Students in the program must do sufficient work in one or more sciences to acquire a sound foundation for studying the nature of science. After securing this basis, they are expected to gain an understanding of how science arose and how the content of scientific thought has changed and is changing, because of both its own internal dynamic and its interaction with the larger society in which it is embedded. The HIPS program is designed to make possible the study of a wide range of social, historical, and conceptual issues relating to science.
Students completing the program follow a number of different careers.
Some pursue graduate study in the history and philosophy of science or in some field of science. Others find the program valuable preparation for the study of medicine, law, public policy, or science journalism. More generally, the goal of the program is to teach students to reasonably interpret and evaluate science and science policy. Some students choose to construct a degree program combining the requirements for the HIPS concentration with those for a concentration in the physical or biological sciences. Others, having met the HIPS program requirements, use electives to broaden their liberal arts education.