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| Cornell University Department of Science and Technology Studies 632 Clark Hall Ithaca, NY 14853-2501 Program Link: http://www.sts.cornell.edu |
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Professor Trevor Pinch, Chair |
The Department of Science and Technology Studies (S&TS) is composed of scholars from a variety of disciplines who share an interest in understanding the nature of science and technology and the complex interactions between science, technology, society, and culture. Grounded primarily in the history, philosophy, sociology, and politics of science, the S&TS field is developing its own perspectives, questions, and research topics which can only be understood within an interdisciplinary framework. Stressing faculty and student diversity, research strength, and commitment to student training, the Cornell program has developed in just a few years into one of a handful at this forefront of S&TS. S&TS at Cornell approaches the study of science and technology in its most significant dimensions. The origins of science and the development of scientific ideas, the cultural position of experimentation, the creation of scientific authority, the role of rhetoric in science, and the politics of scientific and technological decision-making are among the many topics actively explored by faculty and students. A considerable body of empirical research has focused upon scientific practice, scientific controversies, technology studies, science and technology policy, and responses to science and technology in diverse social forums.
Cornell's graduate school allows students to form special committees based in S&TS but drawing on faculty members throughout the university. Students use this unique committee system to shape their own programs, selecting courses, research projects, and other activities to provide structure within the array of disciplinary directions available through S&TS.
First-year graduate students are currently expected to take a one-semester
seminar which introduces them to faculty interests in the field. Students
are also expected to take specifically designated, introductory theoretical
and methodological courses in at least three of the four main subject
areas: history, philosophy, sociology, and politics of science and technology.
Graduate students are expected to achieve a level of competence in at
least one foreign language sufficient for reading the literature in
the student's research area.
Ph.D. -- Science and Technology Studies
The S&TS Department admits students holding an A.B. degree or equivalent. Students may come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including the natural sciences, engineering, and humanistic and social studies of science and technology.
Applications for admission to the Graduate Field of Science and Technology Studies should be requested from the Graduate School, Cornell University, Sage Graduate Center, Ithaca, NY 14853. The following supporting documentation is required: three letters of recommendation, official transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended, GRE scores, and a writing sample. Applicants whose native language is not English should enclose their TOEFL scores. This is not necessary, however, for those applicants who have either (1) received a degree from a college or university in a country where the native language is English; or (2) studied for two or more years in an undergraduate or graduate program in which the native language was English.
The deadline for applications is January 10. All applicants are informed
of admission decisions by April 15. Prospective students are welcome
to visit Cornell. Appointments may be made by contacting the Graduate
Field Assistant, Department of Science and Technology Studies, Cornell
University, 632 Clark Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, (607) 255-6234, FAX (607)
255-0616, or E-mail: jly5@cornell.edu.
S&TS faculty members are particularly noted for their strengths
in the following arenas: philosophy of science; history of science and
technology; history of women in science; perspectives in the social
construction of science and technology; the social impact of science
and technology; communication and popularization of science; law and
science; and science in environmental studies.
Extensive financial resources are available to help defray the cost of graduate study at Cornell. Students who are admitted to the program receive 5 years of guaranteed financial support. Support in the field of Science and Technology Studies usually comes from a combination of fellowships and teaching assistantships. Among potential funding sources are: the Sage Graduate Fellowship; external fellowships from the National Science Foundation and the Javits Foundation; fellowships for minority students; and S&TS teaching assistantships.
Cornell boasts a world-class library system which is one of the foremost resources available to S&TS graduate students. In addition to superb collections in the natural sciences and the core S&TS disciplines, the system includes an agricultural library that is at the forefront of efforts to improve information management and retrieval. The history of science division is one of the most important collections of rare books and manuscripts in the country. Archival resources cover the full range of sciences and are explicitly oriented toward interdisciplinary S&TS research. Of special interest are the unique archival collections on cold fusion, DNA fingerprinting, and science writing.
Additional activities oriented specifically toward the S&TS community include graduate assistantships with the History of Science Society's quarterly journal Isis; occasional workshops on topics of current interest in the field; the annual Nordlander Lecture on Science and Public Policy; lectures by visiting S&TS scholars and postdoctoral fellows; and weekly luncheons for faculty and graduate students, at which students may present their work.
