UGRD > ENVSCI
Environmental Sciences Courses
ENVSCI 101 The Global Environment +
Description:
An analysis of the physical geographic environment including the globe, the atmosphere and ocean, climate, soils, vegetation, and landform. Positive and negative interaction of human beings with these aspects of the environment is examined where appropriate. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 102 World Regional Geography +
Description:
An overview of world regions in terms of physical environment, human populations and the relationship between them. Topics with a focus on diversity are discussed from an international viewpoint and center on particular countries. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 104 Dinosaurs: A Natural History +
Description:
This course considers dinosaurs, their evolution, and our understanding of their fossil record. Students will examine the geologic record and the tools used by paleontologists to determine: geologic ages and ancient environments; evolutionary history and extinctions; dinosaurian biology and behavior; and their survival as birds. Mechanisms of global change ranging from plate tectonics to asteroid impact will be discussed. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 114 Introduction to Sustainable Marine Aquaculture +
Description:
This course provides an introductory overview of marine aquaculture with a specific focus on the principles of sustainability in the production and distribution of marine-sourced foods. Students will explore the culturing and rearing of marine invertebrates and plants. Building on a general overview of marine aquaculture, the course will cover the physical and chemical properties of the aquatic environment; site selection; aquatic engineering; bivalve culture; crustacean culture; seaweed culture; health and pathology; growth and nutrition; genetics and reproduction; legal, economic, social and environmental considerations. These topics will be covered with both a local and global perspective. The course is designed to familiarize students with the multi-disciplinary nature of sustainable marine aquaculture as a field. We will conclude with a brief overview of the legal, economic, and social considerations and we will look at some of the controversies surrounding marine aquaculture and environmental sustainability. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 116L Quantitative Reasoning and the Environment +
Description:
The dynamic and continually changing environment can be understood through examining measurements that quantify change. This course introduces methods of quantitative reasoning used to understand our environment. Through a wide variety of examples, the course builds connections between quantitative concepts and environmental applications. Physical and social scientists measure properties of the environment to gain an understanding of the past and present, then they use these measurements to compare changes in the environment both spatially and throughout time. This course will examine topics such as population dynamics, changes in weather and climate, toxicity in water and air and the occurrence and intensity of natural disasters. Using real world data, the course will develop quantitative and technical skills for critical analysis of environmental challenges. Some of the quantitative topics presented include estimation, number sense, graphing data, linear and exponential growth and descriptive statistics, including central value analysis. This course meets the core theme of better understanding environmental science by addressing quantitative studies applied to climate change, sustainability, environmental justice and pollution.ENVSCI 116L and ENVSTY 116L are the same course More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 120 Introduction to Environmental Science +
Description:
This course offers a broad overview of the physical, chemical, biological, and geological principles underlying the environmental sciences. Students are introduced to natural processes and interactions in the atmosphere, in the ocean, and on land primarily through case studies at the coastal ocean-watershed interface More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 121 Introduction to Environmental Science Lab +
Description:
This course offers a hands-on, experiential overview of physical, chemical, biological, geological laboratory and field skills needed for the environmental sciences, and serves as a core required course for Environmental Science majors. Students will be introduced to field techniques, internet research, laboratory skills and data analyses. Experiences may include a Boston Harbor cruise, delineation of a local watershed, assessing air and water quality, running computer simulation models, and using GPS/GIS to locate and map spots on the UMass Boston campus. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 122 Introduction to Environmental Policy & Management +
Description:
The inherent link between human activity and environmental impact highlights the importance of the social sciences in the examination of environmental systems, management and policy. This course introduces students to concepts and assessment methods vital to an understanding of environmental policy and management issues. Topics include environmental values and equity; resource allocation; environmental policy and politics; population dynamics; sustainable development; species and ecosystem-based management; habitat and food source protection; pollution management; and, land use. In-class activities and assignments will focus on three general education skills: critical thinking, critical reading and analysis, and effective communication. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 124 Aquaculture Production +
Description:
This course is designed to provide an overview of animal production and associated environmental and regulatory aspects of the industry. The course also introduces aspects of business and market development for cultured products with special focus on marine aquaculture and shellfish. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 134 Basic Start up Business Techniques for Aquaculture Operations +
Description:
This course will examine the basics of working in and managing a successful aquaculture operation. Aquaculture is currently the fastest growing segment of the food industry, with more then half of what we eat from the ocean coming from aquaculture. This is an increasingly competitive space that suffers from a tradition of malpractice and misunderstanding as well as a regulatory culture that lags far behind an innovative rate. Site selection, gear, seed and feed procurement, marketing, and supply chain dynamics are all important elements of a successful aquaculture operation that demand an understanding of regulatory, financial, and marketing and entrepreneurial principles. This course is designed to introduce students to these challenges and equip them with the tools needed to engage within the industry on a sophisticated, successful level. Students will gain a foundational understanding of how to move from ''I would like to operate an aquaculture business'' to ''I am operating an aquaculture business''. Building on this understanding, students will prepare their own business plans to demonstrate mastery of key aspects of operational efficiency necessary support the vital financial structure of any business. Lastly, through the concepts of entrepreneurship, students will learn how to integrate business concepts to be able to develop and sustain a successful aquaculture business. This course will be organized into three parts: Essentials for a business in aquaculture, operating a business in aquaculture, and moving from concept to execution. This course alludes to but does not deeply discuss the complex and ever changing regulatory, policy, and legal systems that govern operations in this sector. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 150L Introduction to Climate Change +
Description:
Introduction to Climate Change covers the processes involved in Earth's climate and the history of climate up to the present day, with a key goal of gaining insight into ongoing climate change and the future. Students will develop a basic but robust understanding of the major controls on climate, in part as a foundation for considering climate-related issues in various disciplines and areas of human concern. We will also nurture a sense of curiosity and wonder about this amazing planet that we call home.This course is designed to be accessible to students concentrating in the social sciences, humanities, or arts. At the same time, science and engineering-oriented students will find this course to be a usefully broad introduction to climate change, providing context for more specialized courses of study. For all students, our goal is to enrich your intellectual life and help you become an informed citizen. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 179G First-Year Seminar in Sustainability +
Description:
This is a one semester four-credit First-Year Seminar in Sustainability. This course will focus on current issues in sustainability with a secondary emphasis on student success and professional development. Through case studies and two library-based informative and argumentative papers on sustainability, students will learn about the complexities of balancing the three pillars of sustainability: environment, economics, and social justice. Students also will be exposed to campus offices and professional development artifacts and technologies. Successful completion of this course will fulfill a students First-Year Seminar requirement which focuses on the capabilities of careful reading, clear writing, critical thinking, information technology, oral presentation, teamwork, and academic self-assessment. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 185GL The Urban Ocean +
Description:
With the Atlantic Ocean on UMass-Boston's doorstep, this place-based course immerses students in the history, culture, and science of Boston Harbor and its Islands to understand the natural and anthropogenic factors shaping our waterfront. The impacts of anthropogenic development and climate change extend from the bustling city of Boston to the outer reaches of Boston Harbor Islands and the consequences of these impacts are shared across UMass-Boston's neighboring communities (e.g. Quincy, Dorchester, and East Boston) and abiotic and biotic communities. Thus, this course will investigate the evolving relationships between people, plants, and animals across this aquatic landscape from a transdisciplinary basis, the integration of knowledge systems to move beyond discipline specific problem-solving approaches. Students will learn how to conduct archival research and scientific experiments, participate in service-learning opportunities, and engage in roundtable discussions with local indigenous communities, environmental organizations, and researchers. The culmination of these activities will introduce students to methods they can employ for their final project: a proposal on a research topic they would like to lead at the Living Laboratory on Rainsford Island, Boston Harbor Islands. Throughout the course, students will reflect on their own relationships with water and their surroundings and the role they want to play as stewards of Boston Harbor, its Islands, and UMass-Boston. This course was developed through the ''Living with the Urban Ocean'' grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 187S First Year Seminar in Environmental Science I +
Description:
This is a two-semester sequence, two credits each semester. Successful completion of the sequence will fulfill the students First-Year Seminar requirement. Course content will vary with instructor, but will focus on current issues in environmental science. Using this approach, students will become increasingly familiar with and experienced in scientific discourse, the scientific method, and the interplay between the natural and social sciences that comprise the study of the environment. Within this framework, the course will address all the objectives of the UMass Boston First Year Seminar Program. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 188S First Year Seminar in Environmental Science II +
Description:
This is a two-semester sequence, two credits each semester. Successful completion of the sequence will fulfill the student's First-Year Seminar requirement. Course content will vary with instructor, but will focus on current issues in environmental science. Using this approach, students will become increasingly familiar with and experienced in scientific discourse, the scientific method, and the interplay between the natural and social sciences that comprise the study of the environment. Within this framework, the course will address all the objectives of the UMass Boston First Year Seminar Program. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 203 Field Trips in Environmental Science +
