Requirements for this program are current for
Spring 2023
Required credits to graduate with this
degree: 120
Required credits within the major: 73
to 85
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Students majoring in biology gain a broad understanding of the fundamental nature and characteristics of living things and the ways in which they interact. Their studies cover the full range of life sciences, from cancer genes to acid rain, and from lichens to marine mammals.
The biology BS program prepares students for study in a broad spectrum of biological sciences, professional training programs in the health sciences, careers in teaching, and entry-level scientist positions in industry, government agencies, and universities.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Admission Requirements
A GPA above 2.0 is preferred for the following:
2.50 transferring from another University of
Minnesota college
2.50 transferring from outside the University
Students completing another major in the College of Biological Sciences are not eligible for the BS in biology. In addition, students completing a degree in biology are not eligible for the following CBS minors, due to overlap: behavioral biology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular neuroscience, integrative neuroscience, microbiology, and plant biology.
All students in baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete general University and college requirements including writing and liberal education courses. For more information about University-wide requirements, see the
liberal education requirements.
Required courses for the major, minor or certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward the major, minor or certificate (including transfer courses).
Program Requirements
At least 17 upper division credits in the major must be taken at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.
Foundational Courses
Nature of Life/Nature of Science and Research
BIOL 1805 - Nature of Life: Introducing New Students to the Biological Sciences
(0.5 cr)
CHEM 1081 - Chemistry for the Life Sciences I
[PHYS]
(3.0 cr)
CHEM 1065 - Chemical Principles I Laboratory
[PHYS]
(1.0 cr)
CHEM 1082 - Chemistry for the Life Sciences II
(3.0 cr)
CHEM 1086 - Chemistry for the Life Sciences II Laboratory
(1.0 cr)
CHEM 2081 - Chemistry for the Life Sciences III
(3.0 cr)
CHEM 2085 - Chemistry for the Life Sciences III Laboratory
(2.0 cr)
orTrack 2
This track is allowable for students entering CBS with previous chemistry credit or for whom space is not available in the preferred track. Students should speak with a CBS academic advisor to determine eligibility for this track.
BIOL 2005 must be paired with 3211 to count for elective credit.
Take 16 or more credit(s) from the following:
Laboratory and Field Courses
Electives must include 2 lab/field courses from the approved list. To count as a lab/field course, directed research must be a minimum of 3 credits; credits can be split over multiple terms using 4994, 4794W, or a combination. Students may use a maximum of 7 credits of directed research toward a CBS degree. Directed research can only be used for one lab/field course. In order to count toward the lab/field course, Itasca courses (48xx) must be 2 credits or greater.
Take 2 or more course(s) from the following:
·
BIOC 4025W - Laboratory in Biochemistry
[WI]
(2.0 cr)
·
BIOC 4125 - Laboratory in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
(3.0 cr)
or
CHEM 2332H - Honors Elementary Organic Chemistry II
(3.0 cr)
Upper Division Writing Intensive within the Major
Students are required to take one upper division writing intensive course within the major. If that requirement has not been satisfied with the core major requirements, students must choose one course from the following list. Some of these courses may also fulfill other major requirements.
Take 0 - 1 course(s) from the following:
·
BIOC 4025W - Laboratory in Biochemistry
[WI]
(2.0 cr)
The College of Biological Sciences (CBS) and the School of Public Health (SPH) offer an early-admission opportunity for eligible CBS students interested in pursuing the Environmental Health MPH degree.
The MPH program in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences emphasizes the scientific, technological, policy, and management skills required to address environmental health concerns. These concerns include investigating health hazards in our environment, protecting worker health, and establishing the basis for public health policy. The Division of Environmental Health is committed to graduating professionals with interdisciplinary training, which includes practicing innovative problem solving, and gaining experience with a diversity of approaches and applications.
To be eligible for this program, applicants must be admitted undergraduate students in the College of Biological Sciences, have completed at least 60+ credits, and have a GPA of a least 3.25
Students admitted to the Integrated BS/MPH-Environmental Health program take 12 MPH credits during their senior year, and complete the MPH by taking remaining credits as a full-time graduate student in the summer and academic year after completing their undergraduate degree.
Graduate courses cannot be applied toward both BS and MPH credit and degree requirements. Admitted students must maintain timely degree progress to ensure that the BS degree is awarded no later than the end of the senior year.
The application deadline for the Integrated BS/MPH-Environmental Health opportunity is the spring of the applicant's junior year. Interested students should consult with their CBS academic advisor or School of Public Health for application instructions.
One Stop for tuition, course registration, financial aid, academic calendars, and more
BIOL 1805 - Nature of Life: Introducing New Students to the Biological Sciences
Credits:
0.5
[max 0.5]
Grading Basis:
S-N or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Building on incoming student summer programming to get started in the Biological Sciences in CBS. Providing transition programming, academic success tools, college learning, and guidance as a foundation for success in the biological sciences. Introduction to the College of Biological Sciences community and opportunities through class content, guild activities, and peer mentoring.
prereq: Fr in College of Biological Sciences
BIOL 1806 - Nature of Life, Part Two
Credits:
0.5
[max 0.5]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Second semester of Nature of Life with focus on building intentional pathway in CBS/student success/engagement.
prereq: 1805
BIOL 2905 - Nature of Life, Part III
Credits:
0.5
[max 0.5]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Reflect on aspirations, personal characteristics, experiences. Resources/practical tools to reach educational/professional goals. Special focus on developing personal/professional goals, articulating personal experiences in light of aspirations.
prereq: 1805, 1806
BIOL 2906 - Nature of Life, Part IV
Credits:
0.5
[max 0.5]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Reflect on aspirations, personal characteristics, experiences. Resources/practical tools to reach educational/professional goals. Special focus on developing personal/professional goals, articulating personal experiences in light of aspirations.
prereq: 2905
BIOL 3001 - Nature of Science and Research
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Explore how to read/use research papers. Role of research ethics. Financial, legal, regulatory oversight on research/other topics. **This course is for new CBS transfer students from other institutions.
prereq: College-level biology
BIOL 1951 - Foundations of Biology Lecture I for Biological Sciences Majors
(BIOL)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 1951/H/Biol 2002/H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Core biological concepts, from biomolecules to ecosystems. Emphasizes evolution, organismal diversity, and genetics within context of problem solving/applications. Students must take both BIOL 1951 and BIOL 1961 to be awarded the Biological Sciences LE.
This course is required for all CBS majors
BIOL 1951H - Foundations of Biology Lecture I for Biological Sciences Majors
(BIOL)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 1951/H/Biol 2002/H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Core biological concepts, from biomolecules to ecosystems. Emphasizes evolution, organismal diversity, and genetics within context of problem solving/applications. Students must take both BIOL 1951H and BIOL 1961 to be awarded the Biological Sciences LE.
This course is required for all CBS honors students
BIOL 1961 - Foundations of Biology Lab I for Biological Sciences Majors
(BIOL)
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Core biological concepts, from biomolecules to ecosystems. Emphasizes evolution, organismal diversity, and genetics within context of problem solving/applications. Students must take both BIOL 1951 and BIOL 1961 to be awarded the Biological Sciences LE.
This course is required for all CBS majors
BIOL 2003 - Foundations of Biology for Biological Sciences Majors, Part II
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 2003/Biol 2003H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Second of two courses. Biological concepts, from biomolecules to ecosystems. Ecology/biochemistry concepts within problem solving/application.
BIOL 2003H - Foundations of Biology for Biological Sciences Majors, Part II
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 2003/Biol 2003H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Second of two courses. Biological concepts, from biomolecules to ecosystems. Ecology/biochemistry concepts within problem solving/application.
BIOL 3004 - Foundations of Biology for Biological Sciences Majors, Part II Laboratory
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3004/Biol 3004H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course follows BIOL 1961 and is required for all CBS majors. Students design and perform research projects that will require an additional 4-to-6 hours per week of work outside of class; times to be arranged. Each section is devoted to a single research area; check the section details to see which sections correspond to each research area. Research projects in zebrafish environmental toxicology and zebrafish microbiome sections will require in-person work in the BIOL 3004 laboratory. Only students with previous command line coding experience should enroll for a computational microbiology section. All projects involve applying quantitative skills, scientific method, and modern biological tools to real-world questions.
Prerequisite is Foundations of Biology Lab I: BIOL 1961, 1961H, 2002, or 2002H AND CHEM 1021, 1061, 1071H, or 1081.
Credit will not be granted if credit has been received for: BIOL 3004H.
MATH 1241 - Calculus and Dynamical Systems in Biology
(MATH)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Differential/integral calculus with biological applications. Discrete/continuous dynamical systems. Models from fields such as ecology/evolution, epidemiology, physiology, genetic networks, neuroscience, and biochemistry.
prereq: [4 yrs high school math including trig or satisfactory score on placement test or grade of at least C- in [1151 or 1155]], CBS student
MATH 1271 - Calculus I
(MATH)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Math 1271/Math 1281/Math 1371/
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Differential calculus of functions of a single variable, including polynomial, rational, exponential, and trig functions. Applications, including optimization and related rates problems. Single variable integral calculus, using anti-derivatives and simple substitution. Applications may include area, volume, work problems.
prereq: 4 yrs high school math including trig or satisfactory score on placement test or grade of at least C- in [1151 or 1155]
MATH 1371 - CSE Calculus I
(MATH)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Math 1271/Math 1281/Math 1371/
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Differentiation of single-variable functions, basics of integration of single-variable functions. Applications: max-min, related rates, area, curve-sketching. Use of calculator, cooperative learning.
prereq: CSE or pre-bioprod concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in biosys engn (PRE), background in [precalculus, geometry, visualization of functions/graphs], instr consent; familiarity with graphing calculators recommended
MATH 1571H - Honors Calculus I
(MATH)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Math 1271/Math 1281/Math 1371/
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Differential/integral calculus of functions of a single variable. Emphasizes hard problem-solving rather than theory.
prereq: Honors student and permission of University Honors Program
CSCI 1133 - Introduction to Computing and Programming Concepts
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
CSci 1133/CSci 1133H
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Fundamental programming concepts using Python language. Problem solving skills, recursion, object-oriented programming. Algorithm development techniques. Use of abstractions/modularity. Data structures/abstract data types. Develop programs to solve real-world problems.
prereq: concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in MATH 1271 or concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in MATH 1371 or concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in MATH 1571H or instr consent
CSCI 1133H - Honors Introduction to Computing and Programming Concepts
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
CSci 1133/CSci 1133H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Programming concepts using Python language. Real world problem solving, recursion, object-oriented programming. Algorithm development techniques. Abstractions/modularity. Optional honors topics: programming robots, programming paradigms, artificial intelligence.
prereq: [concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in MATH 1271 or concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in MATH 1371 or concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in MATH 1571H], CSci majors, pre-majors in CSE/CLA, honors student
CSCI 3003 - Introduction to Computing in Biology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
CSci 3003/CSci 5465
Typically offered:
Fall Odd Year
This course builds computational skills needed to carry out basic data analysis tasks common in modern biology. Students will learn computing concepts (algorithm development, data structures, complexity analysis) along with practical programming skills in Python and R. No previous programming knowledge assumed.
Prereq: introductory biology course.
MATH 1272 - Calculus II
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Math 1272/Math 1282/Math 1372/
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Techniques of integration. Calculus involving transcendental functions, polar coordinates. Taylor polynomials, vectors/curves in space, cylindrical/spherical coordinates.
prereq: [1271 or equiv] with grade of at least C-
MATH 1572H - Honors Calculus II
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Math 1272/Math 1282/Math 1372/
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Continuation of 1571. Infinite series, differential calculus of several variables, introduction to linear algebra.
prereq: 1571H, honors student, permission of University Honors Program
MATH 2241 - Mathematical Modeling of Biological Systems
Credits:
3.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Development, analysis and simulation of models for the dynamics of biological systems. Mathematical topics include discrete and continuous dynamical systems, linear algebra, and probability. Models from fields such as ecology, epidemiology, physiology, genetics, neuroscience, and biochemistry.
prereq: [1241 or 1271 or 1371] w/grade of at least C-
STAT 3011 - Introduction to Statistical Analysis
(MATH)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
AnSc 3011/ESPM 3012/Stat 3011/
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Standard statistical reasoning. Simple statistical methods. Social/physical sciences. Mathematical reasoning behind facts in daily news. Basic computing environment.
BIOL 3272 - Applied Biostatistics
Credits:
4.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3272Biol 3272H//Biol 5272
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Conceptual basis of statistical analysis. Statistical analysis of biological data. Data visualization, descriptive statistics, significance tests, experimental design, linear model, simple/multiple regression, general linear model. Lectures, computer lab.
prereq: High school algebra; BIOL 2003 recommended
BIOL 3272H - Applied Biostatistics
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3272Biol 3272H//Biol 5272
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Conceptual basis of statistical analysis. Statistical analysis of biological data. Data visualization, descriptive statistics, significance tests, experimental design, linear model, simple/multiple regression, general linear model. Lectures, computer lab.
prereq: High school algebra; BIOL 2003 recommended.
BIOL 5272 - Applied Biostatistics
Credits:
4.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3272Biol 3272H//Biol 5272
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Conceptual basis of statistical analysis. Statistical analysis of biological data. Data visualization, descriptive statistics, significance tests, experimental design, linear model, simple/multiple regression, general linear model. Lectures, computer lab.
prereq: High school algebra; BIOL 2003 recommended.
CHEM 1081 - Chemistry for the Life Sciences I
(PHYS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1061/Chem 1071H/Chem 1081
Typically offered:
Every Fall
The topics of atomic theory, molecular structure, bonding and shape, energy and enthalpy, gases, properties of solutions, and equilibrium will be presented along with their application to biological systems. Intended to provide a strong chemistry background for students pursuing life science related majors or careers in life science related fields.
prereq: grade of a C- or better in CHEM 1015 or passing chemistry placement exam. This course is recommended for CBS majors.
CHEM 1065 - Chemical Principles I Laboratory
(PHYS)
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1065/Chem 1075H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Basic laboratory skills while investigating physical and chemical phenomena closely linked to lecture material. Experimental design, data collection and treatment, discussion of errors, and proper treatment of hazardous wastes.
prereq: concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 1061
CHEM 1082 - Chemistry for the Life Sciences II
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1062/1072H/1082
Typically offered:
Every Spring
The topics of acids, bases and equilibrium, kinetics, nucleophilic substitution and elimination reactions, free radicals, electrochemistry, and alkene addition reactions will be presented along with their application to biological systems. Intended to provide a strong chemistry background for students pursuing life science related majors or careers in life science related fields.
prereq: grade of a C- or better in CHEM 1081 (lecture) and CHEM 1065 (lab); concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 1086; registration for 1086 must precede registration for 1082. This course is recommended for CBS majors.
