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| Science and Technology Studies
Chair David J. Hess The Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) conducts interdisciplinary teaching and research on the social aspects of science and technology. The department is also responsible for undergraduate teaching in anthropology, history, political science, and sociology. Faculty in the department is drawn from these disciplines as well as from philosophy and psychology. Areas of Advanced Research and Study Teaching and research concentrate on topics such as the following:
Faculty Professors Undergraduate Programs A Bachelor of Science degree program in the Department of Science and Technology Studies was initiated in the 1985-86 academic year. Rensselaer is a leader among the many American colleges and universities that grant degrees in the field. The STS degree program—Science, Technology, and Society (STS)—is a liberal arts program that prepares students for life and work in a technoscience-based society. Some graduates will go on to professional schools for corporate or patent law, medicine, policy analysis, or the management of science and technology. Some will use the program to get broad exposure in the social sciences and humanities prior to making a commitment to a single discipline for the M.S. or Ph.D. And for direct entry into the job market following graduation, there is a growing need in consulting firms, major corporations, and government agencies for people who combine technical competence with conceptual, writing, and speaking abilities. The Rensselaer graduate in STS, therefore, will have a distinct advantage over other liberal arts graduates. Requirements The STS program of study requires 124 credit hours, including the standard Rensselaer requirements of 24 credit hours in humanities and social sciences, and 24 credit hours in science, math, and computing. At least 32 credit hours of courses are required, together with a concentration of 16 credit hours in a technical area (the “technical option”) relevant to the student’s choice of concentration for the STS major. The 32 credit hours are usually taken as follows: Introduction to STS; two of the 2000-level STS concentration options courses; a methods/statistics option; two of the 4000-level STS advanced options; a public service internship; and a senior project or thesis. The department chair or undergraduate adviser may allow substitutions. The STS major has five areas of concentration in science and technology: (1) medicine and society, (2) environment and society, (3) law, values, and public policy, (4) engineering and society, and (5) information, society and culture. Built into the program of study are:
In cooperation with a faculty adviser each student designs a program of study tailored to his or her interests. So, for example, a student interested in environmental issues can combine technical courses in environmental engineering and/or science with the courses included in the STS Advanced Option in Environment and Society (see list below), along with other courses in humanities and social sciences, for example, Environmental Economics and Environmental Philosophy; as well as an internship with a New York state environmental agency, and a senior project on regulation of acid rain or hazardous waste. Undergraduate Curriculum
1 Other mathematics options may be selected with the permission of the student’s adviser. 2 The science sequence may be selected, with the assistance of the student’s adviser, from among 1000-level introductory sequences in biology, chemistry, geology, or physics, including ERTH-1030, ERTH-1040 Natural Science I, II. See the handout on the science core available from the School of Science. The science or mathematics elective that completes the core requirement in physical, life, and engineering sciences should be chosen, with the assistance of the student’s adviser, to prepare for STS Technical Options and/or other electives. Options STS Concentration Options are two courses, selected with the assistance of the student’s adviser, from among the following five courses, each of which represents one of the concentrations on science and technology. In addition, STSS-2500 Historical and Cultural Perspectives on Science and Technology may be counted. STSS-2100 Medicine and Society: Perspectives on Science and Technology STS Methods/Statistics Option is one course, selected with the assistance of the student’s adviser, in either (1) research methods, such as STSS-4130 Decision Making, a third course from among the STS Concentration Options listed above, or under special circumstances a graduate-level research methods seminar; or (2) statistical methods, such as ENGR-2600 Modeling and Analysis of Uncertainty, ECON-4120 Quantitative Analysis, PSYC-2310 Experimental Methods and Statistics, or DSES-2010 Statistics for Management. STS Technical Options are four related courses, selected with the assistance of the student’s adviser, from among the course offerings of the Schools of Architecture, Engineering, Management, or Science. Students are encouraged to earn a minor through these courses, or in combination with their other electives. Minors can be earned, for example, in biology, environmental engineering or science, and management. Advanced STS Options are two related courses, selected with the assistance of the student’s adviser, from one of the five following lists, each of which represents one of the concentrations on science and technology:
Environment and Society: Engineering, Design, and Society: * This is a special topics course. Dual Majors and Programs Many STS majors choose to fulfill the requirements for a second major. For example, a premed student who is pursuing the medicine and society track within the STS major may pursue a dual major with biology, or an STS major who is pursuing the information and society track may pursue a dual major with computer science or information technology. There are dozens of possibilities. In addition, there are two dual major programs that have been especially developed for STS majors: product design and innovation, and ecological economics, values, and policy. Product Design and Innovation The dual major program in Product Design and Innovation (PDI) is jointly offered by the Schools of Engineering, Architecture, and Humanities and Social Sciences, and has three tracks: the first satisifies the requirements for the B.S. Programs in both Mechanical Engineering and Science, Technology, and Society (STS); the second satisfies the requirements for the B.S. Programs in both Engineering Science and Science, Technology, and Society (STS); and the third satisfies the requirements for the B.S. Programs in both Building Science and STS. PDI prepares students to become innovative designers who will develop and design the advanced products and technologies for the coming century. Built around a design studio every semester, PDI combines the technical, aesthetic, and cultural sophistication of Rensselaer’s engineering science and building science curricula with the insight and vision of the humanities and social sciences disciplines in the STS curriculum. The core of PDI is the design studio that students take every semester, giving them a hands-on opportunity to bring together the three major curricula. The mechanical engineering curriculum, which is accredited, provides a fundamental education in mechanical engineering with a focus on design methodology in general and mechanical design techniques in particular. Student with an interest in the ME-PDI curriculum should see page 246 of the catalog for more information. The engineering science curriculum provides a fundamental education in engineering science through basic and advanced courses in engineering mechanics, engineering electronics, energy, materials, and manufacturing. The building science curriculum provides a fundamental education in building science and architectural design through basic and advanced courses in structures, environmental and construction systems, as well as physical and theoretical approaches in design. The STS curriculum provides a fundamental education in the economic, ethical, cultural, and political dimensions of product development and innovation, including numerous case studies of successes and failures that will give students the opportunity to learn what it takes to be effective leaders of design teams. On this basis the design studios help students to explore and develop their creativity while building a portfolio of design experiences continuously throughout all four years. The design experiences range over a breadth of problems, from larger systemic problems to smaller focused problems, so that students have a broad exposure to all the different applications of design practice. Some fall and spring semester studios are taught as a sequence to give students experience with the design process from beginning to implementation. The studios also aim to develop students’ skills in using computers and other advanced tools and techniques, as well as in drawing, visualizing, communicating, and working together, in short, all that is necessary to put their creativity to work as leaders of design and innovation, whether it be in a multinational business at the cutting edge of the global market, or in a smaller business that creates an unusual solution to a local problem. PDI Curriculum in Mechanical Engineering and STS
1. These courses may be taken in any order. PDI Curriculum in Engineering Science and STS
1. These courses may be taken in any order. PDI Curriculum in Building Science and STS
2. For PDI students, Design Studio III can be substituted for one of the two STS concentration options. Ecological Economics, Values, and Policy Director: Steven Breyman, Science and Technology Studies EEVP has four main components: 8 Economics courses (all courses are 4 credit hours), 8 STS courses, 10 Science or Engineering courses, and 4 Free Electives—as well as an H&SS First-Year Studies course. The Science and Engineering Component should be used to earn the equivalent of a minor in environmental science or engineering, which can cover such topics as ecology, environmental chemistry or geology, water and wastewater infrastructure, and hazardous waste management. In addition, the economics and social science courses which form the core of EEVP equip students with a variety of skills and methods to assess the economic costs, human health impacts, and quality of life changes that are associated with the evolving lifestyles and living conditions in today’s society. Cultural studies add to the strong global focus of EEVP that prepares students for a successful career in policy analysis, international development, project assessment, and many other areas. The Economics and STS Components will be integrated in the capstone STS Senior Project, on which students will work with an adviser from each department. Curriculum
