The Departments of History and Philosophy jointly offer programs leading to the degrees of BA, BA Honours, and Minor in the History and Philosophy of Science . These programs build on research and teaching strengths in philosophy and history, and draw on course offerings in the humanities, the natural and social sciences, and related interdisciplinary areas.

For program information and requirements, consult the Explicit Syllabus in History and Philosophy of Science. 

For information or advising, contact the Philosophy Department's HPS Program Coordinator, Megan Delehanty.

A degree in History and Philosophy of Science provides students with a strong background in the conceptual, methodological, and historical aspects of science. The program in History and Philosophy of Science emphasizes a broad understanding of the history of science as well as an understanding of the philosophical issues that underpin science, such as the nature of scientific explanation and the relation between evidence and hypothesis. Training in the history and philosophy of science, as well as course work in science, gives students a robust and integrated knowledge of the scientific enterprise. The degree’s target groups are students who want to obtain a deeper understanding of the conceptual and historical foundations of science, and students who are contemplating a career in history and/or philosophy of science or a career in such areas as science writing or science administration.

The field of History and Philosophy of Science has a long and distinguished history. Practiced by individual scholars for over 200 years, it became established as an academic discipline in North American universities by the 1940s. Programs in the History and Philosophy of Science are now found at leading universities around the world. Influential scholars in the History and Philosophy of Science include Thomas Kuhn, Sir Karl Popper, and Stephen Jay Gould. The work of historians and philosophers of science has influenced how scientists, public policy makers, and legal thinkers understand science. Because programs in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Calgary will focus on the conceptual and historical foundations of science, such programs will promote many of the goals of the University’s Academic Plan.