CHEM 1086 - Chemistry for the Life Sciences II Laboratory
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Experimental techniques and instrumentation applied to the study of chemical reactions. Techniques include computational chemistry, isolation of natural products, chromatography, acid-base titrations, preparation of buffers, study of reaction kinetics, and examination of polymer degration.
Prereq: grade of a C- or better in CHEM 1081 (lecture) and CHEM 1065 (lab). Concurrent registration in CHEM 1082 is required. This course is recommended for CBS majors.
CHEM 2081 - Chemistry for the Life Sciences III
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
The topics of spectroscopy, conjugation and aromaticity, carbonyl and their reactivity, carboxylic acid derivatives, and electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions will be presented along with their application to biological systems. Intended to provide a strong chemistry background for students pursuing life science related majors or careers in life science related fields.
prereq: grade of a C- or better in CHEM 1082 (lecture) and CHEM 1086 (lab). This course is recommended for CBS majors.
CHEM 2085 - Chemistry for the Life Sciences III Laboratory
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Experimental techniques and instrumentation applied to the study of chemical reactions and related biological systems. Techniques include spectroscopy, isolation, kinetics and thermodynamics, green chemistry, oxidations, enzymatic reductions, drug discovery.
prereq: grade of a C- or better in CHEM 1082 (lecture) and CHEM 1086 (lab). Concurrent registration in CHEM 2081 is required. This course is recommended for CBS majors.
CHEM 1061 - Chemical Principles I
(PHYS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1061/Chem 1071H/Chem 1081
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Atomic theory, periodic properties of elements. Thermochemistry, reaction stoichiometry. Behavior of gases, liquids, and solids. Molecular/ionic structure/bonding. Organic chemistry and polymers. energy sources, environmental issues related to energy use.
Prereq-Grade of at least C- in [1011 or 1015] or [passing placement exam, concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 1065]; intended for science or engineering majors; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 1065; registration for 1065 must precede registration for 1061
CHEM 1065 - Chemical Principles I Laboratory
(PHYS)
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1065/Chem 1075H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Basic laboratory skills while investigating physical and chemical phenomena closely linked to lecture material. Experimental design, data collection and treatment, discussion of errors, and proper treatment of hazardous wastes.
prereq: concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 1061
CHEM 1062 - Chemical Principles II
(PHYS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1062/1072H/1082
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Chemical kinetics. Radioactive decay. Chemical equilibrium. Solutions. Acids/bases. Solubility. Second law of thermodynamics. Electrochemistry/corrosion. Descriptive chemistry of elements. Coordination chemistry. Biochemistry.
prereq: Grade of at least C- in 1061 or equiv, concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 1066; registration for 1066 must precede registration for 1062
CHEM 1066 - Chemical Principles II Laboratory
(PHYS)
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1066/Chem 1076H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Basic laboratory skills while investigating physical and chemical phenomena closely linked to lecture material. Experimental design, data collection and treatment, discussion of errors, and proper treatment of hazardous wastes.
prereq: concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 1062
CHEM 2301 - Organic Chemistry I
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 2301/Chem 2331H
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Organic compounds, constitutions, configurations, conformations, reactions. Molecular structure. Chemical reactivity/properties. Spectroscopic characterization of organic molecules.
prereq: C- or better in 1062/1066 or 1072H/1076H
CHEM 1071H - Honors Chemistry I
(PHYS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1061/Chem 1071H/Chem 1081
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Advanced introduction to atomic theory. Periodic properties of elements. Behavior of gases, liquids, and solids. Molecular/ionic structure, bonding. Aspects of organic chemistry, spectroscopy, and polymers. Mathematically demanding quantitative problems. Writing for scientific journals.
prereq: Honors student, permission of University Honors Program, concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 1075H; registration for 1075H must precede registration for 1071H
CHEM 1075H - Honors Chemistry I Laboratory
(PHYS)
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1065/Chem 1075H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Develop laboratory skills while investigating physical and chemical phenomena closely linked to lecture material. Experimental design, data collection and treatment, discussion of errors, and the proper treatment of hazardous wastes.
Prereq-&1071H, honors student, permission of University Honors Program.
CHEM 1072H - Honors Chemistry II
(PHYS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1062/1072H/1082
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Advanced introduction. Chemical kinetics/reaction mechanisms, chemical/physical equilibria, acids/bases, entropy/second law of thermodynamics, electrochemistry/corrosion; descriptive chemistry of elements; coordination chemistry; biochemistry.
prereq: 1071H, concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 1076H, honors student, registration for 1076H must precede registration for 1072H
CHEM 1076H - Honors Chemistry II Laboratory
(PHYS)
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 1066/Chem 1076H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Develop laboratory skills as experiments become increasingly complex. Data collection/treatment, discussion of errors, proper treatment of hazardous wastes, experiment design.
prereq: concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 1072H
CHEM 2331H - Honors Elementary Organic Chemistry I
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 2301/Chem 2331H
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Important classes of organic compounds, their constitutions, configurations, conformations, reactions. Relationships between molecular structure/chemical properties/reactivities. Spectroscopic methods/characterization of organic molecules.
prereq: At least B+ in 1072H, UHP student
PHYS 1221 - Introductory Physics for Life Science Majors I
(PHYS)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Phys 1201W/1301W/1401V/1501V
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
The class exposes the student to physical principles and concepts, demonstrates how these principles can be applied to quantitatively describe natural phenomena, and provides the student with an opportunity to perform hands-on experiments and measurements that model how physical knowledge is obtained. The living world exists in the physical universe, and a complete understanding of biological processes is impossible without a firm foundation in the basic physical principles to which all systems, living and inorganic, must adhere. The basic principles of classical mechanics, fluid mechanics, and oscillations and waves will be examined, with particular emphasis to their application in biological systems, using mathematical analysis at the level of basic calculus.
prereq: High School or College Calculus
PHYS 1301W - Introductory Physics for Science and Engineering I
(PHYS, WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Phys 1201W/1301W/1401V/1501V
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Use of fundamental principles to solve quantitative problems. Motion, forces, conservation principles, structure of matter. Applications to mechanical systems.
Prereq or Concurrent: MATH 1271/1371/1371H or equivalent
PHYS 1401V - Honors Physics I
(PHYS, WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Phys 1201W/1301W/1401V/1501V
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Comprehensive, calculus-level general physics. Emphasizes use of fundamental principles to solve quantitative problems. Description of motion, forces, conservation principles. Structure of matter, with applications to mechanical systems.
Prereq: Honors program or with permission,
Prereq or Concurrent: MATH 1271/1371/1571H or equivalent
PHYS 1222 - Introductory Physics for Life Science Majors II
(PHYS)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Phys 1202W/1302W/1402V/1502V
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This is the second course in the introductory physics sequence for life science majors. The class exposes the student to physical principles and concepts, demonstrates how these principles can be applied to quantitatively describe natural phenomena, and provides the student with an opportunity to perform hands-on experiments and measurements that model how physical knowledge is obtained. The fundamental principles of thermal physics, electricity and magnetism, optics, and nuclear physics are considered.
prereq: PHYS 1221 or equivalent
PHYS 1302W - Introductory Physics for Science and Engineering II
(PHYS, WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Phys 1202W/1302W/1402V/1502V
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Use of fundamental principles to solve quantitative problems. Motion, forces, conservation principles, fields, structure of matter. Applications to electromagnetic phenomena.
Prereq: PHYS 1301 or equivalent,
Prereq or Concurrent: MATH 1272/1372/1572H or equivalent
PHYS 1402V - Honors Physics II
(PHYS, WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Phys 1202W/1302W/1402V/1502V
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Fundamental principles to solve quantitative problems. Description of motion, forces, conservation principles, fields. Structure of matter, with applications to electro-magnetic phenomena.
Honors program or with permission, PHYS 1401V or equivalent, Prereq or CC: MATH 1272/1372/1572H or equivalent
EEB 3407 - Ecology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3407//Biol 3807/EEB 3407
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Summer
Principles of ecology from populations to ecosystems. Applications to human populations, disease, exotic organisms, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity and global dynamics of the earth.
EEB 3408W - Ecology
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3407//Biol 3807/EEB 3407
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Principles of population growth/interactions, communities and ecosystem function applied to ecological issues. Regulation of populations, dynamics/impacts of disease, invasions by exotic organisms, biodiversity, global change. Lab. Scientific writing. Quantitative skill development (mathematical models, data analysis, statistics and some coding in R).
prereq: [One semester college biology or instr consent], [MATH 1142 or MATH 1271 or Math 1272 or Math 1241 or Math 1242 or MATH 1281 or Math 1282 or equiv]
EEB 4609W - Ecosystem Ecology
(ENV, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Regulation of energy and elements cycling through ecosystems. Dependence of cycles on kinds/numbers of species within ecosystems. Effects of human-induced global changes on functioning of ecosystems.
EEB 4611 - Biogeochemical Processes
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 4611/EEB 5611
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
Application of biochemistry, ecology, chemistry, and physics to environmental issues. Issues in biogeochemistry. Impact of humans on biogeochemical processes in soils, lakes, oceans, estuaries, forests, urban/managed ecosystems, and extreme environments (e.g., early Earth, deep sea vents, thermal springs).
prereq: [BIOL 1009 or 2003] AND [CHEM 1081 or 1061 or 1071H] or instr consent
PMB 4121 - Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Evolution/structure of microbial communities. Population interaction within ecosystems. Quantitative/habitat ecology. Biogeochemical cycling. Molecular microbial ecology, gene transfer in the environment. Molecular phylogeny of microorganisms. Application of microbes in agriculture. Production of commodity chemicals, drugs, and other high-value products.
prereq: 3301
EEB 3002 - Sex, Evolution, and Behavior: Examining Human Evolutionary Biology
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Anth 3002/EEB 3002
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Methods/theories to understand humans in evolutionary framework. What can be known only/primarily from evolutionary perspective. How evolutionary biology of humans might lead to better evolutionary theory. How physiology, development, behavior, and ecology coordinate/coevolve in humans.
EEB 3409 - Evolution
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 3409/Biol 3809/Biol 5409/
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Diversity of forms in fossil record and in presently existing biology. Genetic mechanisms of evolution, including natural selection, sexual selection, genetic drift. Examples of ongoing evolution in wild/domesticated populations and in disease-causing organisms. Lab.
prereq: One semester college biology
EEB 5409 - Evolution
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Diversity of forms in fossil record and in presently existing biology. Genetic mechanisms of evolution, including natural selection, sexual selection, genetic drift. Examples of ongoing evolution in wild/domesticated populations and in disease-causing organisms. Lab.
prereq: One semester college biology
BIOL 3012 - Animal Diversity and Evolution
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 2005/Biol 2012/Biol 3012
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course is a survey of animal diversity, with an emphasis on understanding the major animal groups, how they are related to one another, how they differ in structure, and how each group achieves survival and reproduction in the diverse environments of the Earth. We will place particular emphasis on major evolutionary transitions that animals have made through their history, including the origins of multicellularity, the achievement of motion, invasion of terrestrial habitats, and the achievement of flight. We will also emphasize the science behind our contemporary understanding of animals, from multiple perspectives ? behavioral, evolutionary, physiological, and ecological. Lab requires dissection, including mammals.
prereq: BIOL 1001/1001H, or BIOL 1009/1009H, or BIOL 1951/1951H
BIOL 3211 - Physiology of Humans and Other Animals
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
AnSc 3301/AnSc 3303W/Biol 3211
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Study of the various solutions to common physiological problems faced by humans, other vertebrates, and invertebrates. Core concepts in physiology including flow down gradients, homeostatsis, cell-cell communication, interdependence of body systems, cell membrane dynamics, and mathematical modeling of physiological processes. Active learning format.
prereq: [1009 or 2003], [CHEM 1062/1066 or 1082/1086], [2005 is recommended]
EEB 4134 - Introduction to Ornithology
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Structure, evolution, classification, distribution, migration, ecology, habitats, identification of birds. Lecture, lab, weekly field walks. One weekend field trip.
prereq: Biol 1001 or Biol 2012
GCD 4161 - Developmental Biology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Developmental biology is the study of the process by which organisms grow and develop from embryo to adult. This field encompasses the biology of morphogenesis, differentiation, regeneration, metamorphosis, and the growth and differentiation of stem cells. Topics focus primarily on animal development to include fertilization, cell specification, body patterning, stem cells, neurogenesis, organogenesis, limb formation, regeneration, sex determination, and developmental timing, as well as environmental impacts on development. Students will learn about genetic models such as fruit flies, nematodes, fish, mice, and plants. Coverage will be extended to human development and disease as appropriate.
prereq: BIOL 4003; also recommended prerequisite: BIOL 4004 or GCD 4005W
MICB 3301 - Biology of Microorganisms
Credits:
5.0
[max 5.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 2032/MicB 3301/VBS 2032
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathogenesis, immunology, ecology of microbes. Molecular structure in relation to bacterial function/disease. Includes lab.
prereq: [Biol 1961 and Biol 2003] or Biol 1009 or instructor permission
MICB 3303 - Biology of Microorganisms (without laboratory)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 2032/MicB 3301/VBS 2032
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathogenesis, infectious disease, immunology, ecology of microbes. Molecular structure in relation to function of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses.
prereq: Biol 2003 or Biol 1009 or instructor permission
PMB 3007W - Plant, Algal, and Fungal Diversity and Adaptation
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Evolution/Ecology/Diversity of plants, fungi, and algae. Lectures highlight phylogenetic diversity among and within multiple eukaryotic groups as well as adaptations and strategies for survival in varied environments. Includes both hands-on laboratory activities and writing focus.
prereq: One semester college biology
PMB 3212 - Fungi - A Kingdom of Their Own
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 3212/PMB 5212
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
No matter how you classify life on Earth, the fungi are in a Kingdom of their own. Latest estimates of the number of fungal species on our planet are between 2.2 and 3.8 million species. The diversity of single-celled and multi-cellular fungi is staggering, the result of divergence within a group of aquatic eukaryotes one billion years ago (± 500 million years). That divergence ultimately gave rise to animals and fungi, but the diversification within the fungal lineages is unrivaled. They can be found in aerobic and anaerobic environments. They are found on every Continent, recycling and reallocating vast amounts of nutrients in every Biome. They cause problems in crops but are also used to make food, with ancient processes such as fermentation and mushroom cultivation. For these reasons, mycology (study of fungi) is increasingly popular among students with interests as diverse as their fungal subjects. With the advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing to sample entire communities, we are seeing fungi in all of these places where they were previously invisible. The fungal role in Earth's most critical processes is, right now, coming into light. It is an exciting time to study Kingdom Fungi.
