MS Science and Technology Studies at Virginia Tech: Fees 2026 Dates & Requirements

Virginia Tech Master of Science in Science and Technology Studies is a two-year, 30-credit, full-time programme on the Blacksburg campus for Fall 2027 entry. Applicants need an accredited bachelor’s degree and GPA 3.0/4.0, approximately 70% to 75% or CGPA 7.0 to 7.5/10 for Indian planning. Fall 2027 tuition is unpublished; 2026-27 tuition was US$33,581 (INR 31.88 Lakhs), as a prior-cycle reference.

The degree trains students to analyse how social forces shape science, technology and medicine, while examining how those fields affect society. Its thesis and non-thesis paths suit applicants who can connect prior disciplinary work to a focused STS question. The thesis route emphasises original research, while the non-thesis route gives working professionals greater coursework flexibility.

• Students can combine four core courses with electives spanning policy, ethics, history and social analysis.
• The thesis route includes six research credits and a defence, creating a defined independent research output.
• Blacksburg students study mainly in person, with limited online choices that can widen elective planning.

Also Check: Virginia Tech graduate admission details

Virginia Tech STS MS Fees and Living Costs 2027

Fall 2027 tuition remains unpublished after checking the live programme, Bursar and graduate cost pages. The table uses 2026-27 Blacksburg non-resident rates only as prior-cycle planning evidence, not as a target-cycle quote.

2026-27 prior-cycle reference: Virginia Tech charged full-time graduate tuition at the nine-credit threshold each semester. The annual figures below double the exact fall or spring rate and keep the international services charge separate.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of US$ 1 = INR 94.94 as of 26 October 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

Source: Virginia Tech 2026-27 Graduate Blacksburg Campus tuition schedule.

Verify the target fee on the official fee page. The published total excludes course-specific charges, while the immigration fee is removed only when an assistantship qualifies for remission.

• Budget from the US$37,884 (INR 35.97 Lakhs) prior-cycle billed total until Virginia Tech releases 2027-28 rates.
• Ask whether an assistantship covers tuition and comprehensive fees because the published immigration-fee remission alone does not establish complete funding.
• Keep the US$75 (INR 7,121) application charge outside tuition because it is due before any admission or funding decision.

Cost of Living in Blacksburg for STS MS Students

Virginia Tech estimated US$25,434 (INR 24.15 Lakhs) for five non-tuition categories during 2026-27. Monthly values divide each official annual allowance by 12, so they are calculated averages rather than university billing instalments.

2026-27 prior-cycle living-cost reference: Housing and food are separated from indirect allowances, while international health insurance is not included in this university estimate.

A first-year prior-cycle planning illustration totals US$65,468 (INR 62.16 Lakhs): US$37,884 billed costs, US$25,434 living costs and a US$2,150 computer allowance. Repeating only tuition, fees and living allowances gives a two-year illustration of US$128,786 (INR 1.22 Crore), but 2027-28 rates and insurance remain extra uncertainties.

Read More: cost of studying in the United States

ROI reality: The known first-year prior-cycle illustration reaches US$65,468 (INR 62.16 Lakhs) before insurance. Secure written funding terms and replace every prior-cycle rate before committing to the Blacksburg route.

Virginia Tech STS MS Admission 2027

Admission requires an accredited bachelor’s degree, a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 and evidence that the applicant can conduct interdisciplinary graduate work. GRE scores are optional, so the writing sample and research-focused letter carry clear selection value.

Indian applicants should present the transcript’s grading scale because Virginia Tech evaluates international records using that scale. When a transcript lacks one, the Graduate School may use the World Education Services country conversion guide.

Academic Eligibility and Course Fit

The programme accepts varied backgrounds, including science, engineering, humanities, social science and professional disciplines. However, applicants must turn that background into a research problem about science, technology or medicine in society.

Fall 2027 academic requirements: The Indian ranges below are planning approximations because Virginia Tech does not publish a course-specific India conversion.

The thesis path combines four core courses, four electives and six research credits before a defence. Virginia Tech describes it as the standalone research route, but the department does not recommend it for students planning its own Ph.D.

By contrast, the non-thesis path uses four core courses and six electives, and its credits may count toward the STS Ph.D. Applicants should therefore choose by intended research output, not by assuming a thesis automatically improves internal progression.

English Language Proficiency

Virginia Tech accepts IELTS and TOEFL for this programme, while a qualifying English-medium bachelor’s degree can support a waiver. The current TOEFL policy uses the revised scale for tests taken from 21 January 2026.

Current Fall 2027 English policy: Scores must meet both overall and component conditions where Virginia Tech states them.

• Use the TOEFL scale printed on the score report because Virginia Tech does not ask applicants to self-convert versions.
• Request medium-of-instruction evidence before applying when the transcript does not clearly state that the bachelor’s degree was taught in English.
• Complete English testing before the funding deadline because an otherwise strong file still needs the published language evidence or approved waiver.

Check the current Virginia Tech testing requirements before booking TOEFL, since the post-January 2026 scale is policy-sensitive. The STS department publishes no higher IELTS or TOEFL threshold than the Graduate School rule.

Check Out: Virginia Tech science master’s options

Tip for Indian students: Meeting GPA 3.0/4.0 only clears the academic threshold. Use the writing sample and letter to prove that your prior discipline supports a specific STS research question.

Virginia Tech STS MS Application 2027

Fall 2027 is the only intake for the full-time Blacksburg route, and the international deadline is 1 April 2027. Applicants seeking assistantship or fellowship consideration should complete every component by 1 February 2027.

The live programme page also lists spring and summer university deadlines, but those do not create extra full-time Blacksburg intakes. They relate to the separately structured part-time National Capital Region route and broader Graduate School processing.

