Windmills in a field at sunset

Karsten Wurth

Understanding today's challenges. Reimagining our future.

Science, Technology, and Society is a dynamic interdisciplinary major providing students with a liberal arts education for the twenty-first century.

One of the only Stanford majors to offer both Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees.

STS majors gain a broad understanding of how science, technology, and society interact, while developing depth within two or three focus areas. STS graduates have forged successful careers in many fields, including business, engineering, law, public service, medicine and academia.

We offer a variety of concentration options: Catastrophic Risks and Solutions | Communication and Media | Innovation and Organization | Life Sciences and Health | Politics and Policy | Social Dynamics of Data and Information.

Plastic Wrap photographed in studio to create an abstract design.

Michael Dziedzic

Why STS?

Student reading in library stacks

Elliot Reyna

Concentrations

students in a library

 Linda A. Cicero

Honors Program

Architectural details of the sandstone arcades in the Main Quadrangle of Stanford University.

Linda A. Cicero

Faculty

Professor Fred Turner in a headshot with a black button up shirt

Faculty Spotlight

Fred Turner: Harry & Norman Chandler Professor of Communication, and by courtesy of History and Art & Art History 

Professor Turner discovered the STS discipline by “Sorting Things Out”.

Prior to teaching at Stanford he was a Communications Professor at both Harvard and MIT, however, his STS roots have even earlier origins. He says when he was in grad…

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Three-year lecture position with possibility of renewal. February 15 deadline for an August 2024 start date. PhD in STS or a related field must be in hand by July 1.
Brain Cancer Chromosomes.

Race in Science, Technology, and Medicine

This series brought together Black, Indigenous and other scholars and professionals of color (BIPOC) from around the nation to explore the intersections of race, racism and scientific practice. Speakers shared personal experiences and how they design their work for equity and justice, addressing race in such issues as energy infrastructure, nuclear arms control, algorithmic accountability, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology.

Faculty Bookshelf

I am so grateful for my STS education. My STS background has equipped me to move seamlessly through industries. STS empowered me to incorporate a framework driven by critical thinking as well as social, scientific, and ethical concerns in all areas of my work and personal life.
Celine Foster photo
Celine Foster
STS Student and Peer Advisor, Class of 2021