This course uses a format of lecture, discussion, and field trips to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a solid foundation in the fungi, primarily through an environmental lens. Undergraduate and graduate students will learn the basics of fungi in three core sections: 1) Phylogeny, taxonomy, and diagnostics (Who are the fungi?); 2) Morphology and physiology (How do fungi work?); 3) Ecology and Biotechnology (What are fungal implications and applications?). Within each core section, there will be one class period devoted to a discussion of the environment, the role of fungi, and the human dimensions of conservation and management. This discussion will be used by the class to vote for an environmental theme used to frame writing assignments, one per unit. Using this theme, all students will create a "Fungus in Focus" one-page "brief" focused on this environmental issue. This is a creative way to connect "dots" for students linking microbial processes to environment, in our case harnessing connections to fungi that often have visible characters (e.g. mushrooms) that make those connections easier for students. We will also go on two field trips, one to a mushroom cultivation facility, and one into the field in April, all depending on class size and weather.
prereq: Introductory Biology course
PMB 4111 - Microbial Physiology and Diversity
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 4111/PMB 5111
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Structural/functional organization of bacteria/archaea. Energy metabolism utilizing light, inorganic/organic chemicals. Cell morphologies, roles/assembly of surface structures. Growth/survival mechanisms in various extreme environments. Adaptation to changing conditions by development of specialized cells/structures, altering metabolic patterns.
prereq: MicB 3301 required; BioC 3021 or BioC 4331 recommended
PMB 5212 - Fungi - A Kingdom of Their Own
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 3212/PMB 5212
Typically offered:
Every Spring
No matter how you classify life on Earth, the fungi are in a Kingdom of their own. Latest estimates of the number of fungal species on our planet are between 2.2 and 3.8 million species. The diversity of single-celled and multi-cellular fungi is staggering, the result of divergence within a group of aquatic eukaryotes one billion years ago (± 500 million years). That divergence ultimately gave rise to animals and fungi, but the diversification within the fungal lineages is unrivaled. They can be found in aerobic and anaerobic environments. They are found on every Continent, recycling and reallocating vast amounts of nutrients in every Biome. They cause problems in crops but are also used to make food, with ancient processes such as fermentation and mushroom cultivation. For these reasons, mycology (study of fungi) is increasingly popular among students with interests as diverse as their fungal subjects. With the advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing to sample entire communities, we are seeing fungi in all of these places where they were previously invisible. The fungal role in Earth's most critical processes is, right now, coming into light. It is an exciting time to study Kingdom Fungi.
This course uses a format of lecture, discussion, and field trips to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a solid foundation in the fungi, primarily through an environmental lens. Undergraduate and graduate students will learn the basics of fungi in three core sections: 1) Phylogeny, taxonomy, and diagnostics (Who are the fungi?); 2) Morphology and physiology (How do fungi work?); 3) Ecology and Biotechnology (What are fungal implications and applications?). Within each core section, there will be one class period devoted to a discussion of the environment, the role of fungi, and the human dimensions of conservation and management. This discussion will be used by the class to vote for an environmental theme used to frame writing assignments, one per unit. Using this theme, all students will create a Fungus in Focus one-page brief focused on this environmental issue. This is a creative way to connect dots for students linking microbial processes to the environment, in our case harnessing connections to fungi that often have visible characters (e.g. mushrooms) that make those connections easier for students. We will also go on two field trips, one to a mushroom cultivation facility, and one into the field in April, all depending on class size and weather.
PMB 3002 - Plant Biology: Function
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
This course explores a range of plant physiological processes, including how plants make and use food; acquire and use minerals; transport water and nutrients; and regulate growth and development in response to hormones and environmental cues, such as light quality.
While this course is paired with the PMB 3005W Plant Function Laboratory, the courses do not need to be taken together or in a specific order.
prereq: [1002 or 1009 or 2003 or equiv], [CHEM 1011 or one semester chemistry with some organic content]
PMB 3005W - Plant Function Laboratory
(WI)
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
In this lab course, students will use a variety of biological techniques to study plant structure and anatomy, plant physiology, cell biology, and plant growth. This includes topics related to climate change, plant adaptation, crop domestication, and genetic engineering. Includes hands-on laboratory activities and writing focus.
While this course is paired with the PMB3002 lecture course, the courses do not need to be taken together or in a specific order.
Prereq: BIOL 1009, BIOL 2003, or equiv.
BIOC 3022 - Biochemistry for Life Scientists
Credits:
3.0
[max 6.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 3021/BioC 3022/BioC 4331/
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course provides an introduction to biochemistry including discussion of the structure and functions of biomolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids), central metabolic pathways, and the mechanisms of enzyme action.
This course is intended for students in the College of Biological Sciences. Students from other colleges should register for BIOC 3021.
prereq: CHEM 2301 or CHEM 2081/2085 or equivalent
BIOC 4331 - Biochemistry I: Structure, Catalysis, and Metabolism in Biological Systems
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 3021/BioC 3022/BioC 4331/
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Advanced survey of structure/catalysis, metabolism/bioenergetics.
prereq: (BIOL 1009 or 2003 or equiv) AND (Chem 2302 or CHEM 2081/2085 or equiv)
BIOL 4003 - Genetics
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 4003/GCD 3022
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Genetic information, its transmission from parents to offspring, its expression in cells/organisms, and its course in populations.
prereq: Biol 2003/2003H or BioC 3021 or BioC 4331 or grad
PMB 4131 - Prokaryotic Genetics
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 4131/PMB 5131
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Genetics is the application of abstractions to understand biological function. Much of our understanding at the molecular level of the natural world is derived from genetic work in model microbial systems like Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Saccharomyces. Prokaryotic Genetics will focus on a molecular understanding of bacteria, with a smattering of archaea and phage genetics, covering both classic (transposons, mutant/suppressors) and modern (sequencing, metagenomics, synthetic biology) genetic approaches.
BIOC 4332 - Biochemistry II: Molecular Mechanisms of Signal Transduction and Gene Expression
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Advanced survey of molecular biology. Mechanisms of gene action/biological regulation.
prereq: BioC 4331 or Bioc 3201 or BioC 3022
BIOL 4004 - Cell Biology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 4004/GCD 4005W
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Processes fundamental to cells. Emphasizes eukaryotic cells. Assembly/function of membranes/organelles. Cell division, cell form/movement, intercellular communication, transport, secretion pathways. Cancer cells, differentiated cells.
prereq: Completion of Biol 4003 is preferred, Biol2003/2003H or Biol4003 or grad
MICB 4171 - Biology, Genetics, and Pathogenesis of Viruses
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
MicB 4141W/4171
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Structure, attachment, entry. Genome replication/mRNA production by RNA viruses. Reverse transcription. DNA virus templates. Replication of DNA virus genomes. Processing of viral pre-mRNA. Translational control. Assembly, host defense, tumor viruses, pathogenesis, HIV, antivirals.
prereq: Biol 2003 and Biol 4003 and [MicB 4131 or instructor permission]
In this course, we will cover current important research topics in plant cell biology. We will cover many plant-specific topics such as gravitropism, plant cell wall biosynthesis, structure and function, plasmodesmatal connections, signal transduction, tip growth, plant cytokinesis, cell energetics. We will also cover some topics that are important for both plant, fungal, and animal cell biology such as cell polarity, the cytoskeleton, protein sorting, and the secretory system. Since we will be using recent literature as the course text, some important and classic cell biology topics will not be covered. In the field of cell biology, new discoveries are often the result of improvements in technology especially in imaging, so we will cover some recent advances in methodology. This is also a writing class with the goal of helping students become familiar and comfortable with writing in a scientific style. There will be writing instruction and there will be some reading assignments on scientific writing.
There are no enforced prerequisites. Introductory courses on plants, genetics, and biochemistry are helpful.
BIOC 4025W - Laboratory in Biochemistry
(WI)
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Theory, principles, and use of fundamental techniques in modern biochemistry labs.
prereq: 3021, 3022, or 4331 or equiv
BIOC 4125 - Laboratory in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 4125/BioC 4185/Biol 4125/
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Summer
This molecular biology laboratory course is designed to give students hands-on experience performing common techniques used in modern molecular biology, as well as the background information needed to understand what kind of information can be obtained by using them. Because of the dual nature of this course, a portion of the laboratory time will be spent on lectures explaining the theory behind the techniques being used as well as practical aspects of experimental design. In addition, readings will be assigned that explain the history and principles behind some of the techniques used. Basic recombinant DNA techniques: methods for growing, isolating, and purifying recombinant DNA and cloning vectors, DNA sequencing and sequence analysis, gene expression, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), other current techniques.
prereq: Biol 3015 or Biol 3020 or Biol 3025 or Bioc 3021 or Bioc 3022 or Bioc 4331 or Biol 4003 or instructor consent
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
BIOC 4994 - Directed Research
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 42.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field investigation course. The research topic needs to be agreed on by both the student and the faculty mentor and explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
BIOL 4994 - Directed Research
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field investigation course. The research topic needs to be agreed on by both the student and the faculty mentor and explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
CFAN 3502 - Bahamas--Tropical Marine Biology and Shark Ecology
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring & Summer
Ecology of sharks and natural history of South Bimini Island. Marine ecosystems. Local flora and fauna. Local culture and development policy on the ecosystems.
prereq: instr consent
CFAN 3529 - From Rainforest to Reef: Wildlife Medicine and Conservation in Belize
(GP, ENV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Introduction to key topics in wildlife medicine. Students will learn medical issues and approaches, the role of the veterinarian in wildlife conservation, zoo medicine, and wildlife rescue & rehabilitation. This program is held at the Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinicâ¿¿s (BWRC) teaching facility with BWRCâ¿¿s founder and wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Isabelle Paquet-Durand. Labs include distance immobilization, suture, spay & neuter, necropsy, comparative anatomy, radiography, parasitology and blood analysis. Field visits are conducted with Dr. Isabelle to the Belize Zoo and to avian, reptile, primate, and manatee centers. Students are introduced to preventative medicine and common diseases for many of these species. A spay & neuter lab reviews theory and suture practice, this is followed by a spay & neuter clinic organized in the field or at BWRC. Students also have the opportunity to observe, and when possible, assist the BWRC veterinary staff during their daily operations.
COP 4794W - Writing Intensive Directed Research
(WI)
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 4793W/Biol 4793W/EEB 4793
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
COP 4994 - Directed Research
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field investigation course. The research topic needs to be agreed on by both the student and the faculty mentor and explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
EEB 3407 - Ecology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3407//Biol 3807/EEB 3407
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Summer
Principles of ecology from populations to ecosystems. Applications to human populations, disease, exotic organisms, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity and global dynamics of the earth.
EEB 3408W - Ecology
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3407//Biol 3807/EEB 3407
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Principles of population growth/interactions, communities and ecosystem function applied to ecological issues. Regulation of populations, dynamics/impacts of disease, invasions by exotic organisms, biodiversity, global change. Lab. Scientific writing. Quantitative skill development (mathematical models, data analysis, statistics and some coding in R).
prereq: [One semester college biology or instr consent], [MATH 1142 or MATH 1271 or Math 1272 or Math 1241 or Math 1242 or MATH 1281 or Math 1282 or equiv]
EEB 3411 - Introduction to Animal Behavior
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 3411/3811W EEB 3412W/5412
Typically offered:
Every Fall
This course provides a broad introduction to animal behavior. As one of the most interdisciplinary fields in all of biology, understanding animal behavior requires an understanding of cell biology, physiology, genetics, development, ecology, endocrinology, evolution, learning theory, and even physics and economics! This course will draw on questions and methods from each of these disciplines to answer what on the surface appears to be a very simple question: ?Why is that animal doing that?? The course will review such key topics as feeding behavior, reproductive behavior, perception, learning, animal conflict, social behavior, parental care, and communication. The lecture parallels a required laboratory.
prereq: Undergrad biology course
Credit granted for only one of the following: EEB 3411, EEB 3412W, EEB 3811W, EEB 5412
EEB 3412W - Introduction to Animal Behavior, Writing Intensive
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 3411/3811W EEB 3412W/5412
Grading Basis:
OPT No Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring
EEB 3412W is a lecture/lab writing-intensive course.
Why do animals behave the way they do? This question is relevant to conservation, agriculture, human health, veterinary medicine, developing artificial intelligence, and understanding the origins of human behavior. This writing intensive course provides a broad introduction to animal behavior. As one of the most interdisciplinary fields in all of biology, understanding animal behavior requires an understanding of cell biology, physiology, genetics, development, ecology, endocrinology, evolution, learning theory, and even physics and economics! This course will draw on questions and methods from each of these disciplines to answer what on the surface appears to be a very simple question: Why is that animal doing that? The course will review such key topics as feeding behavior, reproductive behavior, perception, learning, animal conflict, social behavior, parental care, and communication. Throughout the course, students will be immersed in the scientific process, reading scientific literature, thinking critically, formulating their own research questions and answering them in an independent project.This is a writing intensive course that covers scientific process and how to formulate research questions.
prereq: Undergrad biology course
Credit granted for only one of the following: EEB 3411, EEB 3412W, EEB 3811W, EEB 5412
EEB 3807 - Ecology
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3407//Biol 3807/EEB 3407
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Summer
Population growth/interactions. Ecosystem function applied to ecological issues. Regulation of human populations, dynamics/impacts of disease, invasions by exotic organisms, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity. Lab, field work.
prereq: [One semester college biology], [MATH 1142 or MATH 1271 or MATH 1281 or equiv]
EEB 3811W - Animal Behavior in the Field
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 3411/3811W EEB 3412W/5412
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Summer
In this course we will learn general principles governing the evolution of animal behavior. Being conducted at a field
station, the approach is hands-on experiential learning through the application of the scientific method to the study of
animal behavior. Thus, we will learn animal behavior by becoming animal behaviorists. Animal behaviorists communicate
to one another through written reports in peer-reviewed literature and through oral talks at meetings. We will do both of
these. All of these experiences culminate in the design, execution and presentation (written and oral) of an independent
research project. Therefore, it is appropriate that this course is designated as writing-intensive. Writing comprises 90
points out of the course total of 140 points, representing 64% of the course grade.
