About the Program

The Designated Emphasis (DE) in Science and Technology Studies (STS) is a program of training in the social studies of science, technology, and medicine for Berkeley and UCSF PhD students from any home department. Students who are accepted into the program, and who complete its requirements, will be in a strong position to excel within STS-related fields.

Students in this program receive a rigorous grounding in the studies of knowledge production and technological change. The program also facilitates a deeper involvement with the lively interdisciplinary research community at Berkeley dedicated to understanding the dynamic relations among science, technology, and social and political formations.

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Admissions

To be admitted to the Designated Emphasis in Science and Technology Studies, an applicant must already be accepted into a PhD program at the University of California, Berkeley. For further information regarding admission to graduate programs at UC Berkeley, please see the Graduate Division's admissions website .

How to apply for the DE:

1. One-page letter of intent summarizing research interests, educational or employment background, and any related coursework in areas related to Science and Technology Studies;
2. A list of courses the student would use to satisfy the elective requirement (optional but encouraged);
3. A writing sample (e.g., a paper you have written for a UC graduate course) that is indicative of your research interests; and
4. Letter of recommendation from a member of the Science and Technology Studies Affiliated Faculty group.

Designated Emphasis Requirements

Coursework/Curriculum

Electives

Students are also required to take three elective courses that place a critical engagement with science, technology and/or medicine at their core. To foster interdisciplinarity, no more than two of these electives can be taken from the student’s home department. As a package, the three elective courses are expected to enhance the student’s capacity to understand and analyze how science and technology operate through and within ethical, historical, social, or cultural formations. Courses listed on the DE website  are acceptable. If the student wishes to have a course not listed count, he or she should send an email to the head graduate adviser, including the syllabus for the course and a justification for why it should be acceptable.

Below is a list of approved electives:

Qualifying Examination

Your PhD qualifying exam committee must include at least one member of the DE affiliated faculty who will evaluate your knowledge related to the designated emphasis.

Dissertation

Your PhD dissertation topic must be related to Science and Technology Studies, and your PhD dissertation committee must include at least one member of the DE affiliated faculty who can evaluate it from that perspective.

Research Resources

For current DE students, small grants are available for STS-related conferences and fieldwork. Application deadlines are twice per year, May 1 and November 1. Applications for activities falling between May 1–October 3 must be received by the May deadline.

Teaching Opportunities

Students may be asked to be a GSI (graduate student instructor) for STS C100 or other courses that the center might develop.

Professional Development Activities

The Center for Science, Technology, Medicine, & Society provides many opportunities for professional development. The STS Working Group meets regularly to discuss STS texts and provide feedback on presentations, job talks, and other aspects of an academic career. Students are welcome to partake in master classes with visiting speakers in our colloquium series. Students are also invited to organize a conference on their general topic, with the assistance of the center.

Courses

Science and Technology Studies