Options: H&SS First-Year Studies Option Students will choose from the current list of first-year studies courses, including such courses as Economics, Ecology, and Values, or Ecological Economics and Values. STS Concentration Option In addition to taking STSS-2300 Environment and Society in Second Year Fall, students will choose one other STS concentration course: STSS-2100 Medicine and Society; STSS-2400 Law, Values, and Public Policy; STSS-2500 Historical and Cultural Perspectives on Science and Technology; or STSS-2200 Engineering and Society. STS Methods/Statistics Option Students will choose one course in either (1) research methods, such as STSS-4130 Decision Making; or (2) statistical methods, such as PSYC-2310 Experimental Methods and Statistics, or DSES-4140 Statistical Analysis. STS Technical Option Students will use the Technical Option (4 courses), together with the Institute Science Core Requirement (6 courses), to earn the equivalent of a minor in environmental science or engineering, including such courses as BIOL-4850 Principles of Ecology, CHEM-4810 Chemistry of the Environment, and ERTH-1200 Geology II (surface geology) or ENVE courses as approved by adviser. Advanced STS Option Students will choose two courses from the following list: STSH-4300 Environmental Philosophy Economics Option Students will choose 4 related economics courses, including, if possible, ECON-4210 Cost Benefit Analysis, ECON-4230 Environmental Economics, ECON-4240 Natural Resource Economics, and ECON-4250 Ecological Economics. Environmental Studies Program Co-directors Nicholas L. Clesceri, Environmental Engineering From local controversies over waste treatment to international negotiations on global warming, the environment has become one of the most important issues of our time and for the future. To face the challenges of environmental problems, students will need more than the specialized knowledge of a single discipline. Building on the unusual strength and breadth of Rensselaer’s synthesis of engineering, science, and the humanities and social sciences, the Environmental Studies Program offers students a unique educational opportunity to develop a truly multidisciplinary approach to environmental studies. Students who enter Rensselaer in the Environmental Studies Program will take a broad range of basic courses in their first two years and then choose one of five majors: economics (with an ecological economics focus), environmental engineering, environmental science (with a concentration in a specific area of science), hydrogeology, or science, technology, and society (with an environmental focus). Students may also choose a dual major program including economics and science, technology, and society: Ecological Economics, Values, and Policy. To complement their major programs, students may earn a wide variety of minors. All the majors in the program offer their own environmental minors, and the Schools of Architecture and Management offer special environmental courses as well. Students who graduate from the Environmental Studies Program will not be narrow specialists; they will receive the kind of multidisciplinary education that is required to address environmental problems. Baccalaureate Program In their first and second years students are encouraged to select an introductory program from the following basic courses. The courses and their order will be selected with the guidance of an adviser, chosen from among the Co-directors listed above. Science Biology Chemistry Earth and Environmental Sciences Mathematics and Computer Science Physics Engineering Environmental and Energy Engineering ENVE-2110 Introduction to Environmental Engineering Humanities and Social Sciences Economics Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Studies For an engineering emphasis, and to be prepared to take certain courses in an environmental engineering minor, students should try to include the following courses in their basic courses in the first and second years: MATH-2400 Introduction to Differential Equations In addition to the basic courses in the first and second years, courses for a minor may be selected from among the following courses, but students should consult the appropriate sections of this catalog for the specific details of each major and minor included in the Environmental Studies Program, especially to determine the prerequisites for taking the listed courses: Science Biology Chemistry Earth and Environmental Sciences Engineering Environmental and Energy Engineering *This is a special topics course. Humanities and Social Sciences Economics Science and Technology Studies Accelerated STS-Law Program In cooperation with Albany Law School and Columbia University Law School, Rensselaer offers a unique program leading to the B.S. and Juris Doctor (J.D.) in six years rather than seven. Admission to this program is restricted. For Albany Law School, most students are admitted as incoming first-year students. Selected applicants must also meet the admission