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Department of History and Philosophy of ScienceHPS Area CertificateThis program is intended to address the current crisis in American science education arising from increasing specialization and compartmentalization within the sciences, on the one hand, and general technical and scientific illiteracy outside the sciences, on the other. By developing a new interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary program open to both undergraduates majoring in the sciences and undergraduates majoring in the humanities we aim to give all undergraduates at Indiana University a unique opportunity to bridge the ever widening gap between the notorious "two cultures." The program is organized and administered within the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, but it also involves a wide spectrum of other units across the University, such as, for example, the Departments of Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Sociology, and the Schools of Business, Education, Journalism, and Public and Environmental Affairs. In this way, the program involves several different tracks integrating the sciences and the humanities in a variety of ways: (1) medicine and health; (2) science writing, literature, and literacy; (3) science, technology, and the environment; (4) science, computation, and information; (5) science and pseudo-science. These five tracks have been developed in consultation with a variety of units at IU. They represent the areas where we perceive the greatest student need and demand, and at the same time, they cover the wide-ranging interests of the HPSC faculty. The program for the certificate consists of 25 credit hours—24 hours of course work divided into eight 3 credit courses, with an extra credit hour given for participation in a multi-disciplinary seminar and colloquium series. Admission to the program is open to all students enrolled at IU. Four of the courses, totaling 12 credit hours, will be in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, and the remaining four, also totaling 12 credit hours, will be spread across the other curricular units involved in the program in accordance with the chosen track. Those electing track (1) in medicine and health, for example, may count designated courses in History, Philosophy, or Religious Studies, as well as designated courses taught in Biology and/or Chemistry; those electing track (2) in science writing, literature, and literacy may count designated courses in English and/or Journalism; and so on. Not more than one of the courses counted for a student's major will also be eligible to count within the area certificate. The faculty Director of the program is responsible for advising and mentoring the students through the system of tracks and monitoring their progress. In the Department of History and Philosophy of Science the core of the program consists of a thematic introduction to the History of Science and Medicine, required for all students participating in the program, which is offered every semester under the presently existing course number X102. The remaining three courses in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science will be distributed across various levels (at least one at the 300 level or above) and adapted to the various tracks. At the 100 level, for example, appropriate College of Arts and Sciences Topics courses taught by faculty members in the Department will serve this function well. Thus E104 on "Medicine and History" would be an appropriate introduction to track (1) on medicine and health. Particular versions of our own introductory topics course, X100, can also be adapted to the various tracks. For example, we have offered "Ethics and the Natural World" under this number, which can count as a suitable introduction to track (3) on science, technology, and the environment. The certificate program within the Department will thus consist of the core Introduction to the History of Science and Medicine (specially designed X102), and three other courses, one of which must be at least at the 300 level. The core course will focus on selected themes in the history of science and medicine from antiquity through the modern period. These will include crucial episodes ranging from the birth of Hippocratic medicine and preSocratic natural philosophy to the origin of nuclear physics and the human genome project. Four courses from other relevant units, adapted to the particular track elected by the student in question, will then complete the program. In the non-HPSC courses, we require, once again, that at least one be at the 300 level or above. Overall, moreover, we require that at least four courses (including both HPSC and non-HPSC courses) will be at the 300/400 level. The main criterion in the selection of the courses for each track is intellectual coherence, as exemplified in the following models. Track 1. Medicine and HealthThis track will appeal to pre-medical students and other students with an interest in the philosophical and historical dimensions of the medical sciences. It will benefit those students by adding a humanistic dimension to their studies. We also hope that it will provide an additional element of intellectual coherence to pre-medical studies. Many existing courses serve the needs of students following this track:
Additional courses creditable to this track include offerings in Chemistry, Biology, Medical Sciences, topical offerings from the School of Nursing and the School of HPER, Philosophy (especially courses relevant to medical ethics, such as P242 and P345), Sociology (especially S101, S102, S324, S321), Religious Studies (especially R373), History, and Women's Studies. Track 2. Science Writing, Literature, and LiteracyThis track will serve as a way for HPSC to accommodate students with literary interests. The English Department already has a number of students interested in the broad topic of science and literature: a formalized track for such students in HPSC will serve as an important complement to their major. In addition, the School of Journalism has a number of students interested in science writing.
Additional courses creditable to this track include offerings in English (such as L208 and L249 when topic includes science or medicine), History, Sociology, Women's Studies, topical courses from the School of Education and the School of Journalism, and appropriate related science offerings. Track 3. Science, Technology, and the EnvironmentThis track focuses on the growing area of environmental studies. Students in SPEA, Biology, Sociology, and the School of Education will be interested in courses dealing with the philosophical and historical dimensions of conservation, ecology, and the consequences of environmental degradation. Current offerings include:
Additional courses creditable to this track include offerings in Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Religious Studies (especially B300), Philosophy (such as P240, P242, relevant to ethical issues), Sociology, History (H106, providing background on American History), and SPEA. Track 4. Science, Computation, and InformationThis track covers a broad range of interests in computation and cognitive science. The sample presented here is geared toward the philosophical issues surrounding artificial intelligence, but the track will also have appeal for those with an interest in the history and philosophy of computation or cognitive science more generally. Current offerings include:
Additional courses creditable to this track include offerings in Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Psychology (especially courses such as P335 and P408 relevant to cognitive science), and Philosophy, especially when dealing with cognitive science issues (P366 Philosophy of Action). Track 5. Science and Pseudo-ScienceThis track will accommodate the large number of students who already take our courses in the history and philosophical implications of the pseudo-sciences. This is a growing area of inquiry in HPS, and one where our Department has already made a substantial impact at IU. The student population for this track is likely to be diverse, although one can predict an interest on the part of History students, as well as those in Religious Studies and Anthropology. Current offerings include:
Additional courses creditable to this track include offerings in Anthropology, Astronomy, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, History, especially courses proving a background to the worldviews and horizons of different civilizations and periods emphasizing the shifting boundaries between science and pseudo-science. All courses taught in HPSC will automatically be eligible for credit within the area certificate, in accordance with the requirements outlined above, and conditional upon their acceptance by the HPSC Certificate Program Director. Some courses in other departments may be taken to fulfill the non-HPSC part of a student's track. The precise courses to be counted for credit will be determined in consultation with the HPSC faculty director in accordance with the above model.
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Department of History and Philosophy of Science 1011 East Third Street, Goodbody Hall 130, Indiana University, Bloomington IN 47405 email: hpscdept@indiana.edu | phone: (812) 855-3622 | fax: (812) 855-3631 
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