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Honors Interdisciplinary Minor in Science, Technology and Society

What is science? How does scientific knowledge differ from other forms of knowledge? How is science related to politics and society? Can science make progress? How is scientific legitimacy established? 

The Honors Interdisciplinary Minor in Science, Technology and Society (STS) is an interdisciplinary 18-credit undergraduate minor offered through the Honors Program and designed for students eager to tackle the critical challenges of the 21st century that are simultaneously social, political, scientific, technological, ethical, and economic. 

Students will: 

  • Understand how science shapes our world.

  • Think about the nature of science and its distinction from other forms of knowledge.

  • Examine pressing political and social issues such as climate change, nuclear war, artificial intelligence, mental health, and public medicine.

  • Engage with a cross-section of Temple faculty from across various disciplines, including biology, physics, computer science, psychology, neuroscience, and more.

Four Key Areas for Science, Technology, and Society Inquiry

  • History and Philosophy of Science
  • Health, the Body, and Society
  • Environment, Infrastructure, and Society
  • Communication, Science, Technology, and Public Policy
Click Here to View the Requirements for the Science, Technology and Society Minor
  • 18 credits (6 courses)
  • There are no prerequisites for this minor except for the intention to develop a senior thesis.
  • At least three courses (9 credits) required for the minor must be completed at Temple.
  • Four specific courses are required (9 credits total); the remaining courses (9 credits total) are selected from the four Key Areas for Science, Technology, and Science Inquiry outlined above.
    • One course must be taken in at least two of the four Key Areas.
  • One 3-credit course must be taken from at least three different schools/colleges.
  • Only one GenEd course can be used to satisfy requirements of the minor.
  • A maximum of two non-Honors courses (6 credits) can be used to satisfy requirements of the minor.
  • Nine credits must be from upper-level courses (2000+).
  • At least three of the courses (9 credits) counted towards the minor must be courses that were not counted towards any other major, minor or certificate.
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Click here to declare the STS minor

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