School of Arts and Sciences
Science, Technology, and Society
Science, Technology, and Society

Minor in Science, Technology, and Society

Science, Technology, and Society offers a 6-course minor. The minor may be of particular interest to students majoring in the natural sciences or enrolled in the School of Engineering as a complement to their major technical fields.

Course Listings

Each semester, courses from around the university are listed by the program as "STS degree courses," indicating that they count towards an STS degree, whether or not they are have an official STS number (See current semester listings). Some courses are designated as "Core STS" classes, which are foundational for the degree. Students can petition to have other courses counted towards an STS degree, including courses taken before declaring.

STS 10: STS Reading Lab (2 credits). Discussion and reading-focused courses, offered with varying topics and designed to be "paired" with non-STS courses from the catalog, particularly from the sciences. Allows paired courses to count towards an STS degree: each pair counts as 1 course and the sum of both courses' credits (maximum 5) towards the degree. Pairs do not have to be taken concurrently and may be taken in any order. When unpaired, a Reading Lab counts as 1 course and 2 credits towards the degree. STS minors must complete at least one Reading Lab and may count more than one towards their degree.

STS 50-01: STS Lunch Seminar Series (1 credit). A weekly public speaker series featuring STS scholars from Tufts and other universities. Credit granted for attendance and written responses. Counts as 1 credit towards the STS degree; does not count towards the total course requirement. STS minors must complete at least one semester of the Lunch Seminar for credit and may count more than one towards their degree.

Minor Requirements

STS coursework for the minor must include at least 6 STS degree courses and must add to at least 18 credits. Cumulatively, the STS coursework must include:

  • at least two courses with a Core designation;
  • at least one Reading Lab;
  • at least one semester of the Lunch Seminar

A maximum of two courses may be double-counted toward the STS minor and another major or minor. Please contact your primary major, co-major, or additional minor about their double-counting rules as well, as rules can vary between individual departments and programs.