Undergraduate Fields of Specialization: Science, Technology, Medicine, and the Environment

Science, technology, and medicine are profoundly human endeavors shaped by culture, economics, and politics. Humans have shaped the environment and environments have shaped societies. Students in the history of science, technology, medicine, and the environment explore how social, cultural, economic, and political values and decisions have influenced these activities  and how science, technology, medicine, and the environment have affected human lives. Students also explore how different scientific fields establish parameters for determining truth. Faculty in this field offer survey classes and seminars on topics ranging from the Neolithic Revolution to Global Warming. Students can explore, for instance, how climate change has affected human history; or study the place of science in the Cold War; or research the roots of modern transportation systems; or investigate the historical origins of disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic. North America, Europe and Eurasia, Asia, and Latin America are some of the geographical areas of study.