Minor in Science and Society

Director
Professor Myles Jackson, Gallatin and FAS

Administrator
Scott Statland (scott.statland@nyu.edu), CAS

Steering Committee
Associate Professor Karl Appuhn, CAS
Professor Myles Jackson, Gallatin and FAS
Assistant Professor Mara Mills, Steinhardt

Overview

Science and society is a rich, inherently cross-disciplinary minor, drawing on the course offerings and faculty expertise of the College of Arts and Science, the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, and the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. The minor analyzes how the techniques and methodologies of the humanities and social sciences can be used to illuminate both the context and content of science, technology, and medicine. Drawing upon history, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology, students investigate how culture and society frame—and, indeed, are themselves framed by—science, technology, and medicine.

The current influence of scientific, technological, and medical issues on our lives is unprecedented, altering our notions of race, health, responsibility, ownership, ethics, esthetics, and indeed self. We are therefore obliged to understand these critical interactions with a view to understand, and intervene in, the world. The types of questions this minor poses include: How has gene patenting affected both the content and conduct of molecular biology, as well as intellectual property law? What is the relationship between the mathematical descriptions that physicists employ and the nature of physical phenomena? What are the ethical and political issues involved in human embryonic stem cell research? How do machines shape esthetics? What, if anything, is the difference between a machine and a human? How does nature have a history?

This minor serves as an enlightening complement to pre-health studies, pre-law studies relevant to intellectual property, biotechnology, and environmental and healthcare studies. It also provides a potent training to those interested in pursuing advanced degrees in the history, philosophy, sociology, or anthropology of science, technology, or medicine.

Program of Study

The minor in Science and Society requires four 4-point courses (16 points). All minors take the core course, Introduction to Science and Society (HIST-UA 94), and then choose three other courses from an approved list. Many courses in the minor fall into one of the following four clusters: technology, physics, biology/prehealth, and environmental sciences. Students are strongly encouraged, however, to be creative and challenge themselves to think in ways other than those that are strictly categorical. For example, a student interested in understanding the difference between the natural and the artificial might take the following three elective courses in addition to the required Introduction to Science and Society course: Philosophy of Biology; Humans, Machines, and Aesthetics; and Nature and Technology in Modern America.

Students are also strongly encouraged to take courses in the various schools throughout NYU contributing to the minor. This will expose them to a plethora of diverse pedagogical experiences and greatly enhance co-learning. CAS students may apply 16 points taken in the other schools of NYU toward their degree. Students seeking to raise this limit so as to accommodate the course work of the Minor in Science and Society must file a petition in the Office of the Associate Dean for Students, Silver Center, Room 909; 212-998-8140.

NYU students from outside of CAS are welcome to declare a minor in Science and Society. Students should consult their home-school advisor for policies on their cross-school credit limit.

Required Course in CAS

HIST-UA 94 (4 points)
Introduction to Science & Society
Introduces techniques and approaches used by the humanities and social sciences in studying science, technology, and medicine. Investigates how historians, philosophers, sociologists, and anthropologists apply their methodological toolkit in investigating scientific, technological, and medical knowledge. Invites students to think synthetically, organically, and creatively across several disciplines.

Elective Courses in CAS, Gallatin, Poly, & Steinhardt

Please check departmental websites and Albert for course pre-requisites.