The BS program in innovation in society is designed to help students cultivate the critical thinking skills needed to develop creative strategies that steer innovations toward the needs and values of society. Students are trained to synthesize research and theory from the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences and engineers so they can develop proposals for how to build better futures.

No single discipline is able to solve the complex problems we face today. Science and engineering can help us further values we hold dear, such as health, economic prosperity, security, justice, peace, sustainability, privacy and happiness. But innovations need to be developed and deployed carefully and with an understanding of a global context that includes corporations, governments, infrastructure and people.

Students in this major learn to consider the implications of technology before it is deployed and understand the big picture so that they can bring together the pieces needed to form a successful strategy. Classes include extensive use of interactive activities and projects.

The program is specifically tailored for students who have a background or interest in the engineering, science and quantitative social science aspects of innovation who want to play a pivotal role in bringing different disciplines together to solve the world's most difficult problems.