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This archived information is dated to the 2010-11 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Bachelor of Science in Science, Technology, and Society

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Science, Technology, and Society

The student pursuing the B.S. degree must complete the STS Core (see requirement 1 in "Bachelor of Arts in Science, Technology, and Society" above) and a structured package of at least 50 units of technical courses intended to enable students to understand socially significant technical phenomena in some field of engineering or science. Introductory courses in mathematics or physics (for example, MATH 19 or PHYSICS 19) are not normally counted as parts of this technical depth component.

The B.S. candidate follows one of two models in fulfilling the minimum 50-unit technical depth requirement:

  1. Focused Depth—at least seven courses amounting to at least 25 units in a single field of science or engineering, with the remaining units (except for at most two stand-alone courses) grouped in sequences of at least three courses each in other fields of science or engineering. For example, a focused depth package might contain eight mechanical engineering, three physics, three mathematics, and three computer science courses, and one course each in electrical engineering and chemistry. At least four of the seven courses in the focused depth area must be advanced, that is, not normally taken in the first year of study in that field.
  2. Clustered Depth—two or more clusters of at least five courses and 15 units each in different fields of science or engineering, with at most two stand-alone courses, and remaining courses, if any, in sequences of three or more courses. For example, a clustered depth package might contain five-course clusters in computer science, electrical engineering, and physics, three courses in civil engineering, and one course each in biology and chemical engineering. At least two courses in each cluster area must be advanced.

    It is recommended that B.S. majors complete CS 106A or equivalent.

  3. Each STS major not writing an honors thesis must produce an original, 20-25 page senior paper on an STS topic of personal interest. Intended as a capstone experience, each student's senior essay is evaluated by an STS faculty committee and placed in the student's permanent STS major file.

COGNATE COURSES

For a list of cognate courses offered by other departments that can be used to satisfy requirements for the B.S. in Science, Technology, and Society, see the "Bachelor of Arts in Science, Technology, and Society" section of this bulletin.

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