Science, Technology, and Society Minor

Why Study STS?

The STS minor invites students from all majors—engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, business, arts, and humanities—to study how science and technology are shaped by, and in turn reshape, politics, law, and public life. From AI regulation and data privacy to climate governance, public health, and biotechnology oversight, the minor centers on questions of power, accountability, and the public good.

For STEM students, the STS minor offers a crucial complement to technical training by highlighting how political and legal frameworks determine what research gets supported, how innovations are implemented, and how risks are managed. For students in the humanities, social sciences, and business, the minor provides substantive literacy in the scientific and technical fields driving today’s most urgent policy debates.

"As a biology major interested in pursuing a career in scientific research, the STS minor has provided me with an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the effects science has on society outside of the lab.  I've really enjoyed the chance to learn about a lot of different areas of science through philosophical and sociological lenses, and it's been a really good way to balance out the technical aspects of my science major."

Why pair STS with other disciplines?

Studying STS prepares students to pursue a variety of academic and career goals. The ability to see the big picture and navigate it strategically is invaluable in fields such as law, the health professions, public service, the sciences, education, business, international development, industrial or academic research, and journalism. Undergraduate training in STS provides a strong foundation for graduate studies in medicine, business and law as well as a variety of STEM fields.

"I may not think about my STS minor every day, but probably every week an issue comes up either in my work, or in the world at large that reminds me of the issues we discussed in my STS classes. Decades after graduating, I still think of the importance of engaging in thoughtful conversation and action in response to the fast changing developments in science and tech in the modern world."

"I love this minor! All of the classes I’ve taken thus far have been my favorites!! I really feel like this gives me a better perspective of all that’s happening in the world and will make me an asset to the future teams I end up on. I talked about it in all of my interviews, which helped me land an internship with Ernst and Young in their Technology Advisory Program (hopefully on healthcare cases)."