Bachelor of ScienceEnvironmental Science and Sustainability

This course introduces the student to the major themes of biology, including properties of living organisms, comparison of eucaryotes vs. procaryotes, patterns of inheritance, the central dogma, mitosis and meiosis, the diversity of life in both plants and animals, classification of organisms, evolution, metabolism, photosynthesis, cell structures, basic structure of the body, infectious desease, the Hardy-Weinberg principle, biodiversity, ecosystems, and the biosphere. A broad understanding of biology and living organisms in the biosphere is developed through hand-on, mulit-modal engages learning opportunities in both the classroom and the companion laboratory compenent.

Companion laboratory component that demonstrates the major themes of biology presented in BIOL 102.

This course examines theories (including a variety of mathematical, verbal, and graphical models of important ecological processes), techniques of study (both laboratory and field-based), and natural history. The student explores: 1) various questions (in a broad sense) asked by ecologists; 2) ideas (theories, models) from which hypotheses are suggested to answer the questions; and 3) ways in which ecologists go about gathering data to refute or support the proposed hypotheses. Specific ecological studies are used to illustrate what has been learned about the natural world.

This course provides a general introduction to atoms and molecules, stoichiometry, states of matter, solutions, reactions, kinetics and equilibrium which serve as a prerequisite for advanced courses.

Companion laboratory component that illustrates the study of chemical principles presented in CHEM 151.

This introductory seminar class will serve to orient the student with both the Environmental Science and Sustainability program offerings as well as possible career paths accessible to the student graduating with a degree in Environmental Science and Sustainability. Additionally, this course will highlight the importance of communication, teamwork, collaboration, and civic engagement in promoting environmental stewardship.

Environmental science is the study of natural ecosystems, human impacts on the environment, and sustainable management of the Earth’s resources. Processes of the physical and biological environment are used as a basis for consideration of current environmental topics. Other areas covered include: energy consumption and global warming, water and air pollution, waste management, impacts of deforestation on biodiversity and other environmental changes occurring on a global scale.

This course is designed to give the student a tour through the planet Earth; from the inside to the outside and from the past to the present. The large-scale structure of the Earth, formation of mountains, explosive processes like volcanoes, earthquakes, and how water, glaciers, and other weather processes can shape the landscape are covered.

This course covers the hydrologic cycle in great depth and will also examine how humans utilize their water resources. It also delves into the properties of water, physical and chemical, and subsurface flow. Field methods, regional hydrogeology, and subsurface contamination investigations are all covered.

This course centers on the overlap of soil science, environmental science, and geology. Our goal is to explain the fundamental principles in soil sciences and introduce the concept of the “Critical Zone,” where water, rock, biology, and atmosphere interact as a system.

This course covers the fundamental approaches of managing, land, air and water resources for environmental protection and pollution control. The course also covers compliance with environmental laws, regulations and policies currently in effect.

This course focuses on the first of three primary Geospatial Technologies, Geographic Information Systems, but also introduces students to Remote Sensing and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The course includes both lecture on concepts and applications as well as laboratory exercises designed to develop students abilities in core GIS functionality. GIS exercises include spatial data capture, storage, query, analysis display and map output using the industry standard, ArcGIS software. Practical applications of GIS to areas such as environmental analysis, land use planning, emergency management and fundamental mapping techniques. Students finish the course by completing a custom mapping project on a topic of interest to them.

This course provides an introductory treatment of classical Newtonian physics and covers kinematics in one and two dimensions, vector forces, Newton’s laws of motion, uniform circular motion, work, conservation of energy, momentum and angular momentum, rotational kinematics and dynamics, and simple harmonic motion. Emphasis is placed on the application of basic concepts through mathematical problem-solving. Applications of physics to problems in medicine are presented and medical technology is highlighted throughout the course. Applications of elementary and differential and integral calculus to physics are introduced. Laboratory experiments provide experience with various measurement technologies and reinforce the theoretical concepts developed.