The STEM in Society minor develops strategic and critical thinking capabilities to better understand how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as medicine, impact the human experience - past, present, and future. It provides a broad perspective of the STEM fields, to include how advances are developed, how they fit into the wider context of society and culture, and how historical contexts have in turn shaped advances in these fields. 

The skills and competencies gained from this minor are useful to those seeking work in the tech and health care industries, as well as fields like international development and public policy or in non-profits, the government, or think tanks.

Policies

Policies

Eight credits of coursework must be unique to the minor and students must earn a minimum grade of 2.00 in all courses applied to the minor. For policies governing all minors, see AP.5.3.4 Minors.

Banner Code: STEM

Minor Requirements

Total credits: 15

Required Course

HIST 315STEM and Society: A History (Mason Core)3
Total Credits3

Electives

Select 12 credits from any of the following courses12
Historical
Biology and Society (Mason Core)
Great Ideas in Science (Mason Core)
Freshman/Sophomore Seminar in Global History
History of Aviation
The Digital Past (Mason Core)
Medicine and Health
Humans, Disease, and Death (Mason Core)
Scientific Racism and Human Variation
Medical Anthropology
Global Health (Mason Core)
Health and Environment
Social Determinants of Health
Social Determinants of Health
Global Health and Development
Ethical Issues in Global Health
Environment
Environment and Culture
Environmental Engineering around the World (Mason Core)
Global Warming: Weather, Climate, and Society (Mason Core)
The Human Dimensions of Global Climate Change
Geographic Approaches for Sustainable Development
Global Environmental Ethics (Mason Core)
Science and Technology
Zombies
Work, Technology, and Society: An IT Perspective (Mason Core)
Problem Solving and Leadership in STEAM
Science in the News (Mason Core)
Digital Futures
IT in the Global Economy
How Science Works (Mason Core)
Philosophy of the Natural Sciences
Topics in Philosophy of Technology
The Darwinian Revolution in Modern Thought
Big Data, Technology, and Society
Policy
Introduction to Environmental Policy
Energy Policy
Global Nutrition and Food Security
Nutrition Policy
Intellectual Property, Regulatory Concepts and Product Development
Special Topics Courses (with permission of minor director when topic is related to STEM in Society)
Issues in Anthropology: Social Sciences (Mason Core)
Issues in Anthropology
Special Topics in Engineering
Special Topics in Global and Community Health
Global Affairs Capstone (Mason Core)
Topics in Global Affairs
Topics in Global History (Mason Core)
Special Topics
Special Topics
Nutrition and Food Studies Capstone
Special Topics in Sociology
Total Credits12