Welcome to the School of History and Sociology (HSOC), an interdisciplinary unit within the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, consisting of scholars and educators from history and sociology.
The School of History and Sociology is dedicated to the study of social change, past and present.
As the names of our degree programs suggest, History, Technology, and Society (HTS) is not a harbor of refuge, isolated from the larger culture of Georgia Tech. In keeping with the lnstitute's focus on STEM education and research, we look for our alums to work effectively in a variety of contexts, as part of collaborative teams addressing the panoply of challenges and opportunities posed by our technological age. Similarly, we aim through our minors and certificates to foster such capabilities among students pursuing degrees in engineering, computing, and the sciences.
Achieving those ends involves creating forums inside the classroom and out where students and faculty from across the Institute interact freely and openly. It involves equipping students with analytical techniques and communications skills necessary for filling the vital roles of translators and synthesizers, able to bridge the realms of technology and society and contribute distinctive insights. And it involves cultivating ingrained habits of learning and inquiry, which will open doors to further study and enable our graduates to assume positions of leadership.
Our ultimate goal is to nurture an environment in which students and faculty can develop awareness and understanding of the social and cultural dimensions at play in all scientific and technical endeavors, in every corner of the globe, including those in our own city, state, and region. We look through our scholarship and teaching to elucidate processes of social change, past and present, and to comprehend how technology, science, and engineering contribute to them. Each component of our multi-disciplinary unit supports those common, overarching objectives.
The School of History and Sociology's faculty has won numerous teaching and research awards, and we are particularly committed to outstanding teaching and research. The School offers a B.S. degree; undergraduate minors in such areas as history, sociology, and social justice; and certificate programs not only in history and sociology but also in African American studies, Asian Affairs, and European Affairs. Graduate students can earn an M.S. or Ph.D. degree in the History and Sociology of Technology and Science.