This is course meets two days per week from 8AM to 12N and from 1PM to 5PM over a 5-week period in
May/June at the Itasca Biological Station and Labs.
prereq: Undergrad biology course
Credit granted for only one of the following: EEB 3411, EEB 3412W, EEB 3811W, EEB 5412
EEB 4129 - Mammalogy
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Evolutionary and biogeographic history of mammalia. Recognize, identify, and study natural history of mammals at the ordinal level, North American mammals at familial level, and mammals north of Mexico at generic level. Minnesota mammals at specific level. Includes lab.
prereq: Biol 1001 or Biol 2012
EEB 4134 - Introduction to Ornithology
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Structure, evolution, classification, distribution, migration, ecology, habitats, identification of birds. Lecture, lab, weekly field walks. One weekend field trip.
prereq: Biol 1001 or Biol 2012
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
EEB 4839 - Field Studies in Mammalogy
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Summer
Techniques for studying small mammals. Lectures/field projects emphasize identification, distributions, community interactions, ecophysiology, population ecology.
prereq: College-level biology course that includes study of animals or instr consent
EEB 4994 - Directed Research
Credits:
1.0
-6.0
[max 42.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field investigation course. The research topic needs to be agreed on by both the student and the faculty mentor and explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
EEB 5407 - Ecology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Principles of ecology from populations to ecosystems. Applications to human populations, disease, exotic organisms, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity, and global dynamics of the earth.
EEB 5409 - Evolution
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Diversity of forms in fossil record and in presently existing biology. Genetic mechanisms of evolution, including natural selection, sexual selection, genetic drift. Examples of ongoing evolution in wild/domesticated populations and in disease-causing organisms. Lab.
prereq: One semester college biology
FW 4136 - Ichthyology
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Fish biology, adaptations to different environments and modes of living, and environmental relationships. Lab emphasizes anatomy and identification of Minnesota fishes.
prereq: Biol 1001 or Biol 2012
GCD 3485 - Bioinformatic Analysis: Introduction to the Computational Characterization of Genes and Proteins
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Bioinformatic analysis is the exploration of molecular sequence, structure, and function using online tools and databases. In this class, we'll learn to use some of the most powerful tools available for biologists to investigate the nature of genes and proteins. We will each explore a gene and the protein it encodes that no one before us has studied. We will learn to analyze and interpret the diverse forms of bioinformatic data we obtain, and we will consider how the data we find allows us to generate and evaluate original hypotheses that can be tested in the laboratory. This is a hands-on course. While the class has no exams, it does require the completion of four problem sets and a summative final project over the course of the semester. It also involves doing some peer review of classmates? work.
prereq: introductory course in genetics and cell biology such as Foundations
GCD 4025 - Cell Biology, Development & Regeneration Laboratory
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
This course is designed for juniors and seniors to learn experimental approaches and techniques to study cellular processes and stem cell biology during animal development and tissue regeneration. Students will be exposed to the
advantages of different model systems that include cultured cells, chick, C. elegans and zebrafish. Students will learn to manipulate the cytoskeleton, perform cell differentiation, RNAi and regeneration assays, and to image both fixed tissue and live animal samples with conventional light microscopes as well as cutting edge technology, including super-resolution and multi-photon microscopes.
prereq: BIOL 2003/2003H or instructor permission,
Recommended prerequisite: BIOL 4004 or GCD 4005W (priority enrollment to GCD majors)
GCD 4111 - Histology: Cell and Tissue Organization
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Structure/function of vertebrate tissues/organs. Electron microscopy, light microscopy, physiology, cell biology of higher animals. Light microscopy of mammalian tissues.
prereq: GCD 3033 or BIOL 4004 or instructor consent
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
GCD 4994 - Directed Research
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 42.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field investigation course. The research topic needs to be agreed on by both the student and the faculty mentor and explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
GCD 5005 - Computer Programming for Biology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Computer programming skills with applications in biology. Design/build new computer programs for applications in cell/developmental biology, including modeling of biological processes, advanced data analysis, automated image analysis.
prereq: BIOL 4003 or BIOL 4004 or GCD 3033 or CBS grad or BMBB or MCDB&G grad student, general statistics course
MICB 3301 - Biology of Microorganisms
Credits:
5.0
[max 5.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 2032/MicB 3301/VBS 2032
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathogenesis, immunology, ecology of microbes. Molecular structure in relation to bacterial function/disease. Includes lab.
prereq: [Biol 1961 and Biol 2003] or Biol 1009 or instructor permission
MICB 4215 - Advanced Laboratory: Microbial Physiology and Diversity
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Isolation/cultivation of wide variety of bacteria. Physiological experiments illustrate characteristic features of microorganisms.
prereq: MICB 3301 AND Microbiology major or minor; priority for seats from waitlist to graduating Microbiology majors
Yeast is used as a model organism for microbial molecular genetic principles and methods such as ultraviolet mutagenesis, isolation and creation of mutant strains, plasmid design and construction, PCR, Sanger sequencing, gene replacement, and bioinformatics. Students will design and execute their own independent research project using hands-on experimentation with advanced molecular methods
prereq: MicB 3301 and [Biol 4003 or permission]; priority for seats from waitlist to graduating Microbiology majors
MICB 4235 - Advanced Laboratory: Virology, Immunology, and Microbial Genetics
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Techniques, experimental methods in microbial genetics, immunology. Virology used to study microbes/interactions with host.
prereq: Micb 3301 and [Bioc 3022 or Bioc 4331] and [MicB 4171 prereq or concurrent registration or permission]
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
MICB 4994 - Directed Research
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 28.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field investigation course. The research topic needs to be agreed on by both the student and the faculty mentor and explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
NSC 5551 - Itasca Cell and Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Summer
Intensive lab introduction to cellular and molecular aspects of research techniques in contemporary neurobiology; held at Itasca Biological Station. Electrophysiological investigations of neuronal properties, neuropharmacological assays of transmitter action, and immunohistochemical studies in experimental preparations.
prereq: Neuroscience grad or instr consent
NSC 5561 - Systems Neuroscience
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Principles of organization of neural systems forming the basis for sensation/movement. Sensory-motor/neural-endocrine integration. Relationships between structure and function in nervous system. Team taught. Lecture, laboratory.
prereq: NSc grad student or instr consent
Lab or field investigation of selected areas of research. Writing intensive.
prereq: instr consent, dept consent; no more than 7 cr of [4793, 4794, 4993, 4994] may count toward major requirements
NSCI 4994 - Directed Research
Credits:
1.0
-6.0
[max 42.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Lab or field investigation of selected areas of research.
prereq: instr consent, dept consent; max of 7 cr of 4993 and/or 4994 may count toward major requirements
PMB 3005W - Plant Function Laboratory
(WI)
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
In this lab course, students will use a variety of biological techniques to study plant structure and anatomy, plant physiology, cell biology, and plant growth. This includes topics related to climate change, plant adaptation, crop domestication, and genetic engineering. Includes hands-on laboratory activities and writing focus.
While this course is paired with the PMB3002 lecture course, the courses do not need to be taken together or in a specific order.
Prereq: BIOL 1009, BIOL 2003, or equiv.
PMB 3007W - Plant, Algal, and Fungal Diversity and Adaptation
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Evolution/Ecology/Diversity of plants, fungi, and algae. Lectures highlight phylogenetic diversity among and within multiple eukaryotic groups as well as adaptations and strategies for survival in varied environments. Includes both hands-on laboratory activities and writing focus.
prereq: One semester college biology
PMB 4321 - Minnesota Flora
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Fall Even Year
Practical skills for identifying plant species/surveying Minnesota vegetation to students of biology, environmental sciences, resource management, horticulture. Integrates botany, ecology, evolution, earth history, climate, global change in context of local plant communities. Labs/Saturday field trips explore Minnesota plants/plant communities.
prereq: One semester college biology
PMB 4511 - Flowering Plant Diversity
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Spring Odd Year
Systematics of flowering plants of the world. Ecology, geography, origins, and evolution. Family characteristics. Floral structure, function, evolution. Pollination biology. Methods of phylogenetic reconstruction. Molecular evolution. Taxonomic terms. Methods of collection/identification. Lab.
prereq: BIOL 1001 or 1009 or 1009H or 2002
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
PMB 4994 - Directed Research
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory, or field investigation course. The research topic needs to be agreed on by both the student and the faculty mentor and explained in a research/directed studies contract. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
BIOL 3012 - Animal Diversity and Evolution
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 2005/Biol 2012/Biol 3012
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This course is a survey of animal diversity, with an emphasis on understanding the major animal groups, how they are related to one another, how they differ in structure, and how each group achieves survival and reproduction in the diverse environments of the Earth. We will place particular emphasis on major evolutionary transitions that animals have made through their history, including the origins of multicellularity, the achievement of motion, invasion of terrestrial habitats, and the achievement of flight. We will also emphasize the science behind our contemporary understanding of animals, from multiple perspectives ? behavioral, evolutionary, physiological, and ecological. Lab requires dissection, including mammals.
prereq: BIOL 1001/1001H, or BIOL 1009/1009H, or BIOL 1951/1951H
EEB 5534 - Biodiversity Sci: The origins, maintenance, consequences, detection and assessment of biodiversity
(ENV)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 3534/EEB 5534
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Biodiversity science is a rapidly expanding field of enquiry with increasing digital resources and global monitoring capabilities precisely at the moment in history that scientists recognize as the Sixth Extinction. In other words, we are currently facing a biodiversity crisis with threats to the Earth's biota not seen since the dinosaurs perished 65 million years ago. "Biodiversity" was coined by W.G. Rosen and E.O Wilson in the 1980s to describe the variation in all of life on Earth. The term is now widely used in both the scientific and popular literature and is at the center of scientific enquiry, conservation efforts, large-scale collaborative pursuits of technological advances to allow monitoring from space, and global assessments that interface with international policy. Biodiversity requires integration across multiple disciplines from evolution, to ecology, remote sensing, conservation biology, economics and the social sciences, including the environmental policy. Biodiversity science is thus inherently interdisciplinary. As a consequence, rarely does a single course provide students the opportunity to focus on this critical topic from multiple perspectives and dimensions.
This new course seeks to provide students intensive study of biodiversity from six perspectives: 1) the origins of biodiversity, including the processes of speciation and extinction over macroevolutionary timescales and those involved in generating biological variation at microevolutionary scales; 2) the ecological problem of species coexistence, given the nature of competitive interactions and biological filters with a focus on the interactions of individual species and major threats to biodiversity; 3) the consequences of biodiversity and biodiversity loss for ecosystem functions, focusing on ecosystem scale processes; 4) the services or benefits to humans attributed to biodiversity, including cultural benefits of biodiversity; here we discuss both practical and ethical arguments for sustaining biodiversity; 5) methods of detecting biodiversity including classic field biodiversity observations and taxonomic collections and emerging remote sensing methods that harness hyperspectral data and satellite imagery; and 6) scientific assessments of biodiversity that communicate the science of biodiversity to policymakers, particularly the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The IPBES involves scientists from around the world and integrates indigenous and local knowledge (ILK). The United Nations and governments around the globe are sponsoring the IPBES, building on earlier assessments such as a prominent one in the UK.
Several guest lecturers from across the University will participate in discussions and aid in development of computer labs (including Sharon Jansa (CBS), Keith Barker (CBS), Joe Knight (CFANS), and others).
BIOL 3211 - Physiology of Humans and Other Animals
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
AnSc 3301/AnSc 3303W/Biol 3211
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Study of the various solutions to common physiological problems faced by humans, other vertebrates, and invertebrates. Core concepts in physiology including flow down gradients, homeostatsis, cell-cell communication, interdependence of body systems, cell membrane dynamics, and mathematical modeling of physiological processes. Active learning format.
prereq: [1009 or 2003], [CHEM 1062/1066 or 1082/1086], [2005 is recommended]
BIOL 2005 - Animal Diversity Laboratory
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 2005/Biol 2012/Biol 3012
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Dissection, direct observation of representatives of major animal groups.
EEB 3409 - Evolution
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 3409/Biol 3809/Biol 5409/
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Diversity of forms in fossil record and in presently existing biology. Genetic mechanisms of evolution, including natural selection, sexual selection, genetic drift. Examples of ongoing evolution in wild/domesticated populations and in disease-causing organisms. Lab.
prereq: One semester college biology
EEB 5409 - Evolution
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Diversity of forms in fossil record and in presently existing biology. Genetic mechanisms of evolution, including natural selection, sexual selection, genetic drift. Examples of ongoing evolution in wild/domesticated populations and in disease-causing organisms. Lab.
prereq: One semester college biology
PMB 3802 - Field Microbiology at Itasca Biological Research Station
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 3802/PMB 5802
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Summer
The microbial world is incredibly diverse: there are estimated to be more microbial cells on Earth than stars in the entire universe. Much of our understanding in microbiology derives from studies of pure cultures; organisms that can easily be grown in the lab. However, it is now clear that the vast majority of microorganisms in nearly every environment are not
readily grown under laboratory conditions. We must therefore go to them. Field Microbiology will be a three-week intensive course where students will be taught methods of environmental microbiology in both lecture and laboratory format. The goal is to not only quantify who is in a given sample, but also to understand something about the conditions
they live in (temperature, nutrient availability, etc.). Ecological data and microbial community structure will be generated using Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology ? a cutting edge method to generate large sequencing datasets in real-time. Analyses will be integrated with an in situ set of field instrumentation that includes an eddy covariance system for quantifying fluxes of methane and carbon dioxide from Lake Itasca and Elk Lake, as well as in-lake measurements of solar radiation, dissolved organic matter, pH, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll. A series of field trips will be scheduled to locations in and around Itasca State Park including Elk Lake, Arco Lake, Iron Springs Bog and Lake Alice Spring. Students will also develop an independent research project that will apply methods learned during the first 1.5 weeks of the course.