Fall 2027 Timeline

The funding deadline changes the practical application strategy because it falls two months before the international limit. Virginia Tech publishes dates without a clock time or submission timezone, so no reliable IST conversion is available.

Confirmed Fall 2027 sequence: Submit before the displayed date, and use the application portal timestamp as the controlling record.

An application requires scanned degree transcripts, an academic writing sample, three recommendations and a letter explaining research goals. The US$75 (INR 7,121) fee is due at submission, while official transcripts follow only after an offer.

• Choose the thesis or non-thesis direction before drafting because each route supports a different research output and progression logic.
• Give recommenders the 1 February 2027 funding target because the file is incomplete until their required letters arrive.
• Use the writing sample to demonstrate analysis and evidence rather than submitting a technical report with no social, ethical or policy question.
• Monitor the portal after submission because the STS page does not publish a routine interview stage or individual decision date.

Submit through the Virginia Tech Graduate School application after matching the campus to Blacksburg. Selecting the National Capital Region would place the file in a different part-time route with different delivery and timing.

Application tip: Treat 1 February 2027 as the working deadline if funding affects enrolment. The later 1 April date preserves admission access but not full department funding consideration.

Virginia Tech STS MS Scholarships 2027

The primary Fall 2027 funding route is a department assistantship or fellowship considered through the admission application. Virginia Tech says funded STS master’s students normally receive two years, although awards are limited and no target-cycle stipend is published.

International students may also qualify for current Graduate School awards after enrolment or through Fulbright sponsorship. These opportunities have distinct nomination rules, so none should be treated as an automatic tuition reduction.

Funding routes for an international STS applicant: Only the department route is tied directly to the Fall 2027 admission review; later awards depend on their current published conditions.

An assistantship can change the cost materially because standard compensation includes a stipend and proportional in-state tuition remission. Eligible appointments may also receive an out-of-state waiver and insurance subsidy, but students still pay comprehensive and Commonwealth facility fees.

• Submit by 1 February 2027 because the STS funding review uses the admission file and requires no separate form.
• Read the written assistantship contract for stipend, remission percentage, work period and health benefit before comparing it with the self-funded budget.
• Treat post-enrolment fellowships as later opportunities because their current-student conditions prevent them from replacing entry funding at application time.

The Fulbright route can remove the out-of-state differential, but only sponsored students with departmental nomination qualify. Its in-state scholarship is limited across the university, so the waiver and scholarship must remain separate in affordability calculations.

Check Out: Virginia Tech student and funding information

Scholarship reality: The most actionable funding step is the 1 February 2027 admission deadline. Do not subtract any fellowship from tuition until the written offer identifies its stipend, waiver and remaining fees.

Virginia Tech STS MS Salary 2027

Virginia Tech publishes no STS M.S. cohort salary, offer rate or placement report on the checked programme and career pages. The university instead identifies academic work, government and industry as broad career settings for STS graduates.

The salary figures below are United States labour-market benchmarks, not Virginia Tech graduate outcomes. They show how widely pay can vary between an entry research role and a specialised policy occupation requiring graduate preparation.

Latest external market evidence: Bureau of Labor Statistics figures describe national occupations and cannot establish the result of this course.

Source: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025 occupational wage and projection data.

The political scientist median is especially unsuitable as a starting-salary promise because the occupation had only 6,100 jobs in 2025. Its concentration in federal work also makes citizenship, hiring authority and policy experience material filters for an international graduate.

Academic Value and Financial Tradeoff

The two-year prior-cycle planning illustration was US$128,786 (INR 1.22 Crore) before insurance, while course-specific earnings evidence is absent. A numerical payback forecast would therefore combine an older cost base with unrelated occupational medians and would not be defensible.

• The thesis path produces original research and a defence, so applicants targeting research roles should identify the portfolio or doctoral purpose that justifies its cost.
• The non-thesis path offers broader coursework and possible internal doctoral credit transfer, but applicants should confirm how those electives support a named policy or industry function.
• A two-year assistantship can alter the financial tradeoff through stipend and tuition support, so compare written funding against remaining comprehensive fees before enrolment.
• An India-return plan should value the methods, writing and sector expertise separately because United States occupational wages do not transfer into Indian salary expectations.

Gross pay also differs from take-home income because federal, state and local taxes depend on work location and tax status. Compare any real offer through the relevant official tax estimator rather than applying a single deduction to these medians.

Honest take: This research-oriented degree has no published cohort employment evidence, so its value rests on a defined thesis, policy specialisation or doctoral plan. Funding reduces risk more reliably than an external salary benchmark.

US Visa for Virginia Tech STS MS Students 2027

Full-time Blacksburg students normally use F-1 student status after Virginia Tech issues Form I-20. The visa application fee is US$185 (INR 17,564), while the I-901 SEVIS fee is US$350 (INR 33,229). SEVIS means Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, and the combined listed fees equal US$535 (INR 50,793). Verify payment instructions on the official United States student visa page.

• OPT means Optional Practical Training, and eligible F-1 graduates may receive up to 12 months of work authorisation related to their degree.
• The additional 24-month STEM extension depends on the CIP code printed on the student’s I-20, so obtain written confirmation before building a three-year work plan.
• H-1B specialty occupation status has no fixed STS salary threshold because an employer must meet the applicable role and location-based prevailing wage.
• F-2 status can cover a spouse and unmarried minor children, but an F-2 spouse cannot work and permanent residence has no course-linked timeline.

Read More: United States student visa requirements

Visa reality: Standard OPT provides a 12-month work window, while any extra STEM time depends on the I-20 classification. Confirm that code before treating United States work as part of the degree’s financial case.