Students are expected to develop a professional mastery of a field of history or one of the social sciences. They must also master the underlying concepts in science and engineering that relate to their special field of interest. Doctoral students take at least 10 subjects in the doctoral program during their first two years. All graduate students take the introductory seminars, STS.210J and STS.250J, in their first year. They take STS.230, designed as an integrative seminar considering thematic issues from a variety of perspectives, in their second year.
Students also choose several foundation subjects such as history of science or ethnographic methods.
Finally, students choose several departmental seminars designed to offer more in-depth study of particular topics. Upon the satisfactory completion of general examinations in the third year, students proceed to the writing of a dissertation, usually with the assistance of a multidisciplinary advisory committee. Students from any academic discipline are invited to apply to the doctoral program. For detailed descriptions of subjects in Science, Technology, and Society, see STS.001 to STS.950 in Chapter VIII .