmental Ethics
PLP 140 Agricultural Biotechnology, Ethics and Public Policy
PHI 115 Problems in Normative Ethics
PHI 116 Ethical Theories
PHY 137 Science and Technology of Nuclear Arms Effects and Controls
PHY 160 Environmental Physics and Society
POL 171 The Politics of Energy
POL 175 Science, Technology and Policy
VMD 170 Ethics of Animal Use

HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

HIS 135A History of Science to the 18th Century
HIS 135B History of Science, 18th to 20th Centuries
HIS 136 Scientific Revolution
HIS 185A History of Science in America
HIS 185B History of Technology in America
PHI 107 Philosophy of the Physical Sciences
PHI 108 Philosophy of the Biological Sciences
PHI 109 Philosophy of the Social Sciences
STS 130A History of Nature and Natural History
STS 130B History of Modern Biology
STS 131 Darwin

MEDICINE, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE

EPP 101 Perspectives on Community Health
EPP 160 General Health Education and Prevention
HIS 139A Medieval and Renaissance Medicine
HIS 139B Medicine, Society, and Culture in Modern Europe
PSY 160 Health Psychology
SOC 154 Sociology of Health Care

ADVISING

The STS major is modular to allow flexibility, tailoring of the major to individual interests and to encourage diverse perspectives. By modular, we mean that there is not a single "core" around which various electives are added on at the "periphery". Instead of a single concept of depth and a weakly-specified concept of breadth, STS offers four moderately deep modules. Any combination of two modules provides both depth and breadth in the subject without limiting students to a single perspective, training, or career path. A strong advising program will enable students to identify and follow the best paths for themselves through the major. All faculty in the STS Program will perform advising services for students, directing them to the most knowledgeable faculty for each module area. Students will select courses in each module in consultation with a faculty advisor. The master advisor for the major will be responsible for approving all elections of modules and courses counting toward module credit.