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The Program

HCST is an Upper-Division Certificate Program in "The Human Context of Science and Technology," requiring about as much work as a minor field.

Students take a required introductory course, HCST 100 Introduction to the Human Context of Science and Technology (3 credits), and then under faculty guidance select electives from a list of humanities and social science courses dealing with science and technology (15 credits), and from a list of core courses in a particular scientific or technical field (9+ credits).   In this way students gain a systematic introduction to the field, may study various subjects and approaches according to interest, and demonstrate serious engagement with one scientific or technical area.  Many of the HCST electives thus can perform "double duty," also fulfilling general  requirements and those of the student's major program.

HCST 100 introduces the student to science and technology issues without requiring prior knowledge, and prepares the student to choose areas of concentration later on.

HCST 100 Introduction to the Human Context of Science and Technology will usually be taught each Fall and Spring.  Here, the student will explore interactions among the humanities, the sciences, and technology, including study of the sciences and technology using humanistic approaches, and study of the effects of the sciences and technology on art, philosophy, and society.  Students will have the opportunity to consider the role of human values in the pursuit of the sciences and in the invention and employment of various technologies.  Practical social and political issues relating to science and technology will also be addressed.

Case studies of important discoveries and inventions will provide the core texts for the course. Site visits to local laboratories, both on- and off-campus, will also provide real-world examples.  Finally, the question of the reciprocal relation between science, technology and human societies, both past and present, will be addressed.  This course carries “AH” designation within the General Education Program (GEP) Requirements and an application for Writing Intensive (WI) designation is pending.

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HCST electives allow the student to explore the interactions of the humanities, sciences, and technology in depth, drawing on a variety of UMBC courses from various departments.

 
 

Students will normally take five of the following courses (of which at least four must be at the upper level) as their HCST electives.  These and other future courses are drawn from UMBC's extensive offerings from various departments. Students may request the Director to consider elective designation for appropriate courses not on this list. A grade of "C" or better is required.

AMST 270  American Culture and Science
AMST 388/ENGL 388  American Environment:  Landscape and Culture
ANTH 312  Medical Anthropology
ENGL 200  Language and Scientific Value
ENGL 317/CPLT 317  Literature and the Sciences
ENGL 383  Science Writing
ENGL 418  Advanced Topics in Literature and the Sciences
ENGL 419  Seminar in Literature and the Sciences
GEOG 326  Conservation Thought
GEOG 432 Seminar in Natural Resources & Environmental Conservation
HIST 369  Darwinism: The Evolutionary Perspective
HIST 387  Medicine and Health Care in China
HIST 404/IFSM 404/CMSC 404  History of Computers and Computing
HIST 492  Colloquium in the History of Science
HIST 445  History of Science to 1700 
HIST 446  History of Science since 1700
MATH 432  History of Mathematics
PHIL 248  Introduction to Scientific Reasoning
PHIL 251  Ethical Issues in Science, Engineering and Information
PHIL 358/HAPP 358  Ethical Issues in Health
PHIL 372  Philosophy of Science
PHIL 394  Philosophy of Biology
PHIL 472  Advanced Topics in the Philosophy of Science
PHYS 333  Applied Physics in Archaeology and Art
SOCY 361  Science and Society
SOCY 416/ANTH 416  Cyberspace, Culture and Society
SOCY 457HIST 450  Social History of American Medicine
WMST 378  Gender, Science, and Technology

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HCST science and technology electives ensure that the student will gain authoritative basic knowledge in one chosen field.

In addition to studying critical literature about science and technology, students must become acquainted in some detail with current conceptions and practice in a chosen area of science or technology as presented by that area's current practitioners.  Students may request the Director to consider elective designation for appropriate fields not on this list. A grade of "C" or better is required. The following options are currently available: 

 

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Biology Option 

BIOL 100 100L   4+2   Concepts of Biology

BIOL 302           4   Molecular and Cellular Genetics

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Chemistry Option

CHEM 123 124 124L   4+3+2   Introduction to General Organic and Biochemistry, OR

CHEM 101 102 102L   4+3+2   Principals of Chemistry

 

Computer Science Option

Three courses chosen from the following:

CMSC 104   3   Problem Solving and Computer Programming

CMSC 201   4   Computer Science I for Majors

CMSC 202   4   Computer Science II for Majors

CMSC 203   3   Discrete Structures

 

Geography and Environmental Systems Option

GEOG 110   3   Physical Geography

GEOG 111   3   Principles of Geology

GEOG 120   3   Environmental Science & Conservation

 

Information Systems Option

IFSM 202    3   Systems Analysis Methods

   + Two additional courses chosen from IFSM 125 or any IFSM course at the 200-level or above

 

Mathematics/Statistics Option

MATH 151   4   Calculus and Analytic Geometry I

MATH 152   4   Calculus and Analytic Geometry II

   + either any 200-level MATH course

     or any 300-level STAT course 

 

Physics Option

PHYS 111 112  4+4+3   Basic Physics

  + any other course in the physical sciences

OR

PHYS 121 122 122L  4+4+2  Introductory Physics

 

Engineering Options

Engineering Science Option

ENES 110    3   Statics

  + two of the following

ENES 220   3   Mechanics of Materials

ENES 221   3   Dynamics

ENES 230   3   Introduction to Materials and their Applications

 

Chemical Engineering Option

ENES 101    3                        Introductory Engineering Science

CHEM 101 102 102L   4+3+2   Principles of Chemistry

ENCH 215   3                         Chemical Engineering Analysis

 

Mechanical Engineering Option

ENES 101   3   Introductory Engineering Science

ENME 204  3   Introduction to Engineering Design with CAD

ENES 220   3   Mechanics of Materials

 

General Engineering Option

ENES 101    3   Introductory Engineering Science

    + at least two more 3-credit courses in an engineering field, selected from the courses listed under the other engineering options.  In exceptional cases, courses other than the ones listed may be accepted on the recommendation of the advisor, provided they are at a similar or higher level.

HCST  Human Context of Science and Technology 
c/o UMBC Department of History AD 732
www.umbc.edu/hcst      h_c_s_t_@umbc.edu