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Core Curriculum

Values in Science & Technology

Values in Science & Technology

Facilitator: Di Di, Assistant Professor, Sociology 

Our contemporary world is shaped by science and technology to such a profound degree that our students cannot be effective leaders and citizens without the capacity to critically engage the scientific and technological dimensions of society. This pathway invites students to understand the social values and social context of science & technology as social forces. It will provide opportunities for students from all majors to critically examine the practice of science, the social dimensions of technology, the role that these play in society, and the influences of social values on these. This pathway is open to all students interested in this topic, and one need not be a science or engineering major to choose it. Natural science and engineering majors will find it highly accessible because it includes required lower and upper division courses from these majors. Students in all majors are encouraged to take classes in the social sciences and humanities to integrate consideration of social values in their pathway. This pathway has roughly one hundred classes in it, but students should plan their upper division courses very carefully, since many of these are restricted to specific majors.

Associated Courses

Foundations Courses
(Please note that only the specific Foundation course topics qualify for the Pathway requirements, and only one Foundations course may be applied to a Pathway)

ARTH         12A       Art and Identity (effective 9/1/09)
ARTH         12A       Exhibiting the Global (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL          2A        American Studies: Popular Culture (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Avant-Garde & Science (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Cosmology & Controversy (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Empire: Self & Others (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Ethics & Activism (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Ethics & Daily Life (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Ethics & the Environment (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Identity, Vocation & Community (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         International Waters: A Global Discourse on Water Conservation and Development (effective 3/25/17)
ENGL         2A         Language & Politics (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Nostalgia, Homesickness, Exile (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Our Rhetorical Environments (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A/H      Paradigms of Knowledge (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Privacy, Gender & Identity (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Race, Class & Taste (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Radical Responses to Sci&Tech (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Rhetoric & Discourse Communities (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Rock Pop Hip-Hop: Exploring Music (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Science, Ethics & Society (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Science/Fiction (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Science Literacy in the U.S. (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         Science, Technology, Self (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A/H      Technology & Cultural Knowledge (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         The People of Tomorrow Today (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         The Rhetoric of the Economist (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A/H      Trading Places: Art & Identity (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A         What’s for Dinner? (effective 9/1/13)
ENGL         2A/H      Writing about Sustainability (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS         2A         Analyzing Green Rhetoric (effective 9/1/09)


Accounting
*ACTG       134        ​Accounting Information Systems (effective 3/25/15)

Anthropology
ANTH         1            Introduction to Biological Anthropology (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         2            Introduction to Archaeology (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         4            Vanished Peoples and Lost Civilizations (effective 09/01/16)
ANTH         5            Popular Culture & Bioanthropology (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         130         Primate Behavioral Ecology (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         132         Paleoanthropology (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         133         Human Nutrition and Culture (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         135         Human Development and Sexuality (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         136         Forensic Anthropology (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         137         Evolutionary Medicine (effective 03/25/2011)
ANTH         140         Food Culture & Environment (cross-listed with ENVS 136; effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         145         Historical Ecology (cross-listed with ENVS 137; effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         147         Archaeology of Complex Societies (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         197         Field Course in Primate Behavioral Ecology (effective 6/15/2013)

Art & Art History
*ARTH       140         Photography in the United States (formerly 186; effective 9/1/09)
ARTS         36           Ditto! The Technology of Print

Biology
*BIOL        1C          Systems L&L (effective 9/1/18)
BIOL          4            Light and Life L&L (effective 9/1/09)
BIOL          18          Exploring Biotechnology L&L (effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        23          Investigations in Evolution & Ecology L&L (effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        109        Genetics and Society (effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        117        Epidemiology (cross-listed with PHSC 100; effective 9/1/09)
BIOL          135        Biofuels: Sustainable Energy (cross-listed with ENVS 135; effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        142        Natural History of California L&L (effective 1/1/23)
*BIOL        144        Natural History of Baja (cross-listed with ENVS 144; effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        150        Conservation Biology (effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        153        Conservation Science (cross-listed with ENVS 153; effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        159        Plagues in the Age of Insects (effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        171        Soc/Ethical Dimensions Biotech (effective 9/1/09)

Civil Engineering
*CENG       115        Civil Engineering Materials (effective 9/1/09)
CENG         115L      Civil Engineering Materials Lab (CENG 115 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       119        Designing for Sustainable Construction (cross-listed with CENG 219; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       140        Water Resources Engineering (effective 9/1/09)
CENG         140L       Water Resources Engineering Lab (CENG 140 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       143        Environmental Engineering (effective 9/1/09)
CENG         143L       Environmental Engineering Lab (CENG 143 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       144         Environmental System Designs (effective 9/1/09)
CENG         144L       Environmental Systems Design Lab (CENG 144 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       161         Sustainable Water Resources (cross-listed with CENG 261; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       219         Designing for Sustainable Construction (cross-listed with CENG 119; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       261         Sustainable Water Resources (cross-listed with CENG 161; effective 9/1/09)

