GE Pathway Minor in Science, Technology and Values

Pathway Coordinator: LaDona Knigge, BUTE 533.

The rise of science and technology has profoundly affected nearly every aspect of the world in which humans live-the natural and built worlds around us, our social and cultural institutions, our daily habits, and our very bodies and minds are all inextricably connected to science and technology. Students of Science, Technology and Values explore many controversial issues, especially those with direct consequences in their lives, such as the relation between science and religion, or research on human embryonic stem cells; they learn how to evaluate controversial claims about science, such as whether science is the preeminent form of knowledge; they learn how to evaluate their own use of technology and its consequences, such as the privacy concerns raised by GPS devices and the Internet, or what playing video games does to the sense of self. A primary goal of the Science, Technology and Values Pathway is to prepare students to deal with the many complex and difficult issues caused by the rapid increase in scientific knowledge and the many new technologies that result from this.

Course Requirements for the Minor: 18 units

To earn an interdisciplinary Pathway Minor in this field of study, candidates must complete nine lower-division units and nine upper-division units from the courses listed below.

Lower Division

Foundation Associations

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Sustainable	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
ANTH 111	Survey of Physical Anthropology		3.0	FS	GE
The qualities of being human are examined through the investigation of evolutionary principles, non-human primates, human fossil record, and living peoples. The biological origin, evolution, and variation of humankind are explored. Lower division General Education Breadth Area B2, Natural Sciences-Life Forms. 2 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (000490)
BIOL 102	Introduction to Living Systems		3.0	FS	GE
This course is also offered as NSCI 102. An integrated study of the nature and interactions of living things and their environments. This course is an introduction to the processes of evolution and speciation, ecology and ecosystem processes, cellular biology and organismal physiology. The course is primarily for students without a strong background in high school biology or chemistry. The course includes online content delivery, in-class discussion, and a hands-on activity session. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (020372)
CHEM 100	Chemistry and Current Issues		3.0	FS	GE
Designed for non-science majors, this course will examine contemporary science issues and use this context to provide an understanding of the basic chemical processes that govern our lives. Students will learn how scientists study chemical processes, decipher them, and develop them to meet our needs. The importance of the relationship between science and technology and the public's understanding of these issues will also be explored. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (001819)
GEOG 101I	Physical Geography		3.0	FS	GE  WI
Prerequisites: High school biology, chemistry, or physics is recommended. This course is a survey of the basic processes that determine flows of energy through the atmosphere and examines the subsequent interactions among water, landforms, soil, and vegetation that create and modify the surface of the earth. Students develop a recognition of landscape patterns, as well as an understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological principles and functions that create those patterns, in order to understand the natural environment in which we live and the role of humans affecting that environment. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours activity.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. (003857)
GEOS 105	Introduction to Astronomy		3.0	FS	GE
Origin and evolution of the universe. Topics include black holes, pulsars, quasars, life in the universe, and interstellar communication. Constellation study in Roth Planetarium and telescope observation of stars and galaxies at Observatory. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (004129)
JOUR 130I	Professional Writing for Public Audiences		3.0	FS	GE  WI
Prerequisite: English Placement Test score of 147 or higher. An intensive writing course designed to introduce students to professional expository writing by using media content as models and a platform. Emphasis is on clarity, conciseness, and consistency in style, along with form, content, context, and effectiveness of communication. Writing for various audiences will feature the Internet, academic writing, persuasion, description and other rhetorical models. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. (021092)
NSCI 101	Intro to Earth's Environment		3.0	FS	GE
This course focuses on the principles and scientific thought processes as they relate to climate change, air and water resources, and ecosystem alteration. The Earth's physical environment is the primary focus, although a portion of the course covering ecosystems bridges physical and biological interrelatedness of the global environment. Problem solving skills and skills in analyzing environmental issues are emphasized. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (020268)
NSCI 102	Introduction to Living Systems		3.0	FS	GE
This course is also offered as BIOL 102. An integrated study of the nature and interactions of living things and their environments. This course is an introduction to the processes of evolution and speciation, ecology and ecosystem processes, cellular biology and organismal physiology. The course is primarily for students without a strong background in high school biology or chemistry. The course includes online content delivery, in-class discussion, and a hands-on activity session. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved General Education course. (020372)

Arts (C1)

1 course selected from:

Humanities (C2)

1 course selected from:

Note: EFLN 170 is for international students for whom English is a foreign language.

