Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
- What is "STS"?
- What is the intellectual rationale for the STS Program?
- What kind of major is STS?
- Why should a Stanford student consider majoring in STS?
- What can one do with a degree in STS?
See also, the STS brochure (PDF)
5. What can one do with a degree in STS?
STS graduates have many attractive options open to them. Like their fellow Stanford graduates, most STS B.A. graduates eventually pursue advanced degrees. They have gained admission to and done well at many of the nation's best graduate schools of business, law, education, government, public policy, journalism, medicine, and international affairs. While relatively few STS B.A. graduates go on to get Ph.D. degrees in conventional academic disciplines, some have done so. STS B.A. alumni have earned doctoral degrees, one in history of technology at Oxford University, another in risk analysis in environmental and health policy at Harvard, another in economic history at the London School of Economics, and another in comparative literature at the University of Pennsylvania.
STS B.S. graduates have become management consultants, program managers and strategic marketers in computer companies, and government employees, e.g., at the EPA and with state governments. Others obtained M.S. degrees in computer science, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and industrial engineering. Still others entered medical school--the STS B.S. major provides an excellent pre-med path--and pursued advanced degrees in graduate schools of business, law, government, education, and public policy. A few have started their own companies. Occasionally, an STS B.S. graduate pursues a doctorate in a traditional academic discipline, e.g., electrical engineering or the history of technology.
Prospective majors are welcome to peruse the Program's "IDP Self-Study Report: STS Program, 1999-2006," which contains
an appendix with
65 letters from STS
B.A., B.S., and honors
program graduates. These letters describe their writers' respective career paths and current positions, and indicate how they see their STS studies in relation to their ensuing professional development. This document is a unique and extremely valuable resource for students considering majoring in STS.
If you have questions about either STS degree program, wish to declare in STS, or desire more information, contact Program Director Robert McGinn. STS Program Administrator Margaret Harris or STS Student Services Specialist Colleen Connors will be happy to set up an appointment for you. Feel free to stop by the STS Office (Building 370, Room 109, Main Quad) where you will find information about the B.A. and B.S. majors that explain their respective options and requirements. Six Steps to Majoring in STS, also available at the STS Office, spells out the process to follow to become an STS major.
