Technology, Culture and Society
General Education Clusters
Many courses offered by the Department of Technology, Culture and Society are both required for TCS majors and at the same time satisfy the humanities and social science requirement for other majors at NYU-Poly. For TCS majors, this means that their education involves learning to communicate and work with professionals in scientific and technical fields.
The Cluster Concept
TCS offers elective courses that fulfill Poly’s undergraduate requirement for courses in humanities and social sciences—part of the undergraduate core curriculum. These courses explore the relations among science, technology, and society from three general approaches and modes of inquiry: Culture, Arts and Media (CAM); Science, Technology and Society (STS); and Society, Environment and Globalization (SEG). This integrated approach to science, technology, and the humanities and social sciences provides engineering and science majors with a concrete and focused foundation for their fields.
On this page, you can find information about:
- Overview of the clusters
- NYU-Poly humanities and social science requirement
- Culture, Arts and Media electives
- Science, Technology and Society electives
- Society, Environment and Globalization electives
Cluster Overview
Culture, Arts and Media (CAM)
The CAM cluster explores how cultural practices and artifacts in a wide range of media reflect, influence, and interact with developments in science and technology. Courses are based on philosophy, media studies, music, literary studies, art history, rhetoric, and anthropology. The media studies courses are required for students who major in Integrated Digital Media.
Science, Technology and Society (STS)
Courses from this cluster are electives for STS majors and are used to fulfill the 24 credits of "restricted" electives for the major. STS cluster courses explore the interrelationships among science, technology, culture, and society. STS unites and investigates a myriad of disciplines, including history, philosophy, rhetoric, literary studies, and sociology. The questions posed are: How do science and technology shape society? How do social processes frame scientific and technological enterprises? What is the relationship between the content of scientific and technological knowledge and the social and intellectual context in which it is created?
Society, Environment and Globalization (SEG)
Courses in this cluster are generally “concentration” courses for SUE majors. Courses in the SEG cluster address the way the critical areas of society, environment, and globalization are interlinked in the way they affect the experience of modern life. Coming from the complementary perspectives of the humanities and social sciences, SEG courses provide students with a broad and multicultural perspective on how environmental issues and global exchange in this “flat world” are changing society, here and across the world.
Required Courses for fulfilling the NYU-Poly Humanities and Social Sciences Core Requirement (24 credits)
All students at NYU-Poly must complete a minimum of 24 credits in humanities and social science courses. Some majors have additional requirements beyond those listed here.
Preparatory Courses (0 credits)
These courses are offered to students who need help getting ready for college-level writing and reading courses. They do not count toward the requirements for graduation.
1. First-Year Writing Requirement (2 courses, 6 credits)
1a. Before Fall 2012
- Fall semester: College Writing Workshop is taught by EN faculty and adjunct faculty.
- Spring semester: First-Year Writing Seminar. This writing-intensive course, taught by TCS faculty, examines variable topics (the non-ESL versions). This course (a) introduces students, in a small-seminar format, to core questions relating science and technology to the humanities and social sciences, (b) provides students with intensive practice in college-level writing, research and critical-thinking skills and (c) exposes first-year students and senior TCS faculty to each other in a small, intimate learning environment.
- HUSS 1023W First-Year Writing Seminar, Credits: 3.00
- EN 1203H Honors Program First Year Writing Seminar, Credits: 3.00
- EN 1233W First-Year Writing Seminar For ESL Students, Credits: 3.00
1b. Fall 2012 and Beyond
- Fall semester: EW 1013 Please Refer to Catalog
- Spring semester: EW 1023 Please Refer to Catalog
2. Humanities and Social Science Elective Requirement (6 courses, 18 credits)
Students may choose 6 humanities or social science courses from any TCS cluster. These 6 electives can be within a single cluster or across multiple clusters. For optimal breadth of experience, TCS encourages students to take electives across clusters and/or across disciplines within a cluster. These 6 humanities and social science electives must satisfy the following constraints:
- At least 1 of these 6 must be a 3xxx/4xxx level humanities or social science elective; and
- At least 1 of these 6 must be a writing- intensive elective, labeled by “W” in the course listings the semester it is offered.
TCS Elective Offerings
The following courses are offered by the department on a regular basis. However, not every courses is offered in a particular semester. To find out what courses are currently being offered, see the official class schedule, selecting "humanities" from the pull-down menu for subject.
Special Note About Course Descriptions: If a course number doesn't link to the course description, you can find the full description on pages 91 to 100 of the NYU-Poly academic catalog.