Individual and Society (D1)

1 course selected from:

Societal Institutions (D2)

1 course selected from:

Lifelong Learning (E)

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Sustainable	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
CSCI 102	Living With Technology		3.0	FS	GE
This course explores the impact of technology on our lives. Aspects of our complex technological society are investigated through study of the various forms technology takes, and readings in contemporary literature regarding the impact these technologies have on individuals. Students are encouraged to reflect on technology in their own lives through journaling, and to discourse with their peers on the benefits and harm to individuals, society, and humanity that modern technology presents. 3 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. (020623)
HNRS 200CI	Honors Survey of Civilization		3.0	FS	GE  GC  WI
Corequisites: HNRS 200DI, HNRS 200EI. Honors Survey of Civilization is a survey of civilized life from the first appearance of humans until today. It is a map of the course our species has traveled since the discovery of agriculture, and it provides a coherent and foundational overview of many of the moments, monuments, and movements of civilization. It is a unique and foundational 9-unit general education experience for Honors students. 3 hours discussion.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021030)
HNRS 200DI	Honors Survey of Civilization		3.0	FS	GE  GC  WI
Corequisites: HNRS 200CI, HNRS 200EI. Honors Survey of Civilization is a survey of civilized life from the first appearance of humans until today. It is a map of the course our species has traveled since the discovery of agriculture, and it provides a coherent and foundational overview of many of the moments, monuments, and movements of civilization. It is a unique and foundational 9-unit general education experience for Honors students. 3 hours discussion.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021031)
HNRS 200EI	Honors Survey of Civilization		3.0	FS	GE  GC  WI
Corequisites: HNRS 120C, HNRS 120D. Honors Survey of Civilization is a survey of civilized life from the first appearance of humans until today. It is a map of the course our species has traveled since the discovery of agriculture, and it provides a coherent and foundational overview of many of the moments, monuments, and movements of civilization. It is a unique and foundational 9-unit general education experience for Honors students. 3 hours discussion.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021032)
HNRS 201I	Beauty		3.0	FA	GE  WI
Prerequisite: Admission to the Honors Program . In this course we investigate and discuss the concept of beauty. What does it mean to say that something is beautiful, or to say that one finds something beautiful? We investigate the concept of beauty, and related concepts, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Philosophy, art, history, biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and other academic fields all have important things to say about what beauty is, what it has been taken to be, and the roles that beauty plays and has played in human life. 1.5 hours lecture, 1.5 hours seminar.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. (021401)
HNRS 202	Nature		3.0	FA	GE
Prerequisite: Admission to the Honors Program. This seminar is a multidisciplinary exploration of Nature. The story of Nature is one that presumably has a beginning, a middle period, and an end. Using perspectives from cosmology, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, anthropology, philosophy, history, literature, music, and art the course focuses on basic and fundamental questions about Nature. 1.5 hours lecture, 1.5 hours seminar. This is an approved General Education course. (021397)
HNRS 203I	Virtue		3.0	SP	GE  WI
Prerequisite: Admission to the Honors Program . This seminar starts by exploring how the appreciation of virtue developed historically, and what various philosophers, religious traditions, and historians have assumed and argued about virtue. In the last part of the course, we focus on the way that American society and Americans think about virtue; why it is so important to them; how their views are shaped by politics, religion, cultural identity, and gender concerns; and how specific virtues are emphasized or respected in specific contexts (medicine and nursing, war, childrearing, business). We close with recent theoretical reflections on virtue in the social and natural sciences. Beginning in the 17th century and moving into the 19th, the emerging natural and social sciences began to bring their insights and tools to bear on the study of human nature and the related concern with morality and virtue. When combined with the move away from more traditional, religious, and "commensense" world views and into more secular societies, a heated debate on the nature of virtue and the argument about which virtues to affirm and commend to people really started shifting. We'll look at this more recent move, and bring it into the 20th century with recent insights provided by sociobiology and cultural anthropology. 1.5 hours lecture, 1.5 hours seminar.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. (021398)
HNRS 204	Truth		3.0	SP	GE  GC
Prerequisite: Admission to the Honors Program . This inter-disciplinary Honors course aims to help students explore questions about the nature of truth, how we can best discover it, what is its value, and what are its limits. We use ideas and methods from philosophy, religion, cosmology, logic, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and other disciplines to make sense of these questions. 1.5 hours lecture, 1.5 hours seminar. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021399)
JOUR 255	Media Literacy and Civic Engagement		3.0	FS	GE
The mass media are changing more rapidly now than at any time in the past century, and this course gives a context to those changes and provides an overview of what citizens need to know for understanding the role of the mass media in their public lives. Students explore the structure of media organizations; the professional and ethical values of journalists; the needs, desires, and influences of culture on media consumers; and the impact of changing technologies - both visual and written - on public relations and traditional news gathering. This includes critical analysis of the relationship of journalism and society and their effect on democracy, as well as the psychological, political, economic, and cultural values of citizens. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (020555)
JOUR 255I	Media Literacy and Civic Engagement - Writing Intensive		3.0	FS	GE  WI
The mass media are changing more rapidly now than at any time in the past century, and this course gives a context to those changes and provides an overview of what citizens need to know for understanding the role of the mass media in their public lives. Students explore the structure of media organizations; the professional and ethical values of journalists; the needs, desires, and influences of culture on media consumers; and the impact of changing technologies - both visual and written - on public relations and traditional news gathering. This includes critical analysis of the relationship of journalism and society and their effect on democracy, as well as the psychological, political, economic, and cultural values of citizens. 3 hours lecture.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. (021263)
PHIL 207	The Meaning of Life		3.0	FS	GE
Is there meaning or purpose to life? Does science help or hinder the search for meaning? This course examines philosophical and scientific perspectives on the meaning of life, the nature of happiness, and how to think about the value and purpose of your life. 3 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. (021531)

