Programs by Campus
Bloomington
History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine
College of Arts and Sciences
Departmental E-mail: hpscdept [at] indiana [dot] edu
Departmental URL: www.indiana.edu/~hpscdept
(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)
Curriculum
Degrees Offered
Master of Arts, Dual Master of Arts and Master of Library Science (jointly with the Department of Information and Library Science), Studies in Science Literacy and Responsible Research Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy. Students at IU may also pursue double Ph.D.’s with related departments, such as History or Philosophy, writing a single dissertation.
Special Departmental Requirements
(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)
Admission Guidelines
Either (1) an undergraduate major in a science or a related group of sciences with a minor in either history or philosophy; (2) an undergraduate major in either history or philosophy with a strong minor in science; (3) or a similar background is preferred. Applicants with divergent backgrounds who can demonstrate serious interest and research potential in HPSC are encouraged to apply.
Master of Arts Degree
Course Requirements
This track is designed for students intending to pursue a Ph.D. A total of 30 credit hours of graduate coursework is required, including 24 hours of coursework in the department. Students must also complete:
- At least 3 core courses from the list (X506, X507, X551, X552, X556, X706)
- At least one of X506 or X507
- At least one of X551, X552, or X556
- 1 semester each of X501 and X733
- 1 course that requires the writing of a major research paper
- 4 additional graduate lecture and/or seminar courses in the department
- X501, X733, and X600 are not lecture/seminar courses
- X700 Masters Thesis credits do not count toward the credit requirements
Students intending to complete a Master’s Thesis must do so under the guidance of and accepted by a thesis committee, which will be drawn up in consultation with the student's advisor. The members of the committee retain the option to request an oral defense of the thesis. A maximum of 12 credit hours of X700 may be taken, but they will not count toward the required 30 credits of coursework.
Students intending to take Ph.D. qualifying exams are advised to take more than the minimum number of core courses required for the M.A.
Grades
A 3.3 (B+) grade point average in departmental courses is required.
Foreign Language/Tool Skill Requirement
Proficiency in one approved foreign language or one research/tool skill. Students are typically expected to complete this requirement before registering for their third semester in the department. Courses used to satisfy the language/tool skill requirement do not count as graduate credit toward the Master's Degree.
Approved languages include Spanish, Greek, Latin, French, German, and Russian. Approved tool skills include Logic, Probability Theory, and Statistics.
Dual Master of Arts and Master of Library Science Degrees
Course Requirements
Study for these two degrees can be combined for a total of at least 51 credit hours rather than the 66 credit hours required for the two degrees taken separately.
Students must take at least 21 credit hours in History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine, including 3 core courses (X506, X507, X551, X552, X556, or X706), the Professional Development Seminar (X501), and Colloquium Series (X733). Core coursework must include at least one of X506 or X507 and at least one of X551, X552, or X556. The course of study must be planned in consultation with a department advisor. X600 Advanced Readings Course can be repeated for no more than 9 total credit hours.
Students must also complete 30 credit hours of Department of Information and Library Science (ILS) courses, coursework to be determined by ILS. Admission to each of the two areas of study is approved separately on the same basis as for other applicants not in the dual program.
Foreign Language/Tool Skill Requirement
Proficiency in one approved foreign language or one research/tool skill. Students are typically expected to complete this requirement before registering for their third semester in the department. Courses used to satisfy the language/tool skill requirement do not count as graduate credit toward the combined Master's Degree.
Approved languages include Spanish, Greek, Latin, French, German, and Russian. Approved tool skills include Logic, Probability Theory, and Statistics.
Master of Arts Degree Track in Science Literacy and Responsible Research
Course Requirements
This track is for students who are pursuing a professional (and possibly terminal) Master’s Degree within the department. A total of 30 credit hours of graduate coursework for both the course-based M.A. and the case study or thesis-based M.A. are required. Department requirements for both tracks include:
- 3 courses from the core course list (X507, X511, X540, X551)
- Each in conjunction with 1 credit hour of case study credit (X533)
- 1 credit hour of research ethics/research compliance credit (X512)
- 2 credit hours of practicum or internship credit (X633)
Course-based M.A. students must also select 3 special topics courses (X506, X609, X632, X690, X693, X705, X755), including at least one with a history component (X506, X609, X632 or X705). X700 credits do not count toward the 30 required for the course-based M.A. option.
