Combined Honours
Students who intend to apply to graduate school or professional programs (such as medicine, law, or journalism) are encouraged to take an honours degree which requires a higher quality of work than other undergraduate programs.
In HOST you must pursue a Combined Honours degree (that is a degree integrating courses from two disciplines) by combining your HOST degree with a program from Dalhousie’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (for a BA), a program from Dalhousie’s Faculty of Science (for a BSc), or a degree in Journalism (for a BJH).
To complete a combined honours in the History of Science and Technology, BA students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours to a maximum of 48 credit hours in HSTC. BSc students may complete a minimum of 30 credit hours (or a minimum of 24, with the program’s approval) to a maximum of 54 credit hours in HSTC.
Within these credit hours, the program’s four 3 credit hours “core” courses must be included:
- HSTC 2001.03 or equivalent
- HSTC 3001.03 or equivalent
- HSTC 4001.03 or equivalent
- HSTC 4600.03
- Note: With special permission from the Program Director, HSTC 3031.03 may be substituted for one of the core courses.
The requirements for the second honours subject are dependent on that department, and vary from program to program. In total, a minimum of 66 credit hours to a maximum of 84 credit hours in the two allied honours subjects must be completed. Students may fulfil the honours requirement in either of the two honours subjects. Usually this subject will be the one in which the student has taken more classes. In the HOST program, completion of the honours thesis (HSTC 4650.03) fulfils the requirement of the honours qualifying examination.
MINOR
You can take a minor in HOST to complement your degree. Studying science through this humanities-based approach demonstrates your ability to think about science ‘outside the box’.
The Minor in HOST requires a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 27 credit hours taken at the 2000 level or above. This must include (updated January 2022):
- any one of the following three core courses
- HSTC 2001.03: Beginnings of Wisdom: Science in the Pre-modern World (or equivalent)
- HSTC 3001.03: The Scientific Revolution (or equivalent)
- HSTC 4001.03: Science and Nature in the Modern Period (or equivalent
- six credit hours at the 3000 or 4000 level.
Explore courses
Core Courses
-
Introduction to the History of Science I: from the Ancients to the Birth of the Modern
-
HSTC 1201.03 / HSTC 2211.03 / SCIE 2001.03 / HIST 2075.03
Fall
-
Alumni Hall (Lectures)
Lecture: MW 1435-1525 (Alumni Hall)
Tutorial 1: W 1535-1625 (Classroom 1)
Tutorial 2: W 1535-1625 (Seminar Room)
Tutorial 3: R 1435-1525 (Seminar Room)
Tutorial 4: R 1435-1525 (Classroom 1)
Tutorial 5: F 1435-1525 (Classroom 1)
-
Introduction to the History of Science II: From The Birth of the Modern to the Present
-
HSTC 1202.03/HSTC 2212.03/SCIE 2002.03/HIST 2076.03
Winter
-
Alumni Hall (Lectures)
Lecture: MW 1435-1525 (Alumni Hall)
Tutorial 1: W 1535-1625 (Classroom 1)
Tutorial 2: W 1535-1625 (Seminar Room)
Tutorial 3: R 1435-1525 (Seminar Room)
