The Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) undergraduate program in EPP provides non-engineering students with an extra dimension to their education in the areas where science, technology, society, and policy intersect. The complex problems facing our world cannot be tackled through a single-discipline textbook approach, and students need more than technical coursework to prepare them for careers. The curriculum of the STPP additional major provides students with the broad societal perspective and additional analysis skills that employers are seeking.
The Science, Technology, and Public Policy additional major is appropriate for students pursuing a B.S. degree in any traditional field of study, from computer science to biology, economics to psychology, statistics to technical writing. 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, and data analysis. Students select elective courses that expand their knowledge of current issues in areas such as energy systems, cybersecurity, information networking, human health, environmental impacts, and business innovation. Finally, students participate in project-based courses that mirror problem-solving in today’s business world. They work with peers from across disciplines to collectively structure the solution to a current problem with integrated technical and social issues.
Students who complete an STPP degree do not 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-profit groups are seeking employees with both technical and analytical skills to solve current complex problems. Most of our graduates pursue traditional career paths, but they note that the additional skills they develop in the STPP program set them apart from their peers when applying for a job.
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.
| Course number | Course name |
|---|---|
| 19-101 | Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy |
| 19-201 | EPP Sophomore Seminar |
| Course number | Course name |
|---|---|
| 73-102 | Principles of Microeconomics |
Statistics course
One of the following or another approved course:
| Course number | Course name |
|---|---|
| 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 another approved course:
| Course number | Course name |
|---|---|
| 19-301 | Decision-Making Methods for Engineers & Scientists |
| 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 another approved course:
| Course number | Course name |
|---|---|
| 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 three courses of EPP technology-policy electives (24 units minimum)
| Course number | Course name |
|---|---|
| 19-351 | Applied Methods for Technology-Policy Analysis |
| 19-451 or 19-452 | EPP Projects (taken twice) |