Courses

Diverse course offerings

Our department is interested in the structure and development of the natural, social, and medical sciences, and how they intersect with science and society. We offer a diverse set of courses for undergraduates interested in the foundations of scientific knowledge, methods, and practices. You can investigate the rise of science and medicine from their origins to the present moment, while considering the social and intellectual impacts of science and medicine.

Featured Courses in HPSC:

HPSC-X108: The Science of Sex and Race

A survey of the history of diversity in the U.S. from the point of view of the history of science, asking how biologists explained and debated the origins of racial or sexual differences and how the debates reflected the interplay between science and culture.

 

The Secret Life of Trees: Scientific, Historical, and Psychological Perspectives on Forests

Examines trees and forests as conspicuous natural objects that play a multivalent role in human imagination, thinking, and emotion. Explores the intertwined natural and cultural trajectory of trees along scientific, historical, and psychological dimensions. Topics include ecosystem services, human uses and attitudes, deforestation, IU's woodland campus, and ecological ethics.

 Want to explore all of our courses?   View full course list