Description:
The Environmental Science are very hands-on sciences based on large-scale, real-world situations that are difficult to replicate in a traditional laboratory. Students will travel to various locations to observe, sample and interact with the environment based on the theme of the trip. The goal of the experience is to introduce students to conduction field observations and develop environmental-based problem solving skills through an immersion setting. Students will learn observations skills, sample techniques, and reasoning skills. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 210 Earth's Dynamic Systems +
Description:
The basic principles of this course are embodied in the rock and hydrologic cycles. It examines the igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary, tectonic, and weathering systems of the rock cycle; and the runoff, glacial, ocean, groundwater, and atmospheric systems of the hydrologic cycle. A laboratory component includes one or more field trips to sites where geological phenomena can be viewed. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 214GL Ecological Economics +
Description:
This course is an introduction to the field of ecological economics, which examines how the natural environment and human-made economy interact to provide the foundation for human society. This mostly non-mathematical course highlights the differences between mainstream economics and ecological economics, encouraging students to think critically about the assumptions used by each school of thought and the different implications for policy and human wellbeing. Topics include the environmental basis of the economy; the optimal size of the economy and prospects for a non-growing or steady-state economy; personal consumption issues and drivers; social welfare and how this can be measured; and the fair distribution of world resources. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 215 Biology and Production: Aquaculture Nutrition +
Description:
This class will provide an understanding of the key aspects of nutrition of cultured species. Students will gain an understanding in the importance of nutrition and feed management in commercial aquaculture operations and learn to assess the sustainability of raw material sources such as fish meal and the effectiveness of alternative protein replacements. Topics covered will include feeding and digestion, and nutritional science, including the importance of protein, lipids and carbohydrates. Nutrient sources and requirements will be investigated alongside feed production and management techniques. The course will include a critical discussion of the FIFO ratio (fish in- fish out ratio) in assessing sustainability of production. The class will conclude by examining the sustainability of aqua-feed production by studying alternative and sustainable raw materials to fish meal/oils and investigating future trends in aquafeed production. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 216 Sustainable Seaweed Aquaculture +
Description:
In this sustainable aquaculture course, we will examine the general biology of algae. Algae is a comprehensive term that includes both microalgae and macroalgae. The word 'seaweed' is a common term used for marine macroalgae. This course introduces students to the biology of algae (seaweeds) that humans harvest or culture. Algae such as kelp are becoming increasingly important, globally, in aquaculture. Topics include taxonomy, morphology, distribution and habitat, nutrition, significant ecological interactions (such as carbon sequestration), and life cycles. Kelp that exists in the wild and kelp that is cultured have different impacts. The course is organized geographically and by phyla. Topics have been chosen for their biological relevance to aquaculture and algae. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 225 Weather and Climate +
Description:
This course investigates atmospheric processes forming the basis for weather patterns and climatic development on a global scale. Major topics include earth-sun relationships, heating and cooling of the atmosphere, atmospheric circulation, pressure patterns, air mass formation and frontal systems, episodic storms, vertical zonation of climate, and the Koppen System for evaluating and classifying climatic phenomena. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 226 Introduction to Oceanography +
Description:
The world ocean covers approximately 71% of the Earth surface and 99% of its livable volume. This course explains how the ocean works starting from the histories of ocean explorations and early scientific knowledge rot ocean formation, currents and waves, effect of Earth's rotation, coastal and estuarine systems, marine habitats, nutrient-carbon cycle, human impacts and the role of oceans in climate change. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 256 Health and Medical Geography +
Description:
This course will introduce students to health and medical geography as an applied social science, emphasizing the role that place plays in human health and well-being, and updating the notion that geography is merely an inventory of places. Through basic geographic concepts and tools, this course will examine different aspects of health and medicine that underscore the interactions of humans with each other and with their physical and social environments. Topics include: the role that the physical and human environments play in health and medicine; an introduction to basic spatial analysis methods; map interpretation; models of diffusion; spatial aspects of health care delivery, health care policies, as well as environmental settings and resource issues. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 260 Global Environmental Change +
Description:
This course examines the cross-disciplinary (astronomical, geophysical, chemical, and biological) interactions and cycles that cause global environmental change and the impact of human activities on natural earth-ecosystem processes, including global warming, pollution, deforestation, ozone depletion, and biodiversity reduction. Environmental change throughout Earth's history will be explored to better understand the effects of human-induced changes on the Earth System. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 261 Statistics for Environmental Science +