Case study or thesis-based M.A. students must select one special topics course with a history component (X506, X609, X632 or X705) and complete 6 credit hours of X700 Masters Thesis. Students may either chose to complete a thesis or extended case study in fulfillment of the research/thesis requirement.
Students intending to take Ph.D. qualifying exams are advised to take more than the minimum number of core courses required for the M.A.
Grades
A 3.3 (B+) grade point average in departmental courses is required.
Tool Skill Requirement
Proficiency in one approved tool skill (500-level or above), requiring two courses at three credit hours each. Depending on the area chosen, tool skill courses may be in Logic, Probability Theory, Statistics, Survey Research Methodology, Big Data Software and Projects, or similar. Courses should be chosen in consultation with the advisor. Students are typically expected to complete this requirement before registering for their third semester in the department.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Fields of Study
A student may concentrate in either the history or the philosophy of science or pursue both fields simultaneously. This affects the Foreign Language/Tool Skill Requirement and the Course Requirements below.
Course Requirements
A total of 90 credit hours, including a maximum of 30 credit hours of dissertation work (X800) and a maximum of 9 credit hours of individualized study (X600).
Ph.D. students must select at least 4 core courses (X506, X507, X511, X540, X551, X552, X556, X706), including at least one of X506 or X507, and at least one of X551, X552, or X556. Those students intending to emphasize history must take both X506 and X507. Those students intending to emphasize philosophy must take at least two of X551, X552, or X556.
Students must also select 5 additional graduate lecture and/or seminar courses in the department. X501, X733, and X600 are not lecture/seminar courses. Two semesters each of the Professional Development Seminar (X501) and Colloquium Series (X733) are also required.
Minor
One minor outside the department is required. The requirements for this minor are set by the department involved. Outside minor fields that students in the History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine have commonly taken include history, mathematics, philosophy, or one of the sciences, such as astronomy, physics, mathematics, and biology. Should a student wish to take an "unusual" minor, it is necessary to get approval from the department.
Foreign Language/Tool Skill Requirement
Proficiency either (1) in two languages, (2) in one language and one tool skill (only for those emphasizing philosophy), or (3) in one language in depth, depending on the recommendation of the student’s advisory committee. Students are normally expected to complete one of these requirements before their third semester in residence and the second language or tool skill requirement before their fifth semester. The choice of languages or tool skill is to be made in consultation with the student's advisor. Courses used to satisfy the language/tool skill requirement do not count as graduate credit toward the Ph.D.
Approved languages include Spanish, Greek, Latin, French, German, and Russian. Another language demonstrably crucial to a student's dissertation research may be accepted upon approval by the student's academic advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Approved tool skills include: Logic, Probability Theory, and Statistics. Another formal topic demonstrably crucial to a student's dissertation research may be accepted upon approval by the faculty. In general, students are expected to possess a level of proficiency in the practical ability to apply formal methods and an understanding of the theory underlying the formal methods. The level of proficiency demanded is at least equivalent to "B" level performance in upper-division undergraduate or graduate courses in the relevant disciplines, i.e. philosophy, mathematics, statistics, and computer science.
There are two methods for satisfying this requirement:
a). Certification by a committee of two HPSC faculty with expertise in the chosen tool skill. This committee may use any combination of special examination (written or oral), inspection of the student's transcripts, or requiring the student to obtain passing grades of at least "B" in pre-selected courses taken outside the department. In logic, this entails performance at least to the level of a "B" grade in the second semester of a formal logic course that covers predicate logic, practical familiarity with the logic of identity and modal operators, and the equivalent of one upper-level or graduate course in logical theory at least covering the completeness of first-order predicate logic.
b). Certification by an external department. Where another department offers certification in a tool skill, students may choose to meet that requirement. Primarily, this refers to logic certification by the Philosophy Department, although other graduate certification programs in other departments may be considered. Students should consult the Director of Graduate Studies in the other department to determine which courses they may take to meet that department's certification requirements.
Qualifying Examination
Written and oral. Examination in minor area is left to the discretion of the minor department. Examinations may not be taken more than twice, except in extraordinary cases.
Research Proposal
In order to advance to Ph.D. candidacy, the student must submit and gain departmental approval of a dissertation research proposal. A grant proposal, suitable for submission to an external funding agency or institution, must also be prepared and approved at this stage (or earlier).
Ph.D. Minor in History and Philosophy of Science
Graduate students from other departments desiring a minor in History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine must complete 12 graduate credit hours of coursework in the department with a B+ or higher. The set of courses should represent a coordinated objective and must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.