- Technology Studies. Examines diverse intellectual approaches to the overlapping relationships of modern technology, society, culture, and political life. An encounter with books and other scholarly constructions, balanced with one's own personal experience of matters social and technical, move the discussion through interpretation and explanation to ask: Where are we headed and why?
- Science Studies. Develops the ability to understand, criticize, construct, and use theories of science as social relations, social productions, and social constructions. Reviews nature and types of social cultural theory. Students read and analyze works of the leading theorists of science in contemporary science studies and learn about theory construction as a craft.
- Policy Studies. Tracks the implications of theories in science and technology studies for democratic government action. Students read and evaluate current perspectives in science and technology policy and analyze strategies and opportunities for social change through collective decision making.
- Theory Option. This is satisfied by a menu of courses in philisophical, social, political, feminist, and cultural theory.
Other courses
Electives can be filled in several ways.Each semester, two or three optional graduate seminars are offered in the department. The topics are arranged to match student interests with faculty expertise. Recent examples include Western Science and Technology Since the Industrial Revolution; Material Culture; Gender, Science, and Technology; and Environment and Development. With support from the National Science Foundation, the department also offers a graduate seminar in design.
Readings courses with individual faculty. Student and faculty member agree on a reading list and meet regularly to discuss the topic. A list of courses faculty are particularly interested in offering is available in the student handbook. Other topics can be arranged between individual students and faculty.
Students may also take
- upper level undergraduate courses in STS
- courses offered in other departments, such as Technology and Organizations (Management), Productivity Measurement and Analysis of Technological Change (Economics), or Statistics (Department of Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems)
- courses at other area campuses, including Sage College and the State University of New York at Albany.