Cluster 1: Culture, Arts and Media (CAM)
Courses in the CAM cluster explore how cultural practices and artifacts in a wide range of media reflect, influence and interact with developments in science and technology. Courses are based on the disciplines of philosophy, media studies, music, literary studies, art history, rhetoric, and anthropology.
CAM TCS Electives
The following satisfy a TCS elective:
AH 2113 History of Art As Techné, Credits: 3.00
AH 3113 Contemporary Art, Electronic Art and Technology, Credits: 3.00
AH 4911 Special Topics in Art History, Credits: 1.00
AH 4912 Special Topics in Art History, Credits: 2.00
AH 4913 Special Topics in Art History, Credits: 3.00
AN 2383 Jade, the Stone of Heaven, Credits: 3.00
AN 2883 Upper Paleolithic & Evolution of Modernity, Credits: 3.00
CAM 2001 Special Topics in Cam, Credits: 1.00
CAM 2002 Special Topics in Cam, Credits: 2.00
CAM 2003 Special Topics in Cam, Credits: 3.00
CAM 3001 Special Topics in Cam, Credits: 1.00
CAM 3002 Special Topics in Cam, Credits: 2.00
CAM 3003 Special Topics in Cam, Credits: 3.00
EN 2123 Technology of Literary Production, Credits: 3.00
EN 2133W The Invention of the Word, Credits: 3.00
EN 2143W Machines Made of Words I: Poetry As Design, Credits: 3.00
EN 2153W Inventing America: Nature, Culture, Self, Credits: 3.00
EN 2163 Shakespeare and the Creative Imagination, Credits: 3.00
EN 2173W The World's Greatest Journeys, Credits: 3.00
EN 2183W The Novella: Between the Short Story and the Novel, Credits: 3.00
EN 2193W The Rise of the Graphic Novel, Credits: 3.00
EN 2213W The City and Literature, Credits: 3.00
EN 3133 Machines Made of Words II: Designing Poetry, Credits: 3.00
EN 3193W Ethical Questions in Literature, Credits: 3.00
EN 4911 Special Topics in Literature, Credits: 1.00
EN 4912 Special Topics in Literature, Credits: 2.00
EN 4913 Special Topics in Literature, Credits: 3.00
MD 2163W Media Studies 1, Credits: 3.00
MD 2213W Cinema 1895 - 1950, Credits: 3.00
MD 3163W Media Studies II, Credits: 3.00
MD 3213W Cinema 1948 - 2000, Credits: 3.00
MD 4163W Media Studies III, Credits: 3.00
MD 4911 Special Topics in Media Studies, Credits: 1.00
MD 4912 Special Topics in Media Studies, Credits: 2.00
MD 4913 Special Topics in Media Studies, Credits: 3.00
MU 2113 Western Music Theory, Credits: 3.00
MU 2213 Non-Western Music Appreciation, Credits: 3.00
MU 3113 Music Since 1900, Credits: 3.00
MU 3133 Music Theory For Songwriters, Credits: 3.00
MU 3213 The Musical Instrument, Credits: 3.00
MU 3313 Phonography, Credits: 3.00
MU 4113 Musical Informatics Studio, Credits: 3.00
MU 4313 Psychoacoustics, Credits: 3.00
MU 4211 Special Topics in Music, Credits: 1.00
MU 4212 Special Topics in Music, Credits: 2.00
MU 4213 Special Topics in Music, Credits: 3.00
PL 2013W Ancient Greek Philosophy, Credits: 3.00
PL 2023W Early Modern Philosophy in Europe, Credits: 3.00
PL 2113W Philosophy of Religion, Credits: 3.00
PL 3103W Philosophy East and West, Credits: 3.00
PS 3693 Humor and Modern Media, Credits: 3.00
CAM Courses That Do Not Satisfy a TCS Elective
The following are Studio Electives (S) and/or Core Courses in the Integrated Digital Media major (C):
DM 1113 Audio Foundation Studio, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 1123 Visual Foundation Studio, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 2113 Sound Studio 1, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 2123 Cinema Studio 1, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 2133 3D Graphics Studio 1, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 2143 Interaction Design Studio 1, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 2153 Game Development Studio 1, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 2183 Digital Photography Studio 1, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 2193 Web Studio I, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 3113 Sound Studio 2, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 3123 Cinema Studio 2, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 3133 3D Graphics Studio 2, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 3143 Interaction Design Studio 2, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 3153 Game Development Studio 2, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 3173 Visualization and Simulation Studio, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 3183 Digital Photography Studio 2, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 3193 Web Studio 2, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 3213 Computer Music Studio, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 4003 Senior Project in Digital Media, Credits: 3.00 (S/C)
DM 4033 Internship, Credits: 3.00
DM 4113 Sound Studio 3, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 4123 Cinema Studio 3, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 4133 3D Graphics Studio 3, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 4143 Interaction Design Studio 3, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 4153 Game Development Studio 3, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 4193 Web Studio 3, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 4911 Special Topics in Digital Media, Credits: 1.00 (S)
DM 4912 Special Topics in Digital Media, Credits: 2.00 (S)
DM 4913 Special Topics in Digital Media, Credits: 3.00 (S)
DM 4903 Undergraduate Thesis, Digital Media, Credits: 3.00. Also DM 4904/5/6 (S/C)
Cluster 2: Science, Technology and Society
Courses in the STS cluster explore the interrelationships between science and technology and between science and society. STS unites a myriad of disciplines, including history, philosophy, rhetoric, literary studies, and sociology, to investigate these interrelationships. How do science and technology shape society? How do social processes frame scientific and technological enterprises? What is the relationship between the content of scientific and technological knowledge and the social and intellectual context in which it is created?
