This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2026-2027 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. 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 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 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.