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Faculty of Arts

History and Philosophy of Science

1. Prerequisites
2. Requirements for a Major
3. Honours entry
4. Honours requirements
4.1. Pure Honours
4.2. Combined Honours
5. Further study
6. For more information

Subject Lists
    First Year subjects
    Second/Third Year subjects
    Third Year subjects
    Third/Fourth Year subjects
    Fourth Year Honours subjects
    Subjects not offered in 2000
        Second/Third Year subjects not offered in 2000
        Third Year subjects not offered in 2000
        Fourth Year Honours subjects not offered in 2000

History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) asks questions about the nature of science as an activity, and about the place of science in modern society. For example, how is scientific knowledge established? If science tells the truth, why do scientists sometimes say one thing (for example, that dinosaurs were cold-blooded) and then later say the opposite (dinosaurs were warm-blooded)? Or, when science and religion disagree, which should we believe? Or, can statistics lie? Or, how much influence in society should scientists have?

1. Prerequisites

There are no specific prerequisites for First Year HPS subjects.

For science students, there are no prerequisites for Second/Third Year HPS subjects beyond admission to Second Year.

For students in other faculties, the prerequisite for a Second/Third Year HPS subject is usually 75 points of level one subjects.

The prerequisite for a Third/Fourth Year subject in HPS is usually two level two/three subjects in HPS.

2. Requirements for a Major

A Major in HPS usually consists of nine 12.5 point subjects, totalling 112.5 points. It comprises:

two First Year subjects in HPS (25 points) and;
Second/Third Year subjects in HPS (totalling 87.5 points), which must include at least one of the following:

3. Honours entry

The requirements for Science Honours are set out in Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Bachelor of Information Systems (Honours). The prerequisites for entry to the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in HPS are:

completion of all the requirements for the BA and;
completion of a Major in HPS, which includes:
- at least one Second/Third Year philosophy of science subject and;
- at least one Second/Third Year history of science subject
An average grade of H2B or higher over the Second/Third Year subjects within the Major.

Entry to Honours must be approved by the HPS Honours coordinator and the Faculty of Arts Honours course adviser.

4. Honours requirements

4.1. Pure Honours

Students undertaking pure Honours in HPS must complete:

136-063 HPS Honours Thesis (50 points) and;
four Honours subjects in HPS (totalling 50 points).

4.2. Combined Honours

Students intending to undertake combined Honours in HPS and another area of study should consult the HPS Honours coordinator about structuring their course.

5. Further study

A BA with Honours in HPS can lead to MA by advanced seminars and shorter thesis, or by research thesis alone or PhD. Students interested in postgraduate study should collect a copy of our separate postgraduate handbook, and contact the Departmental Office to make an appointment to see the postgraduate coordinator.

6. For more information

History and Philosophy of Science
Ground Floor, Old Arts Building
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Tel: +61 3 9344 6556
Email: enquiries@hps.unimelb.edu.au
Web: http://www.hps.unimelb.edu.au

First Year subjects

136-028 History of Astronomy
136-030 Social Change, Science & New Technology
136-031 Science, Philosophy and History
136-032 The Ecological History of Humankind

Second/Third Year subjects

103-005 Cybersociety
136-029 Darwinism
136-033 Science, Reason and Reality
136-034 Science, Life and Mind
136-036 Philosophy of Science
136-037 Issues in the Modern Life Sciences
136-038 The Scientific Revolution
136-039 Medicine and Society
136-040 Science Technology and Society
136-042 Science in Australian Society
136-045 Fact, Fiction & Fraud in the Digital Age
136-076 Social Theory and Political Analysis
136-077 Psychoanalysis and Social Theory
161-015 Introduction to Formal Logic

Third Year subjects

136-052 Science as Practice and Culture
136-054 Controversies in Philosophy of Science
136-055 Approaches to the History of Science
136-329 Darwinism (Science 3)
136-333 Science, Reason and Reality (Science 3)
136-334 Science, Life & Mind (Science 3)
136-336 Philosophy of Science (Science 3)
136-337 Biotechnology in Modern Society (Sci.3)
136-338 The Scientific Revolution (Science 3)
136-340 Science Technology & Society (Science 3)
136-342 Science in Australia (Science 3)

Third/Fourth Year subjects

136-062 Directed Study

Fourth Year Honours subjects

136-063 HPS Honours Thesis
136-064 Beyond Realism and Relativism
136-065 Science in the Classical World
136-066 Risk, Environment and Modernity
136-069 Disease and Culture
136-347 Special Lecture Program
136-495 Philosophical Problems in Statistics
136-070 HPS-Research Project (Science)
136-071 HPS Advanced Coursework (Science)
136-082 Imagined Societies

Subjects not offered in 2000

Search : Index : Faculty of Arts

Status:                   Official 2000
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Email Enquiries:          Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au