COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Biological Sciences
Chemistry
Geological Sciences
Mathematical Sciences
Physics
Dr. Thomas E. Brady, Dean
Dr. Larry P. Jones, Associate Dean
Dr. Pablo Arenaz, Associate Dean for Entering Students
Dr. Jorge A. Lopez, Assistant Dean
Bell Hall, Room 100
Phone: (915) 747-5536
Fax: (915) 747-6807
E-mail: science@utep.edu
College of Science
INTRODUCTION
The College of Science was formed in 1965 when Texas Western College divided the Arts and Sciences College into the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Science. However, the college's academic departments have roots that start at the beginning of the institution. In 1913, the curriculum of the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy included physics and mining, engineering, mathematics, chemistry, geology, mineralogy, shop work, and drawing. From these roots The University of Texas at El Paso's College of Science has grown to over 80 faculty in five academic departments--Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geological Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics--offering thirteen Bachelor of Science degree programs.
The preparation of these students for graduate and professional schools and careers as scientists and teachers is the primary mission of the college. In addition, the college offers basic science and mathematics courses needed by students seeking other careers.
Faculty of the College share a commitment to the idea that teaching and research are critically important in the education of students in science. The College is proud of the large number of undergraduates that participate in research laboratories. Although many of the faculty have achieved international reputations for their research, all have classroom teaching responsibilities.
Reflecting the long connection between the arts and sciences, each academic department also offers a Bachelor of Arts degree program through the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Psychology in that college offers the BS in Psychology through the College of Science. The Graduate Studies Catalog describes the Master of Science degree programs offered by each academic department and the Doctor of Philosophy degree programs offered in Biological Sciences and Geological Sciences. Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the interdisciplinary areas of Materials Science and Engineering and Environmental Science and Engineering are listed in the Interdisciplinary Studies section of the Graduate Studies Catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
Each department of the College of Science and the Department of Psychology offers the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree subject to the general requirements listed below. Each department also offers the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree subject to the general requirements listed in the College of Liberal Arts.
A student planning a technical career or graduate work is advised to follow the BS degree route. Either the BS or the BA degree is suitable for admission to health professional schools
(see Preprofessional Programs).
BS programs that include course work leading to Secondary Teacher Certification are offered by each department and in three different interdisciplinary programs in science. BA programs leading to Teacher Certification are also available.
Departmental Honors Programs
The Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geological Sciences, Physics, and Psychology have departmental honors programs for qualified undergraduates. Information about these programs are found in each department's section of this catalog.
Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements
The BS degree in all science disciplines requires a minimum of 128 semester hours of credit including a minimum of 45 upper-division (junior and senior) semester hours. A GPA of 2.0 must be achieved in all course work at UTEP and in all course work in the major department. In addition, a grade of "C" or better must be achieved in the following courses: all courses used to fulfill the University Core Curriculum requirements, all lower-division courses in the major and minor, and all lower-division MATH and STAT courses. Individual degree plans may restrict or extend some of the general education requirements, which are:
Communication: Completion of the English composition and speech component of the University Core Curriculum and ENGL 3359 (Technical Writing)
Mathematics: Completion of MATH 1411 and either MATH 1312 or the sequence STAT 2380, 2182, and 2381
Natural Science: An additional science, not the major or minor, consisting of two
semesters of lecture and laboratory is required. The BS in Natural Science does not
require an additional science. Approved additional sciences are listed for the various
majors.
Humanities: Completion of the humanities component of the University Core Curriculum
Visual and Performing Arts: Completion of the visual and performing arts component of the University Core Curriculum.
U.S. History: HIST 1301 and 1302
Federal and State Government: POLS 2310 and 2311
Social and Behavioral Sciences: Completion of the social and behavioral sciences
component of the University Core Curriculum
Institutionally Designated Option: Completion of the Institutionally Designated Option
component of the University Core Curriculum
Major: Completion of a major field concentration of prescribed courses. Specific disciplines
have requirements that range from 36 to 44 semester hours, with a minimum of 21
semester hours of upper-division credits. In addition, Interdisciplinary majors are also
offered; they range from 49 to 56 semester hours. All lower-division courses in the major
must be completed with a "C" or better.
