Minor in Science and Technology Studies
Program Learning Outcomes for the Minor in Science and Technology Studies
Upon completing the minor in Science and Technology Studies, students will be able to:
- Critically interpret sources pertaining to science and technology in their social context and their significance.
- Identify the social determinants of science and technology in historical or contemporary contexts.
- Understand the impact of particular scientific and/or technological processes on society.
- Pursue research experiences using published sources, technical or experimental data, or archival materials.
- Analyze evidence using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
- Build strong arguments in written work, oral presentations, or artistic projects.
Requirements for the Minor in Science and Technology Studies
Students pursuing in the minor in Science and Technology Studies must complete:
- A minimum of 6 courses (18 credit hours) to satisfy minor requirements.
- A minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this minor. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the minor’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the Program Director. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the minor's Official Certifier). Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Minor in Science and Technology Studies | 18 | |
Minor Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements 1 | ||
| School of Humanities | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN CHINA | ||
| MEDICINE AND MEDIA | ||
| EARLY HISTORY OF SCIENCE | ||
| HISTORY OF MODERN SCIENCE | ||
| COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY | ||
| School of Social Sciences | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| ANTHROPOLOGIES OF NATURE | ||
| INFRASTRUCTURES AND POWER | ||
| FEMINIST SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STUDIES | ||
| Elective Requirements 1,2 | ||
| Select 4 courses as Electives (see course list below) | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Students may take additional Core Requirements to fulfill Elective Requirements, but the course(s) will not count toward both requirements. |
| 2 | A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) of Elective Requirements can be taken from the same subject code (ANTH, ASIA, COMP, DSCI, ENGL, HIST, MDHM, MUSI, PHIL, RELI, SOCI, etc.) Of the 4 courses (12 credit hours) of Elective Requirements, at least 3 courses (9 credit hours) must be taken at the 300-level or above. A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit may apply towards the Elective Requirements. |
Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements
Elective Requirements1
Select a minimum of 4 courses (12 credit hours) from the courses listed below to satisfy Elective Requirements.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 250 | PLAGUES AND PEOPLE | 3 |
| ANTH 321 | SOCIAL LIFE OF DNA | 3 |
| ANTH 342 | ETHNOGRAPHIES OF CARE | 3 |
| ANTH 348 | ANTHROPOLOGIES OF NATURE 2 | 3 |
| ANTH 377 | SOUTH ASIAN ECOLOGIES | 3 |
| ANTH 381 | MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY | 3 |
| ANTH 399 | ANTHROPOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION | 3 |
| ANTH 417 | ONTOLOGIES, VITALITIES, THINGS | 3 |
| ANTH 422 | INFRASTRUCTURES AND POWER 2 | 3 |
| ANTH 428 | FEMINIST SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STUDIES 2 | 3 |
| ARTS 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS 3 | 1-4 |
| ASIA 216 / MDHM 216 | QUACKS AND WONDER DRUGS: A HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN CHINA | 3 |
| ASIA 236 | BUDDHISM AND SCIENCE | 3 |
| ASIA 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS 3 | 1-4 |
| ASIA 307 / MDHM 307 | MEDICINE AND EMPIRE IN ASIA | 3 |
| ASIA 356 | GENOMIC GOVERNANCE IN ASIA | 3 |
| ASIA 357 | ALGORITHMIC CULTURES IN ASIA | 3 |
| ASIA 488 | ASIA AND ENERGY | 3 |
| COMP 301 | COMPUTER ETHICS | 3 |
| DSCI 305 | DATA, ETHICS, AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| ENGL 101 | WHAT IS A FACT? DATA, READING, MEANING FROM HUMANITIES TO STEM | 3 |
| ENGL 199 | OUTER SPACE AND THE HUMANITIES: LITERATURE, CULTURE, AND THE ARTS FROM GALILEO TO NASA | 3 |
| ENGL 273 / SWGS 273 | MEDICINE AND MEDIA 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 378 / MDHM 378 | POLITICS OF REPRODUCTION: SEX, ABORTION, AND MOTHERHOOD | 3 |
