- Students are to follow the requirements of the Handbook for the year they commenced the course.
However, the subject links below do not contain the subject information for the current year. You can view current subject information through the new Course Handbook.
Science and Technology Studies (STS)
Should we cycle to uni instead of driving because of climate change? Why are some people concerned about the health risks of mobile phones whilst others see them as a safe and essential way of communicating? What are the issues with using genetic testing to select for particular traits in future children? Science and Technology Studies (STS) provides you with the tools to answer some of these questions and many more. In STS you can study everything from Galileo's conflict with the Church over his sun-centred theory of the cosmos to international law relating to biotechnology regulation and policy responses to climate change.
Science and Technology Studies (STS) is an interdisciplinary program that covers:
- history & philosophy of science, technology & medicine;
- sociology of science & technology;
- science & technology policy;
- environmental history & sociology.
STS's emphasis on building critical analytical skills from an interdisciplinary base is widely recognised by international bodies involved in governance, regulation and policy development as providing graduates with invaluable knowledge and experience for addressing the many complex real-world problems facing humanity in the 21st century. The mix of policy-relevant skills and contextual knowledge about science, technology and the environment to which STS graduates are exposed makes them highly employable upon completion of their degrees.
Whether you are enrolled in an Arts, Science, Engineering, Education or Commerce degree, you can do a minor in STS and get credit points toward your degree program.
Students enrolled in either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies degree can pursue STS as a single major or in combination with another major.
Major Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the Science and Technology Studies major students will be able to:
- Critically review how Science and Technology Studies has developed as a discipline and how it relates to other areas of study
- Evaluate key concepts from the history, philosophy and social studies of science
- Exercise critical thinking and judgment to generate solutions to a range of problems in science and technology policy and decision-making processes
- Create coherent analytical narratives which engage with key contemporary science and technology studies theories and consider a range of alternative viewpoints
Subjects Required for Major Study
A major in STS consists of a minimum of 54 credit points comprised as outlined below.
| Subject Code | subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | |||
| Select ONE subject from the following: | |||
| STS 100 | Knowledge, Culture & Social Change: Science, Technology & Society | 6 | Autumn |
| STS 112 | The Scientific Revolution | 6 | Spring |
| Plus: | |||
| STS 219 | How Science Works: theories, methods and practices in the sciences | 8 | Spring |
| STS 250 | Social Aspects of Genetics and Biotechnology | 8 | Autumn |
| STS 309 | Future Tense: Politics and Regulations of Technoscience | 8 | Spring |
| STS 320 | New Biosciences & the Body:Contemp Issues in Soc Sciences & Medicine | 8 | Spring |
| Electives | |||
| Plus at least TWO from the following. One of these must be 300-level. | |||
| HIST239 | Water in Australia: An Environmental History | 8 | Spring |
| PHIL220 | Knowledge, Explanation and Understanding | 8 | Autumn |
| PHIL258 | Ethics and the Environment | 8 | Autumn |
| STS 218 | Environment in Crisis | 8 | Spring |
| STS 288 | Risk, Media and Communication | 8 | Autumn |
| STS 300 | The Environmental Context: Imagining a Zero Carbon Future | 8 | Autumn |
| STS 399 | Research Topics in Science and Technology Studies | 8 | Autumn, Spring |
| PHIL380 | Bioethics | 8 | Autumn |
Subjects Required for Minor Study
A minor in STS consists of at least 28 credit points from the schedule of the Major. The minor includes one subject at each of the three levels and must include at least three STS subjects.
| Subject Code | subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | |||
| At least ONE from: | |||
| STS 100 | Knowledge, Culture & Social Change: Science, Technology & Society | 6 | Autumn |
| STS 112 | The Scientific Revolution | 6 | Spring |
| Plus at least ONE from: | |||
| STS 219 | How Science Works: theories, methods and practices in the sciences | 8 | Spring |
| STS 250 | Social Aspects of Genetics and Biotechnology | 8 | Autumn |
| Plus at least ONE from: | |||
| STS 309 | Future Tense: Politics and Regulations of Technoscience | 8 | Spring |
| STS 320 | New Biosciences & the Body:Contemp Issues in Soc Sciences & Medicine | 8 | Spring |
| Electives | |||
| HIST239 | Water in Australia: An Environmental History | 8 | Spring |
| PHIL220 | Knowledge, Explanation and Understanding | 8 | Autumn |
| PHIL258 | Ethics and the Environment | 8 | Autumn |
| PHIL380 | Bioethics | 8 | Autumn |
| STS 218 | Environment in Crisis | 8 | Spring |
| STS 288 | Risk, Media and Communication | 8 | Autumn |
| STS 300 | The Environmental Context: Imagining a Zero Carbon Future | 8 | Autumn |
| STS 399 | Research Topics in Science and Technology Studies | 8 | Autumn, Spring |
For non-Arts students, STS offers the following 200-level subjects at 6 credit points
| Subject Code | subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| STS 209 | How Science Works: theories, methods and practices in the sciences | 6 | Spring |
| STS 216 | Environment in Crisis | 6 | Spring |
| STS 251 | Social Aspects of Genetics and Biotechnology | 6 | Autumn |
| STS 286 | Risk, Media and Communication | 6 | Autumn |
Please note that Bachelor of Arts students are not permitted to undertake 6cp 200 level subjects in STS.
Honours
Credit Arrangements
Credit and articulation arrangements are available from the Course Finder. Refer to UOW's credit arrangements for information on how to apply for credit.
Other Information
Further information is available at:
UOW Course Finder
Email: lha-enquiries@uow.edu.au