Minor: The completion of a minimum of 18 semester hours, at least 6 of which must be
upper-division in an area related to the major. All lower-division courses in the minor
must be completed with a "C" or better. Each degree plan specifies acceptable
minors and College of Science minors are listed by each department. Secondary teacher
certification requires a minor in secondary education. If this minor is selected and
no other minor is required (each department specifies if an additional minor is required), a
minimum of twelve approved semester hours in a supporting field to the major is
required. Interdisciplinary majors do not require a minor.
Elective Courses: In addition to the above requirements, elective courses of general interest
or relevance to the major field of the student as needed to complete the required 128
semester hours credit and the minimum 45 upper-division semester hours of credit are
required. Courses in which the material is repetitive of, or included within, courses
required by the department or college may not be applied as elective credit toward the BS
degree.
Major Fields
The College of Science offers BS degrees in the following disciplines: Applied Mathematics, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Science, Geological Sciences, Geophysics, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, and Psychology. The specific requirements for these disciplines and various options may be found in the academic department sections of this catalog (Psychology is listed under the College of Liberal Arts). In addition, BS degrees are offered in the following interdisciplinary areas: Life/Earth Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Physical Sciences.
Students planning to obtain a degree in the College of Science must major in one of the above fields. Students planning to enter medical or dental schools normally obtain a BS or BA degree in science and, for this reason, they should declare a major field (pre-medical and pre-dental are not major fields).
Double Majors
Students may enroll as double majors in all BS degree plans except Earth Science, Life/Earth Science, Natural Science, and Physical Science. Double majors in a single department are not allowed. Geophysics majors are limited in the selection of a second major to Applied Mathematics. All other BS degree plans are limited in the selection of a second major to one of the approved minors for the major degree plan. Double majors must satisfactorily complete all course work required of majors in each department.
Second Baccalaureate Degrees
Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree at an accredited institution may enroll as candidates for a second baccalaureate degree in the College of Science. This degree will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of all Bachelor of Science degree requirements in the College of Science. Students seeking a second baccalaureate degree must complete at least 24 semester hours, specified by the department, following the award of the first baccalaureate degree. Students may petition the Dean of Science to reserve up to 9 semester hours taken during the last semester of the initial degree work for credit toward the second BS degree.
Students may not obtain a second baccalaureate degree in the same academic department as the first degree.
Pre-Science Program
Entering students wishing to obtain a B.S. in mathematics or science will be classified as pre-science students for not less than one semester after their admission to the university. Pre-science students must complete all the requirements of a pre-science program designed to prepare them for college success. Pre-Science students must make satisfactory progress toward completing the pre-science program, including:
Upon completion of the pre-science program, students shall petition for a change of
major from pre-science to a selected major. Students who do not make satisfactory progress toward completion of the pre-science program may be placed on college probation or college suspension (see the College/Major Academic Standing section of this Catalog).
Advising
All students enrolled in the College of Science must be advised prior to registration. Students should follow the directions for obtaining academic advice outlined in the Schedule of Classes under ADVISING: COLLEGE OF SCIENCE. Although the Department of Psychology may not require advising, it is strongly recommended that students seeking the BS in psychology obtain degree plan advice from the Office of the Dean of Science. In particular, these students are advised not to postpone the required courses in mathematics.
Students planning a career in Clinical Laboratory Science, Nursing, Physical Therapy, or other allied health fields are referred to the College of Health Sciences section of this catalog and should be advised in that college.
Preprofessional Advice
Information about entrance requirements to health professional schools may be obtained from the Preprofessional Advisor in the Office of the Dean of Science. Students should seek this advice by the time they have completed 60 semester hours of credit toward a degree. Students planning to enter medical, dental, pharmacy, or veterinary schools normally require a Baccalaureate degree. No particular major is required for entrance, although a minimum of one year of biology, 2 years of chemistry including a year of organic chemistry, a semester of calculus, and 1 year of physics are required for admission to most health professional schools. Thus, a major in Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Microbiology, or Physics is appropriate.
Secondary Teacher Certification
The College of Science encourages students to consider teaching in the secondary schools as a career goal. This is in the college�s self interest. It is assumed that better prepared teachers will result in better prepared freshmen who enroll in college. Certification for teaching in the secondary schools is available in the following BS degree fields: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Science, Mathematics, and Physics. The College of Science also offers interdisciplinary degrees in Life/Earth Sciences (biology and geology), Natural Sciences (science composite�biology, chemistry, geology, and physics), and Physical Sciences (chemistry and physics), which lead to secondary certification. School systems especially seek those with interdisciplinary degrees since they are prepared to teach different subjects.