| ENST 345 / LALX 345 | BIODIVERSITY AND CONFLICT IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH | 3 |
| FREN 357 / AAAS 357 | SPIRITS, SCIENCE, AND MENTAL HEALTH IN AFRICA | 3 |
| HIST 243 | HISTORY OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES, FROM THE ANCIENT WORLD TO TODAY | 3 |
| HIST 258 | FOOD AND GENDER IN MODERN U.S. HISTORY | 3 |
| HIST 260 | EARLY HISTORY OF SCIENCE 2 | 3 |
| HIST 261 | HISTORY OF MODERN SCIENCE 2 | 3 |
| HIST 262 | VIDEO GAMES AS HISTORY | 3 |
| HIST 265 | CUNEIFORM TO CODING: A HISTORY OF INFORMATION | 3 |
| HIST 300 | INDEPENDENT STUDY 3 | 1-4 |
| HIST 312 | ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| HIST 314 | HISTORY OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | 3 |
| HIST 319 | ATOMIC AMERICA | 3 |
| HIST 321 | US ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY | 3 |
| HIST 325 | THE CENTURY OF THE GENE: HISTORY OF GENETICS AND EUGENICS | 3 |
| HIST 346 | COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY 2 | 3 |
| HIST 430 | HISTORIES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN ASIA | 3 |
| HIST 449 | LAW IN THE DIGITAL WORLD | 3 |
| HIST 480 | HISTORY OF MEDICINE: FROM ART TO SCIENCE | 3 |
| LALX 390 | RECLAIMING THE FUTURE: CONTEMPORARY TECHNOLOGY, CULTURE & SOCIETY IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| MDHM 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS 3 | 1-4 |
| MDHM 275 | TOPICS IN HEALTH INEQUITIES | 3 |
| MDHM 330 | TECHNOLOGIES OF HEALTH | 3 |
| MDHM 359 | RESPONSIBLE AI FOR HEALTH | 3 |
| MUSI 221 | MUSIC, MAGIC, AND SCIENCE IN THE MODERN WORLD | 3 |
| PHIL 150 | TECHNOLOGY, SOCIETY AND VALUE | 3 |
| PHIL 353 | PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY | 3 |
| PHIL 460 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN ETHICS 3 | 3 |
| RELI 250 | RELIGION AND SCIENCE | 3 |
| SOCI 314 | SCIENCE AT RISK? OUT OF THE LAB AND INTO PUBLIC SPHERE | 3 |
| SOCI 335 | RELIGION, SCIENCE, AND HEALTH: A SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH | 3 |
| SOCI 345 | MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY | 3 |
| SOCI 351 | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| SOCI 460 | SPATIAL ANALYSIS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES | 3 |
| SWGS 303 | GENDER AND SCIENCE | 3 |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | A maximum of 2 elective courses (6 credit hours) can be taken from the same subject code (ANTH, ASIA, COMP, DSCI, ENGL, HIST, MDHM, MUSI, PHIL, SOCI, SWGS, etc.) A minimum of 3 elective courses (9 credit hours) must be taken at the upper-level (300-level or above). A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit may apply towards the Elective Requirements. |
| 2 | Students may take additional Core Requirements to fulfill Elective Requirements, but the course(s) will not count toward both requirements. |
| 3 | These are special topics, independent study, and/or advanced topics courses. As such, they will only count toward the minor in Science and Technology Studies when the topic is related to Science and Technology Studies. For questions regarding a specific instance of these courses, consult a minor advisor. If a specific instance of these courses is approved to fulfill minor requirements, the approval must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the minor's Official Certifier. |
Policies for the Minor in Science and Technology Studies
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the minor in Science and Technology Studies should be aware of the following program restriction:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, i.) students may declare their intent to pursue a minor only after they have first declared a major, and ii.) students may not major and minor in the same subject.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the minor in Science and Technology Studies should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guideline:
- No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the minor's Elective Requirements.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Science and Technology Studies website: https://sts.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the Minor in Science and Technology Studies
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Science and Technology Studies website: https://sts.rice.edu/.