Science, Technology & Society (STSC) examines the social contexts and consequences of science and technology.
In a wide array of courses, STSC students learn to think critically about questions such as:
Why does modern science look the way it does?
How and why do particular technologies and technological systems emerge, expand, and become obsolete?
How do science and technology sometimes exacerbate race, gender, and class inequalities, and how might they be changed to reduce them?
How do science and technology shape society, and how does society shape science and technology?
The STSC major has an interdisciplinary methodology. It balances a broad foundation of courses within the department with concentrations that draw on courses from across the university. These concentrations focus on more specialized interests within science and technology studies, including biotechnology and biomedicine; energy and the environment; global science and technology; information and organizations; and the relationships between science, culture, and the natural world.
The major equips graduates with sophisticated critical faculties, multidisciplinary skills, and wide knowledge. It prepares them for careers in business, law, government, journalism, research, and education, and it provides a foundation for citizenship in a globalizing, diversifying world characterized by rapid technological and scientific change. To see what our graduates are doing, go to our STSC alum page.
STSC courses teach students to:
- Analyze the interplay of social factors that have resulted in particular scientific and technological outcomes both in the present and in the past
- Read scientific, technological, and historical texts critically, assessing their social, cultural, and political origins and ramifications
- Pursue research projects using published sources, technical and scientific data, and unpublished archival materials
- Deploy evidence and reasoning to build strong arguments about the relationships between science, technology, and society
"I've long struggled with expressing the merit of my Science, Technology, and Society studies – until I realized that the inexpressible was the merit itself. As opposed to the many pre-professional, unambiguous majors of my peers, STSC has given me a flexible analytical framework which which to see the world – a brilliant alchemy of history, sociology, and anthropology. Robert Safian, the editor of Fast Company, declared our generation 'Generation Flux' – the age of agility and adaptability – and I could think of no better way to prepare for this world that my studies in STSC."
"When I look back at my time at Penn, one of the best parts of my college experience was my major: Science, Technology, and Society. I was able to meet frequently with professors and develop close relationships, take a variety of fascinating lecture and seminar courses, work passionately on my thesis for over a year with continuous help and support from my advisors, and create lasting friendships with other STSC major students."
"STSC challenged me to examine the relationships between science and technology, and the material, social, religious, political, and cultural environments in which these practices occur. This type of thinking and approach, along with the writing and research skills I developed, have been applicable to many aspects of my job and graduate level courses."
"My coursework taught me to approach all tasks with clear and rational thinking. It has shown me the rewards of perseverance, innovation, and careful attention to detail. These lessons will translate well when developing complex solutions in the business world."
"I think I offer a different perspective than a lot of the other analysts hired at my consulting firm, as most of them are business undergrads who may not have the broad critical thinking skills to consider the societal implications of any technology we might be implementing."