Three hours lecture/two hours lab per week. Introduction to basic characteristics of ecosystems and an exploration of how they are affected by the technological and social environments inwhich humans live. Objectives will be: 1) to understand the nature, extent and causes of environmental problems and the implications these have for life on earth; 2) to appreciate the complexity of environmental issues and the variety of perspectives from which they are addressed (e.g., scientific, social, economic, spiritual, aesthetic); and 3) introduction to major principles in biology, chemistry, and physics to further understand the dynamic ecosystem. NS

Overview of fundamental concepts of physical, life, and environmental science topics that will be built upon science methods courses. This course will include a hands-on lab component. This course is restricted to students in the professional degree completion program.

Courses on topics of interest to environmental studies students offered on the basis of need, interest, or timeliness. Prerequisites as determined by instructor. Restricted to students with freshman or sophomore standing. May be repeated for credit. For specific section description, click to the Section Details in VitNet.

Non-classroom experiences in the field of environmental studies. Placements are off-campus, may be full- or part-time, and with or without and pay. Credit for experiences must be sought prior to occurance, and learning contracts must be submitted before the end of the first week of the semester. See the experiential learning: internship section of this catalog for more details. Restricted to students with freshman or sophomore standing. Graded CR/NC.

Independent reading and/or research under the guidance of a faculty member. Refer to the academic policy section for independent study policy. Independent study contract is required. May be repeated for credit.

Three hours lecture per week. Fundamental chemical processes of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and anthrosphere. Topics include biogeochemical cycles, smog formation, global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, air pollution, acid rain, groundwater and soil pollution, deforestation, wastewater treatment, genetically modified crops, and other social environmental concerns. Prerequisite: 240.

Four hours lab per week. This laboratory component to CHEM 372 will reinforce and enhance certain lecture topics, including air, water, soil, and computer modeling studies. Spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses will be performed. Must be taken concurrently with CHEM 372.

Three lecture/discussion per week. The major goal of the course is to write and present a research proposal by identifying a problem, completing a literature review of that topic, and designing an experiment. The student will also learn the methods and expectations for appropriate behavior in the conduct of scientific research: developing a question, conducting a literature search, developing a bibliography, understanding the fundamentals of safety in a research setting, ethical behavior, plagiarism, and writing and presenting a research proposal. Prerequisite: C or higher in 240. (Equal to BIOL 397) IL

In the field of science, objectivity, facts, and data are core to our identity as scientists. However, in our current cultural context there is a growing claim that all knowledge is biased and influenced by a myriad of overt and covert agendas. While a minority of people in our current culture maliciously use information as means to change or control others (with no regard for what actually is true), many have long in good faith questioned whether true objectivity is even possible. Therefore, if subjectivity and bias does enter the way we think, the way we create our experiments, the way we process our data, and the implications of our conclusions, it is important to reflect on how we can become more aware of our own tendencies and make choices that limit the impact of those biases. This seminar-styled course will explore this issue through various readings, case studies and structured reflections. We will also engage with the Tan Science Symposium as part of this course as a place to learn more about these issues, apply our learning and work to have science contribute to the common good. Prerequisite: 210.

Three hours of lecture per week. Topics relating to the chemistry of metabolic processes in living organisms. Emphasis on analysis of key concepts in the field with reference to classical papers and recent literature. Prerequisite: 370.