Chemistry
CHEM         1             Chemistry & the Environment (effective 9/1/09)
CHEM         5             Chemistry: An Experimental Science (effective 9/1/09)
CHEM         11           General Chemistry I L&L (effective 9/1/09)
*CHEM       11H         General Chemistry I L&L: Honors (effective 9/1/09)
CHEM         14           Advanced Chemical Principles L&L (effective 9/1/19)
*CHEM       183         Senior Research Experience (effective 9/1/09)

Child Studies
CHST          75            Technology and Education (effective 9/1/09)

Classics
CLAS         107         Scientists and Spartans (effective 9/1/23)
CLAS         171         Ancient Science and Technology: Atoms, Aqueducts, and Alchemy (effective 3/25/16) 
CLAS         173         Bath and Body Works (effective 09/01/22)     

Computer Engineering
*COEN       150         Introduction to Information Security (effective 9/1/09)

Communication
COMM        12           Technology and Communication (effective 9/1/09)
*COMM      106A       Gender, Health, and Sexuality (cross-listed with WGST 140; effective 9/1/09)
*COMM      113         Biology of Human Communication (effective 9/1/09)
COMM        120A       Environmental Communication (effective 9/1/09)
*COMM      149B       Science News:How to Report (effective 9/1/09)
*COMM      155         Media Psychology (effective 1/1/24)
*COMM      156A       Health Communication
COMM        185A       New Media and Communication (effective 9/1/09)

Economics
*ECON       111         Economics of the Environment (effective 9/1/09)

English
ENGL          25           Textual Editing (effective 03/25/17) 
*ENGL        108         Writing in STEM (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL          109         Information Culture and Information Society (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL          110         New Media in Theory and Practice (effective 1/1/21)

Engineering
ENGR          60          Sustainable Electric Energy (effective 9/1/09)
ENGR          90          Solar Decathalon Workshop (effective 9/1/09)
ENGR          110        Engineering Projects Community (effective 9/1/09)
ENGR          160        Nanotechnology and Society (effective 9/1/09)
ENGR          161        Globalization and the Cultures of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Cross-listed with MGMT 177; effective 9/1/09)

Environmental Studies & Sciences
ENVS          2            Energy and the Environment
ENVS          10          Joy of Garbage (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS          20          The Water Wars of California L&L (effective 1/19/2016)
ENVS          21          Introduction to Applied Ecology L&L (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS          22          Introduction to Environmental Studies (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS          23          Introduction to Earth Systems L&L (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS          80          Energy and the Environment (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS        84           Spirituality and Sustainability (cross-listed with TESP 84; effective 9/1/09)
ENVS         120          Intro to Environmental Law & Regulation in the U.S. (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS       122          Environmental Politics and Policy (cross-listed with POLI 157; effective 9/1/09)
ENVS         135          Biofuels: Sustainable Energy (cross-listed with BIOL 135; effective 9/1/09)
ENVS         136          Food, Culture and the Environment (cross-listed with ANTH 140; effective 9/1/09)
ENVS         137          Historical Ecology (cross-listed with ANTH 145; effective 3/11/2016)
*ENVS        144          Natural History of Baja (cross-listed with BIOL 144; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS        145          Environmental Technology (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS          146         Agriculture, Environment, & Development: Latin America (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS          147         International Environment & Development (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS        152         Faith, Ethics & Biodiversity (cross-listed with TESP 152; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS        153         Conservation Science (cross-listed with BIOL 153; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS        158         Conservation Psychology (cross-listed with PSYC 158; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS        185         Garbology (effective 01/01/18)

Ethnic Studies
ETHN          156         Environmental Racism, Gender & Justice (cross-listed with WGST 113; effective 9/1/09)

Experiential Learning for Social Justice
*ELSJ         135          Research in Social Entrepreneurship (effective 9/1/09)

History
HIST          24          Global History of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (effective 3/25/23)
HIST          79/179     History of Technology: Steam to Cyborgs (effective 03/25/18)
HIST          85            Introduction to United States Environmental History (effective 9/1/09)
HIST          123          Plagues/Epidemics/Infections (effective 9/1/09)
HIST          124          Global History of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (effective 3/25/21)
HIST          125          History of the Senses (effective 9/1/09) 
HIST          184          American Historical Geography (effective 03/25/18

Intl Environment & Development
SIS            471-900T  Intl Environment & Development Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

Mathematics and Computer Science
CSCI          3              Intro to Computing & Applications (effective 9/1/09)
*CSCI        10             Introduction to Computer Science (effective 9/1/09)
*CSCI        10B           Introduction to Computer Science B (effective 1/1/15)

Mechanical Engineering
*MECH       121           Thermodynamics I (effective 9/1/09)
*MECH       144           Smart Product Design (effective 9/1/09)
MECH         144L         Smart Product Design-Lab (MECH 144 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)

Management
MGMT         40            Foundational Knowledge of Managing for Sustainability (effective 09/01/18)
MGMT        41             Foundational Skills of Managing for Sustainability (effective 01/01/18)
MGMT        42             Leading from the Triple Bottom Line (effective 03/25/19)
MGMT        176           Sustainable Food Systems (effective 1/1/22)
MGMT        177           Globalization and the Cultures of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Cross-listed with ENGR 161; effective 9/1/09)