Tutorial 4: R 1435-1525 (Classroom 1)
Tutorial 5: F 1435-1525 (Classroom 1)
-
Beginnings of Wisdom: Science in the Pre-modern World
-
HSTC 2001.03/CLAS2001.03
Fall
-
Archibald Room
TR 1435-1555
-
Medieval Natural Philosophy: from the Roman Empire to the Age of Dante
-
HSTC 2002.03/CLAS 2002.03
Winter
-
Archibald Room
TR 1435-1555
-
The Scientific Revolution
-
HSTC 3001.03
Winter
-
Scotiabank Room
M 1235-1425
W 1235-1325
-
Science and Nature in the Modern Period
-
HSTC4001.03
Fall
-
Seminar Room
TR 1005-1125
Summer 2025
-
Origins of Modern Medicine
-
HSTC 2102.03
Fall
Summer
-
Summer: Online/Asynchronous, Fall: Alumni Hall
Fall: R 1745-2035
-
Imagining Artificial Intelligence
-
HSTC2410.03
Summer
-
Online / Asynchronous
-
Brewing Civilization: The History, Culture and Science of Beer
-
HSTC3415.03
Winter
Summer
-
ONLINE/ASYNCHRONOUS
Electives
-
Introduction to the History of Science I: from the Ancients to the Birth of the Modern
-
HSTC 1201.03 / HSTC 2211.03 / SCIE 2001.03 / HIST 2075.03
Fall
-
Alumni Hall (Lectures)
Lecture: MW 1435-1525 (Alumni Hall)
Tutorial 1: W 1535-1625 (Classroom 1)
Tutorial 2: W 1535-1625 (Seminar Room)
Tutorial 3: R 1435-1525 (Seminar Room)
Tutorial 4: R 1435-1525 (Classroom 1)
Tutorial 5: F 1435-1525 (Classroom 1)
-
Introduction to the History of Science II: From The Birth of the Modern to the Present
-
HSTC 1202.03/HSTC 2212.03/SCIE 2002.03/HIST 2076.03
Winter
-
Alumni Hall (Lectures)
Lecture: MW 1435-1525 (Alumni Hall)
Tutorial 1: W 1535-1625 (Classroom 1)
Tutorial 2: W 1535-1625 (Seminar Room)
Tutorial 3: R 1435-1525 (Seminar Room)
Tutorial 4: R 1435-1525 (Classroom 1)
Tutorial 5: F 1435-1525 (Classroom 1)
-
Beginnings of Wisdom: Science in the Pre-modern World
-
HSTC 2001.03/CLAS2001.03
Fall
-
Archibald Room
TR 1435-1555
-
Medieval Natural Philosophy: from the Roman Empire to the Age of Dante
-
HSTC 2002.03/CLAS 2002.03
Winter
-
Archibald Room
TR 1435-1555
-
Origins of Modern Medicine
-
HSTC 2102.03
Fall
Summer
-
Summer: Online/Asynchronous, Fall: Alumni Hall
Fall: R 1745-2035
-
Magic, Science and the Occult: from Antiquity to Postmodernity
-
HSTC 2120.03/EMSP 2360.03/HIST 2990.03/RELS 2120.03
Fall
-
KTS Lecture Hall
MW 1135-1255
-
Bio-Politics: Human Nature in Contemporary Thought
-
CTMP2203.03/HSTC2206.03
Winter
-
Classroom 1
W 1735-2025
-
Environmentalism: origins, ideals and critique
-
CTMP2206.03/HSTC2209.03
Fall
-
Scotiabank Room
TR 1605-1725
-
Ideas of the Sea and Seafaring: Intercultural Perspectives
-
EMSP 2490.03/CTMP 2207.03/HSTC 2220.03
Fall
-
KTS Lecture Hall
TR 1305-1425
-
Women and Gender in Early Modern Science
-
EMSP 2310.03/GWST 2310/HSTC 2310
Fall
-
Archibald Room
TR 1305-1425
-
The Origins of Science Fiction in Early Modern Europe
-
EMSP 2340.03/HSTC 2340.03
Winter
-
Scotiabank Room
TR 1305-1425
-
Science in the Media
-
HSTC 2400.03/JOUR 2400.03
Winter
-
Online/Asynchronous
-
History of Communication Technology
-
HSTC 2401.03/JOUR 2401.03
Winter
-
KTS Lecture Hall
M 1745-2035
-
Science Fiction in Film
-
HSTC 2500.03
Fall
-
Alumni Hall
M 1745-2105
-
The Scientific Revolution
-
HSTC 3001.03
Winter
-
Scotiabank Room
M 1235-1425
W 1235-1325
-
Science and Culture I: The Discourses of Modernity
