Science Cadet Requirements

Science personnel provide the investigative research for ships and transmit that information back to Starfleet Command. Science personnel are also useful on landing parties for interpreting their surroundings.

Note: In Starfleet, the Sciences Division is not limited merely to the so-called hard sciences. Social sciences are also considered important by Starfleet to achieve its mission of exploration. Good examples of this kind of science officer in action are in the TOS episode "Who Mourns For Adonis," where we saw Carolyn Palamas acting as the "Archaeology & Anthropology" officer in the landing party. Another example was Hoshi Sato, who had a background in linguistics and thus wore the uniform of the Sciences Division even while serving as ship's communications officer.

Science Specializations

Starfleet requires the Sciences cadet to study at least two specializations. A number of specializations are accepted:

Agriculture Anthropology & Archaeology Astronomy Biology Botany Chemistry Ecology Evolution Genetics Geology History Linguistics Meteorology Microbiology Nanotechnology Oceanography Physics Sexology & Gender Studies Sociology Urban Studies Xenology Zoology

If the cadet's chosen specialization is of a science not offered by the Academy, cadets can fulfill the requirement through a number of other academic institutions which utilize the same holographic distance-learning system the Academy uses.

Science Major

To major in Science, a cadet must have the following 25 credits:

Astronomy: Astrophysics, General Astronomy: Astrophysics, Advanced Chemistry: Physical Chemistry 1 Chemistry: Physical Chemistry 2 Physics Department

• At least 5 courses.

Xenobiology Department

• At least 6 courses.

Specialization

• At least 10 courses.

Science Minor

Non-Science Majors interested in minoring in a particular subject offered by the Division of Arts & Sciences must complete at least 6 courses, all from that department and which are not already required by the Academy's core curriculum.