STS TCS Electives
The following satisfy a TCS elective:
EN 2223W Medicine and Literature, Credits: 3.00
HI 2203/W Medieval Technology, Credits: 3.00
HI 2213 History of Aviation & Aviation Technology, Credits: 3.00
HI 2233 Introduction to the History of Western Technology, Credits: 3.00
HI 2243/W The History of Light, Credits: 3.00
HI 2253/W From Heat Engines to Black Holes, Credits: 3.00
HI 2263 The Ship, Credits: 3.00
HI 3303 Science & Technology As A Strategic Resource in World War II, Credits: 3.00
HI 3413 History of Intellectual Property in America, Credits: 3.00
PL 2003 Symbolic Logic, Credits: 3.00
PL 2103W Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society in China and India, Credits: 3.00
PL 2143 Ethics and Technology, Credits: 3.00
PL 2203 Philosophy of Technology, Credits: 3.00
PL 2253/W Science and Pseudoscience, Credits: 3.00
PL 2273/W Space and Spacetime, Credits: 3.00
PL 2283/W Philosophy of Relativity, Credits: 3.00
PL 2293/W Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics, Credits: 3.00
PL 3003 Metalogic, Credits: 3.00
PL 3203W Philosophy of Technology: the Critique of Heidegger, Credits: 3.00
PL 3213 The Phenomenon of Life, Credits: 3.00
PL 3253/W Philosophy of Science, Credits: 3.00
PL 3263/W Physics, Information and Computation, Credits: 3.00
PS 2613 Psychology of the Internet, Credits: 3.00
PS 2643 Creativity and Innovation, Credits: 3.00
PS 2663 Intelligence: Real & Artificial, Credits: 3.00
PS 3603 Psychology of Internet Security, Credits: 3.00
STS 2003/W Science, Technology and Society, Credits: 3.00
STS 2113/W History and Philosophy of Internet Technology, Credits: 3.00
STS 2123/W Digital Humanities, Credits: 3.00
STS 2133/W Perspectives On Sci & Tech Reporting, Credits: 3.00
STS 2153 Addressing Public Policy Issues in Sci, Eng, & Med, Credits: 3.00
STS 2163 Science Fiction, Credits: 3.00
STS 2233W Magic, Medicine, and Science, Credits: 3.00
STS 2243 Physics and Society, Credits: 3.00
STS 2253/W Biology and Society, Credits: 3.00
STS 2263W The Rhetoric of Science, Credits: 3.00
STS 2273W Science and Sexuality, Credits: 3.00
STS 2313 It's About Time, Credits: 3.00
STS 2323 Dinosaurs: Resurrecting An Extinct Species, Credits: 3.00
STS 2333 Evolution, Credits: 3.00
STS 2343 Imaging the Past, Credits: 3.00
STS 2411 Special Topics in Sts, Credits: 1.00
STS 2412 Special Topics in Sts, Credits: 2.00
STS 2413 Special Topics in Sts, Credits: 3.00
STS 3003/W Sem in Science & Tech Studies, Credits: 3.00
STS 3163 Science and Technology in the Literary Sphere, Credits: 3.00
STS 3173 Hypermedia in Context, Credits: 3.00
STS 3243W Humans, Machines and Aesthetics, Credits: 3.00
STS 3263W Science and Difference, Credits: 3.00
STS 3401 Please Refer to Catalog
STS 3402 Independent Study in Sts, Credits: 2.00
STS 3403 Independent Study in Sts, Credits: 3.00
STS 3411 Special Topics in Sts, Credits: 1.00
STS 3412 Please Refer to Catalog
STS 3413 Special Topics in Sts, Credits: 3.00
STS Courses That Do Not Satisfy a TCS Elective
The following are core courses in the Science and Technology Studies major that do not satisfy a TCS elective:
STS 3013 Directed Study in Sts, Credits: 3.00
STS 4003 Study Abroad, Credits: 3.00
STS 4014 Capstone Project, Credits: 4.00
STS 4033 Internship, Credits: 3.00
Cluster 3: Society, Environment and Globalization (SEG)
Courses in this cluster address how the critical areas of society, environment and globalization are interlinked and how they affect the experience of modern life. SEG courses, from the complementary perspectives of the humanities and social sciences, provide students with a broad, multicultural perspective on how environmental issues and global exchange in this “flat world” are changing society here and across the globe.
