Ethics, Public Policy, Science and Technology Minor

Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus

The Ethics, Public Policy, Science and Technology (EPPST) minor enables students to understand the complexities of contemporary science and technology policies as they relate to the broader public, ethical theories and applications, and personal and societal values; appreciate the historical influences on existing policies and practices; evaluate current policies; and assess the potential outcomes of proposed policy changes. A broad range of elective courses provides students with the opportunity to customize the EPPST minor to their particular interests, allowing them to pursue further knowledge in a focused subject area—such as biotechnology, sustainability and the environment, genetic engineering, health, development, agriculture, and the technologies of war. Students completing the EPPST minor will gain important skills for creating, proposing, promoting, and evaluating policies that respond to the profound challenges and choices we face related to science and technology in the 21st century at local, national, and international levels. The EPPST minor is not open to students who have declared a minor in one of the other STS minors: Gender, Race, Culture, Science and Technology (GRCST); Media Arts, Society and Technology (MAST); and Science Communication (SC).

Program Learning Objectives

1. Understand and evaluate the interconnectedness between science, technology and the social, political, cultural and environmental dimensions of our world with an emphasis on systems of ethics and public policy.
2. Identify, analyze and contextualize problems at the intersection of science and technology and ethical theories. Propose solutions to these complex issues.
3. Explain key concepts, terms, and frameworks from research on the complex relationships between ethics, public policy, science and technology, and apply these concepts, terms, and frameworks to conduct interdisciplinary research and/or engage in creative activities in individual and group settings.
4. Exhibit effective, ethical and inclusive communication skills allowing them to communicate about the complex relationships between ethics, public policy, science, and technology to multiple audiences.
5. Recognize emergent scientific and technological challenges, promote more socially responsible scientific and technical practices, and work, collaborate, and interact more responsibly and effectively in an increasingly diverse and globalized workplace and world.

Minor Requirements and Curriculum

• At least half of the units must be from upper-division courses (3000-4000 level).
• At least half of the units must be taken at Cal Poly (in residence).
• No more than one-third of the units will be taken with credit-no credit grading (CR/NC), not counting courses with mandatory CR/NC. Departments may further limit CR/NC grading if desired.
• A minimum 2.0 GPA is required in all units counted for completion of the minor.

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Additional prerequisites may be needed to complete this requirement.