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
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.
Minor Requirements
Total credits: 15
Required Course
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 315 | STEM and Society: A History | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 12 credits from any of the following courses | 12 | |
| Historical | ||
| Freshman/Sophomore Seminar in Global History | ||
| History of Aviation | ||
| The Digital Past | ||
| Biology and Society (Mason Core) | ||
| Great Ideas in Science (Mason Core) | ||
| Medicine and Health | ||
| Ethical Issues in Global Health | ||
| Humans, Disease, and Death (Mason Core) | ||
| Scientific Racism and Human Variation | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| Social Determinants of Health | ||
or SOCW 445 | Social Determinants of Health | |
| Global Health (Mason Core) | ||
| Health and Environment | ||
| Environment | ||
| Global Environmental Ethics (Mason Core) | ||
| 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 | ||
| Science and Technology | ||
| Darwin: Biology and Beyond (Mason Core) | ||
| Work, Technology, and Society: An IT Perspective | ||
| Zombies | ||
| Big Data, Technology, and Society | ||
| Science in the News (Mason Core) | ||
| Digital Futures | ||
| IT in the Global Economy | ||
| Problem Solving and Leadership in STEAM | ||
| Policy | ||
| Energy Policy | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Policy | ||
| Global Nutrition and Food Security | ||
| Nutrition Policy | ||
BENG 475 | ||
| Special Topics Courses (with permission of minor director when topic is related to STEM in Society) | ||
| Topics in Global History (Mason Core) | ||
| Issues in Anthropology: Social Sciences (Mason Core) | ||
| Issues in Anthropology | ||
| Special Topics in Sociology | ||
| Global Affairs Capstone (Mason Core) | ||
| Topics in Global Affairs | ||
| Special Topics in Engineering | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Nutrition and Food Studies Capstone | ||
| Special Topics in Global and Community Health | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |