Skip to main content
A total of 19 courses have been found.

Human Origins 3 s.h.

Processes, products of human evolution from perspectives of heredity and genetics, evolutionary theory, human biological characteristics, fossil record, artifactual evidence, biocultural behaviors.

Human evolutionary history began 5-7 million years ago in Africa and continues today around the world.  What were the lives of our earliest ancestors like?  What were the processes that led to modern human diversity?  How accurate are media depictions of human evolution?  What is the place of humans in the natural world?  How does the behavior of other primates inform us about ourselves?  Who were the Neanderthals and what is our relationship to them?  These are among the topics that we will survey from the perspectives of evolutionary theory, comparative anatomy, genetics, and the fossil record.  The course incorporates information and current interpretations gleaned from the most recent fossil discoveries.

The course format includes two lectures per week and one discussion section.  In discussion sections, students learn the methods of biological anthropology through a variety of activities including hands-on study of cast fossil material and artifacts.  Assessments include 2 midterm exams, 1 final exam, and discussion section quizzes, assignments, and 1 paper.

Natural Sciences without Lab
Students survey topics including the Sun; life cycles of stars including black holes and pulsars; diversity of galaxies including the Milky Way and distant quasars; cosmology—the history, structure, and fate of the universe; current results from recent astronomical observations; for non-science majors. Natural Sciences with Lab Natural Sciences without Lab
Survey of the solar system; topics include physical properties of the planets, comets, and asteroids; origin of the solar system; search for extrasolar planetary systems; search for life in the universe; current results of recent planetary space missions; night sky observation; for non-science majors.

This course is a survey of the solar system: physical properties of the planets, comets, and asteroids; origin of the solar system; search for extrasolar planetary systems; search for life in the universe; current results of recent planetary space missions; night sky observation.  High school algebra and geometry are used, but this is not a mathematically intensive course.

Natural Sciences with Lab Natural Sciences without Lab
Introduction to a wide range of genetic disorders affecting notable celebrities; relevant genetic pathways in easy-to-understand language; exploration of mechanisms of disease and treatments.

Our DNA is made up of 3 billion pairs of building blocks called nucleotides. How is it that alteration of one single pair can cause a devastating genetic disorder like spina bifida?  This introductory course, taught by a faculty member who studies human genetic disorders, will demystify the genetic pathways behind such disorders in easy-to-understand language, in the context of celebrities affected by them including Michael J. Fox, Peyton Manning, and Selena Gomez. For example, what is it about the genetic alteration carried by Michael J. Fox that led to Parkinson’s Disease, and what is it like to live with this disorder?  We’ll also explore how we might be able to cure genetic disorders.

All course materials will be available through ICON.

Natural Sciences without Lab
Relationships between plate tectonics, geologic time, and the rock cycle with volcanoes and igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic rocks; fossils; radioactive isotopes; landscape evolution; mountain building; natural resources; their impacts on civilization. Natural Sciences with Lab Natural Sciences without Lab
Atomic structure, chemical bonds, mole relations, stoichiometry, states of matter, acids and bases, reaction rates, electrochemistry, nuclear chemistry.

 

CHEM:1070 provides students with an introduction to chemistry and is designed for students who have not had an advanced chemistry course in high school or for student who plan to take only one year of chemistry.Students will develop concepts and learn specific chemical information that will be applied within the context of a variety of chemistry related problems and applications. Through participation in course activities, each student should expect to improve her/his knowledge of chemistry, to develop improved qualitative and quantitative problem-solving skills, and to learn the attitudes and practices of scientific investigators. The course comprises three 50-minute lectures or two 75-minute lectures (faculty instructors) and a 50- minute discussion session (TA). The course requires a significant time commitment (an average of 4 hours in-class and 6-9 hours out of class per week).  Grades are based on exams (three 1.5-hour exams and a 2-hour final exam), homework/quizzes, and completion of lecture/discussion activities. Student who plan to take more than one year of chemistry and who score greater than 15 on The Chemistry Diagnostic Test should take CHEM:1110 Principles of Chemistry I.  

**Electronic homework and e-textbooks will be registered to all students. It is not necessary to purchase the Mastering Chemistry student access kit. ALEKS is an online homework system and is not a textbook.



Natural Sciences without Lab
Organic chemistry and biochemistry.

This course is not intended for students following the pre-medical, pre-physical therapy, pre-dental, or pre-veterinary curricula.  This course deals with elementary organic chemistry and biochemistry.  There are three lectures a week by a professor and one weekly discussion led by a TA.

 

Natural Sciences without Lab
Biological and physical character of the Earth; interaction of humans with the environment, including impacts on ecosystems, climate, natural processes, resources; alternative options, including sustainability, waste management, energy, land reform. GE: Sustainability.

With human population growth and resource consumption growing exponentially, the impact of human interaction with the rest of our environment is increasingly relevant in many fields of study. Environmental Science is the interdisciplinary study of how Earth's natural systems interact, how these systems affect society, and how they respond to human activity. Environmental Science has the applied goal of solving environmental problems, drawing upon knowledge in disciplines as diverse as ecology, anthropology, economics, and political science. The specific student learning outcomes for the overall course are:

  • Ability to critically evaluate popular media articles related to Environmental Science;
  • Ability to locate and interpret data relevant to Environmental Science and interpret it;
  • Understanding the relationship between their day-to-day life and Environmental Science, particularly in the context of sustainability;
  • Recognize the multi-faceted nature of Environmental Science.

