The programs in Science, Technology and Society are offered through the School of History and Philosophy of Science and reflect the wide scope of the modern discipline of History and Philosophy of Science [HPS]. This includes not only the foundational HPS areas of history and philosophy of science, technology and medicine; but also the study of contemporary science, technology, environment and society, involving issues about the social shaping and social and ethical impacts of modern science and technology, the politics of environmental controversy, and the assessment and management of technological risk. A wide choice of courses allows students to design a program of study suited to their interests and aims.
Students interested in the traditional HPS areas will engage with some of the deepest intellectual and cultural issues of modern times. These include, amongst others: the nature, dynamics and future of modern science; philosophical foundations of science; relations of science to religion; comparative development of science and technology in the West and other cultures and civilisations past and present; and the shaping of science, past and present, by intellectual, institutional, economic and political contexts.
Students interested in the newer domains of HPS, dealing with contemporary science, technology, environment and society, will find there more applied, interdisciplinary, and problem oriented approaches, engaging contemporary questions about technology and social change, the politics of medicine and health, the place of science and technology in a globalised world economy, as well as the social and political context of environmental policy making and management. These courses are particularly relevant to those working in related areas in government or the private sector. They are also suitable for those with technical and scientific training who want to broaden their approaches, as well as environmental education practitioners, managers in industry and government, and practitioners concerned with the built environment and urban development.

Students must complete six of the courses listed below, including at least either HPSC5001 or HPSC5002, to qualify for the Master of Arts in Science, Technology and Society (program 8225, plan code HPSCDS8225). Eight units of credit (one standard course) may, with the permission of the Program Coordinator, be obtained from courses outside this program, but within the Faculty.