requirements of Albany Law School of Union University. Thus, a prospective STS-law student may be able to assure admission to law school prior to beginning an undergraduate career at Rensselaer. Transfer from other Rensselaer curricula to the Accelerated STS-Law Program is limited to students who have demonstrated academic excellence. Although guaranteed admission to Albany Law School is only available to selected first-year students, conditional admission is available to students accepted by Rensselaer who meet specified achievement levels in their undergraduate program. In addition, Rensselaer has established a working relationship with Columbia University Law School, which allows an especially gifted STS-law student to become a candidate for admission after his or her third year at Rensselaer if the student is nominated by a committee within the STS Department. This has been made possible by Rensselaer’s inclusion in Columbia’s Accelerated Interdisciplinary Legal Education Program (AILE). Accelerated Law students have also applied successfully to such law schools as Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, and the University of Virginia for early admission. The STS Department provides whatever assistance it can for such students. Five Year B.S.-M.S. A five year combined B.S.-M.S. program is available for Rensselaer undergraduates in science or engineering who wish to earn a graduate degree in STS. Students may apply to the program on completion of their sophomore year. Core and Minor Programs Individual courses satisfy requirements for the humanities and social sciences core in the following way: STSH for humanities credit and STSS for social sciences credit. Some STS courses are offered with the IHSS prefix in the first year studies program; all courses with an IHSS prefix may be counted for either humanities or social sciences credit. The STS department offers five minors: science, technology, and society; anthropology; history; political science; and sociology. In conjunction with the Economics Department, the STS Department also offers a minor in Ecological Economics, Values, and Policy. A minor generally consists of four related courses, of which at least two must be 4000-level courses, in a specialized area of study. No Pass/Fail courses are allowed, and only one transfer or AP course may count for 4-6 credits. More information is available from the departmental adviser. Minor in Science, Technology, and Society All STS courses, including the first-year seminar IHSS-1960 Introduction to Science and Technology Studies*, may count toward the minor in STS, provided that the restrictions described above for all STS Department minors are met. *This is a special topics course. Minor in Anthropology Anthropology is the study of the origins, development, and cultures of the human species. Cultural anthropology studies the full range of human societies-from tribal to complex modern societies-from the perspective of culture, a community’s body of shared knowledge, and meanings about the world. The anthropological perspective is multidisciplinary, comparative, holistic, and historical/evolutionary. Courses Anthropology course descriptions are in the STSS section in the course listings of this catalog. The following courses or those approved by the undergraduate director count toward the anthropology minor. Anthropology Minor in History The way things are now is a consequence of the way things have developed in the past. As a result, any understanding of the present-as distinct from simply experiencing it-requires attention to history. The disciplined study of the past through written records and artifacts, as well as its description by witnesses, commentators, and critics, has long been part of the intellectual foundation of an educated person. The unfolding of history sometimes confounds the expectations of both logic and predictive science, demonstrating the depth and complexity of human affairs and providing a valuable insight otherwise lacking in a curriculum of specialized, present-oriented branches of science and engineering. At the same time, historical cases provide valuable evidence for the social scientist or the manager seeking out the regularities in human events. Well-trained professionals ignore such a resource at their peril. Courses History course descriptions are in the STSH and STSS sections in the course listings of this catalog. The following courses or those approved by the undergraduate director count toward the minor in history. History *This is a special topics course. Minor in Political Science Political science is the investigation of how people govern themselves. This investigation encompasses both normative and empirical dimensions, i.e., the goals and purposes of politics as well as the political behavior of people as individuals and in groups. An emphasis on public policy serves to integrate the normative and empirical aspects of political science. Social and economic questions—which always have moral and ethical dimensions—are framed as policy questions and addressed in policy decisions within the political process. Many of the political science courses offered by the Department of Science and Technology Studies deal explicitly with facets of science and technology policy. The political science curriculum thus provides