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

Starfleet requires the Sciences Cadet to study at least two additional specializations. They may be from any science field, though they are usually non-Medical. If Sciences is chosen as a Minor, no specializations are needed.

Note that in the Trek era, "Sciences" are not limited merely to the so-called "hard" sciences. Social sciences are also considered important by Starfleet. Good examples of this kind of science officer in action are in the TOS episode "Who Mourns For Adonais", where we saw Carolyn Palamas acting as the "Archaeology & Anthropology" officer in the landing party. Another example was Marla McGyvers, the Ship's Historian (and Khan's intended) from "Space Seed". Within these rather broad limitations, any science skills can be chosen for fields of specialization.

Sciences is located in the Hawking Building of the Starfleet Academy campus. The Sciences Division covers all aspects of sciences including: Biological, Chemical, Physics, Archaeology, Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, to name but a few. The head of the Sciences College is currently Commodore T'pret, Asst. Chief of Starfleet Sciences Division.

Training includes:

• Astronomy
• Astrophysics
• Biology
• Biochemistry (or Xenobiochemistry: (specialty))
• Botany (or Xenobotany: (specialty))
• Chemistry
• Comparative Archaeology: (race)
• Ecology (or Xenoecology: (specialty))
• Genetics (or Xenogenetics: (specialty))
• Geology
• Physics
• Physiology: (Terran)
• Physiology: (specialty)
• Subspace Mechanics
• Xenobiology: General
• Xenology: General
• Zoology (or Xenology: (specialty))