Students planning to teach mathematics or science may also obtain certification with a BA degree in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics (offered by the College of Liberal Arts). In addition, those who already hold a baccalaureate degree in mathematics or a science may obtain secondary teacher certification in the College of Education. See the College of Education section of this catalog for details on these programs. Students of mathematics and the sciences considering teaching should inform themselves on these options and decide which is best for them.
Minors in Secondary Education
Secondary certification requires a minor in Secondary Education. The B.S. in Mathematics requires an additional minor, while other fields of certification require only the minor in Secondary Education. Secondary Education minors for B.S. degrees for Mathematics or Science consist of 21 semester hours. The following courses are required for these minors:
EDPC 3300 Developmental Variations
RED 3342 Reading and Study in the Content Areas
SCED 3311 Curriculum Planning in the Secondary School
SCED 3317 Multicultural Education in the Secondary School
SCED 4691 Student Teaching in the Secondary School.
The minor for mathematics students includes
SCED 4367 Teaching Math in Secondary School
Whereas the minor for science students includes
SCED 4368 Teaching Science in Secondary School
In addition, the speech component of the University Core Curriculum is restricted to COMM 1301 and the humanities component is restricted to an English literature course for minors in Secondary Education.
Directly Supporting Fields
A 12-credit directly supporting field is also required for certification if the teaching field is a single discipline. By their nature, interdiscipline degrees (Life/Earth, Natural, and Physical Sciences) do not require a supporting field. The directly supporting field (not the major) may be selected from the following: Basic Business, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Mathematics, or Physics. Supporting fields other than these must be approved in the Office of the Dean of Science. The supporting field requirement is met by completing 12 semester hours selected from courses approved for a minor in one of the above areas. A minor other than Secondary Education will satisfy this requirement, and Physics majors may use the required courses in mathematics for the supporting field.
Admission to Secondary Teacher Education
The College of Education secondary education professional development program consists mainly of two semesters of blocked courses, normally taken during the student�s last year of course work. In order to enroll in these courses, a student must be admitted to secondary teacher education, which requires the following:
Application for admission to the program is to be filed in the College of Education Student Services Office, EDUC 412. Additional requirements may be found in the College of Education section of this catalog.
Secondary Teacher Preparation Programs
Students preparing to teach are advised to carefully plan their last two years of course work. COMM 1301 is required for application to the secondary teacher preparation program, so the course should be completed early. After admission, the present plan is that the courses EDPC 3300, RED 3342, SCED 3311, and SCED 3317 must be enrolled in concurrently as Field Based Block I. Students in this program must block out either 8 AM to 12 PM or 12 PM to 4 PM Monday through Friday for this part of the program because field experiences in secondary schools are required in addition to the course work. Normally, students in morning blocks may enroll in afternoon laboratories or those in afternoon blocks may only enroll in morning lecture sections. This often requires prudent planning of upper-division majors course selection since it is not assured which block one may be forced to enroll in.
Field Based Block II consists of SCED 4691 and students are interns in secondary schools from 8 AM to 3:30 PM every school day, demanding that any additional courses be in the evening. SCED 4367 and SCED 4368 are often offered in the evening, which finishes the teacher preparation program. It is almost impossible to complete upper-division majors courses during this semester.
Minors Outside the College of Science
Approved College of Science minors of Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, and Physics are detailed in the academic department sections of this catalog. These minors are approved minors for the B.S. in Psychology. In addition to these minors, the following minors outside the College of Science are approved for the listed B.S. degrees:
Accounting (B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Mathematics)
See the College of Business Administration section of this catalog.
Anthropology (B.S. in Biological Sciences, Earth Science, and Geological Sciences)
See the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts
section of this catalog.
Computer Science (B.S. in Applied Mathematics, Biological Sciences, Chemistry,
Geological Sciences, Mathematics, and Psychology)
CS 1401 (or CS 1420); CS 3333 (or CS 2401 and CS 2302); CS 3350, and six
semester hours selected from CS 3335, CS 3360, CS 4342, or CS 4352.
Economics (B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Mathematics)
See the College of Business Administration section of this catalog.
