Notice of Program Name Change
The Certificate in Integrated Studies in Science, Engineering, and Society is being renamed to the Certificate in Science, Technology, and Society. Students can earn a certificate in Studies in Science, Engineering, and Society through the end of summer 2027. Beginning fall 2027, the program awarded will be Certificate in Science, Technology, and Society.
The certificate in Integrated Studies in Science, Engineering, and Society (ISSuES) offers students an opportunity to explore the social sciences and humanities in a way that emphasizes the relationship between science, technology, medicine, engineering, and society. From energy to communications technologies to gene editing to automation, the interplay between researchers, developers, policy makers and the public is constantly shaping and reshaping our world. The certificate allows students to complement their majors with a set of courses aimed at helping them understand how society shapes science and how science shapes society.
Offered by the Holtz Center for Science & Technology Studies, the certificate is highly flexible and is available to all undergraduate students interested in exploring the complex interplay between science, technology, medicine, engineering, and society.
How to Get in
The certificate in integrated studies in science, engineering and society (ISSuES) is offered to all undergraduate students. Students should begin the application process by the end of sophomore year, but no later than the end of their junior year.
The first step in applying to the program is to consult with the ISSuES certificate advisor. To make an appointment, please send an email to sts@ssc.wisc.edu.
Requirements
15 credits, To Include: 1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| STS 201 | Where Science Meets Society | 3 |
| 9 credits from one focus area: | 9 | |
| Ethics: | ||
| How People Learn | ||
| Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives | ||
| Special Topics: Social Perspectives in Environmental Studies | ||
| Biology and Society, 1950 - Today | ||
| The Origins of Scientific Thought | ||
| The Making of Modern Science | ||
| Bodies, Diseases, and Healers: An Introduction to the History of Medicine | ||
| Technology and Social Change in History | ||
| Science, Medicine, and Race: A History | ||
| Science, Medicine and Religion | ||
| International Health and Global Society | ||
| American Environmental History | ||
| Public Health Ethics | ||
| Independent Study in Medical History | ||
| Introductory Ethics | ||
| Ethics in Business | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Contemporary Moral Issues | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Modern Ethical Theories | ||
| Leadership: | ||
| World Hunger and Malnutrition | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Health | ||
| Global Environmental Issues | ||
| History of Pharmacy | ||
| Science and Storytelling | ||
| Visualizing Science and Technology | ||
| Risk Communication | ||
| Managing Organizations | ||
| Introduction to American Politics and Government | ||
| Law, Politics and Society | ||
| Technology and Society | ||
| Introduction to Social Policy | ||
| Design: | ||
| 2D Foundations | ||
| 3D Foundations | ||
| Introduction to Digital Forms | ||
| Foundations of Contemporary Art | ||
| Drawing for Non-Art Majors | ||
| Drawing Foundations | ||
| Wood Working | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Advanced Wood Working | ||
| History of Western Art II: From Renaissance to Contemporary | ||
| Cross-Cultural Arts Around the Atlantic Rim: 1800 to the Present | ||
| Cities of Asia | ||
| Proseminar in American Architecture | ||
| Design: Fundamentals I | ||
| Fashion Illustration | ||
| Design: Fundamentals II | ||
| Person and Environment Interactions | ||
| Taste | ||
| Global Environmental Issues | ||
| Special Topics in the History of Science | ||
| Science and Environmental Journalism | ||
| Survey of Landscape Architecture Design | ||
| Digital Media and Science Communication | ||
| Managing Organizations | ||
| Introductory Ethics | ||
| Technology and Society | ||
| General: | ||
| Race and American Politics from the New Deal to the New Right | ||
| Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity | ||
| Introduction to Digital Forms | ||
| Introduction to Digital Communication | ||
| Videogames & Learning | ||
| Design: Fundamentals I | ||
| Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives | ||
| Conservation and Climate Change - Local to International Strategies | ||
| The Origins of Scientific Thought | ||
| The Making of Modern Science | ||
| Technology and Social Change in History | ||
| Science, Medicine, and Race: A History | ||
| Race, American Medicine and Public Health | ||
| The Development of Public Health in America | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| International Health and Global Society | ||
| Introduction to Human Factors | ||
| Introductory Ecology | ||
| Capstone—one from: 2 | 3 | |
| Special Topics | ||
| Advanced Wood Working | ||
| Proseminar in American Architecture | ||
| Taste | ||
| Geography of Wisconsin | ||
| Race, American Medicine and Public Health | ||
| Risk Communication | ||
| The Development of Public Health in America | ||
| Independent Study in Medical History | ||
| Contemporary Moral Issues | ||
| International Health and Global Society | ||
| Introduction to Human Factors | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
- 1
Courses taken with the pass/fail grade option do not apply to the certificate.
- 2
Courses used for the Focus area cannot also count for Capstone.
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA on all courses counting toward the certificate and certificate approved courses
- 8 credits in the certificate, in residence
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Learning Outcomes
- Be exposed to the social sciences and humanities and see their relevance to scientific and technological enterprises.
- Develop the capacity for interdisciplinary, critical thinking about the relationship between science, technology, engineering, medicine and society.
- Develop a sense of personal and social responsibility for their engineering, scientific or other professional practice.
- Strengthen written communication skills.
Advising and Careers
Advising
To obtain advising assistance, students should consult with the certificate advisor: sts@ssc.wisc.edu.
All UW–Madison undergraduates are encouraged to begin working on their career exploration and preparation soon after arriving on campus. We partner with SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science. L&S graduates are in high demand by employers and graduate programs, and the Integrated Studies in Science, Engineering, and Society certificate provides students with a way to integrate their liberal studies with the skills they are developing in their majors. It is important to us that our students are career ready at the time of graduation, and we are committed to your success. Students who have completed the certificate say that it helped them enhance the portfolio of skills they offered to employers and graduate programs by giving them foundations for understanding and communicating effectively about the ethical, policy, design, and other nontechnical aspects of science, engineering, and medicine.
Study Abroad
Learning in Letters & Science emphasizes discovery, growth, understanding different perspectives, and challenging yourself, which makes studying abroad an excellent fit for many L&S students: studyabroad.wisc.edu
As a university with global influence, we have more than 300 study abroad programs in over 80 countries. These vary in length, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and level of independence. There are many programs to complement every major and any year of college (including the final semester)—and all meet UW–Madison’s high academic standards. Students admitted into Letters & Science can even choose a short program in the summer before they start college or their whole first year: studyabroad.wisc.edu/launch. Talk with your academic advisor about how studying abroad might fit with your academic plan.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students