ATS2995 Science, society and culture in European history
Faculty of Arts
ATS2995 Science, society and culture in European history is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Prato. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Prato
- Assessment
- No exam
- 4 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS2995
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS2995
No unit lists ATS2995 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prerequisite: Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units.
Prohibition: ATS3995
Overview
Held in Prato, the unit aims to introduce you to the history of science, medicine, and technology in Europe. Far from value-free, knowledge and practice is everywhere and always embedded in a social, political, economic, and cultural context. We will probe these entwined historical experiences through an analysis of written texts, visual sources, and material artefacts. We traverse the premodern/modern divide to illuminate continuity and change across time and space in ways that re-contextualise transformative moments such the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment. With a focus on the relationship between knowledge and power, topics may include sanitation and public health; medical technology; urban planning and design; global comparisons and knowledge transfer; technology and empire. This unit will be of interest to students in Science, Medicine, Engineering, as well as Arts.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester (Northern) | Prato | On campus, block |
Assessment
- JournalWritten20%
- ParticipationExercise20%
- Presentation20%
- Research projectWritten40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Explain current debates within the field of Science, Medicine, and Technology Studies;
- 2
Critically assess scientific and medical texts, images, historical objects, built and natural environments;
- 3
Discuss and reflect upon the ways in which historians can inform critical discussion about contemporary medical and scientific practices;
- 4
Communicate research on relevant topics orally and in writing.
Workload and teaching
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Where it fits
ATS2995 is part of 4 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Professor Guy Geltner
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Guy Geltner
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2995?
ATS2995 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS2995 offered?
In 2026, ATS2995 runs in Semester 1 at Prato.
How much work is ATS2995?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2995 have an exam?
No. ATS2995 has 4 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2995?
ATS2995 is part of Health humanities and History.