ARCHIVE: GES Minor
Genetic Engineering and Society Interdisciplinary Minor
The interdisciplinary minor in Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) examines the technological, societal and ecological issues surrounding the development and potential use of genetically engineered organisms. Participants in the minor will learn the basic concepts and principles underlying genetic engineering and the methods used for evaluating the technology’s social, cultural and environmental dimensions. The graduate minor is available to students pursuing either an MS or a Ph.D. degree.
Fellowships are open to Masters and PhD students in the Humanities, Natural and Social Sciences, and include one semester of:
- Tuition and a
- Generous Stipend ($17K)
Admissions
Applications for the GES Minor Fellowship for the 2025-26 academic year are now CLOSED.
Watch Zoom Q&A
Click here to watch the recording of the Zoom Q&A from 3/4/25 with Katie Barnhill.
Watch Now
Requirements
To complete the GES Minor, students must fulfill 12 credit hours of interdisciplinary coursework with a strong emphasis on the intersection of science and society, including at least two semesters of GES Colloquium. Each course applied toward the minor must be completed with a grade of B or higher. Course selection should reflect the minor’s interdisciplinary focus, ensuring students gain a solid understanding of genetic engineering concepts while learning methods to assess the technology’s social, cultural, and environmental implications.
Students are also required to have a GES faculty member on their committee. The minor representative will confirm that the chosen courses appropriately complement the student’s major and align with the program’s broader objectives.
Coursework
| Course | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GES 591 | Core | GES Colloquium | T | 12-1 pm | Katie Barnhill and Nourou Barry | The Genetic Engineering and Society Colloquium is a seminar series that brings in speakers to present and stimulate discussion on various topics related to existing and proposed biotechnologies and their place within broader societal changes. | https://go.ncsu.edu/ges-colloquium |
| BIT 410 | Yes | Manipulation of Recombinant DNA | Multiple sections | Carlos Goller etc | Introduction to molecular biology and protein chemistry. Theory behind laboratory techniques and overview of cloning strategies starting from nucleic acid or protein sequence data. Laboratory sessions involve subcloning, preparation of competent cells, transformation, screening recombinant DNA by colony hybridization and PCR, SDS-PAGE of recombinant protein, affinity purification, and western blots. | https://next-catalog.ncsu.edu/search/?P=BIT%20410 | |
| COM 536 | Yes | Environmental Communication | W | 4:30-7:15 pm | Cindy Rosenfeld | Critical analysis of environmental discourse in organizational, mass media, political, cultural, and international contexts. Investigates public participation in environmental advocacy and deliberation; environmental conflict management; rhetorical constructions of nature and human relationships with nature; environmental justice; environmental risk communication; and competing ecological paradigms. Must hold graduate standing. | https://next-catalog.ncsu.edu/search/?P=COM%20536 |
| COM 598/798 | No | Public Communication of Research | T | 4:30-7:15 pm | Jory Weintraub | Yes, your research is exciting and important, but in order to have impact, it must be communicated in ways that enable people to understand and compel them to care. Through discussion and interactive class activities, this course will provide strategies to help you communicate your work effectively to diverse audiences (the public, the media, policymakers, K-12 students and teachers) and provide you with opportunities to practice and give/receive feedback. Basic science/research communication skills will be covered, as well as approaches for presenting effectively and using compelling visuals to engage your audience. We will also explore timely and relevant issues such as how to communicate controversial topics (in non-confrontational ways) and strategies for counteracting mis/disinformation and science conspiracy theories. | https://provost.ncsu.edu/people/jpweintr/ |
| ENG 515 | Yes | Rhetoric Of Science and Technology | TH | 6-8:45 pm | Helen Burgess | The relationships among rhetoric, scientific knowledge and technological development and of changes in how these relationships understood historically. Practice in critical analysis of scientific and technical discourse. Consideration of scientific and technical language and of public controversy concerning science and technology. | https://next-catalog.ncsu.edu/search/?P=ENG%20515 |
| FS 495/591 | No | Introduction to Food Sustainability | T/TH | 8:30-9:45 am | Minliang Yang | Introduction to food sustainability is a new course applying life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) to quantitatively assess life-cycle environmental impacts and related costs in the food supply chain. Topics such as low-carbon food and crop production, food industry decarbonization, food waste utilization, and novel food production are discussed. | https://ges.research.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2025Spring_Intro-to-Food-Sustainability-Flyer.pdf |
| FW 511 | Yes | Human Dimensions of Wildlife and Fisheries | T/TH | 10:15-11:30 am | Nils Peterson | Study of human interactions with wildlife and fisheries, including principles important for understanding and addressing wildlife management and conservation challenges. Discussions of wildlife at the urban fringe, human attitudes towards hunting and fishing, and the public trust approach to wildlife management are included. | https://next-catalog.ncsu.edu/search/?P=FW%20411 |
| GN 735 | Yes | Functional Genomics | T/TH | 8:30-9:45 am | Jose Alonso | Methodology of experimental genomics; genome sequencing, gene expression arrays, genomic screens, proteomics. Aims and achievements of microbial, plant, animal, human genome projects. Applications of genomics including parasitology, breeding, functional genomics, evolutionary genetics. Interface with bioinformatics, data technology. | https://next-catalog.ncsu.edu/search/?P=GN%20735 |
| HI 540 | Yes | American Environmental History | M/W | 3-4:15 pm | Matthew Booker | Interactions between humans and their environments in America; environmental focus on themes in American history such as colonial settlement, industrialization, progressivism, the New Deal, the 1960s. | https://next-catalog.ncsu.edu/search/?P=HI%20540 |
| HI 581 | Yes | History of the Life Sciences | T/TH | 10:15-11:30 am | William Kimler | Historical context of the individuals, ideas, scientific practices, and social goals that created the core concepts of the modern biological sciences, from Renaissance medicine to molecular biology, with a focus on interconnections of the scientific knowledge and perspective of the life sciences with other aspects of culture, including other sciences, views about nature and life, religious belief, medical practice, and agriculture. Topics include the development of biological experiments; theories of ecology and evolution; the chemical understanding of health, food, and drugs; and the modern molecular revolution. | https://next-catalog.ncsu.edu/search/?P=HI%20581 |
| PA 798 | Yes | Special Topics in Public Administration and Policy | Multiple | In depth exploration of specialized or emerging topics in public administration or public policy. Student presentations on readings and research projects. Also used to test and develop new courses. | https://next-catalog.ncsu.edu/search/?P=PA%20598 | ||
| PHI 575 | Yes | Ethical Theory | M/W | 3-4:15 pm | Robert Mabrito | An introduction to some central themes and issues in ethical theory. Topics in normative and meta-ethics such as consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics, constructivism, realism, relativism, subjectivism, and expressivism. Readings primarily from contemporary literature. | https://next-catalog.ncsu.edu/search/?P=PHI%20475 |
GES Minor Co-Directors and Faculty
Click here for a full list of GES Minor faculty
GES Minor Fellows
Contact Us
