Program overview
The history of science and technology may sound like a "history course," but it goes far beyond memorizing dates and names. This major explores how science, technology (including medicine) emerged, developed, and influenced each other across different eras, and how they transformed society. For example, you'll learn how ancient Chinese medicine formed its theoretical system, how modern Western medicine advanced through microscopes and chemical breakthroughs, and the ethical debates behind contemporary gene-editing technologies. Core courses include History of Scientific Thought, History of Technology, History of Medicine, Science, Technology and Society, and Philosophy of Science. Chinese universities offer unique advantages in this field: Peking University's research in medical history, University of Science and Technology of China's work in archaeometry, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University's studies in the cultural history of science all combine China's indigenous technological heritage (such as the Compendium of Materia Medica and the Four Great Inventions) with a global perspective. This major suits students who are curious about "why science developed the way it did," enjoy interdisciplinary thinking, and don't mind reading and writing. You don't need to be a science whiz, but you should have logical thinking and critical analysis skills.