an excellent adjunct to professional training in science and engineering. Courses Political science course descriptions are in the STSS section of the course listings for this catalog. The following courses or those approved by the undergraduate director count toward the minor in political science. Political Science Minor in Sociology Sociology is the study of human interactions and social groups. It concentrates on the aspects and trends of social life that are common to all cultures: social institutions, social problems, social movements, population problems, science, medicine, and social change. The sociologist studies all aspects of social behavior—in couples, families, laboratories and operating rooms, religious, professional, and political organizations, assembly lines, and national and international contexts. This information adds a perspective for understanding human ethical problems, developing policy alternatives and mitigating emerging social problems. Courses Sociology course descriptions are in the STSS section of the course listings for this catalog. The following courses or those approved by the undergraduate director count toward the minor in sociology. Sociology Minor in Ecological Economics, Values, and Policy The EEVP Minor combines the best of both departments: incisive economic analysis and broad humanities and social science analysis that emphasizes the roles science and technology play in today’s global political-economy and culture. Given the strong interdisciplinary background acquired in EEVP, graduates can play a leading role in resolving the critical environmental and social problems of the 21st century. The United Nations reports that the demand for graduates from EEVP-type programs exceeds the supply. According to the U.N., it is crucial that we educate people who understand that “sustainable development does not merely deal with the conservation of nature or the management of ecosystems, but more broadly and fundamentally aims at new models of societal development and social transformation.” Courses Ecological Economics, Values, and Policy course descriptions are in the ECON, STSH, and STSS sections of the course listings for this catalog. The following courses or those approved by the undergraduate director count toward the minor in Ecological Economics, Values, Policy. Required: One of the following: One of the following: *With approval of EEVP Minor Adviser, Professor Steve Breyman, Extension 8515, Sage 5207, or breyms@rpi.edu. Minor in Gender, Science, and Technology This gender studies minor focuses on the ways that gender influences and is influenced by science and technology. Requirements:
1000 level (take at least one of these): IHSS-1960** Art, Technology, Society IHSS-1960**/STSH-1110/STSS-1110 Introduction to Science and Technology Studies 2000 level : ARTS-2100 Television and Culture *With approval of EEVP Minor Adviser, Professor Steve Breyman, Extension 8515, Sage 5207, or breyms@rpi.edu. ** These IHSS-1960 courses are in the First Year Studies Program. ***This is a special topics course. 4000 level: STSS-4530 Body: Self, Symbol, and Politics *This is a special topics course. Students may cross-register for up to two courses in the Women’s Studies Program at Russell Sage College. Contact Linda Layne, program coordinator, at laynel@rpi.edu for more information. Interschool Minor in Energy Co-directors Michael K. Jensen, Mechanical Engineering Any thoughtful discussion of the challenges we face as we enter the next century will refer to energy. Rensselaer is uniquely able to offer students in any undergraduate major an opportunity to learn about the wide variety of issues involved in understanding energy. The interschool minor in energy includes fundamental courses in architecture, engineering, management, science, and the humanities and social sciences. Any student who wishes to develop a multidisciplinary background in energy should consider this minor. The minor requires a minimum of four courses, of which three are required: ENGR-2100 Engineering Thermodynamics, MEAE-4960 Topics in Energy Systems, and ERTH-4400 Energy and Mineral Resources. If any of these courses is also a required course for a student’s major, the student should substitute an additional course from Option Two below. At least one more course must be taken from Option One:
Options Two *This is a special topics course. Graduate Programs The Department of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer is one of the few departments in the world to offer degrees in STS from the baccalaureate to the doctoral level. Graduate programs lead to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Science and Technology Studies. This reflects Rensselaer’s commitment to the development of STS as a field of inquiry, emphasizing the historical, political, and social dimensions of our technological society. The diverse STS faculty, drawn from a broad range of academic disciplines, provides its students with the concepts and methods necessary to develop an integrated understanding of both the technological and human elements of our culture. Current research projects include:
Master of Science The program is designed for students who have undergraduate training in the sciences (natural and social), engineering, or humanities. Many entering students have substantial career experience relevant to the concerns of the program. Content includes:
Five Year B.S.-M.S. A five-year combined B.S.-M.S. program is available for Rensselaer undergraduates who wish to earn a graduate degree in STS. Students may apply to the program on completion of their sophomore year. Professional Master’s Program in Ecological Economics, Values, and Policy Director Steve Breyman The Professional Master’s Program in Ecological Economics, Values and Policy (EEVP) is a joint offering of the Departments of Economics and Science and Technology Studies (STS), and builds on our nationally recognized expertise and course offerings in the economic, political, social, cultural, and ethical implications and interactions of science, technology, environment, and society. EEVP is aimed at early and mid-career professionals in state and local government, secondary education, business, and the nonprofit sector—for example, professionals in environmental nongovernmental organizations—who are looking to upgrade their skills and advance their careers. Building on required courses in environmental, ecological, and natural resource economics and in environmental philosophy and policy, EEVP helps students to acquire the skills they will need—for example, policy analysis and ecological valuation—to address the complex multidisciplinary problems any society faces in such areas as environment and health, appropriate technology, and sustainable development. The 21st century promises a continuation of the march toward globalization that has characterized the current century. Dealing with the prospects and problems of a world economy and the growing human impact on the natural world requires an education that is both broad and deep. EEVP offers students “hands on” training that puts into practice the slogan “think globally, act locally.” Curriculum Common 2 courses (6 credit hours) Required: ECON/STSS-6600 Seminar in EEVP (the common introductory course), and ECON/STSS-6650 EEVP Professional Project (the common capstone course) Economics 4 courses (a minimum of 12 credit hours) Required: ECON-6490 Introduction to Economic Theory, and two of the following three courses:
Electives, for example: ECON-4150 Economics of Government Regulation, ECON-4160 Public Finance, ECON-4190 International Economics, ECON-6210 Advanced Cost Benefit Analysis, ECON-6550 Advanced Microeconomic Analysis, and ECON-6590 Advanced Macroeconomic Analysis STS 4 courses (a minimum of 12 credit hours) Required: STSH-6300 Environmental Philosophy, STSS-6300 Environment and Social Theory, and one of the following two courses: STSS-6320 Environmental Politics and Policy and STSS-6540 Environment, Law, and Culture Electives, for example: STSH-6020 Values and Policy, STSS-4390 Environment and International Policy, STSS-4400 Risky Technologies, STSS-4500 Environment and Development, STSS-6010 Concepts in STS, STSS-6100 Seminar in Science and Technology Policy, and STSS-6400 Environment and Health Total 10 courses (a minimum of 30 credit hours) The program can be completed with all 6000-level courses at 3 credit hours, but if students choose to take one or two 4000-level electives at 4 credit hours, they will earn either 31 or 32 credit hours, respectively. Note: These courses will be offered in a pattern that allows students to complete the program while continuing to hold their everyday jobs. The courses will be offered at night, in a series of intensive weekends, or in the summer in an alternating fashion that makes it possible to take the ten required courses in two years. Supplement in Multidisciplinary Environmental Studies A student can choose to add 15 credit hours of science and/or engineering, earning the equivalent of a minor in environmental science or engineering, for which we will award a Certificate in Multidisciplinary Environmental Studies. The courses may include, for example, BIOL-4850 Principles of Ecology, CHEM-4810 Chemistry of the Environment, ERTH-4180 Environmental Geology, and IENV-4700 One Mile of the Hudson River; or environmental courses as approved by adviser. Students should focus their additional 15 credit hours on an area of study that complements their individual project work in the rest of the program. Doctor of Philosophy The program is designed to train professionals capable of stewardship of our complex technological society, as researchers, teachers, planners, and advisers in academic, government, and private institutions. The curriculum requires a total of 90 credit hours (30 in the dissertation) including 60 hours of study beyond the master’s degree. Required courses in the 12-credit core are Science and Social Theory, Technology and Social Theory, Nature of Inquiry, Policy Seminar, and Advanced Research Methods. Remaining course work is drawn from three areas: policy studies, science studies, and technology studies. The field examination covers two of these three areas, plus an area tailored to the student’s interests. Courses For course descriptions see the STSH and STSS course listings in this catalog. Students in this program often take courses in other departments in the Institute appropriate to their specific interests. |
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180. (518) 276-6000 Please direct questions regarding this site to catalog@rpi.edu. |