Description:
This course focuses on fundamental statistical concepts, methods in data analysis and applications to environmental science. Topics include frequency distributions and graphic representations of data, measures of central location and spread, probability distributions, hypothesis testing, correlation and single and multiple variable linear regression. Environmental Sciences majors may only use More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 267L Introduction to Coastal Biological Systems +
Description:
This course will survey coastal marine habitats in terms of the organisms that inhabit these regions; the biological processes that dominant within those environments and the impacts of that habitat on humans. The objectives of the course will be for the students to gain an appreciation and understanding of the diversity and function of coastal marine systems in terms of the biological organisms and biological processes that are found there. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 270 Cities and the Environment +
Description:
This course introduces spatial analyses of cities to provide a broader understanding of their historical and current role. Major topics include the application of different geographical perspectives, why and where cities developed, the evolution of cities, how urban function and culture determines their spatial organization, how the economy and transportation drives the change in land use in urban areas, and urban areas in the 21st century. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 280 Global Society and the Environment +
Description:
This course examines the spatial distribution of economic activities at local, national, regional & global scales and introduces the inter-related causes-and-effects on the economic use and organization of space. Major topics include the spatial distribution of the major economic sectors, the historical geography of capitalism, the city as an economic node, colonialism and globalization, the geography of the recession, the economy and the environment, and the location of informal economies. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 281 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems +
Description:
This course is concerned with computer handling of spatial data. It covers essential elements of a GIS, hardware requirements, GIS software, data acquisition, data structures, spatial databases, methods of data analysis and spatial modeling, and applications of GIS in solving a variety of environmental and economic problems. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 305 Hydrology +
Description:
Hydrology is the science of dealing with the waters of the earth, their occurrence, distribution, circulation, and chemistry. This course introduces students to the physical science of hydrology in the context of its application to real world problems. Emphasis is placed on understanding the physical processes that form the water cycle (precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, infiltration, and groundwater flow). More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 315L Introduction to Environmental Health +
Description:
Course introduces students to physical, chemical, and biological hazards found in the environmental and health risks associated with workplace and community exposure to them. Risks to special populations and mechanisms of reducing or controlling these risks are discussed. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 316 Coastal and Marine Pollution +
Description:
This course will explore human impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems. Beginning with a brief introduction of coastal and marine ecology and methods for measuring impacts, the course will then investigate the major causes of environmental degradation to coastal and marine ecosystems. Major marine pollutant classes including metals, pesticides, and organic pollutants will be examined by reviewing sources, distribution in coastal ecosystems, toxicology of the pollutants to estuarine and marine organisms, and resulting effects to fisheries, marine communities, and human health. The impacts of nutrients loading, sewage outfalls, oil spills and dredging on environmental quality and the cascading effects on ecosystems will be discussed. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 317 Coastal and Marine Pollution Laboratory +
Description:
Coastal and Marine Pollution Laboratory (ENVSCI 317) is a two credit laboratory course which accompanies the Coastal and Marine Pollution (ENVSCI 316) lecture course. This course will provide hands on exploration of topics of importance in coastal and marine pollution including emerging contaminants and toxicity testing, endocrine disruption and biomarker monitoring, and invasive species monitoring and effects. This laboratory course will enable students to explore experiments in detail while learning elements of experimental design, hypothesis testing, and formal scientific writing through laboratory activities and reports. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 318 Environmental Toxicology +
Description:
In this course we will explore chemical contaminants and their effects on the environment. Beginning with a brief introduction of toxicology and methods for measuring impacts, we will then investigate the major chemical contaminant classes including their chemical properties and methods for measuring them. The second part of the class will focus on mechanisms of toxicity including genotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and endocrine disruption and will emphasize how impacts at the cellular and biochemical levels cascade up levels of biological organization resulting in population, community, and ecosystem effects. This course will also introduce ongoing challenges and priority areas in environmental toxicology including investigation of complex mixtures and how climate change impacts the distribution and impacts of chemical contaminants. This course will also focus on critical reading of scientific articles and how to conduct environmental risk assessments. I will use case studies and journal articles to illustrate important concepts including (1) linking molecular and cellular impacts to ecological effects, (2) identifying casual agents and (3) how biological data is collected and used in ecological risk assessment. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 321L Spiders of Nantucket +
