Description
The Society, Technology and Values (STV) undergraduate option and STV courses give students an opportunity to explore a wide range of social and political issues associated with technological change. The option and courses are open to students in all University of Waterloo faculties. Students whose schedules do not permit taking the entire Option are invited to take individual courses.
To complete the STV option students must meet requirements A, B, C and D.
Requirement A: STV introductory courses
Completion of two of the following courses with a minimum two-course average of 70%
- STV 100 Society, Technology and Values: Introduction
- STV 202 Design and Society
- STV 205 Cybernetics and Society
- STV 208 Artificial Intelligence and Society
- STV 210 / HIST 212 The Computing Society
Requirement B: STV courses with prerequisites
Completion of one of the following courses with a minimum grade of 70%
- STV 201 Society, Technology and Values: Special Topics
- STV 302 Information Technology and Society
- STV 304 Technology in Canadian Society
- STV 305 Technology, Society and the Modern City
- STV 306 Biotechnology and Society
- STV 401 Society, Technology and Values: Advanced Topics (Not currently offered)
Requirement C: STV and other related courses
Completion of two additional courses with a minimum two-course average of 70%, either:
- two other STV courses from those listed in Requirements A and B;
or - one other STV course from those listed in Requirements A and B, and one non-technical course that is shown to be relevant to STV subject matter and approach as well as to the research undertaken in Requirement D, and that is approved by the STV option coordinator;
or - two courses that are shown to be relevant to STV subject matter and approach as well as to the research undertaken in Requirement D, and that are approved by the STV option coordinator.
There is a list of courses used by past STV Option students to fulfill this requirement. We encourage students to consider courses offered in conjunction with the Science and Technology in Society Teaching Group for this requirement.
Requirement D: Research
Students may meet their research requirement in one of the following two ways:
- Completion of STV 400 with a minimum grade of 70%. STV 400 is a supervised reading and research course on a technology-and-society area and topic approved by the STV option coordinator;
or - Students who do a fourth-year thesis or project in their home departments may add a significant technology-society component or components to their thesis or project. The STV component(s) must deal with technology-society aspects of their research topic. The topic must be approved by the STV option coordinator. The project will be graded by the STV option coordinator or other representatives of the Centre for Society, Technology and Values, and must receive a minimum grade of 70%.
Examples of previous STV400 papers are available. Also, some recent STV option students have recorded summaries of their experiences. Students should consult with the option coordinator, Scott Campbell for more information.