Science, Technology & Public Policy
The Science, Technology and Public Policy (STPP) undergraduate program in EPP provides students with an extra dimension to their education in the areas where science, technology, society and policy intersect. The complex problems facing our world are not single-discipline textbook problems. Students need more than their technical coursework to prepare them for careers. The curriculum of the STPP additional major provides students with this broader societal perspective and additional analysis skills that employers are seeking.
The Science, Technology, and Public Policy additional major is appropriate for students studying anything from computer science to biology, from economics to psychology, from statistics to technical writing - any traditional field of study where you will earn a BS degree. Students in STPP complete all of the coursework for their traditional major, but then augment the depth of that knowledge with coursework in economics, decision-making, communications, data analysis. Students select elective courses that expand their knowledge of current day issues in areas such as energy systems, cybersecurity, information networking, human health, environmental impacts, and business innovation among others. Finally, students participate in project-based courses that mirror problem solving in today’s business world - working with peers from across disciplines to collectively structure the solution to a current problem with technical and social issues that are integrated.
Students who complete an STPP degree don’t close out any career options open to graduates in their primary major — rather, they open a wide range of additional opportunities. Government, industry, and non-profits are seeking employees with an understanding of technical issues combined with analytical skills to solve current complex problems. Most of our graduates pursue traditional career paths similar to their classmates, but note that the additional skills of the STPP program are what set them apart from their classmates to get them their job.
If you would like to learn more about this program, please schedule an appointment with Deanna Matthews, Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Affairs.
Course Requirements
Students pursuing an additional major in Science, Technology and Public Policy (STPP) must complete three sets of requirements: courses for the STPP additional major, courses for their traditional disciplinary major, and general education courses. Students should work with their advisors to determine how to best fit the additional major requirements into their course load.
Introductory Courses
19-101 Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy
19-201 EPP Sophomore Seminar
Core Area Courses
73-102 Principles of Microeconomics
Statistics course — (one of the following, or other approved course)
36-220 Engineering Statistics and Quality Control
36-226 Introduction to Statistical Inference
73-407 Fundamentals of Statistical Modeling
Decision Science elective (one of the following, or other approved course)
19-301 Decision Making Methods for EPP
84-369 Decision Science for International Relations
88-223 Decision Analysis and Decision Support Systems
88-302 Behavioral Decision Making
Writing and Communications (one of the following, or other approved course)
19-325 Technology & Policy Writing for Lay Audiences
76-270 Writing for the Professions
76-271 Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing
Technology-Policy Electives
At least 3 courses of EPP Technology-Policy electives (24 units minimum)
Capstone Courses
19-351 Applied Methods for Technology-Policy Analysis
19-451 EPP Projects (taken twice)
or 19-452