Science, Technology, and Society

This course introduces students to contemporary issues involving science, technology, and engineering as well as the core ideas of STS. Emphasis is on three ideas: a) engineering is a social endeavor; b) technology shapes and is shaped by society; and c) technologies are sociotechnical systems. The course also teaches writing and public speaking, skills needed in engineering.

Student led special topic courses which vary by semester.

This course introduces students to key business topics relevant to high technology companies. Students will learn how to understand and interpret financial statements and frame financial decisions, including building a business case. The course will explore typical organizational structures and the roles of business functions. Students will be introduced to business models and other concepts in marketing and business strategy.

This course investigates a major source of human impact upon the Earth - energy consumption to fuel human activity. The course a) provides a cross-disciplinary perspective on the challenge of human-centered energy use, b) explains the historical origins of today's energy systems, c) describes current energy systems, d) examines the components of sustainable energy systems, and e) considers keys to their deployment.

Lectures, readings, and discussions compare earlier and modern designs of the ideal society, stressing the relationship of their basic technologies to historical reality. Such writers as Plato, Thomas More, and Edward Bellamy are considered. Students give oral presentations, write short papers, and research technological utopias. Prerequisite: STS 1500 or equivalent.

STS 2101 examines the relationships of engineering, technology, and society, with a specific focus on the multiple forms of expertise required for socially responsible engineering practice and career advancement, including (1) sociotechnical systems thinking, (2) ethical awareness, and (3) the ability to communicate and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders in both formal and informal settings.

This course invites students to explore the implications of STS core concepts within a specific topical or disciplinary area. The course explores the social and global context of engineering, science and technology. Although writing and speaking skills are emphasized, more attention is given to course content and the students' analytical abilities.

The mission of UVA - SEAS is "to make the world a better place by creating and disseminating knowledge and by preparing engineering leaders to solve global challenges." In alignment with that mission, this course seeks to equip undergraduates with knowledge, understanding, and practice to prepare them for ethical leadership now, as students, and for their future as engineering leaders. Prerequisite 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year Engineering Student

Examines the development of public policies aimed at promoting and regulating science and technology. Topics include historical evolution of the federal government's involvement in science policy; the players, organizations, and agencies who make science policy; the reasons the government funds the research it does; how science and technology is regulated by the government.

This course will not only teach the key components of doing a transaction but also the skills necessary to negotiate effectively. The class will be interactive . Various case studies involving technology transactions will be analyzed and discussed. A reasonable amount of assigned reading and project work will be required.

Introduces students to earth systems technology and management, and related concepts such as industrial ecology (the objective, multidisciplinary study of industrial and economic systems and their linkages with fundamental natural systems).  The requirements of this course include regular and prepared participation in class and discussions, two semester projects, homework as assigned, and substantial reading and analysis of case studies and articles.  Additionally, students will become familiar with design methodologies, and apply those methodologies to case studies as part of a class project.  Prerequisite: STS 1500 or equivalent.

In this course, we will explore four case studies illustrative of the potential disharmony between intent and process. In each case, the action is a public policy initiative with scientific or technological dimensions, where good intentions either led to unwelcome collateral consequences, or the process of implementation failed to fulfill the intent of the policy.

An introduction to concepts innovators use to solve problems and create value by addressing unmet needs. Learn how to identify and evaluate opportunities and use proven entrepreneurial frameworks to create new products and businesses for companies of all sizes. Through class activities, projects, and presentations you will learn how storytelling, teamwork, and leadership skills are essential for starting, funding, and building your business.

Entrepreneurial Finance will introduce finance concepts for those interested in small biz startups. Through readings, cases and guest speakers, we will review several industries, from low tech to small business manufacturing to high tech. We will explore different ways small businesses are financed and the theory and practice behind those decisions. Class participation and a entrepreneurial project will be an important part of the class.

The course explores government contracting, how the government procures products and services, and opportunities created through government regulation. Pre-requisite: STS 1500 or ENGR 1020 or ENGR 2595-Engineering Foundations II.

Special tutorial with a topic declared in advance. Limited to undergraduate SEAS students with third- or fourth-year standing. Not to substitute for STS 4500, 4600. The topic, work plan, and conditions are arranged by contract between instructor and student and approved by the department chair, with a copy to be filed in the department office. Prerequisites: STS 1500 or equivalent, a 2000-level STS course.

This Socratic course prepares undergrads for internships in science, engineering and technology (SET) in Washington, DC. A core objective is to increase knowledge, oral and written skills for assessing SET and their impacts on public policy. Engineering students accepted into the SEAS Policy Internship Program in Science and Technology must take the course. Students from Batten School, the College and other schools are also welcome to enroll.

What is a globally sustainable standard of living? How should governments balance the desire to create national income and provide for the human needs of their citizens, against the desire to conserve natural resources and the environment for future generations? This course takes a systematic approach to answering these questions by evaluating sustainability in the context of human needs.

Clean energy (CE) systems require far more minerals than their fossil fuel-based counterparts, minerals sourced, refined, and disposed of globally. The course examines which minerals are needed for the CE transition and why. It considers social, economic, and environmental sustainability challenges from use of these materials and highlights the sociotechnical reality of sustainability, i.e., Success depends upon social and technical advance. 3rd year standing or instructor permission

Development of knowledge and skills needed to conduct qualitative research. Grounded in science and technology studies (STS), feminism, anthropology, and ethnic studies, students will engage questions of authority, representation, critical consciousness, and power. Lays the intellectual groundwork for students to use research methods as tools for catalyzing reflexivity in scientific and technological disciplines. Prerequisite: STS 2101 or receive permission from the instructor.

Specific topics vary. Advanced level examination of the relationships among science, technology and society.

This course will cover various topics in engineering business. 

This course engages students with the idea that success in posing and solving engineering problems requires attention to the social dimensions of professional endeavors and practice. STS theories and methods are applied to student thesis projects. Students produce a prospectus for the undregraduate thesis project. Students must be in residence to take this course. Students are not permitted to take STS 4500 and STS 4600 simultaneously. Prereq: STS 2600 and STS 2000 or STS 3000 level (or writing requirement equivalent) course. 4th Year Engineering or by instructor permission for early graduation.

This course will cover various topics in engineering entrepreneurship.

This course focuses on ethical issues in engineering. The key theme is that ethics is central to engineering practice. The professional responsibilities of engineers are examined. Students produce an STS Research paper linked to their technical thesis project and complete all of the requirements for the undergraduate thesis. Students must be in residence to take this course. Students are not permitted to take STS 4500 and STS 4600 simultaneously. Prerequisites: STS 4500.