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Unit of study_
HPSC4888: HPS Advanced Project
2025 unit information
HPS investigates the nature of science in general; what distinguishes scientific activity; how theories explain; how they are confirmed; whether they should be read literally; and the moral dilemmas raised by the sciences. We also investigate the fundamental concepts of individual sciences and how they bear on ancient philosophical questions. History and philosophy of science is distinctive in integrating these two areas of study, with investigations in each area often closely interwoven. The purpose of this unit of study is to give students a more advanced understanding of both history of science and philosophy of science and to improve your skills in writing, argument and analysis. You will identify and develop a research project in which you will apply methodological knowledge gathered during your previous studies to synthesize history and philosophy of science. The historical part will arise through your researching of some episode in history of science that both interests you and promises to interact in an interesting way with a philosophical topic of interest to you. You will present your results before your classmates and also deliver an extended written assignemnt. Learning how present material verbally and in written form is an essential skill for scholars in HPS as well as in the wider workplace.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | History and Philosophy of Science Academic Operations |
| Credit points | 12 |
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Prerequisites:
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144 credit points of units of study including 12 credit points of HPSC3XXX or HSTY3XXX or PHIL3XXX |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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Major or Minor in History and Philosophy of Science |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Identify and describe the contours and significance of a chosen History and Philosophy of Science problem.
- LO2. Formulate a clear argument according to disciplinary standards, identify and evaluate evidence in support of this argument, and reach a defensible and significant conclusion that advances scholarly debate.
- LO3. Present, defend, and critique the thoughts of the self and others, both orally and in writing.
- LO4. Receive and respond to criticism, justify methodological choices, and responsibly evaluate the work of others.
- LO5. Work and communicate collaboratively and effectively, both orally and in writing.
- LO6. Articulate relevant diversity in human experience and differences in policital, economic, social, and cultural processes.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2024
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
Important enrolment information
Departmental permission requirements
If you see the ‘Departmental Permission’ tag below a session, it means you need faculty or school approval to enrol. This may be because it’s an advanced unit, clinical placement, offshore unit, internship or there are limited places available.
You will be prompted to apply for departmental permission when you select this unit in Sydney Student.
Read our information on departmental permission.
Additional advice
This unit is for 4th year non-honours students who wish to undertake a supervised reserach project on a smaller scale than the hons project.