Upper Division

Natural Sciences

1 course selected from:

Arts/Humanities

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Sustainable	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
ENGL 350	Science, Technology and the Literature of Cultural Change		3.0	FS	GE  USD
This course studies American culture and the various ways in which particular cultural products reinforce, oppose, underscore, or resist the values of the dominant culture - we also explore the gaps between the explicit and the implicit in those cultural values. Our discussions of these texts sustain an ongoing conversation about the various ways science and technology drive and are driven by the movements in culture we explore. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021118)
ENGL 350I	Science, Technology and the Literature of Cultural Change - Writing Intensive		3.0	FS	GE  USD  WI
This course studies American culture and the various ways in which particular cultural products reinforce, oppose, underscore, or resist the values of the dominant culture - we also explore the gaps between the explicit and the implicit in those cultural values. Our discussions of these texts sustain an ongoing conversation about the various ways science and technology drive and are driven by the movements in culture we explore. 3 hours lecture.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (021236)
HNRS 320I	Science and Human Values -- Honors		3.0	FA	GE  WI
Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Honors Program, faculty permission. Critically examines scientific and humanistic world views and sensibilities, directly applying these approaches to contemporary social and personal problems. 3 hours seminar.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. (001149)
HNRS 340I	Men, Women & the Land: Myths & Realities		3.0	SP	GE  USD  WI
This course is team taught across several disciplines: biology, ecology, political economy, sustainability, intellectual history, and literary and cultural studies. Examines the ways people have thought about their relationship to the world, particularly in North America and the American West. Examines how ideas are shaped by environment, and the ways in which different cultures have affected the environment. This course evaluates the sustainability of past and current relationships to the land, and also considers a number of future possibilities for positive change. 3 hours seminar.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (020913)
HNRS 399Z	Honors General Education Thesis		3.0	FS	GE  C
Prerequisites: Active status in the Honors Program, faculty permission. Independent study of an interdisciplinary topic that satisfies three units of upper-division GE theme requirements. This capstone course is designed to hone your skills in research and writing by working on a topic that grows out of the material you found most intriguing in your other upper-division theme classes. 9 hours supervision. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. This is an approved General Education Capstone course. (000358)
PHIL 370	Philosophy of Science		3.0	FS	GE
An examination of the philosophical issues raised by scientific inquiry. Topics include the logical empiricist view of science, perception, and discovery, scientific paradigms, and the implications of reductivism. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved General Education course. (007193)
RELS 357I	End of the World - WI		3.0	FS	GE  WI
This course introduces students to the ways in which historic and contemporary religious communities interpret catastrophes and how religious worlds explain and provide humans with tools to cope with catastrophes and with making meaning out of suffering and death. Focus is on visions of the end of the world (apocalypticism, environmental destruction), interpreting the meaning of disasters (natural, human-induced), and personal and global annihilation (epidemics, nuclear destruction). 3 hours lecture.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. (008166)