Music
MUSC         119           Music, Technology & Society (effective 9/1/09)

Neuroscience
NEUR         1               Introduction to Neuroscience (effective 09/1/18) 

Operations and Management Information Systems
OMIS          34            Science,Info Tech, Busn & Soc (effective 9/1/09)

Philosophy
PHIL           22            Ethics in the Digital Age (effective 1/1/17; formerly PHIL 3A)
PHIL           22H          Ethics in the Digital Age: Honors (effective 1/1/17; formerly PHIL 3AH)
PHIL           27/H         Ethics in Health Care (effective 9/1/21)
PHIL           29            Ethics and the Environment (formerly PHIL 9; effective 9/1/09)
PHIL           40            Science, Technology, and Society (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 80)
PHIL           83            Neuroscience, Values & Science (effective 2/11/2010)
*PHIL         153           Philosophy of Science (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 140)

Physics
PHYS          5              Physics and Technology for Future Leaders (effective 9/1/09)
PHYS          8              Introduction to Space Sciences (effective 9/1/09)
*PHYS        32            Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (effective 9/1/09)
*PHYS        111          Electromagnetic Theory I (effective 9/1/09)

Political Science
POLI          157           U.S. Environmental Policy (cross-listed as ENVS 122; effective 9/1/09)

Psychology
PSYC          50            Ways of Knowing (effective 9/1/09)
*PSYC        53            Statistics and Methods Practicum (effective 03/25/18)
*PSYC        53L           Statistics & Methods Lab (effective 9/1/19) 
*PSYC        120           Perception (effective 9/1/09)
*PSYC        130           Psychology of Learning (effective 9/1/09)
*PSYC        131           Cognitive Psychology (effective 9/1/2009)
*PSYC        182           Psychology of Gender (effective 9/1/09)
*QPS/NS    363          Abnormal Psychology: Social Cognition and Clinical Disorders (VIST; Spain: Salamanca; effective 09/01/24) Prerequisites: One semester of coursework in Psychology, related discipline or instructor approval.

Public Health
PHSC          1              Human Health and Disease (effective 9/1/09)
PHSC          28            Human Sexuality (cross-listed with WGST 33; effective 9/1/09)
*PHSC        100           Epidemiology (cross-listed with BIOL 117; effective 9/1/09)
*PHSC        120           Technology Innovation and Public Health (effective 9/1/09)
PHSC          172           Management of Health Care Organizations (cross-listed with SOCI 172; effective 03/25/22)

Religious Studies
RSOC         99             Sociology of Religion (cross-listed SOCI 99; effective 09/01/22)
*SCTR        35             Science vs the Bible: The Genesis Debates (effective 9/1/09)
*SCTR        35H           The Genesis Debates: Honors (effective 11/25/2015)
*SCTR        170           Darwin & God (effective 9/1/09)
*SCTR        170R         RSS: Darwin & God (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP         64            Environmental Justice in Catholic Imagination (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP         72            Darwin, God & the Poets (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP         83            Dialogues Between Science & Religion (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP         84            Spirituality & Sustainability (cross-listed with ENVS 84; effective 9/1/09)
*TESP         86            Spirituality & Engineering (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP         139          Catholic Theology & Human Sexuality (cross-listed with WGST 150; effective 2/3/2016)
* TESP        141          Bioethics: Dignity and Justice (effective 01/01/24)
*TESP         152          Faith, Ethics & Biodiversity (cross-listed with ENVS 152; effective 9/1/09)
*TESP         157          Ethics in the Health Professions (effective 9/1/09)

Sociology
*SOCI        49             Tech, Social Media, and Society (effective 9/1/09)
SOCI          60             Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship---Leading Change (effective 9/1/21)
SOCI          99             Sociology of Religion (cross-listed with RSOC 99; effective 09/01/22)
*SOCI        120           Survey Research and Statistical Analysis (effective 9/1/09)
SOCI          128           Religion, Science, and Technology (effective 9/1/21)
SOCI          130           Design Thinking for Social Justice (effective 1/1/22)
SOCI          141           Climate Justice (effective 9/1/23) 
SOCI          149           Business, Technology & Society (effective 9/1/09)
SOCI          152           Inequality in the Economy & Workplace (cross-listed with WGST 181; effective 03/25/23)
SOCI          172           Management of Health Care Organizations (cross-listed with PHSC 172; effective 03/25/22)

Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS)
WGST         33             Human Sexuality (cross-listed with PHSC 28; effective 9/1/09)
WGST         113           Environmental Racism, Gender & Justice (cross-listed with ETHN 156; effective 9/1/09)
*WGST       116           Race, Gender and Public Health in the News (effective 9/1/09)
*WGST       140           Gender, Sexuality, and the Body (cross-listed with COMM 106A; effective 9/1/09)
WGST         150           Catholic Theology & Human Sexuality (cross-listed with TESP 139; effective 3/3/2010)
WGST         181           Inequality in the Economy & Workplace (cross-listed with SOCI 152; effective 03/25/23)

* Indicates Course Has Prerequisites