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STS Special Topics Courses

Spring 2026
Each semester the STS Department offers a number of Special Topics courses which satisfy various Restricted Technical Elective categories. Below are the courses offered for the Spring 2026 semester. Generally, STS 330 is a required pre-requisite for the courses, however you are also eligible to enroll if you will be taking STS 330 in Spring 2026 semester. If you encounter an error when registering, please contact Kathy in STS ( Kathleen McCormick) and she will register you.  

STS 381 – Patient Education in Healthcare
Wed. | 5:55pm - 8:20pm | On-Campus | 24543
Instructor: Dr. James Baker
In this course students will develop an understanding of the role of education in the field of health services. They will be given the tools to evaluate different learning styles and adapt teaching strategies to personalize patient care and communication. Students will develop a patient-centered care mindset and learn to utilize a multidisciplinary approach to patient care through the application of the disablement model. This model is essential for today’s healthcare worker, and emphasizes the physical, personal, and social aspects of patients’ conditions. Students will learn about common health issues facing the population (Covid-19, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, etc.), as well as the causes, common medications and treatment, and medical terminology associated with the disease. Students will identify effective strategies to educate patients about their illness. Students will learn how patient education regarding disease management is critical for patient outcomes. These topics will be introduced to provide a general understanding to any student interested in choosing a profession in the medical field. This course will include the practical application of case studies to allow students to apply their skillset to real life situations. Students will be required to complete a project wherein they are asked to provide education to a patient in the field of their choice.

Course satisfies Technical & Scientific Communication RTE

STS 384 – Insight for Impact: Human-Centered Approaches to Data, Design, & Decision-Making
ONLINE | 26538
Instructor: Prof. Alagi Patel
In this course students will develop an understanding of the role of education in the field of health services. They will be given the tools to evaluate different learning styles and adapt teaching strategies to personalize patient care and communication. Students will develop a patient-centered care mindset and learn to utilize a multidisciplinary approach to patient care through the application of the disablement model. This model is essential for today’s healthcare worker, and emphasizes the physical, personal, and social aspects of patients’ conditions. Students will learn about common health issues facing the population (Covid-19, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, etc.), as well as the causes, common medications and treatment, and medical terminology associated with the disease. Students will identify effective strategies to educate patients about their illness. Students will learn how patient education regarding disease management is critical for patient outcomes. These topics will be introduced to provide a general understanding to any student interested in choosing a profession in the medical field. This course will include the practical application of case studies to allow students to apply their skillset to real life situations. Students will be required to complete a project wherein they are asked to provide education to a patient in the field of their choice.

Course satisfies Organizational Leadership RTE

STS 390 – Women in Science
Tue/Thu | 12:15pm - 1:30pm | On-Campus | 26285
Instructor: Prof. Karin Huijgens
In this special topics course students will explore the scientific contributions of women in a variety of academic fields ( such as physics, math, psychology, medicine, education, law, etc.). In addition, students will explore how science's view of women (medically, psychologically, legally, statistically) has changed over time. Students will discover how these two explorations of the role of women in science intersect in interdisciplinary studies. Students will learn how to discuss these topics in an interdisciplinary context. They will additionally learn skills in presenting information and group leadership. This is a discussion based, reading intensive course.

Course satisfies Impact of Technological Change RTE

STS 391 – Artificial Intelligence & Society: Applications & Impact
Mon/Wed | 9:25am - 10:40am | On-Campus | 26286
Instructor: Dr. Michelle Morales
The special topics course will cover cover different  areas of Artificial Intelligence (natural language processing, computer vision, robotics, etc.) and their transformative role on society, examining both their practical applications as well as their broader economical, ethical and social implications. The course will develop critical thinking skills regarding how AI is leveraged, while also providing hands-on experience with AI technologies (no coding required).

Course satisfies Impact of Technological Change RTE

STS 395 – Global Networks: Information, Technology, & Globalization
Mon/Wed | 12:15pm - 1:30pm | On-Campus | 26540
Instructor: Dr. Caroline Mason
This course explores how information technologies — from the telegraph and radio to satellites and the internet — have shaped the way people imagine, build, and experience a globally interconnected world. Students will examine the development of technologies and infrastructures that laid the foundation for today’s global information networks, connecting people, places, and ideas long before the advent of the World Wide Web. By analyzing key innovations, moments, and ideas in the history of information technology, students will investigate how the development of global networks has enabled new forms of trade, politics, and cultural exchange, while also producing new forms of inequality, power, and control.

Course satisfies Global Connections RTE