Social Sciences

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Sustainable	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
ANTH 333	Nature, Culture, Environment		3.0	FS	GE  GC
This course examines how societies create, understand, and resolve environmental problems. It uses anthropological methods to explore relations between cultural and natural orders in a wide range of human groups. It emphasizes new approaches that can contribute to the well-being and sustainability of living communities in the twenty-first century. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (020636)
CDES 307	Technology and Communication		3.0	FS	GE
Students acquire a qualitative understanding of how various information and communication technologies work, the social needs that drive technology developments, and the future impact of new information technologies on work and society. This course is required for all majors in the Department of Communication Design. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (001659)
HNRS 330I	Mind in the Machine		3.0	SP	GE  WI
Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Honors Program, faculty permission. An Honors seminar that explores the psychological, philosophical, social, biological, and technical aspects of machine "minds." Explores core issues within a subset of the disciplines that comprise the cognitive sciences, including artificial intelligence, philosophy, and psychology. Readings and discussions focus on theories of artificial intelligence and classic themes in human cognition and philosophy, such as determinism, consciousness, free-will, and the mind-body problem. The course focuses on increasing one's capability to express beliefs and evaluate arguments concerning various issues. 3 hours seminar.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. (002311)
HNRS 340I	Men, Women & the Land: Myths & Realities		3.0	SP	GE  USD  WI
This course is team taught across several disciplines: biology, ecology, political economy, sustainability, intellectual history, and literary and cultural studies. Examines the ways people have thought about their relationship to the world, particularly in North America and the American West. Examines how ideas are shaped by environment, and the ways in which different cultures have affected the environment. This course evaluates the sustainability of past and current relationships to the land, and also considers a number of future possibilities for positive change. 3 hours seminar.This is an approved Writing Intensive course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (020913)
HNRS 399Z	Honors General Education Thesis		3.0	FS	GE  C
Prerequisites: Active status in the Honors Program, faculty permission. Independent study of an interdisciplinary topic that satisfies three units of upper-division GE theme requirements. This capstone course is designed to hone your skills in research and writing by working on a topic that grows out of the material you found most intriguing in your other upper-division theme classes. 9 hours supervision. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. This is an approved General Education Capstone course. (000358)
PSYC 321	Brain, Mind, and Behavior		3.0	FS	GE
This course explores the fundamental relationships between brain function, mental states and consciousness, and human behavior. Attention is given to the influence of brain research on artificial intelligence, neural networks, and computer technology, and to the current metaphor of brain as computer. The course focus is on basic brain processes involved in sensation and perception, motivation and emotion, learning and memory, and language and consciousness. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (007919)