SEG TCS Electives
The following satisfy a TCS elective:
HI 2003W The Age of Conquistadors, Credits: 3.00
HI 2053 Introduction to Urban Policy, Credits: 3.00
HI 2103 Western and Non-Western Societies, Credits: 3.00
HI 2113 Making of the Modern World, Credits: 3.00
HI 2163W History of Mass Media, Credits: 3.00
HI 2303/W Introduction to New York City History, Credits: 3.00
HI 2313/W History of NY's Urban Infrastructure, Credits: 3.00
HI 2353 History of NYC Transit System, Credits: 3.00
HI 2713 Urban Environmental History, Credits: 3.00
HI 3103 Modern Asia, Credits: 3.00
HI 3313/W History and Literature of New York City in the 20th Century, Credits: 3.00
HI 3403 History of Political Technology, Credits: 3.00
HI 4333/W Sem in Urban Infrastructure History, Credits: 3.00
PL 2243W Thinking About the Environment, Credits: 3.00
PL 3103W Philosophy East and West, Credits: 3.00
PS 2323W Environmental Psychology, Credits: 3.00
PS 2723 Human Factors in Engineering Design, Credits: 3.00
PS 3723 Psychology of Sustainability, Credits: 3.00
PS 3743 Psychology of Transportation, Credits: 3.00
PS 3753 Psych of Living in Extreme Environments, Credits: 3.00
PS 3813 Social Psychology of Virtual Worlds, Credits: 3.00
PS 3833 Special Topics in Psychology, Credits: 3.00
PS 4443 Guided Readings in Psychology, Credits: 3.00
SEG 2183W Beyond Oil: Fueling Tomorrow's Vehicles, Credits: 3.00
SEG 2193W Writing About Nature & the Environment, Credits: 3.00
SEG 291X Special Topics in Seg, Credits: Variable
SEG 3213 Sustainable Systems and the Natural History of Whaling, Credits: 3.00
SEG 3913 Special Topics in Seg, Credits: 3.00
URB 2023W Design of Cities, Credits: 3.00
URB 2033 Humans in the Urban Environment, Credits: 3.00
URB 2043 Methods For Studying Urban Environments, Credits: 3.00
URB 2223 Natural Environment of New York City, Credits: 3.00
URB 2233 Natural Environmental Catastrophes & Cities, Credits: 3.00
URB 3033 Evidence-Based Design, Credits: 3.00
URB 3113 Case Studies in Sustainability(Ancient Egypt & Mesoamerica), Credits: 3.00
URB 3313 Hist & Design of Urban Parks, Credits: 3.00
URB 3353 Urban Impact Assessment, Credits: 3.00
URB 3833 Special Topics in Sustainable Urban Environments, Credits: 3.00
URB 4443 Guided Readings in Sustainable Urban Environments, Credits: 3.00
SEG Electives from Other Departments
FIN 2003 Economic Foundations of Finance, Credits: 3.00
Sustainable Urban Environments Courses That Do Not Satisfy a TCS Elective
The following are core courses in the Sustainable Urban Environments major that do not satisfy a TCS elective:
URB 3013 Directed Study in SUE, Credits: 3.00
URB 4014 Study Abroad, Credits: 4.00
URB 4024 Capstone Project, Credits: 4.00
URB 4033 Internship, Credits: 3.00