Description:
This course will introduce students to important field and laboratory-based methods for assessing biodiversity and estimating species richness, with applications for natural resource management and conservation. The spiders of Nantucket will serve as a model for diving into biodiversity field and laboratory methods due to their rich diversity over the island and distinct species-specific characteristics that allow for training in taxonomy. In this course, students will learn about spider biology, anatomy, life history, classification and taxonomy, and ecology through classroom lectures and discussions, field sampling, and laboratory processing and identification activities. Students will become familiar with the primary literature and scientific writing through two writing assignments.ENVSTY 321L and ENVSCI 321L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 324 Coastal Zone Management +
Description:
This course is concerned with coastal environmental problems and their solutions. It discusses in general the identification of the component parts of the coastal zone and the development of appropriate policies for their management. Field trips to representative areas are required relative to Mass CZM. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 325 Introduction to Biological Oceanography +
Description:
Biological oceanography is a field of study that seeks to understand what controls the distribution and abundance of different types of marine life, and how living organisms influence and interact with processes in the oceans. These include processes from those that occur at the molecular level, such as photosynthesis, respiration, and cycling of essential nutrients, to those that are large-scale such as effects of ocean currents on marine productivity. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 327 Coastal Geology +
ENVSCI 336L Ecosystems Ecology +
Description:
This course will focus on the foundational principles of ecosystems ecology. We will focus on the flow of energy and materials through both the biosphere (plants, animals, and microbes) and the geosphere (soils, atmospheres, and oceans) and the role that humans are playing in altering these key fluxes. We will draw on examples from both terrestrial and marine systems to understand the underlying principles of ecosystem structure and function. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 340L Planning and Land Use Law +
ENVSCI 341 The Geochemistry of a Habitable Planet +
Description:
Geochemistry is a unique field integrating geology and chemistry to tell the story of a planet. In this class, we will use geochemistry to reconstruct the story of our Earth, a habitable planet. You will learn about the formation of elements in stars, the formation of Earth in the context of the solar system, the differentiation of the planet via igneous processes, the origin of the continents, the effects of water and CO2 on Earth climate, the source of fossil fuel and mineral resources, the origin of life, and our effect on the planet. Along the way, we will explore principles in isotope geochronology, trace element geochemistry, aqueous chemistry, stable isotope geochemistry and chemical proxies in dynamic systems. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 342 Laboratory for the Geochemistry of a Habitable Planet +
Description:
This course is designed to introduce the theory, applications,a nd operation of modern instrumental methods for geochemical analysis of earth materials. Students will be introduced to a wide spectrum of instrumental techniques and will gain an understanding of the analytical approach to problem solving. The course aligns laboratory activities with ENVSCI 341 to reinforce key geochemical concepts through discovery. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 345L Natural Resources & Sustainable Development +
Description:
This class introduces the economic approach to sustainable growth and economic development by, among other things, examining questions surrounding natural resource management. The first third of the course focuses on the role economics can and cannot play in examining natural resources issues, schools of thought concerning the extent to which natural resources are scarce, and what sustainable economic growth means. The second third of the class focuses on exposing you to the tools economists and policy decision makers use to examine natural resource issues. Finally, the final third of the course focuses on applying the concepts you have learned to specific natural resource issues. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 346 Global Ecology +
Description:
This course reveals key examples of the vast network of long distance ecological connections across the biosphere. Emphasizing a visual, interactive, and interdisciplinary approach, students explore the impacts of air currents, symbiosis, bacteria as global organism, biogenic depositions, algal interactions, and climate disruption. Students are also introduced to inspiring science-based grassroots and indigenous leaders around the world. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 349L Economic Approaches to Environmental Problems +
Description:
An introduction to the economist's approach to solving environmental problems. The course examines applicable economic theories, then uses them to develop a framework for analyzing a wide range of environmental issues. Topics include benefit/cost analysis; measurement of environmental damages; and current government approaches to solving air, water, and solid waste pollution problems. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 350L Green Germany: Environmental Thought and Policy +
Description:
This course will introduce students to German conceptions of nature and to the environmental debates and policies that have emerged from those ideas. Over the course of the last two centuries, environmental thought has had a major impact on German politics, history and culture. Comparing German perspectives and policies to those of other countries, this course will foster an understanding of the factors that have shaped German national identity, sustained the country's environmental movement and elicited Germany's current image as a world leader in environmental policy. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 368 Social-Ecological Systems Dynamics +