PMB 5802 - Field Microbiology at Itasca Biological Research Station
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 3802/PMB 5802
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Summer
The microbial world is incredibly diverse: there are estimated to be more microbial cells on Earth than stars in the entire universe. Much of our understanding in microbiology derives from studies of pure cultures; organisms that can easily be grown in the lab. However, it is now clear that the vast majority of microorganisms in nearly every environment are not readily grown under laboratory conditions. We must, therefore, go to them. Field Microbiology will be a three-week intensive course where students will be taught methods of environmental microbiology in both lecture and laboratory format. The goal is to not only quantify who is in a given sample but also to understand something about the conditions they live in (temperature, nutrient availability, etc.). Ecological data and microbial community structure will be generated using Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology - a cutting edge method to generate large sequencing datasets in real-time. Analyses will be integrated with an in situ set of field instrumentation that includes an eddy covariance system for quantifying fluxes of methane and carbon dioxide from Lake Itasca and Elk Lake, as well as in-lake measurements of solar radiation, dissolved organic matter, pH, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll. A series of field trips will be scheduled to locations in and around Itasca State Park including Elk Lake, Arco Lake, Iron Springs Bog and Lake Alice Spring. Students will also develop an independent research project that will apply methods learned during the first 1.5 weeks of the course.
PMB 3812 - Field Mycology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 3812/PMB 5812
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Summer
This class focuses on learning about how to study fungi. Students will gain experience identifying mushrooms and other samples collected during course field trips using macromorphological, microscopic, and molecular techniques. In addition, students will isolate fungi from environmental samples and maintain cultures as well as assess fungal community abundance and composition using both traditional (e.g., root tip colonization) and DNA-based methods (e.g., next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics, and ecological statistics). Course lectures highlight different aspects of fungal diversity (taxonomic, physiological, and ecological) and lab exercises provide hands-on practice. Course writing assignments and presentations emphasize exploring the natural history of fungi as well as critically assessing primary research literature. Permission is required for undergraduates to enroll in the graduate level of this course (PMB 5812); inquire with the instructor.
PMB 5812 - Field Mycology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 3812/PMB 5812
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring & Summer
This class focuses on learning about how to study fungi. Students will gain experience identifying mushrooms and other samples collected during course field trips using macromorphological, microscopic, and molecular techniques. In addition, students will isolate fungi from environmental samples and maintain cultures as well as assess fungal community abundance and composition using both traditional (e.g., root tip colonization) and DNA-based methods (e.g., next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics, and ecological statistics). Course lectures highlight different aspects of fungal diversity (taxonomic, physiological, and ecological) and lab exercises provide hands-on practice. Course writing assignments and presentations emphasize exploring the natural history of fungi as well as critically assessing primary research literature.
Permission is required for undergraduates to enroll in the graduate-level of this course (PMB 5812); inquire with the instructor.
BIOC 4225 - Laboratory in NMR Techniques
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Summer
Practical aspects of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry. Hands-on experience with 500/600 MHz instruments. Sample preparation/handling, contamination sources, tube/probe options, experiment selection, experimental procedures, software, data processing.
prereq: 4331; 4521 recommended; intended for biochemistry majors
BIOC 4325 - Laboratory in Mass Spectrometry
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Hands-on experience with techniques/instruments. Sample preparation/handling, 2-dimenstioal gels, MS-MS, MALDI-TOF, electrospray/LC-MS, experiment selection/procedures, software, data processing.
prereq: 4332, 4521
BIOC 4331 - Biochemistry I: Structure, Catalysis, and Metabolism in Biological Systems
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 3021/BioC 3022/BioC 4331/
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Advanced survey of structure/catalysis, metabolism/bioenergetics.
prereq: (BIOL 1009 or 2003 or equiv) AND (Chem 2302 or CHEM 2081/2085 or equiv)
BIOC 4332 - Biochemistry II: Molecular Mechanisms of Signal Transduction and Gene Expression
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Advanced survey of molecular biology. Mechanisms of gene action/biological regulation.
prereq: BioC 4331 or Bioc 3201 or BioC 3022
BIOC 4351 - Protein Engineering
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Key properties of enzymes/molecular basis, computer modeling strategies, mutagenesis strategies to create protein variants, expression/screening of protein variants. Evaluate research papers, identify unsolved practical/theoretical problems, plan protein engineering experiment.
prereq: 4331 or instr consent
BIOC 4521 - Introduction to Physical Biochemistry
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Physical chemical principles, their applications in biochemistry. Thermodynamics, kinetics, spectroscopy, solution dynamics as applied to biochemical reactions/ biopolymers.
prereq: 4331 recommended, (Chem 1081 or 1061 and 1065) AND (Physics 1221 or 1201W or 1301W) required
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
BIOC 4960 - Special Topics in Biochemistry
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
In-depth study of a topic in biochemistry.
prereq: [[3021 or equiv], CHEM 2301]] or instr consent
BIOC 4993 - Directed Studies
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. The topic for the course needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
BIOC 5309 - Biocatalysis and Biodegradation
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Bioc 5309/MicE 5309
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Fundamentals of microbial enzymes/metabolism as pertaining to biodegradation of environmental pollutants/biosynthesis for making commodity chemicals. Practical examples. Guest speakers from industry.
BIOC 5352 - Biotechnology and Bioengineering for Biochemists
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 5352/MicB 5352
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
Protein biotechnology. Microorganisms used as hosts for protein expression, protein expression, and engineering methods. Production of enzymes of industrial interest. Applications of protein biotechnology in bioelectronics. Formulation of therapeutic biopharmaceuticals.
Recommended prerequisites: Biochemistry (BiOC 3021 or 3022 or 4331) and Microbiology MICB 3301
BIOC 5361 - Microbial Genomics and Bioinformatics
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Introduction to genomics. Emphasizes microbial genomics. Sequencing methods, sequence analysis, genomics databases, genome mapping, prokaryotic horizontal gene transfer, genomics in biotechnology, intellectual property issues. Hands-on introduction to UNIX shell scripting, genomic data analysis using R and Excel in a computer lab setting.
prereq: College-level courses in [organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology]
BIOC 5528 - Spectroscopy and Kinetics
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Biochemical dynamics from perspectives of kinetics and spectroscopy. Influence of structure, molecular interactions, and chemical transformations on biochemical reactions. Focuses on computational, spectroscopic, and physical methods. Steady-state and transient kinetics. Optical and magnetic resonance spectroscopies.
prereq: Intro physical chemistry or equiv; intro biochemistry recommended
BIOC 5535 - Introduction to Modern Structural Biology -- Diffraction
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 5535/BioC 5527
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Theory and practice in the determination of three-dimensional structures of macromolecules using x-ray and neutron diffraction and electron microscopy.
prereq: (Introductory biochemistry, introductory physics, college calculus] or physical chemistry or instr consent
BIOC 5536 - Introduction to Modern Structural Biology - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 5527BioC 5536
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Theory and practice in the determination of three-dimensional structures of macromolecules using NMR.
Recommended prerequisite courses: (Introductory biochemistry, introductory physics, college calculus) or physical chemistry
BIOL 3015 - Molecular Biology
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3015/Biol 3020/3025
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
All areas of biology have been transformed by the recent advances in molecular biology
technology. Every life scientist, whether they study viruses or crashes of elephants, uses DNA cloning,
sequencing, and genomic analysis. This technology has also impacted all aspects of health care by
generating highly specific diagnostic tools and personalized treatments. The purpose of this course is to give
students a solid foundation in the principles and tools of molecular biology.
Biol 3015 will introduce concepts and techniques for understanding gene expression and the flow of
genetic information. We will discuss the structure of nucleic acids and proteins, the replication and repair of
DNA, transcription and its regulation, and translation. Students will also learn about current technologies
used in molecular biology including cloning, PCR, DNA sequencing, mass spectrometry, DNA microarrays,
proteomics, bioinformatics, and whole genome analysis.
Credit will not be granted if credit has been received for: BIOL 3025
BIOL 3025 - Molecular Biology and Society
(TS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3015/Biol 3020/3025
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
An in-depth analysis of molecular biology topics and methods related to the Central Dogma of modern biology. This course is open to both CBS majors and non-CBS majors. Prerequisites include Biol2003/2003H or [Biol1009/1009H AND Chem1061/1061H].
BIOL 3051 - Genome Editing and Engineering
(TS)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Allowing researchers to modify genetic information in nearly any organism?s genome, genome editing, and engineering technologies have been widely used in all areas of biology. These technologies have evolved rapidly in recent years and not only hold the promise to revolutionize medical and agricultural fields, but also make profound impacts on our society. The purpose of the course is to give students a comprehensive overview of principles, development and applications of genetic engineering and genome editing technologies in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
This course will introduce concepts and history of genome engineering in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. We will discuss the mechanisms and applications of both techniques using examples in bacteria and plant genome and metabolic pathway engineering. Students will also have hands-on experience to design CRISPR and modify bacterial and plant genomes.
In addition, this course will contribute to students? liberal education by discussing the consequences of these technologies for society and technological development, including the ethics of altering genomes, consequences on ecosystems, and the benefits, drawbacks, and limitations of these technologies.
Recommended prerequisites: Introductory biology such as Biol 1951 and 2003, Biol 1009 or BMEN 2501
BIOL 3211 - Physiology of Humans and Other Animals
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
AnSc 3301/AnSc 3303W/Biol 3211
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Study of the various solutions to common physiological problems faced by humans, other vertebrates, and invertebrates. Core concepts in physiology including flow down gradients, homeostatsis, cell-cell communication, interdependence of body systems, cell membrane dynamics, and mathematical modeling of physiological processes. Active learning format.
prereq: [1009 or 2003], [CHEM 1062/1066 or 1082/1086], [2005 is recommended]
BIOL 3503 - Biology of Aging
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
Age-related changes in individuals/populations. Evolution of senescence. Genes that influence aging. Interventions. Prospects for an aging human society.
prereq: 1002 or 1009 or 2003 or equiv
BIOL 3600 - Directed Instruction
Credits:
1.0
-2.0
[max 6.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Students assist with biology colloquium.
prereq: 1020, upper div, application, instr consent; up to 4 cr may apply to major
BIOL 3700 - Special Topics in Biology
Credits:
1.0
-3.0
[max 9.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Faculty members lead students in discussions on topics of interest.
BIOL 4201 - Teaching in the Biology Laboratory
Credits:
1.0
[max 2.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Pedagogical underpinnings for teaching in lab.
prereq: Student who is teaching in CBS lab course
BIOL 4590 - Coral Reef Ecology
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Contemporary issues in tropical reef ecology from diverse perspectives. Option of two-credit seminar during fall semester plus additional two-credit field option (BIOL 4596) to involve SCUBA diving/snorkeling on tropical reef.
prereq: Introductory biology course with lab
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
BIOL 4950 - Special Topics in Biology
Credits:
1.0
-4.0
[max 12.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
In-depth study of special topic in life sciences.
BIOL 4993 - Directed Studies
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. The topic for the course needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
BIOL 5309 - Molecular Ecology And Ecological Genomics
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 5309/PBio 5309
Typically offered:
Fall Even Year
Application of molecular tools (PCR, sequencing, AFLP, SNPs, QTL) and analyses of molecular data for understanding ecological/evolutionary processes. Strengths/weaknesses of techniques/analyses. Questions molecular tools are used to answer.
prereq: BIOL 3407 or BIOL 3409 or BIOL 4003
CHEM 4412 - Chemical Biology of Enzymes
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
Enzyme classification with examples from current literature. Strategies to decipher enzyme mechanisms. Chemical approaches to control enzyme catalysis.
prereq: [2302 or equiv], 4501
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
COP 4993 - Directed Studies
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. The topic for the course needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
EEB 3500 - Special Topics in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
Credits:
1.0
-3.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Special Topics in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
EEB 3603 - Science, Protection, and Management of Aquatic Environments
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Fundamentals of aquatic ecology. Case study approach to water problems faced by society (e.g., eutrophication, climate change, invasive species, acid rain, wetland protection, biodiversity preservation). Science used to diagnose/remediate or remove problems.
prereq: One semester college biology
EEB 3701 - EEB Seminar
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Learn about recent developments in cutting-edge topics in the area of Ecology, Education and Behavior and engage with the EEB community of faculty, graduate students and post docs and observe professional norms in the field. Engage directly with practicing scientists and the primary literature from their work and learn how to give a scientific talk by observing and critically evaluating and discussing seminars.
EEB 3851W - Health and Biodiversity
(ENV, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 3851W/EEB 5851
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Basics of biodiversity, human/animal health, interdependence. Strategies for sustainable health.
prereq: At least one year of college Biology or equivalent
EEB 4068 - Plant Physiological Ecology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 4068/EEB 5068
Prerequisites:
BIOL 2022 or BIOL 3002 or BIOL 3407 or BIOL 3408W or #
Grading Basis:
OPT No Aud
Typically offered:
Spring Even Year
Plant function, its plasticity/diversity in an ecological context. Impact of environmental stresses on major physiological processes of plants, including photosynthesis, respiration, water uptake/transport, and nutrient uptake/assimilation. Lab, field trip to Cedar Creek.
EEB 4329 - Primate Ecology and Social Behavior
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Anth 4329/EEB 4329
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
Primates as model system to explore animal/human behavior. Factors influencing sociality/group composition. Mating systems. Prevalence of altruistic, cooperative, and aggressive behavior. Strength of social bonds in different species. Evolution of intelligence/culture.
prereq: BIOL 1009 or BIOL 1951 or BIOL 3411 or ANTH 1001 or instr consent
EEB 4330W - Animal Communication
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Fall Odd Year
Mechanisms of signal production/perception, signal propagation. How signals can convey information. How signalers, signals, receivers are adapted for communication by natural/sexual selection.
prereq: (BIOL 1951 or BIOL 1951H or Biol 1009) and (EEB 3412W or EEB 3411 or EEB 3811W)
EEB 4609W - Ecosystem Ecology
(ENV, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Regulation of energy and elements cycling through ecosystems. Dependence of cycles on kinds/numbers of species within ecosystems. Effects of human-induced global changes on functioning of ecosystems.