Environmental Science (B.S. in Chemistry)
BIOL 1305, BIOL 1106, BIOL 3414; CE 3325, CE 4390; and an additional
course selected from GEOL 4380, GEOL 4384, or MICR 3328-MICR 3128.
(The additional science, not the major of minor, cannot include BIOL 1305-
BIOL 1106.)
General Business (B.S. in Mathematics)
See the College of Business Administration section of this catalog.
Management (B.S. in Mathematics)
See the College of Business Administration section of this catalog.
Psychology (B.S. in Biological Sciences)
See the Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts section of this
Catalog. (PSYC 1303 is waived if STAT 2380, STAT 2182, and STAT 2381 are
completed with a "C" or better.)
Secondary Education/Mathematics (B.S. in Mathematics)
See above.
Secondary Education/Science (B.S. in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Science,
Life/Earth Sciences, Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences, or Physics)
See above.
Degree Plans
Any student who has completed 60 credit hours and is calculus-ready is required to file for a degree plan. The degree plan, which is a listing of the outstanding requirements for graduation, must be obtained from the Office of the Dean of the College of Science (Dean of the College of Liberal Arts for the BA degree). A copy of the degree plan will also be filed with the student's major department. The degree plan must be updated following the completion of 90 credit hours. Each student is required to obtain confirmation of their standing from the Office of the Dean of the College of Science prior to registering for the semester in which all course work for a degree will be completed. (Details of the above "paper" degree plans may change with the introduction of "electronic" degree plans.)
Lower-Division Courses
The prerequisite structure in science programs requires careful attention to course sequences.
Freshman courses required of all BS majors include (all must be completed with a grade of
"C" or better)
ENGL 1311, ENGL 1312 (or equivalent ESOL courses)
HIST 1301, HIST 1302
MATH 1411
These courses should be completed before the student reaches Junior standing (60 semester credit hours). Note that these and all freshman courses specified as required for the degree must be completed before Senior standing (90 semester credit hours) in order to count toward the minimum hours required for the degree.
The prerequisite for MATH 1411 (credit with a "C" or better in MATH 1508 or MATH 1410 or placement) is required in order to declare a major. It is to the student's advantage to continue enrolling in the other required mathematics courses since success in these courses largely depends upon what was learned in the previous course and delaying enrollment in higher level courses often requires considerable review.
Required Lower-Division Courses in the Major and Minor should be completed with a "C" or better before enrollment in upper-division courses. These lower-division courses are listed below. Other lower-division College of Science courses required for the various degree plans are included in brackets. These courses should also be completed with a "C" or better before enrolling in upper-division courses if the discipline is the minor.
Applied Mathematics
MATH 1411, MATH 1312, MATH 2313, MATH 2300
[CS 1401 or CS 1420; PHYS 1120, PHYS 1121, PHYS 2410, PHYS 2411]
Biological Sciences
BIOL 1305-BIOL 1107, BIOL 1306-BIOL 1108, and (for biomedical track) MICR 2440
[CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106, MATH 1411, MATH 1312
(or STAT 2380-STAT 1182, STAT 2381)]
Chemistry
CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106, CHEM 2101,
CHEM 2261-CHEM 2161
[CS 1401 or CS 1420; MATH 1411, MATH 1312, MATH 2313; PHYS 2410, PHYS 2411]
Earth Science
ASTR 1307-ASTR 1107; GEOL 1301-GEOL 1101 (or GEOL 1303), GEOL 1302-
GEOL 1102 (or GEOL 1304)
[CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106; MATH 1411, MATH 1312
