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

STS 10: STS Reading Lab (2 credits). Discussion and reading-focused courses, offered with varying topics. A Reading Lab counts as 1 course and 2 credits toward the STS minor. STS minors must complete one Reading Lab toward their minor. Only one Reading Lab can count toward the STS minor.

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 toward the STS minor; does not count toward the total course requirement. STS minors must complete at least one semester of the Lunch Seminar for credit and may count more than one toward their STS minor.

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;
  • exactly one Reading Lab;
  • at least one semester of the Lunch Seminar
  • all six courses counting toward the minor must have received a grade of C- or higher. Of these six courses, none may be taken on a Pass/Fail basis.

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.