EEB 4611 - Biogeochemical Processes
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 4611/EEB 5611
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
Application of biochemistry, ecology, chemistry, and physics to environmental issues. Issues in biogeochemistry. Impact of humans on biogeochemical processes in soils, lakes, oceans, estuaries, forests, urban/managed ecosystems, and extreme environments (e.g., early Earth, deep sea vents, thermal springs).
prereq: [BIOL 1009 or 2003] AND [CHEM 1081 or 1061 or 1071H] or instr consent
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
EEB 4993 - Directed Studies
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. The topic for the course needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
EEB 5042 - Quantitative Genetics
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Fundamentals of quantitative genetics. Genetic/environmental influences on expression of quantitative traits. Approaches to characterizing genetic basis of trait variation. Processes that lead to change in quantitative traits. Applied/evolutionary aspects of quantitative genetic variation.
prereq: [BIOL 4003 or GCD 3022] or instr consent; a course in statistics is
recommended
EEB 5053 - Ecology: Theory and Concepts
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Fall Odd Year
Classical and modern mathematical theories of population growth, interspecific interactions, ecosystem dynamics and functioning, with emphasis on underlying assumptions and on effects of added biological reality on robustness of predictions, stability, interspecific interactions, ecosystem structure and functioning.
prereq: Biol 3407 or instr consent
EEB 5068 - Plant Physiological Ecology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 4068/EEB 5068
Grading Basis:
OPT No Aud
Typically offered:
Spring Even Year
Plant function, its plasticity/diversity in ecological context.Impact of environmental stresses on major physiological processes of plants, including photosynthesis, respiration, water uptake/transport, and nutrient uptake/assimilation. Lab, field trip to Cedar Creek.
prereq: BIOL 2022 or BIOL 3002 or BIOL 3407 or BIOL 3408W or instr consent
EEB 5609 - Ecosystem Ecology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Regulation of energy and elements cycling through ecosystems. Dependence of cycles on kinds/numbers of species within ecosystems. Effects of human-induced global changes on functioning of ecosystems.
GCD 3486 - Personal Genome Analysis
Credits:
3.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
In this course, students will analyze their personal genome data. They will gain experience using computer applications and online databases of human genetic information. They will learn about their ancestry, their regional origins, and their risks of genetically linked disease. They will learn how to put human genome results into context and how to explain human genomics in non-technical language.
Prerequisite: BIOL 2003/2003H
GCD 4034 - Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Molecular genetics and genomics of eukaryotes. Course emphasizes mechanisms of gene regulation and how these are studied. Current strategies used to study the activity and function of genes and genomes, including the role of chromatin, will be covered. Techniques will include gene knockouts/knockdown, genome engineering, genome-wide analysis of RNA and protein expression and function, as well as genome-wide protein binding and chromatin interaction mapping. Technologies covered will include next-generations and third-generation sequencing and CRISPR-based strategies for gene modification and precision gene regulation. Students will analyze and present recent primary papers in molecular genetic and genomics.
Prerequisite: BIOL 4003
GCD 4143 - Human Genetics and Genomics
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Human Genetics ? the science of how our genomes function, vary, and shape our unique, individual characteristics ? is a rapidly expanding field with major implications for medical and fundamental research, clinical practice, and many other areas. In this course, students will learn about the principles of human genetics & genomics at the levels of molecules, cells, individuals, and populations.
Topics include patterns of inheritance; the molecular causes and biochemical basis of genetic disorders; disease gene identification; the origin and distribution of human genetic variation; genetic influences on common, complex diseases; epigenetics and regulation of gene expression; genomic technologies for understanding human genomes; cancer genetics; behavioral genetics; human ancestry and evolution; applications such as genetic screening, genetic counseling, and gene therapy; and ethical questions raised by emerging abilities to edit the human genome, modify the human germline, and many more.
prereq: BIOL 4003 or instructor consent
GCD 4151 - Molecular Biology of Cancer
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Regulatory pathways involved in directing normal development of complex eukaryotic organisms, how disruptions of these pathways can lead to abnormal cell growth/cancer. Causes, detection, treatment, prevention of cancer.
prereq: Biol 4003
GCD 4161 - Developmental Biology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Developmental biology is the study of the process by which organisms grow and develop from embryo to adult. This field encompasses the biology of morphogenesis, differentiation, regeneration, metamorphosis, and the growth and differentiation of stem cells. Topics focus primarily on animal development to include fertilization, cell specification, body patterning, stem cells, neurogenesis, organogenesis, limb formation, regeneration, sex determination, and developmental timing, as well as environmental impacts on development. Students will learn about genetic models such as fruit flies, nematodes, fish, mice, and plants. Coverage will be extended to human development and disease as appropriate.
prereq: BIOL 4003; also recommended prerequisite: BIOL 4004 or GCD 4005W
GCD 4171 - Stem Cells in Biology and Medicine
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
GCD 8181/SCB 8181
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Contemporary stem cell biology with emphasis on mechanisms/applications. Embryonic, tissue-specific, and induced pluripotent stem cells and potential uses in human disease.
prerequisites: BIOL 4003 Genetics; recommended prerequisite: BIOL 4004 Cell Biology or GCD 4005W
This course can be used as an elective for certain CBS majors, such as the GCD major. Check the Program Requirements for your major to determine if it can be used as an elective.
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
GCD 4993 - Directed Studies
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. The topic for the course needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
GCD 5036 - Molecular Cell Biology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Analysis of dynamic cellular activities at the molecular level in cell biological fields that are experiencing new research advances not yet reflected in textbooks. Significant emphasis is placed on understanding the experimental basis of our current knowledge of cellular processes through analysis of scientific papers. Project and presentation-based assessments of learning outcomes.
prereq: BIOL 4004 or GCD 4005W or grad
MATH 5445 - Mathematical Analysis of Biological Networks
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Development/analysis of models for complex biological networks. Examples taken from signal transduction networks, metabolic networks, gene control networks, and ecological networks.
prereq: Linear algebra, differential equations
MATH 5447 - Theoretical Neuroscience
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Nonlinear dynamical system models of neurons and neuronal networks. Computation by excitatory/inhibitory networks. Neural oscillations, adaptation, bursting, synchrony. Memory systems.
prereq: 2243 or 2373 or 2574
MICB 3303 - Biology of Microorganisms (without laboratory)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 2032/MicB 3301/VBS 2032
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathogenesis, infectious disease, immunology, ecology of microbes. Molecular structure in relation to function of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses.
prereq: Biol 2003 or Biol 1009 or instructor permission
MICB 4131 - Immunology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
MicB 4131/VPM 4131
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Molecular, genetic and cellular basis for innate and adaptive immune
responses. The immune systems role in; transplantation, autoimmune disease,
cancer immunotherapy, vaccinololgy, acquired and genetic immunodeficiencies.
Prereq: Biol 2003 or Biol 1009 and [Junior or senior]
MICB 4151 - Molecular and Genetic Bases for Microbial Diseases
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Genetic basis of microbial pathogenesis. Effect of gene transfer and regulation on evolution of microbial pathogens and capacity to colonize, induce disease. Biochemical and cellular interactions between bacteria and human hosts.
prereq: MICB 3301 AND [BIOL4003 OR PMB4131 OR Molecular Biology (BIOL 3020 or BIOL 3025 or BIOL 3015)]
MICB 4171 - Biology, Genetics, and Pathogenesis of Viruses
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
MicB 4141W/4171
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Structure, attachment, entry. Genome replication/mRNA production by RNA viruses. Reverse transcription. DNA virus templates. Replication of DNA virus genomes. Processing of viral pre-mRNA. Translational control. Assembly, host defense, tumor viruses, pathogenesis, HIV, antivirals.
prereq: Biol 2003 and Biol 4003 and [MicB 4131 or instructor permission]
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
MICB 4993 - Directed Studies
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 36.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. The topic for the course needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
MICE 5035 - Personal Microbiome Analysis
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Personal Microbiome Analysis, an introduction to the computational exploration and analysis of your inner microbial community, also known as your microbiome. In this course, you will have the opportunity to explore your own microbiome using visualization and analysis tools. Sequencing your own microbiome is encouraged but not required for the course.
Introductory biology or genetics is recommended: BIOL 1009, GCD 3022 or BIOL 4003.
NSC 5031W - Perception
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Periodic Fall
Cognitive, computational, and neuroscience perspectives on visual perception. Color vision, pattern vision, image formation in eye, object recognition, reading, impaired vision. Course is biennial: offered fall of odd years.
prereq: Psy 3031 or Psy 3051 or instr consent
NSC 5040 - Brain Networks: From Connectivity to Dynamics
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Fall Odd Year
Brain networks. Application of emerging science of complex networks to studies of the brain. Network approaches that provide fundamental insights into the integrative nature of brain function and its relation to the brain structure. Organization of brain networks and dynamics at multiple spatial scales, ranging from the microscale of single neurons and synapses, to mesoscale of anatomical cell groupings and their projections, and to the macroscale of brain regions and pathways. Experimental studies, including electrophysiology, voltage-sensitive dye imaging, electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, and functional magnetic resonance imaging, that allow mapping network elements and structural/functional connectivity between them at different temporal and spatial scales will be considered. Experimental/theoretical perspectives.
NSC 5202 - Theoretical Neuroscience: Systems and Information Processing
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
NSc 5202/Phsl 5202
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Concepts of computational/theoretical neuroscience. Distributed representations and information theory. Methods for single-cell modeling, including compartmental/integrate-and-fire models. Learning rules, including supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning models. Specific systems models from current theoretical neuroscience literature. Lecture/discussion. Readings from current scientific literature.
prereq: [3101, 3102W] recommended
NSC 5203 - Basic and Clinical Vision Science
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Spring Even Year
Basic and clinical vision science.
prereq: instr consent
NSC 5461 - Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Credits:
3.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Lectures by team of faculty, problem sets in important physiological concepts, discussion of original research papers.
prereq: NSc grad student or instr consent
NSC 5462 - Neuroscience Principles of Drug Abuse
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Phcl 5462/Nsc 5462
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
Current research on drugs of abuse, their mechanisms of action, characteristics shared by various agents, and neural systems affected by them. Offered biennially, spring semester of even-numbered years.
prereq: instr consent
NSC 5540 - Survey of Biomedical Neuroscience
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Summer
Current topics in biomedical neuroscience, accompanied by supporting, fundamental concepts. Intensive, one week course.
prereq: instr consent, intended for members of biomedical community or students with advanced scientific backgrounds
NSC 5661 - Behavioral Neuroscience
Credits:
2.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Neural coding/representation of movement parameters. Neural mechanisms underlying higher order processes such as memorization, memory scanning, and mental rotation. Emphasizes experimental psychological studies in human subjects, single cell recording experiments in subhuman primates, and artificial neural network modeling.
prereq: Grad NSc major or grad NSc minor or instr consent
NSCI 3001W - Neuroscience and Society
(CIV, WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Ethical implications. Readings, personal reflections, class discussions, debates, and formal writing. Development of logical arguments, writing skills, oral presentation skills, and teamwork. Students present/argue both their own personal views and those of others. What it is like to have altered mentation, i.e. a brain disease or disability. Readings/multimedia reports from primary neuroscience literature as well as philosophy, policy, and law literature and popular media.
NSCI 3101 - Neurobiology I: Molecules, Cells, and Systems
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3101/NSci 3101/Phsl 3101
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This course discusses the basic principles of cellular and molecular neurobiology and nervous systems. The main topics include: Organization of simple networks, neural systems and behavior; how the brain develops and the physiology and communication of neurons and glia; the molecular and genetic basis of cell organization; ion channel structure and function; the molecular basis of synaptic receptors; transduction mechanisms and second messengers; intracellular regulation of calcium; neurotransmitter systems, including excitation and inhibition, neuromodulation, system regulation, and the cellular basis of learning, memory, and cognition. The course is intended for students majoring in neuroscience, but is open to all students with the required prerequisites.
This course is offered in person in the fall and spring semesters and online ONLY in the summer semester. The online summer section covers the same material at the same depth and breadth as the in person fall and spring sections of the course. However, the summer session is 13 weeks (fall and spring are 14 weeks), so the summer course will progress at a slightly faster pace. This is a 3 credit course, so it is expected that students will spend about 150 hours working on course material. This means that the average student can expect to spend ~12 hrs/week on the course. How much time individual students need to spend working on course material will depend on their learning styles.
NSCI 3102W - Neurobiology II: Perception and Behavior
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3102W/NSci 3102W
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This is the second of the introductory neurobiology courses. It introduces fundamental concepts in systems and behavioral neuroscience with emphasis on the neural circuits underlying perception and sensorimotor integration. Lectures will examine the neural basis of specific behaviors arising from the oculomotor, visual and auditory systems and notes are available on Canvas. Topics include: retinal processing, functional organization in the cerebral cortex, neural circuit development, language, reward, and addiction. Students must learn to read scientific papers, and to understand the main ideas well enough to synthesize them and communicate them both orally and in writing. The course is writing intensive: exams are in essay and short answer format, and a 10-15 page term paper is required. The course is required for students majoring in neuroscience. The course consists of two hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
NSCI 4101 - Development of the Nervous System: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Nsci 4100/Nsci 8211
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
This course will extend students? understanding of fundamental concepts of biology and neuroscience through study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie development of the nervous system. Neurodevelopment provides a context in which to study processes active in many biological functions and diseases. Students will learn about each of the major cellular processes involved in development of the nervous system such as cell division and cell migration, and will learn about the function of molecules and signaling pathways active in each process. Human developmental pathologies will be studied as a means to better understand normal developmental processes. Some lectures will focus on current research, and students will be expected to read some scientific literature.
NSCI 4150 - Advanced Topics in Neuroscience
Credits:
3.0
[max 9.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Periodic Spring
In-depth study of aspects of neurodevelopment, neurochemistry/molecular neuroscience, sensory systems, motor control, and behavioral neuroscience. Primarily for undergraduates majoring in neuroscience or related areas.
Individual study of selected topics. Emphasis on readings, use of scientific literature. Writing intensive.
prereq: instr consent, dept consent; no more than 7 cr of [4793, 4794, 4993, 4994] may count toward major requirements
NSCI 4993 - Directed Studies
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Individual study of selected topics with emphasis on selected readings and use of scientific literature.
prereq: instr consent, dept consent; max of 7 cr of 4993 and/or 4994 may count toward major requirements
PHCL 4001 - Mechanisms of Drug Action
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
How drugs function as applied to the treatment of a single medical condition. Pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenetics, pharmacogenomics.
prereq: Upper div or instr consent; [prev or concurrent] courses in [biology, biochemistry] recommended
PMB 3002 - Plant Biology: Function
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
This course explores a range of plant physiological processes, including how plants make and use food; acquire and use minerals; transport water and nutrients; and regulate growth and development in response to hormones and environmental cues, such as light quality.
While this course is paired with the PMB 3005W Plant Function Laboratory, the courses do not need to be taken together or in a specific order.
prereq: [1002 or 1009 or 2003 or equiv], [CHEM 1011 or one semester chemistry with some organic content]
PMB 3701 - PMB Seminar
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Develop professional oral communication skills through the attendance and evaluation of biological science public seminars, the construction and presentation of a professional public seminar, and the introduction of a student seminar speaker. prereq: BIOL 3004/3004H.