-
CTMP 3001.03 / HSTC 3031.03
Fall
-
Archibald Room
M 1535-1725
W 1535-1625
-
Science and Culture II: Resetting the Modern
-
CTMP 3002.03/HSTC 3032.03
Winter
-
Archibald Room
M 1535-1725
W 1535-1625
-
Human Experiments
-
HSTC3101.03/CTMP3204.03
Winter
-
Classroom 1
TR 1005-1125
-
In Search of the Philosopher's Stone: The History of European Alchemy
-
HSTC3121.03/EMSP3321.03 / HIST3990.03 / RELS3121.03
Winter
-
Archibald Room
TR 1005-1125
-
Body and Embodiment in Greco-Roman Medicine
-
HSTC3140.03/CLAS3140.03
Winter
-
Scotiabank Room
MW 1435-1555
-
Science and Religion: Historical Perspectives
-
HSTC 3200.03 / EMSP 3330.03 / RELS 3200.03 / HIST 3075.03
Fall
-
Classroom 1
TR 1605-1725
-
Science and Religion: Contemporary Perspectives
-
HSTC 3201.03 / CTMP 3201.03 / RELS 3201.03 / HIST 3076.03
Winter
-
Classroom 1
TR 1605-1725
-
Drugs in Antiquity: Medicine, Magic and Religious Experience
-
HSTC3220.03/CLAS3220.03
Winter
-
Seminar Room
TR 1605-1725
-
History of Biology
-
HSTC 3302.03/BIOL 3602.03
Fall
-
Scotiabank Room
TR 1305-1425
-
Oracles, Omens and Astrology in the Ancient World
-
HSTC3320.03/CLAS3320.03
Winter
-
KTS Lecture Hall
MW 1135-1255
-
Anti-Colonial Science
-
HSTC3403.03
Fall
-
Frazee Room
TR 1435-1555
-
Brewing Civilization: The History, Culture and Science of Beer
-
HSTC3415.03
Winter
Summer
-
ONLINE/ASYNCHRONOUS
-
Magic and Materiality in the Ancient World
-
HSTC3610.03
Fall
-
Scotiabank Room
MW 1435-1555
-
Science and Nature in the Modern Period
-
HSTC4001.03
Fall
-
Seminar Room
TR 1005-1125
-
New Materialisms: Life, Science, and Politics
-
CTMP 4203.03/HSTC 4203.03
Fall
-
Scotiabank Room
MW 1305-1425
Honours Thesis & Colloquium
-
History of Science and Technology Honours Thesis
-
HSTC4650.03
Fall
Winter
-
Archibald Room
DALHOUSIE SELECTIVES
Students enrolled in the Combined Honours or Minor program in HOST can opt to take a maximum of one 3-credit hour “selective” course at Dalhousie University to count toward the HOST part of their degree. The Registrar’s Office at King’s should be notified if students wish to pursue this option. Not all selectives are offered each year. Please consult the current timetable for this year’s offering.
Approved selectives are:
- BIOL 4004/INDG 4004 Principles of Indigenous Medicine
- HIST 3916 Health and Disease in Medieval Society
- INDG 3052/SOSA 3052/ CANA 3052 Indigenous Social Health and Environmental Issues
- PHIL 3420/BIOL 3580/PHIL 5420 Philosophy of Biology
- PHIL 4700/PHIL 5700 Philosophy of Race
- SOSA 2503 Health and Society
- SOSA 2933 Health and Culture
- SOSA 3148 The Sociology of Addiction: Drugs, Health and Society
Discover more
Discover the history of engineering. Learn about science fiction in film, science and the media, or science and religion. These are just some of the topics of elective courses open to students pursuing a King’s Honours degree or any program in King’s and Dalhousie shared Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Faculty of Science.
Using the combined resources of philosophical, historical and sociological methods, HOST traces the roots and trajectories of primary conceptions of nature and our place within it.
