科学选修课程（HPS）的历史和哲学为学生提供了探索科学的历史演变和对他们有用的哲学观点以及科学，技术和其他人类努力之间的动态的机会。学生了解实验实践的起源，科学的社会和制度背景，定量方法的起源和应用，自古代以来在物理学，生物学，化学，地理和制图学，医学以及这些领域的传记和比较研究中的特殊发展。HPS哲学课程处理因果关系和解释问题，概率和统计推断的基础，以及生物学，数学，医学，神经科学和物理学等特定领域的哲学问题。在课程中，学生会定期从教师那里获得有关他们的研究，写作和演讲技巧的反馈。他们有机会开展独立研究
The history and philosophy of science (HPS) option develops knowledge and understanding of the historical evolution of the physical and biological sciences and the philosophical perspectives that inform them, as well as the dynamics between science, technology, and other human endeavors.<br><br>HPS courses in history help students learn about the origins of theoretical and experimental practice, the social and institutional contexts of science, the origins and applications of quantitative methods, and specific developments since antiquity in the mathematical, physical, and life sciences, in geography and cartography, and in space technology. Students learn to use social, political, biographical, and comparative analytic methods for the study of these fields. HPS courses in philosophy deal with issues in causation and explanation, the foundations of probability and statistical inference, and philosophical problems in biology, mathematics, medicine, neuroscience, and physics. They address ethical issues of significance, such as scientific fraud and misconduct, and human-machine interactions. Students can also minor in HPS.