PMB 4111 - Microbial Physiology and Diversity
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 4111/PMB 5111
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Structural/functional organization of bacteria/archaea. Energy metabolism utilizing light, inorganic/organic chemicals. Cell morphologies, roles/assembly of surface structures. Growth/survival mechanisms in various extreme environments. Adaptation to changing conditions by development of specialized cells/structures, altering metabolic patterns.
prereq: MicB 3301 required; BioC 3021 or BioC 4331 recommended
PMB 4121 - Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Evolution/structure of microbial communities. Population interaction within ecosystems. Quantitative/habitat ecology. Biogeochemical cycling. Molecular microbial ecology, gene transfer in the environment. Molecular phylogeny of microorganisms. Application of microbes in agriculture. Production of commodity chemicals, drugs, and other high-value products.
prereq: 3301
PMB 4131 - Prokaryotic Genetics
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 4131/PMB 5131
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Genetics is the application of abstractions to understand biological function. Much of our understanding at the molecular level of the natural world is derived from genetic work in model microbial systems like Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Saccharomyces. Prokaryotic Genetics will focus on a molecular understanding of bacteria, with a smattering of archaea and phage genetics, covering both classic (transposons, mutant/suppressors) and modern (sequencing, metagenomics, synthetic biology) genetic approaches.
In this course, we will cover current important research topics in plant cell biology. We will cover many plant-specific topics such as gravitropism, plant cell wall biosynthesis, structure and function, plasmodesmatal connections, signal transduction, tip growth, plant cytokinesis, cell energetics. We will also cover some topics that are important for both plant, fungal, and animal cell biology such as cell polarity, the cytoskeleton, protein sorting, and the secretory system. Since we will be using recent literature as the course text, some important and classic cell biology topics will not be covered. In the field of cell biology, new discoveries are often the result of improvements in technology especially in imaging, so we will cover some recent advances in methodology. This is also a writing class with the goal of helping students become familiar and comfortable with writing in a scientific style. There will be writing instruction and there will be some reading assignments on scientific writing.
There are no enforced prerequisites. Introductory courses on plants, genetics, and biochemistry are helpful.
PMB 4601 - Topics in Plant Biochemistry
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Biochemical analysis of processes unique to photosynthetic organisms. Photosynthesis and carbon dioxide fixation. Synthesis of carbohydrates, lipids, and derivatives. Aromatic compounds such as lignin, other natural products. Functions of natural products.
prereq: [BIOL 1002 or BIOL 1009 or BIOL 2003], CHEM 2301
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a research/directed studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
PMB 4993 - Directed Studies
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. The topic for the course needs to be explained in a research/directed studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
PMB 5601 - Topics in Plant Biochemistry
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Biochemical analysis of processes unique to photosynthetic organisms. Photosynthesis and carbon dioxide fixation. Synthesis of carbohydrates, lipids, and derivatives. Aromatic compounds such as lignin, other natural products. Functions of natural products.
prereq: [BIOL 1002 or BIOL 1009 or BIOL 2003], CHEM 2301
EEB 3002 - Sex, Evolution, and Behavior: Examining Human Evolutionary Biology
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Anth 3002/EEB 3002
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Methods/theories to understand humans in evolutionary framework. What can be known only/primarily from evolutionary perspective. How evolutionary biology of humans might lead to better evolutionary theory. How physiology, development, behavior, and ecology coordinate/coevolve in humans.
ANTH 3002 - Sex, Evolution, and Behavior: Examining Human Evolutionary Biology
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Anth 3002/EEB 3002
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Methods/theories used to understand humans in an evolutionary framework. What can be known only, or primarily, form an evolutionary perspective. How evolutionary biology of humans might lead to better evolutionary theory. How physiology, development, behavior, and ecology coordinate/co-evolve in humans.
BIOC 5444 - Muscle
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 5444/ Phsl 5444
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Muscle molecular structure/function and disease. Muscle regulation, ion transport, and force generation. Muscular dystrophy and heart disease.
prereq: 3021 or BIOL 3021 or 4331 or BIOL 4331 or PHSL 3061 or instr consent
PHSL 5444 - Muscle
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 5444/ Phsl 5444
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Muscle molecular structure/function and disease. Muscle regulation, ion transport, and force generation. Muscular dystrophy and heart disease.
prereq: PHSL 3061 or PHSL 5061 or BioC 3021, BIOL 3021 or BIOL 4331 or instr consent
PMB 4412 - Plant Physiology and Development
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 4412/PMB 5412
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Plant physiology and development is the study of how plant cells, tissues, and whole organisms grow and function in response to internal and external cues. PMB 4412/5412 covers the classic plant physiology and development processes including plant water relations, mineral nutrition, membrane transport, photosynthesis, respiration, vascular function, metabolism, growth and development, and hormone responses. The physics underlying our understanding of these physiological systems will also be addressed. Other areas of plant science such as plant genetics and biochemistry are covered in other courses and will not be emphasized this course.
There are no enforced prerequisites for this course. The following preparation is recommended: PMB 2022 General Botany or PMB 3007W Plant Algal and Fungal Diversity; General Chemistry and Introductory Physics.
PMB 5412 - Plant Physiology and Development
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 4412/PMB 5412
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Plant physiology and development is the study of how plant cells, tissues and whole organisms grow and function in response to internal and external cues. PMB 4412/5412 covers the classic plant physiology and development processes including plant water relations, mineral nutrition, membrane transport, photosynthesis, respiration, vascular function, metabolism, growth and development, and hormone responses. The physics underlying our understanding of these physiological systems will also be addressed. Other areas of plant science such as plant genetics and biochemistry are covered in other courses and will not be emphasized this course.
There are no enforced prerequisites for this course. The following preparation is recommended: PMB 2022 General Botany or PMB 3007W Plant Algal and Fungal Diversity; General Chemistry and Introductory Physics.
PMB 3212 - Fungi - A Kingdom of Their Own
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 3212/PMB 5212
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
No matter how you classify life on Earth, the fungi are in a Kingdom of their own. Latest estimates of the number of fungal species on our planet are between 2.2 and 3.8 million species. The diversity of single-celled and multi-cellular fungi is staggering, the result of divergence within a group of aquatic eukaryotes one billion years ago (± 500 million years). That divergence ultimately gave rise to animals and fungi, but the diversification within the fungal lineages is unrivaled. They can be found in aerobic and anaerobic environments. They are found on every Continent, recycling and reallocating vast amounts of nutrients in every Biome. They cause problems in crops but are also used to make food, with ancient processes such as fermentation and mushroom cultivation. For these reasons, mycology (study of fungi) is increasingly popular among students with interests as diverse as their fungal subjects. With the advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing to sample entire communities, we are seeing fungi in all of these places where they were previously invisible. The fungal role in Earth's most critical processes is, right now, coming into light. It is an exciting time to study Kingdom Fungi.
This course uses a format of lecture, discussion, and field trips to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a solid foundation in the fungi, primarily through an environmental lens. Undergraduate and graduate students will learn the basics of fungi in three core sections: 1) Phylogeny, taxonomy, and diagnostics (Who are the fungi?); 2) Morphology and physiology (How do fungi work?); 3) Ecology and Biotechnology (What are fungal implications and applications?). Within each core section, there will be one class period devoted to a discussion of the environment, the role of fungi, and the human dimensions of conservation and management. This discussion will be used by the class to vote for an environmental theme used to frame writing assignments, one per unit. Using this theme, all students will create a "Fungus in Focus" one-page "brief" focused on this environmental issue. This is a creative way to connect "dots" for students linking microbial processes to environment, in our case harnessing connections to fungi that often have visible characters (e.g. mushrooms) that make those connections easier for students. We will also go on two field trips, one to a mushroom cultivation facility, and one into the field in April, all depending on class size and weather.
prereq: Introductory Biology course
PMB 5212 - Fungi - A Kingdom of Their Own
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
PMB 3212/PMB 5212
Typically offered:
Every Spring
No matter how you classify life on Earth, the fungi are in a Kingdom of their own. Latest estimates of the number of fungal species on our planet are between 2.2 and 3.8 million species. The diversity of single-celled and multi-cellular fungi is staggering, the result of divergence within a group of aquatic eukaryotes one billion years ago (± 500 million years). That divergence ultimately gave rise to animals and fungi, but the diversification within the fungal lineages is unrivaled. They can be found in aerobic and anaerobic environments. They are found on every Continent, recycling and reallocating vast amounts of nutrients in every Biome. They cause problems in crops but are also used to make food, with ancient processes such as fermentation and mushroom cultivation. For these reasons, mycology (study of fungi) is increasingly popular among students with interests as diverse as their fungal subjects. With the advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing to sample entire communities, we are seeing fungi in all of these places where they were previously invisible. The fungal role in Earth's most critical processes is, right now, coming into light. It is an exciting time to study Kingdom Fungi.
This course uses a format of lecture, discussion, and field trips to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a solid foundation in the fungi, primarily through an environmental lens. Undergraduate and graduate students will learn the basics of fungi in three core sections: 1) Phylogeny, taxonomy, and diagnostics (Who are the fungi?); 2) Morphology and physiology (How do fungi work?); 3) Ecology and Biotechnology (What are fungal implications and applications?). Within each core section, there will be one class period devoted to a discussion of the environment, the role of fungi, and the human dimensions of conservation and management. This discussion will be used by the class to vote for an environmental theme used to frame writing assignments, one per unit. Using this theme, all students will create a Fungus in Focus one-page brief focused on this environmental issue. This is a creative way to connect dots for students linking microbial processes to the environment, in our case harnessing connections to fungi that often have visible characters (e.g. mushrooms) that make those connections easier for students. We will also go on two field trips, one to a mushroom cultivation facility, and one into the field in April, all depending on class size and weather.
BIOL 3272H - Applied Biostatistics
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3272Biol 3272H//Biol 5272
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Conceptual basis of statistical analysis. Statistical analysis of biological data. Data visualization, descriptive statistics, significance tests, experimental design, linear model, simple/multiple regression, general linear model. Lectures, computer lab.
prereq: High school algebra; BIOL 2003 recommended.
BIOL 3272 - Applied Biostatistics
Credits:
4.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3272Biol 3272H//Biol 5272
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Conceptual basis of statistical analysis. Statistical analysis of biological data. Data visualization, descriptive statistics, significance tests, experimental design, linear model, simple/multiple regression, general linear model. Lectures, computer lab.
prereq: High school algebra; BIOL 2003 recommended
BIOL 2996 - Directed Introduction to Research
Credits:
1.0
[max 2.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Directed Introduction to Research is an introduction to laboratory or field biological research for students with no prior experience, normally first- and second-year students. The University directed studies contract will be used to describe the training experience which could include attending lab meetings, reading and discussing research papers from the lab, learning basic lab and field techniques, assays, and approaches used by the research group, and learning to keep a lab or field notebook. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course and how the assessment of learning will be conducted. Lab or field training can be led by graduate students or postdocs in the research group but one-on-one meetings with the PI should be included. The course is one credit and the student and PI agree that 45 hours of work will be done. There will be one group meeting per semester per major for all of the students enrolled in 2996 to discuss the research experience with the Director of Undergraduate Research for the major and a panel of more experienced undergraduate researchers. The goal of that meeting is community building and to introduce students to opportunities for further research experience. The grading option is S/N, similar to all directed studies/research courses in CBS. This course can be repeated, if it is done with a different mentor, for a total of two credits. One credit of this course can be counted as a degree requirement for each CBS major.
BIOL 3696 - Internship: Professional Experience in Biological Sciences
Credits:
1.0
-3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
S-N or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Matches student's academic or career goals with opportunities in industry, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.
Prereq-Acceptance into CBS Internship Program, internship workshop, college consent.
BIOL 3905 - Beyond the Nobel Prize: Examining the Evolution of Swedish Innovation
(GP)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
This course is open to undergraduates from all disciplines and will appeal to students with a broad interest creativity and innovation.Students will examine innovation across a variety of disciplines and consider how solutions to problems facing society require creativity, collaboration, and new ways of thinking. In particular, we will explore personal creativity, as well as how environments can foster innovation, particularly in the Swedish context by traveling to Stockholm over spring break. We examine the reasons behind Sweden?s ranking (#2 in 2017) on the Global Innovation Index, as well as the Nobel Prize, international awards bestowed by Swedish institutions that recognize significant academic, cultural and scientific advances. In addition, as a learning abroad seminar, students will learn about their own level of and strategies to increase their intercultural competence, and engage in a practical experience of navigating another culture in an intentional and reflective way.
BIOL 4960H - Thesis Writing in the Biological Sciences: Developing the Literature Review
Credits:
1.0
[max 1.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Fall
In the Fall semester of the two-semester capstone thesis support course, CBS honors students will develop and refine the literature review introduction component of the honors thesis. The course will focus on conceptualizing the gap in knowledge, drafting the literature review, and revising in response to peer and outside reader feedback. We will use the literature to unpack the conventions of authentic scientific writing so that students can begin to draft other sections of their thesis (methods, results narrative, publication ready figures, legends) By the end of the term, students will have developed and peer-workshopped at least one draft module of each data-related thesis section and they will have a revised version of the thesis introduction/literature review to deliver to their faculty research mentor for feedback before the start of the Spring term.
Students should be in a research lab and have started their research project before the start of the semester. Students who have not yet fulfilled an upper division WI course in the biological sciences should wait until the Spring (final) semester to register for their major's version of WI directed research or WI directed studies (for example, MicB 4794W or 4793W). The completed and approved thesis will count for the WI.
NSCI 3001W - Neuroscience and Society
(CIV, WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Ethical implications. Readings, personal reflections, class discussions, debates, and formal writing. Development of logical arguments, writing skills, oral presentation skills, and teamwork. Students present/argue both their own personal views and those of others. What it is like to have altered mentation, i.e. a brain disease or disability. Readings/multimedia reports from primary neuroscience literature as well as philosophy, policy, and law literature and popular media.
NSCI 3505W - Mind and Brain
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
This course is intended as an introduction to the new views on the relationship between mind and brain. Over the last several decades, a new view of cognition and neural processing has been developed based on the concepts of al¬gorithm, representation, computation, and information processing. Within this theoretical frame¬work, psychological constructs are computational processes occur¬ring across physical neural systems. We will take a neuroscience and psychological perspective in which the physical neuroscience instantiates but does not diminish the psychological constructs. Although our conceptual framework will be computational, this course will not require or expect any mathematical or computer background.