(or STAT 2380-STAT 1182, STAT 2381)]
Geological Sciences
GEOL 1301-GEOL 1101 (or GEOL 1303), GEOL 1302-GEOL 1102 (or GEOL 1304),
GEOL 2411, GEOL 2412
[CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106; CS 1401 or CS 1420; MATH 1411, MATH 1312; PHYS 1120, PHYS 1121, PHYS 2410, PHYS 2411]
Geophysics
GEOL 1301-GEOL 1101, (or GEOL 1303), GEOL 1302-GEOL 1102 (or GEOL 1304),
GEOL 2411, GEOL 2412
[CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106; CS 1401 or CS 1420; MATH 1411, MATH 1312, MATH 2313; PHYS 1120-PHYS 1121, PHYS 2410-PHYS 2411]
Life/Earth Sciences
ASTR 1307-ASTR 1107; SCI 1405 (or BIOL 1305-BIOL 1107); BIOL 1306-BIOL 1108,
BIOL 2316-BIOL 2117 (or BOT 2410 or ZOOL 2406); GEOL 1301-GEOL 1101 (or
GEOL 1303), GEOL 1302- GEOL 1102 (or GEOL 1304), GEOL 2411
[CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106; MATH 1411, MATH 1312
(or STAT 2380-STAT 1182, STAT 2381)]
Mathematics
MATH 1411, MATH 1312, MATH 2313
[CS 1401 or CS 1420; PHYS 1120, PHYS 1121, PHYS 2410, PHYS 2411]
Microbiology
BIOL 1305-BIOL 1107, BIOL 1306-BIOL 1108; MICR 2440
[CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106; MATH 1411, MATH 1312
(or STAT 2380-STAT 1182, STAT 2381), PHYS 1403-PHYS 1404 (or PHYS 1120-
PHYS 2410-PHYS 2411)]
Natural Science
BIOL 1305-BIOL 1107, BIOL 1306-BIOL 1108; CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-
CHEM 1106; GEOL 1301-GEOL 1101 (or GEOL 1303), GEOL 2302-GEOL 1102 (or
GEOL 1304); PHYS 1120, PHYS 1121, PHYS 2410, PHYS 2411
[MATH 1411, MATH 1312]
Physical Sciences
CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106, CHEM 2261; PSCI 2303;
PHYS 1120, PHYS 1121, PHYS 2410, PHYS 2411
[MATH 1411, MATH 1312]
Physics
PHYS 1120, PHYS 1121, PHYS 2410, PHYS 2411
[CS 1401 or CS 1420; CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106; MATH 1411, MATH 1312, MATH 2313]
Psychology
PSYC 1301, PSYC 1303
[MATH 1411, MATH 1312 (or STAT 2380-STAT 1182, STAT 2381)]
Upper-Division Courses
A minimum of 45 semester hours of upper-division course work is required. The various majors require 21 to 32 semester hours of upper-division course work. In addition, the minor requires a minimum of six upper-division semester hours (Secondary Education requires 21 semester hours), and an additional 3 hours are required by the general college requirements. Thus 4 to 15 free elective upper-division courses are required. Upper-division courses are not often offered each semester and summer. Students are cautioned to plan ahead in terms of when these courses are generally offered and what prerequisites are needed. Due to the blocking of upper-division education courses, this is particularly important for students seeking secondary teacher certification.
Interdisciplinary Degrees
Bell Hall, Room 100
Phone: (915) 747-5536
E-mail: science@utep.edu
The interdisciplinary BS degrees, Life/Earth Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Physical Sciences are administered from the Office of the Dean of Science. These degrees do not require a minor unless certification in Secondary Teaching is sought.
BS in Life/Earth Sciences
The requirement to obtain the BS in Life/Earth Sciences consists of the general College of Science requirements plus the following specific requirements:
Interdisciplinary Major (a minimum of 51 semester hours including 25 semester hours of
upper-division course work): ASTR 1307-ASTR 1107; SCI 1405 or (BIOL 1305- BIOL
1107); BIOL 1306-BIOL 1108 and (1) BIOL 2316-BIOL 2117 or (2) BOT 2410 or
(3) ZOOL 2406; plus 12 upper-division semester hours in Biological Sciences. GEOL
1301-GEOL 1101 (or GEOL 1303), GEOL 1302-GEOL 1102 (or GEOL 1304),
GEOL 2411, GEOL 3405, GEOL 3420, or GEOL 3380; and 2 courses selected from the
following: GEOL 3311, GEOL 3340, GEOL 3350, GEOL 3355, GEOL 3359, GEOL
3360, GEOG 3306.
Additional Science: The additional science is restricted to CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105 and
CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106.
