This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2024-2025 VCU Bulletin. We may add courses that expose our students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning. We may also add content to the general education program that focuses on racial literacy and a racial literacy graduation requirement, and may receive notification of additional program approvals after the launch. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
SCTS 200. Science in Society: Values, Ethics and Politics. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An interdisciplinary introduction to the ethical, social and political dimensions of science, technology and medicine examined through case studies and debates.
SCTS 300. Introduction to Science and Technology Studies. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An introduction to the study of science, technology and medicine from political, sociological and historical perspectives, focusing on case studies that illustrate the methods and theories used to examine the structure and behavior of the scientific community and the role of scientific knowledge in shaping public culture. Crosslisted as: GVPA 399/HIST 399.
SCTS 301. Illness Narratives. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ENGL 201, ENGL 202, ENGL 203, ENGL 204, ENGL 205, ENGL 206, ENGL 211, ENGL 215, ENGL 217, ENGL 236, ENGL 250, ENGL 291, ENGL 295 or NEXT 240. An overview of the history, interpretations and practices of reading and writing illness narratives — through case studies and theoretical perspectives, in fictionalized and nonfiction accounts, from the viewpoint of various actors (doctors, patients, patient families and their caregivers). Students will further examine the role of narrative knowledge in health care. Crosslisted as: ENGL 369.
SCTS 305. Contemporary Issues in STEM Fields. 1 Hour.
Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Repeatable for a maximum of 3 credits. Examines contemporary topics in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields through the available public lecture events which take place on the VCU campus during a given semester. Lecture topics will vary from semester to semester but all will discuss recent work and broader issues related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine.
SCTS 392. Revolutions in Science I. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A survey of the history of science from the ancient Greeks to 1800, focusing on the development of scientific ideas, practices and institutions in Western society. Crosslisted as: HIST 392.
SCTS 393. Revolutions in Science II. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A survey of the history of science from 1800 to the present, focusing on the development of scientific ideas, practices and institutions in Western society. Crosslisted as: HIST 393.
SCTS 397. Genetics and Society: 1865 to the Present. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An investigation of the science and technology of heredity in its historical, cultural and political contexts, emphasizing the ways in which genetic theories have been applied in attempting to solve social and biological problems. Crosslisted as: HIST 397.
SCTS 398. Medicine and Public Health: ____. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated with different thematic content for a maximum of six credits. Studies in selected topics in the history of medicine, medical science or public health. Includes introduction to the interdisciplinary approaches practiced in the history of medicine as well as the historical content and relevant analytical skills needed to examine the specific course theme. Crosslisted as: HIST 398.