At the completion of this class, you will understand the implications of the physical nature of the brain ? how mentation is explicable from physical processes, and how decision-making arises from those same physical processes. Importantly, you will also understand the limitations of current knowledge and the methodologies being used to push those limitations. This class is not intended as a final step in this understanding, but as a first step into these issues. At the conclusion of the class, you should have sufficient understanding to continue more in-depth reading and study in these issues.
There are no official prerequisites. However, I have found that students who have EITHER a strong computational background (computer science, mathematics, economics, physics) OR have taken an introductory neuroscience course (e.g. Nsci 2100) have done better in the class than students with no background. However, I have seen students come in with very little background and do well in the class if they engage with the class and work hard.
CHEM 2311 - Organic Lab
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 2311/Chem 2312H/2312
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Laboratory techniques in synthesis, purification and characterization of organic compounds with an emphasis on green chemistry methodologies.
prereq: Grade of at least C- in [2302] or [concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 2302
CHEM 4001 - Chemistry of Biomass and Biomass Conversion to Fuels and Products
(ENV)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BBE 4001/BBE 5001/Chem 4001
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Chemical principles underlying structure, properties, processing, performance of plant materials.
prereq: 2301, [jr or sr or instr consent]
CSCI 3081W - Program Design and Development
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
CSci 3081W/CSci 4018W/CSci4089
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Principles of programming design/analysis. Concepts in software development. Uses a programming project to illustrate key ideas in program design/development, data structures, debugging, files, I/O, testing, and coding standards.
prereq: [2021, 2041]; CS upper div, CS grad, or dept. permission
ESCI 4102W - Vertebrate Paleontology: Evolutionary History and Fossil Records of Vertebrates
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Spring Even Year
Vertebrate evolution (exclusive of mammals) in phylogenetic, temporal, functional, and paleoecological contexts. Vertebrate anatomy. Methods in reconstructing phylogenetic relationships and origin/history of major vertebrate groups, from Cambrian Explosion to modern diversity of vertebrate animals.
prereq: 1001 or 1002 or Biol 1001 or Biol 1002 or Biol 1009 or instr consent
ESCI 4103W - Fossil Record of Mammals
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Spring Odd Year
Evolutionary history of mammals and their extinct relatives. Methods in reconstructing phylogeny. Place of mammals in evolutionary history of vertebrate animals. Major morphological/ecological transitions. Origins of modern groups of mammals. Continuing controversies in studying fossil mammals.
MATH 3283W - Sequences, Series, and Foundations: Writing Intensive
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Math 2283/3283W
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Introduction to reasoning used in advanced mathematics courses. Logic, mathematical induction, real number system, general/monotone/recursively defined sequences, convergence of infinite series/sequences, Taylor's series, power series with applications to differential equations, Newton's method. Writing-intensive component.
prereq: [concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 2243 or concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 2263 or concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 2373 or concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 2374] w/grade of at least C-
STAT 3011 - Introduction to Statistical Analysis
(MATH)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
AnSc 3011/ESPM 3012/Stat 3011/
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Standard statistical reasoning. Simple statistical methods. Social/physical sciences. Mathematical reasoning behind facts in daily news. Basic computing environment.
STAT 3021 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
STAT 3021/STAT 3021H
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This is an introductory course in statistics whose primary objectives are to teach students the theory of elementary probability theory and an introduction to the elements of statistical inference, including testing, estimation, and confidence statements.
prereq: Math 1272
STAT 3022 - Data Analysis
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Practical survey of applied statistical inference/computing covering widely used statistical tools. Multiple regression, variance analysis, experiment design, nonparametric methods, model checking/selection, variable transformation, categorical data analysis, logistic regression.
prereq: 3011 or 3021 or SOC 3811
STAT 4101 - Theory of Statistics I
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Random variables/distributions. Generating functions. Standard distribution families. Data summaries. Sampling distributions. Likelihood/sufficiency.
prereq: Math 1272 or Math 1372 or Math 1572H
STAT 4102 - Theory of Statistics II
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Estimation. Significance tests. Distribution free methods. Power. Application to regression and to analysis of variance/count data.
prereq: STAT 4101
CHEM 2302 - Organic Chemistry II
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 2302/Chem 2332HChem 2304
Prerequisites:
Grade of at least C- in 2301
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Reactions, synthesis, and spectroscopic characterization of organic compounds, organic polymers, and biologically important classes of organic compounds such as lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids.
prereq: Grade of at least C- in 2301
CHEM 2332H - Honors Elementary Organic Chemistry II
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Chem 2302/Chem 2332HChem 2304
Prerequisites:
At least C- in 2331H, UHP student
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Continuation of 2331H. Reactions, synthesis, and spectroscopic characterization of organic compounds, organic polymers, and their role in biologically important classes of organic molecules such as lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids.
prereq: At least C- in 2331H, UHP student
BIOC 4025W - Laboratory in Biochemistry
(WI)
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
Theory, principles, and use of fundamental techniques in modern biochemistry labs.
prereq: 3021, 3022, or 4331 or equiv
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
BIOL 4321W - Deconstructing Research: Writing about Biological Research for Non-scientists
(WI)
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Deconstructing Biology Research is designed to help majors in the College of Biological Sciences improve their skills in selecting primary research papers, understanding the experimental approaches taken by the authors of those papers, and evaluating the results and conclusions. Students will then share that knowledge by writing effective deconstructions that explain the research approaches and results for different audiences, including the public at large.
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
COP 4794W - Writing Intensive Directed Research
(WI)
Credits:
1.0
-7.0
[max 7.0]
Course Equivalencies:
BioC 4793W/Biol 4793W/EEB 4793
Grading Basis:
S-N only
Typically offered:
Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
EEB 3408W - Ecology
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3407//Biol 3807/EEB 3407
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Principles of population growth/interactions, communities and ecosystem function applied to ecological issues. Regulation of populations, dynamics/impacts of disease, invasions by exotic organisms, biodiversity, global change. Lab. Scientific writing. Quantitative skill development (mathematical models, data analysis, statistics and some coding in R).
prereq: [One semester college biology or instr consent], [MATH 1142 or MATH 1271 or Math 1272 or Math 1241 or Math 1242 or MATH 1281 or Math 1282 or equiv]
EEB 3412W - Introduction to Animal Behavior, Writing Intensive
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 3411/3811W EEB 3412W/5412
Grading Basis:
OPT No Aud
Typically offered:
Every Spring
EEB 3412W is a lecture/lab writing-intensive course.
Why do animals behave the way they do? This question is relevant to conservation, agriculture, human health, veterinary medicine, developing artificial intelligence, and understanding the origins of human behavior. This writing intensive course provides a broad introduction to animal behavior. As one of the most interdisciplinary fields in all of biology, understanding animal behavior requires an understanding of cell biology, physiology, genetics, development, ecology, endocrinology, evolution, learning theory, and even physics and economics! This course will draw on questions and methods from each of these disciplines to answer what on the surface appears to be a very simple question: Why is that animal doing that? The course will review such key topics as feeding behavior, reproductive behavior, perception, learning, animal conflict, social behavior, parental care, and communication. Throughout the course, students will be immersed in the scientific process, reading scientific literature, thinking critically, formulating their own research questions and answering them in an independent project.This is a writing intensive course that covers scientific process and how to formulate research questions.
prereq: Undergrad biology course
Credit granted for only one of the following: EEB 3411, EEB 3412W, EEB 3811W, EEB 5412
EEB 3811W - Animal Behavior in the Field
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 3411/3811W EEB 3412W/5412
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Summer
In this course we will learn general principles governing the evolution of animal behavior. Being conducted at a field
station, the approach is hands-on experiential learning through the application of the scientific method to the study of
animal behavior. Thus, we will learn animal behavior by becoming animal behaviorists. Animal behaviorists communicate
to one another through written reports in peer-reviewed literature and through oral talks at meetings. We will do both of
these. All of these experiences culminate in the design, execution and presentation (written and oral) of an independent
research project. Therefore, it is appropriate that this course is designated as writing-intensive. Writing comprises 90
points out of the course total of 140 points, representing 64% of the course grade.
This is course meets two days per week from 8AM to 12N and from 1PM to 5PM over a 5-week period in
May/June at the Itasca Biological Station and Labs.
prereq: Undergrad biology course
Credit granted for only one of the following: EEB 3411, EEB 3412W, EEB 3811W, EEB 5412
EEB 3851W - Health and Biodiversity
(ENV, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
EEB 3851W/EEB 5851
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Basics of biodiversity, human/animal health, interdependence. Strategies for sustainable health.
prereq: At least one year of college Biology or equivalent
EEB 4330W - Animal Communication
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Fall Odd Year
Mechanisms of signal production/perception, signal propagation. How signals can convey information. How signalers, signals, receivers are adapted for communication by natural/sexual selection.
prereq: (BIOL 1951 or BIOL 1951H or Biol 1009) and (EEB 3412W or EEB 3411 or EEB 3811W)
EEB 4609W - Ecosystem Ecology
(ENV, WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Regulation of energy and elements cycling through ecosystems. Dependence of cycles on kinds/numbers of species within ecosystems. Effects of human-induced global changes on functioning of ecosystems.
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
GCD 4005W - Cell Biology-Writing Intensive
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 4004/GCD 4005W
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Processes fundamental to cells. Emphasizes eukaryotic cells. Assembly/function of membranes/organelles. Cell division, cell form/movement, intercellular communication, transport, secretion pathways. Cancer cells, differentiated cells.
prereq: GCD major, Biol2003/2003H or Biol4003 or grad
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
Yeast is used as a model organism for microbial molecular genetic principles and methods such as ultraviolet mutagenesis, isolation and creation of mutant strains, plasmid design and construction, PCR, Sanger sequencing, gene replacement, and bioinformatics. Students will design and execute their own independent research project using hands-on experimentation with advanced molecular methods
prereq: MicB 3301 and [Biol 4003 or permission]; priority for seats from waitlist to graduating Microbiology majors
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor.
prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.
NSCI 3001W - Neuroscience and Society
(CIV, WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
Ethical implications. Readings, personal reflections, class discussions, debates, and formal writing. Development of logical arguments, writing skills, oral presentation skills, and teamwork. Students present/argue both their own personal views and those of others. What it is like to have altered mentation, i.e. a brain disease or disability. Readings/multimedia reports from primary neuroscience literature as well as philosophy, policy, and law literature and popular media.
NSCI 3102W - Neurobiology II: Perception and Behavior
(WI)
Credits:
3.0
[max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies:
Biol 3102W/NSci 3102W
Grading Basis:
A-F or Aud
Typically offered:
Every Fall & Spring
This is the second of the introductory neurobiology courses. It introduces fundamental concepts in systems and behavioral neuroscience with emphasis on the neural circuits underlying perception and sensorimotor integration. Lectures will examine the neural basis of specific behaviors arising from the oculomotor, visual and auditory systems and notes are available on Canvas. Topics include: retinal processing, functional organization in the cerebral cortex, neural circuit development, language, reward, and addiction. Students must learn to read scientific papers, and to understand the main ideas well enough to synthesize them and communicate them both orally and in writing. The course is writing intensive: exams are in essay and short answer format, and a 10-15 page term paper is required. The course is required for students majoring in neuroscience. The course consists of two hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
NSCI 3505W - Mind and Brain
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Typically offered:
Every Spring
This course is intended as an introduction to the new views on the relationship between mind and brain. Over the last several decades, a new view of cognition and neural processing has been developed based on the concepts of al¬gorithm, representation, computation, and information processing. Within this theoretical frame¬work, psychological constructs are computational processes occur¬ring across physical neural systems. We will take a neuroscience and psychological perspective in which the physical neuroscience instantiates but does not diminish the psychological constructs. Although our conceptual framework will be computational, this course will not require or expect any mathematical or computer background.
At the completion of this class, you will understand the implications of the physical nature of the brain ? how mentation is explicable from physical processes, and how decision-making arises from those same physical processes. Importantly, you will also understand the limitations of current knowledge and the methodologies being used to push those limitations. This class is not intended as a final step in this understanding, but as a first step into these issues. At the conclusion of the class, you should have sufficient understanding to continue more in-depth reading and study in these issues.
There are no official prerequisites. However, I have found that students who have EITHER a strong computational background (computer science, mathematics, economics, physics) OR have taken an introductory neuroscience course (e.g. Nsci 2100) have done better in the class than students with no background. However, I have seen students come in with very little background and do well in the class if they engage with the class and work hard.
Individual study of selected topics. Emphasis on readings, use of scientific literature. Writing intensive.
prereq: instr consent, dept consent; no more than 7 cr of [4793, 4794, 4993, 4994] may count toward major requirements
Lab or field investigation of selected areas of research. Writing intensive.
prereq: instr consent, dept consent; no more than 7 cr of [4793, 4794, 4993, 4994] may count toward major requirements
PMB 3005W - Plant Function Laboratory
(WI)
Credits:
2.0
[max 2.0]
Typically offered:
Every Spring
In this lab course, students will use a variety of biological techniques to study plant structure and anatomy, plant physiology, cell biology, and plant growth. This includes topics related to climate change, plant adaptation, crop domestication, and genetic engineering. Includes hands-on laboratory activities and writing focus.
While this course is paired with the PMB3002 lecture course, the courses do not need to be taken together or in a specific order.
Prereq: BIOL 1009, BIOL 2003, or equiv.
PMB 3007W - Plant, Algal, and Fungal Diversity and Adaptation
(WI)
Credits:
4.0
[max 4.0]
Typically offered:
Every Fall
Evolution/Ecology/Diversity of plants, fungi, and algae. Lectures highlight phylogenetic diversity among and within multiple eukaryotic groups as well as adaptations and strategies for survival in varied environments. Includes both hands-on laboratory activities and writing focus.
prereq: One semester college biology
In this course, we will cover current important research topics in plant cell biology. We will cover many plant-specific topics such as gravitropism, plant cell wall biosynthesis, structure and function, plasmodesmatal connections, signal transduction, tip growth, plant cytokinesis, cell energetics. We will also cover some topics that are important for both plant, fungal, and animal cell biology such as cell polarity, the cytoskeleton, protein sorting, and the secretory system. Since we will be using recent literature as the course text, some important and classic cell biology topics will not be covered. In the field of cell biology, new discoveries are often the result of improvements in technology especially in imaging, so we will cover some recent advances in methodology. This is also a writing class with the goal of helping students become familiar and comfortable with writing in a scientific style. There will be writing instruction and there will be some reading assignments on scientific writing.
There are no enforced prerequisites. Introductory courses on plants, genetics, and biochemistry are helpful.
Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a research/directed studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.