Description:
This course will advance students understanding of social-ecological systems, how social-ecological systems change over time, and how a systems dynamics modeling approach is ideal for understanding social-ecological systems. Students will focus on fundamental concepts of system dynamics and the modeling process by using real-world environmental issues. System Dynamics is an ideal methodology for studying sustainability research questions because it provides the qualitative and quantitative tools (i) for understanding the feedbacks, accumulation, nonlinearities, surprises, delays within social ecological systems; (ii) for tracing the roots of the problem by studying in depth the structure and the processes underlying the relationships between social and ecological systems; (iii) for testing alternative policy and management scenarios and designing sustainable pathways of development. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 372 Introduction to Remote Sensing +
Description:
This is an introductory course on the principles and techniques of remote sensing. It covers the physical principles of electromagnetic radiation, remote sensing systems, interpretation of aerial photographs, satellite remote sensing data, thermal and radar imagery, and applications of remote sensing. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 375L Urban Planning +
Description:
A case method approach to urban planning. Students are supplied with a standard ''request for a proposal'' for a master plan. As an end product, they must present and submit a proposal for review. Class work focuses on how to use the planning process to design a master plan and on various approaches to designing zoning ordinances and land-use controls.ENVSCI 375L and UPCD 375L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 381 GIS Applications and Spatial Databases +
Description:
This course is designed to give students an overview of GIS applications, an understanding of spatial and relational database concepts, and the practical experience of using GIS to solve real works problems. The course will include both lecture and lab components. The lab will use ESRI's ArcGIS software, its extensions, and ArcSDE, as well as the database applications Microsoft Access 2003 and SQL*Plus. Students will complete a final project involving data collection, analysis and display. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 383 Water Resources Management: Principles, practices, and problems. +
Description:
This course explores the global use of water across different sectors of the economy and the management of these resources. Specific attention will be paid to sustainable use of water resources. The course integrates the principles that underlie water resource management, the problems that have arisen, and some possible solutions for the future. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 384 Climate and Energy: Law, Policy, and Management +
Description:
This course examines legal, public policy and management issues related to Climate Change as well as those related to the development of renewable energy. It begins with an international overview of the social-economic forces shown to influence climate change, the legal and economic mechanisms that have emerged to address such change and the evolving global energy portfolio (particularly efforts to develop renewable energy). Current laws as well as evolving energy and climate change associated policies and regulations will be considered. Students participate in discussion of readings in the climate change and energy management literature, select and critically review an environmental or energy program from a climate change management perspective, and present their findings to the seminar. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 387 Climate Change Adaptation Planning +
Description:
Anthropogenic climate change will continue for centuries. Since all human and natural systems depend upon climate, this means that all systems must adjust or adapt to the changing climate and its nonstationary conditions. This class discusses and analyzes the impacts of climate change, various adaptation strategies, and the different theories and processes of adaptation planning. The goal is to give students the knowledge and skills to participate in impact, vulnerability, and adaptation projects and research. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 395L Immersive Field Trip: Exploring Individuals, Societies, and Natural Systems +
Description:
This course will provide students with an immersive experience in which students will gain knowledge of individuals, societies, and natural systems away from their home institution. Domestic or global learning will occur as students gain intellectual and practical skills, gain personal and social responsibility, and integrate their learning through synthesis and advanced learning across general and specialized studies. Some sections may also partake in civic engagement and service learning. Each section of the course will visit international or domestic locations and situations based on instructor expertise and opportunities. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 405 Environmental Modeling +
Description:
Environmental Modeling introduces upper classman and graduate students to the ways in which mathematical models are used to better understand changing environmental systems. This course will be of particular interest to students of life and environmental science who have an interest in computational analysis. Applications, such as linear and non-linear population dynamics, and infectious disease spread provide a foundation for building models that describe the interactions between any number of environmental factors. Through building and applying mathematical models to physical systems, one will gain an understanding of the concepts of stability, equilibria, linearization, oscillating behavior and chaos as they relate to observed environmental phenomena. The systems studied in this course are modeled using difference equations, allowing the student to quickly develop the skills needed to build their own mathematical models. Computer programs provide a means for graphical analysis of solutions to the models developed. This allows one to perform sensitivity analysis on models and provides a foundation upon which one can build more complex models. The tools learned in this course will be useful for students in the environmental and life sciences who have an interest in both understanding and building mathematical models. This course is also one that will complement the academic program of a student studying applied mathematics, applied computational science, environmental engineering or environmental physics. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 422 Zooplankton Ecology +
