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STS offers degrees at each university level: undergraduate, masters, and PhD

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Frequently Asked Questions: Undergraduate Admissions

Frequently Asked Questions: Undergraduate Admissions

Why study at UCL STS?

UCL STS provides a broad and truly interdisciplinary academic experience. By offering a wide range of modules, you will gain a unique and comprehensive insight of Science and Technology Studies as a discipline. Regardless of the programme stream you are studying; we ensure that all our students graduate with a strong set of analytical, written, communicational and organisational skills that make you particularly well-suited for numerous careers or further academic study at postgraduate level.

Do I need a science background?

Absolutely not. Our students often come from both humanities and science backgrounds - what you studied at school will not affect your ability to study at UCL STS. Our prospective students should have a keen interest in science and willingness to explore different historical, philosophical and sociological concepts centred around a scientific discipline, science policy narrative or science communication topic.

How will I be assessed?

Our BSc programmes involve a range of assessment types. Most include a form of written assessment such as a long or short essay and an exam in the summer term. A number of modules also involve short filmmaking, blog-writing and presentations as alternate forms of assessment.

How many contact hours should I expect each week?

Each BSc Programme involves around 8 contact hours a week when taking 4 modules a term. 

Can I take modules outside of STS?

In your first year, all STS modules are compulsory with no option to study outside of the department. This provides a strong STS foundation and allows you to access an over-arching perspective when specialising your academic interests. You may take external modules in your second and third year. However, taking modules outside of the department is dependent on your qualifications to study that module and avoiding any timetable clashes with other STS modules.

Each year STS offer a number of departmental excursions as well as trips within specific modules. In previous years, STS has organised a day trip to Bletchley ParkScience Museum exhibitions, Kew Gardens, the Cutty Sark in Greenwich and even a tour of the BBC as part of the ‘science and filmmaking’ module.

What kinds of career paths do STS alumni enter into?

The breadth and depth of STS opens you up to numerous potential career paths. Our alumni boast a range of jobs such as working in science policy think tanks, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, science journalism, civil service, managerial roles in healthcare and teaching both at university and school level. For more information, including interviews with STS alumni, visit our careers page.

What if I have a specific disability?

UCL should make reasonable adjustments to learning, teaching and assessment to support students with a disability or other ongoing medical or mental health condition. Reasonable adjustment is a three-step process which can be found in the Reasonable Adjustments section of the UCL Academic Manual.

Once I'm admitted into one of your degrees, can I transfer to another department/degree?

Sometimes students change their preferences and ambitions. UCL allows students who are admitted into one programme to apply for transfer into another. However, some restrictions apply, and transfer is neither gauranteed nor is it a student right. Most important, the receiving programme (the one the student wants to transfer into) must accept the student's request. A request can be declined for numerous reasons, such as the student having insufficient qualifications, or simply a lack of space in the receiving degree. Transfers also require coordination to ensure the student can fit smoothly into the receiving programme of study. Normally, transfers are effective at the start of a term. Also, an agreement needs to be in place as to how credits already earned by the student will be applied to their new degree path. Personal tutors and the STS Undergraduate Programme Tutor are the points of contact to discuss questions about transfer into a different degree.