This course is taught in a blended environment, including traditional lectures, discussion periods in TILE classrooms, online learning, and both individual and group projects.

Natural Sciences with Lab Natural Sciences without Lab Sustainability
How earth-atmosphere-hydrosphere-space systems produce events catastrophic to humans on the scale of individual lives to civilizations; root causes of earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods, hurricanes, tsunami, tornadoes, and asteroid impact, and their local, national, and global impact; spatial and temporal occurrences of these hazards; methods and processes for hazard preparedness, response, and recovery; social, economic, and policy aspects that affect and compound the magnitude of disasters associated with natural phenomena; case studies drawn from contemporary and ancient societies. GE: Sustainability.

One or more sections may be assigned to a TILE classroom.

Natural Sciences without Lab Sustainability
Underlying processes driving human/environment interaction, including climate change, deforestation, and natural disasters; environmental challenges, including declining biological diversity; human response to more frequent severe climate events; production of a more sustainable future. GE: Sustainability.

We currently need 1.6 earths to sustain our use of natural resources.  Where we live, what we eat, and our day-to-day activities modify the local environment. In turn, we are intricately connected to one another and to the environment on which our livelihoods depend. Understanding the global environment and the role people play within the earth system is essential to understanding current debates, policies, and their potential ramifications.  This course introduces students to the natural processes, ranging from microscopic to global, and explores how the science of the global environment helps us understand the connections between people and environment.  Students will learn how the earth's systems interact and the importance of these systems to people.  The processes of observation, analysis, and inference underlying the science will be discussed throughout.  This course provides an important foundation for future study of topics such as environmental studies, business, public health, journalism, and many other fields.

Natural Sciences without Lab Sustainability

Human Anatomy 3 s.h.

General human anatomy covering most systems of the body.

Anatomy is the science of understanding the structure of the human body. This course provides an introduction to the major systems of the body and how they interact with each other. The fact that function is often said to follow structure means that functional elements are a meaningful part of the course. We will emphasize how things look, how they are put together, how their structures relate to function, and how structures adapt to change.

Students taking this course are broadly exposed to a substantial amount of anatomical factual knowledge and are required to precisely identify numerous anatomical structures. While viewing anatomical depictions, students are encouraged to use their observational skills to logically deduce functions based on the structure and potential problems if the structure develops incorrectly. Additionally, through observation, students gain an appreciation for conventional naming and the logic used in naming structures. Based on this logic, students will be able to deduce anatomical facts based simply on names. In this process, students essentially learn a new language which allows them to objectively interpret statements they read or hear related to the human body. Current issues are periodically discussed to provide students an opportunity to apply their acquired skills to everyday life, contributing to an improved understanding of the human body.

Natural Sciences without Lab
Introduction to function and regulation of the human body. This introductory course is designed to cover the fundamentals of human physiology, and is appropriate for students majoring or minoring in areas where a human physiology course is required or desirable, or as an introductory human physiology course for students planning on careers in the various health professions.  Normally, three unit exams and a final exam are given. Natural Sciences without Lab
General human anatomy and physiology covering most systems of the body. Natural Sciences without Lab
Physiology, biochemistry of human nutrition; appropriate food sources; qualitative and quantitative evaluation of diets using standard references.

This course details the physiology and biochemistry of human nutrition, and the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of diets with regard to appropriate food choices. The course requires simple arithmetic operations. Grades are based on four exams, two computer-based diet assignments, quizzes, and participation activities.

Natural Sciences without Lab
Effects of common drugs on the body and how they occur; consumer education in easy-to-understand language; basic principles of pharmacology and toxicology; drugs that work on specific systems including antibiotics, oral contraceptives, sedatives, stimulants, hallucinogens, narcotics, steroids, diabetes drugs, and cancer drugs; for students with little to no science background. Offered spring semesters.
Requirements: closed to students enrolled in the Pharm.D. program
Natural Sciences without Lab
Principles of physics; basic motion, behavior of fluids, waves, temperature and heat, gravity and planetary motion, electricity and magnetism, optics, nuclear energy, radioactivity, and medical imaging technology; examples from everyday experience; for non-science majors. Natural Sciences without Lab

Basic Physics 3, 4 s.h.

Quantitative treatment of mechanics, electricity, heat, liquids, gases, and atomic, nuclear, and elementary particle physics.

This course introduces selected topics in physics covering mechanics, fluids, heat, electrical circuits, and modern physics. It does not meet the requirements for the pre-medical and pre-dental majors, but is commonly taken by students to meet preprofessional requirements in pharmacy, medical technology, nursing, and speech pathology.  Most of the necessary math is developed in this course.  Exams, homework, and quizzes are used (along with lab work for the 4 s.h. option) in determining grades.  TA's conduct the on campus three hour lab session each week (4 s.h. option).  NO LABS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES. 

Requirements:

must have completed high school trigonometry or achieved a minimum ALEKS score of 75%

Natural Sciences with Lab Natural Sciences without Lab

Physics of Sound 3, 4 s.h.

Acoustical foundations of music; production of sound by vibrating objects, properties of sound waves, vocal acoustics, hearing, room acoustics, principles of electroacoustics. Natural Sciences with Lab Natural Sciences without Lab
Continuation of PHYS:1611; calculus-based treatment of electricity, magnetism, and light.
Prerequisites: PHYS:1611
Natural Sciences with Lab Natural Sciences without Lab