BS in Natural Sciences
The requirement to obtain the BS in Natural Sciences consists of the general College of Science requirements plus the following specific requirements:
Interdisciplinary Major (a minimum of 56 semester hours including 24 semester hours of
upper-division course work): BIOL 1305-BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1306-BIOL 1108;
CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105 and CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106; GEOL 1301-GEOL 1101 (or
GEOL 1303) and GEOL 1302-GEOL 1102 (or GEOL 1304); and PHYS 1120-PHYS
1121 and PHYS 2410-PHYS 2411 are required lower-division courses. In addition, a
minimum of 24 semester hours of approved upper-division course work in Biological
Sciences, Chemistry, Geological Sciences, and Physics is required. This must include a minimum of 3 semester hours in each of the disciplines and a minimum of 12 semester hours of upper-division course work must be taken in a single department.
Additional Science: The College's additional science requirement is satisfied by the major.
Other: MATH 1312 is required.
BS in Physical Sciences
The requirement to obtain the BS in Physical Sciences consists of the general College of Science requirements plus the following specific requirements:
Interdisciplinary Major (a minimum of 49 semester hours including 26 semester hours of upper-division course work): CHEM 1305-CHEM 1105, CHEM 1306-CHEM 1106, CHEM 2261, CHEM 3324, CHEM 3124, CHEM 3325, CHEM 3125, CHEM 4330, and three additional semester hours of upper-division course work in chemistry; PHYS 1120, PHYS 1121, PHYS 2410, PHYS 2411, PHYS 3325, and PHYS 3243 (taken three times); PSCI 2303 and PSCI 3304.
Additional Science: The additional science requirement may be met by BIOL 1305-BIOL 1107, BIOL 1306-BIOL 1108; or BIOL 1303-BIOL 1304; or GEOL 1301-GEOL 1101 (or GEOL 1303), GEOL 1302-GEOL 1102 (or GEOL 1304).
Other: MATH 1312 is required.
Secondary Education Concentration
This concentration may be selected by students majoring in any of the above interdisciplinary degree programs and simply requires a minor in Secondary Education.
Interdisciplinary Courses (SCI)
The College of Science offers seven interdisciplinary courses:
This course will prepare entering students to succeed in the college and introduce students to careers in engineering and science.
This course will help the student develop learning, study and group skills, improve math applications skills and develop critical thinking and basic computer and problem solving skills. Basic concepts in engineering and science will be introduced. (SCI 1300 is identical to ENGR 1300.) Prerequisite: MATH 0310 or concurrent.
This course will help students develop critical thinking skills, improve problem solving skills, increase learning, study and group skills, develop basic computer skills and improve math application skills. Basic concepts in science and engineering will be introduced and explored through projects. This course is designed for pre-science and pre-engineering students who are not yet enrolled in MATH 1508. (SCI 1400 is identical to ENGR 1400.) Prerequisite: MATH 0311 or concurrent.
1401 Explanatory Power of Science (3-2)
Milestones in the development of science, including science in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds, the scientific revolution in the late Renaissance; the emergence of working models in physics, chemistry, and biology in the period of the Enlightenment through the mid-nineteenth century; the changing view of the Earth's history with the emergence of geology as a new science; evolutionary theory and the founding of genetics. Consideration of such topics as the explanatory power of empirical data and their
interpretation, science vs. pseudo-science, science and theology. Laboratory exercises in
science as a progress of investigation. Prerequisite: MATH 0310 or placement into
MATH 0311 or higher level mathematics course. Laboratory fee required.
1402 Science in the Modern World (3-2)
Further milestones in the development of science in the late nineteenth and twentieth
centuries, selected from thermodynamics, relativity and cosmology, the physics of the
small, modern genetics and contemporary evolutionary theory, and plate tectonics;
consideration of science in its cultural contexts, including such topics as science and
technology, the aesthetics of science, models of scientific development, science and ethics,
scientific elitism, and images of science in popular culture. Laboratory exercises elucidating scientific concepts and principles. Prerequisite: SCI 1401. Laboratory fee
required.
1405 Introduction to Earth and Life Sciences (3-3)
Integrated introduction to the earth and life sciences, based on review of fundamental
physical and chemical principles. Energetics; thermodynamics; atoms and molecules;
origin of the universe, starts, and planetary systems; origin and evolution of life; principles
of geology and biology. Interdisciplinary treatment, with emphasis on quantitative analysis
and composition.
4372 Ethics, Economics, and Ecology (3-0)
Integration of ecological fact and theory with concepts and principles of ethics and
economics. Problem solving on environmental issues approached through the case study
method. An interdisciplinary course for science, education, philosophy, business, and
economics majors. Prerequisite: Junior standing.