What Counts for the STSC Major: Courses and Grades
College Sectors
The STSC major automatically completes Sector IV: Humanities and Social Sciences. You cannot complete any other Sectors with a course that also counts toward your major.
Foundation Courses
Foundation courses must be drawn from this group: STSC 0100, 0600, 1120, 1600, 1880, 2080 (no longer regularly offered).
STSC Departmental Electives
These are courses listed on the STSC Department Electives page. Courses from abroad, other departments, or other schools cannot fulfill the departmental elective requirement.
Concentration Courses
Pre-approved courses for the concentration count automatically and do not need to be petitioned.
Non-College Courses for the Concentration
Students may use up to three (3) non-College courses in the concentration, including transfer courses approved through XCAT.
Petitions for Concentration Courses
Petitions must show how a course substantively (in terms of relevant content) and substantially (in terms of time spent on relevant content) advances a student's coherent, purposeful intellectual trajectory.
A student may not petition a course before the drop deadline of the semester in which they are taking the course. Seniors may not petition courses after the add period in their last semester.
Study Abroad Courses
Up to two (2) courses from abroad count, if approved through XCAT. These count toward the concentration only.
Science Courses
STSC majors may use up to two (2) science courses 2000-level or higher in their concentrations.
Double Counting
There is no double-counting within the major or between sections of the major. The Capstone course is a separate requirement and cannot double-count within the major.
AP Credits
Cannot be counted toward the STSC major.
Pass/Fail
Courses taken pass-fail cannot count toward the major (this is College policy, with limited exceptions only for the pandemic in 2020-2021).
Minimum Grade Required for STSC Credit
The minimum course grade for credit in the major is C-.
How Your STSC Major Works in Path@Penn
- You cannot update or change your own Degree Audit.
- The Degree Audit may require manual override by the STSC Undergraduate Chair or Associate Director in order to make sure courses are counting the way you want them to. It is your responsibility to check your Degree Audit and reach out to the Associate Director if something does not look correct.