Description:
Zooplankton can be called the cows of the sea. These animals range in size from 20 um to >1 mm and are the food supply for many commercially important fish, whales and other larger animals. This course will examine the different classes and functional groups of zooplankton with an emphasis on copepods and pelagic tunicates. Zooplankton morphology, physiology and ecology will be discussed in detail and related to larger environmental issues, e.g. global warming, eutrophication. There will be 1-2 field trips and/or laboratory classes to learn current zooplankton methods. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 432 Groundwater Hydrology +
Description:
Develop an understanding of groundwater hydrogeology, including a solid grounding in the geology of groundwater occurrence, processes that lead to the flow of subsurface waters, and methods employed in the study of groundwaters and aquifers, as well as the fate and transport of groundwater contaminants. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 440 Chemistry of Natural Waters +
Description:
A basic description of the chemistry of natural and especially marine waters designed to lay the foundation for more advanced course work. Emphasis will be on the chemical composition of natural waters and the identification of the important chemical, physical, and biological processes controlling their composition. A case study, emphasizing the multidisciplinary nature of these processes, will be given at the end of the course. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 444 Cooperative Education Field Experiences +
ENVSCI 445 Cooperative Education II +
Description:
For this course, majors are placed in paid work positions in which academic credit is awarded each semester by working at least three hours per week for each credit attempted and by completing an approved learning prospectus including, but not limited to, activities such as reflective assignments, daily/weekly journal entries, supervisor meetings and evaluations,and a final reflective paper. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 450 Physical Oceanography +
Description:
This course introduces the physical processes active in the ocean environment, including coastal and estuarine regions, and investigates the connection between those processes and observed physical characteristics of the ocean. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 476 Environmental Science Capstone +
Description:
This course fulfills the capstone requirement and is meant to be the final culminating experience for Environmental Science majors. The main goal of the course is to integrate natural and social science knowledge and approaches to environmental problems, drawing from students' own experiences and the information they obtained over their undergraduate career in order holistically to address one or more current environmental issues or problems. Both the course topics and the approach taken to address these topics will vary depending on the instructor chosen for each semester More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 478 Independent Study +
Description:
This course provides an opportunity for a qualified, advanced student to work on a specialized topic or research project under the guidance of a sponsoring faculty member (not necessarily your assigned academic advisor) outside of the traditional lecture/discussion/laboratory course framework. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 480 Special Topics +
Description:
This course offers study of selected topics within this subject. Course content and credits vary according to topic and are announced prior to the registration period. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
ENVSCI 481 Capstone Independent Study +
Description:
This independent research capstone course provides a culminating experience that synthesizes what students have learned in their coursework and looks forward to what the students are capable of doing after receiving their Environmental Sciences degree, demonstrated as a written final paper/report. Student projects must demonstrate a high level of competency by integrating across the natural and social sciences of synthesizing their Environmental Sciences track emphasis. Prior to enrolling in this course, students must develop, in consultation with his/her faculty research sponsor, and appropriate integrative (across the natural and social sciences) or track themes project abstract that is approved by the Undergraduate Program Director. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 498 Honors in Environmental Science +
Description:
This is an honors capstone research course with the ultimate goal being the production of an honors thesis/paper consistent with the field of environmental sciences in which students must have a 3.3 or higher GPA in their Environmental Sciences major. This capstone honors project must be integrative across the natural and social sciences or synthesizing their Environmental Sciences track emphasis demonstrating a high level of competency consistent with the honors designation. Prior to enrolling in this course, students must develop, in consultation with his/her faculty research sponsor, and appropriate integrative across the natural and social sciences or track themed project abstract that is approved by the Undergraduate Program Director. More Info
Offered in:ENVSCI 499 Practicum +
Description:
A work program opportunity for qualified department majors to obtain practical experience in an approved work position in the field of their interest and training. Students submit critiques of their experience and are supervised by departmental advisors. More Info
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