As one of the nation's first STS programs, we locate STS at the intersection of scholarship, engagement, and action. Along with pioneering programs such as the Choices and Challenges Forum, recent innovations include the journal Engineering Studies; TWISTS (Theater Workshop in Science Technology and Society); and the Humanities, Science, and Environment major. Our specialties range from S&T Policy to social studies of medicine, with concentrations in political sociology, engineering studies, and the history and philosophy of technology.

 

Graduate Studies

We offer M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at our main campus in Blacksburg and in the National Capitol Region. Our international student body comes from backgrounds in the sciences, engineering, medicine, law, humanities, and social sciences. Students go on to academic careers at major research universities. They also assume policy positions in federal agencies, think tanks, NGOs, and industry in the Washington DC area and beyond.

The Graduate Program is a cooperative venture of the Departments of History, Philosophy, Political Science , Sociology, and Science & Technology in Society. STS is also a member unit of the School of Public and International Affairs. Additional participating faculty come from Appalachian Studies, Architecture , Communication Studies, English , Mathematics , Teaching and Learning , Urban Affairs and Planning, and Women's Studies .

 

Undergraduate Studies

The STS Department offers an undergraduate major in Humanities, Science, and Environment (HSE) as well as minors in HSE, Science and Technology (ST), and Medicine & Society. The HSE major provides an interdisciplinary approach to environmental issues, integrating humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to understand the relationship between people and the natural world. The degree is housed in the Department of Science and Technology in Society, but includes courses from many departments and colleges at Virginia Tech. There is a wide range of postgraduate opportunities, both in employment and graduate studies, for those majoring in HSE. If knowledge about the environment is inviting to you, and you are concerned about vital environmental challenges of our day, consider looking into this major. Also available is an HSE minor. For more information, contact Eileen Crist.

HSE Major Checksheet

HSE Minor Checksheet

HST Minor Checksheet

Medicine and Society

The Medicine and Society (MSOC) minor is part of a field called medical humanities. Focusing on the humanistic aspects of medical practice, pressing bioethical questions, and the subjective experience of illness and health, medical humanities provides an essential education for anyone curious about the role of medicine in past eras and contemporary culture. The MSOC minor is a great addition to a major in the life sciences; human nutrition, health, and exercise; biochemistry; or any other pre-med course of study. Undergraduate students who are planning to attend medical school, dental school, pharmacy school, vet school, physician assistant programs, nursing school, programs in physical therapy, or any other allied health care program are highly recommended to enroll in the MSOC minor. In MSOC courses, students study health, illness, and medical practices as they manifest in historical contexts and are influenced by cultural beliefs and traditions. The minor is available to all undergraduates at Virginia Tech. MSOC is ideal for students planning careers in health care fields, as well as for science studies, bioethics, or public health policy. MSOC complements majors in biology, chemistry, animal science, and HNFE. To enroll in the minor, see Karen Snider in 123 Lane Hall. Faculty advisors for the minor are Professor Bernice Hausman (English), for students with last names A-M, and Professor Kathleen Jones (History), for students with last names N-Z.

MSOC 2013 Checksheet

Add Minor Form

 

Diversity Programs and Opportunities

The Department of STS and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences understand that we must be diverse in all aspects of community and work in order to be truly outstanding. Please visit the Virginia Tech Diversity Resources site for more information.