Units / ATS3995
ATS3995 · Science, society and culture in European history
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 3History
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
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.
Areas of study: History
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Prato | First semester (Northern) | Teaching activities are on-campus and in a block period (ON-BLK) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Journal | Written | 20% | — |
| 2 | Participation | Exercise | 20% | — |
| 3 | Presentation | Presentation | 20% | — |
| 4 | Research project | Written | 40% | — |
Within semester assessment: 100%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.
Learning outcomes
- Explain current debates within the field of Science, Medicine, and Technology Studies;
- Critically assess scientific and medical texts, images, historical objects, built and natural environments;
- Discuss and reflect upon the ways in which historians can inform critical discussion about contemporary medical and scientific practices;
- Communicate research on relevant topics orally and in writing.
Workload
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. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
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