Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular semester. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• CAS NE 531: Imaging and Manipulating Memories
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS PS231 or NE 101 or PS/NE 337 or PS339/NE202 or BI325/NE203; or consent of instructor.
  The nature of memory engrams, the physical manifestations of experiences in the brain, will be explored at the systems neuroscience level by surveying primary literature.
• CAS NE 532: Neurobiology of Motivation, Decision Making, and Learning
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS NE101 or PS231; and PS211 or PS212; or MA115 & MA116 and one upper level NE course or BI 108 and BI 325; or consent of instructor.
  Exploration of the molecular and neural circuit mechanisms responsible for driving movement, selecting actions, and evaluating outcomes to drive adaptive learning. Examination of how disorders of motivation and decision making arise from the disruption of different neural circuits.
• CAS NE 535: Translational Research in Alzheimer's Disease
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS NE 102 and CAS NE 203; and NE major; and junior or senior standing.
  An introduction to translational research focused on the search for new therapeutic targets in Alzheimer's disease. Emphasis on the development of cellular and animal models for preclinical research, and on past and current clinical trials in Alzheimer's patients. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
  BU Hub Learn More

  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Research and Information Literacy
• CAS NE 542: Neuroethology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS NE 102 and CAS NE 203; and NE major; and junior or senior standing.
  An in-depth study of the neural mechanisms underlying natural behaviors in animals, integrating perspectives from behavioral ecology and neurobiology. Behaviors that are central to fitness will be studied in detail, including the sensory and motor bases of prey detection, predator avoidance, communication, courtship, navigation, and migration. A wide variety of non- model organisms such as honeybees, owls, bats, and crickets are discussed. Lectures are integrated with student-led discussions of relevant research papers. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Scientific Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
  BU Hub Learn More

  • Scientific Inquiry II
  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Research and Information Literacy
• CAS NE 556: Drug Discovery in Neuroscience
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS NE 102/116, NE 333, CH 203, NE major, and junior or senior standing.
  The process of drug discovery is complex especially when a drug is intended to treat a neurological disease. This discussion-heavy course examines the specific challenges of modern neuroscience drug discovery, including: target selection, pharmacodynamics, animal models, and clinical trials. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Scientific Inquiry II, Creativity/Innovation.
  BU Hub Learn More

  • Scientific Inquiry II
  • Digital/Multimedia Expression
  • Creativity/Innovation
• CAS NE 561: Proteostasis in the Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS NE 102, NE 203, NE major, and junior or senior standing. CAS BI 203/213 is recommended.
  A hands-on class focusing on the mechanisms that control protein homoestasis, and on the approaches that we can use to study how it may change in conditions associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The class mimics, as much as possible, a real research environment, as students carry out experiments throughout the semester, learn how to develop and test new hypotheses, and also share knowledge through weekly readings and presentation of research articles inherent to the topics of the class. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Creativity/Innovation, Research and Information Literacy.
  BU Hub Learn More

  • Scientific Inquiry II
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Creativity/Innovation
• CAS NE 589: Neural Impacts on Tumorigenesis
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS NE 102, NE 203, and NE major; and junior or senior standing.
  Explores neuronal invasion and mechanisms of neurogenesis into solid tumors, cross-talk in tumor microenvironments, and nervous system influence on cancer modulators that enhance tumorigenesis. Enhancement of cancer from environmental stress at this interface is also examined. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Scientific Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
  BU Hub Learn More

  • Scientific Inquiry II
  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Research and Information Literacy
• CAS NE 594: Topics in Neurobiology
  Examines contemporary topics in neurobiological research, drawing from recent literature. Students critically evaluate papers, assess the soundness of methods, distinguish correct from incorrect interpretations of data, and discuss the soundness of conclusions. Pre-reqs may vary with topic. Topic for Fall 2023: Neuroinflammation (Pre-reqs: CAS NE 203 or BI 203)
• CAS NE 598: Neural Circuits
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS BI 325 or CAS NE 203; and CASPY106.
  Reviews modern techniques and toolsets that are capable of dissecting neural circuits, which are critical for understanding how coordinated patterns of neural activity lead to complex behavior. Recent literature on information processing, guided behavior and cognition is discussed. Also offered as CAS BI 598.
• CAS NS 101: Integrated Science I
  Laboratory-discussion course. Foundational concepts of elementary dynamics, conservation laws, thermal transport, introductory electricity and magnetism, properties of light, atoms and molecules, the chemistry and properties of materials are introduced through laboratory experiments and computer simulations. These concepts and models are used to explain climate change and understand electric power generation. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking.
  BU Hub Learn More

  • Scientific Inquiry I
  • Quantitative Reasoning I
  • Critical Thinking
• CAS NS 102: F23: Integrated Science II
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS NS 101.
  Laboratory-discussion course. Students connect environmental science concepts with how science policy is made with inputs from multiple stakeholders. Students study a local environmental problem and propose a policy solution. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II, Creativity/Innovation.
  BU Hub Learn More

  • Scientific Inquiry II
  • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • Creativity/Innovation
• CAS NS 221: Oceanography
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the SEA Semester.
  Explores how interconnected ocean characteristics (bathymetry, seawater chemistry, biological diversity) and processes (plate tectonics, surface and deep‐water circulation, biological production) shape global patterns across multiple scales. Discussion of destination‐specific environmental issues and hot topics in marine research.
• CAS NS 222: Maritime Studies
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the SEA Semester.
  Relationship between humans and the sea. History, literature and art of our maritime heritage. Ships as agents of change. Political and economic challenges of contemporary marine affairs. Destination‐specific focus.
• CAS NS 223: Nautical Science
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the SEA Semester.
  The fundamentals of sailing ship operation, in preparation for direct application at sea. Navigation (piloting, celestial, and electronic), weather, engineering systems, safety, and sail theory. Participation as an active member of the ship's crew on an offshore voyage.
• CAS NS 320: Ocean Science and Public Policy
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the SEA semester. Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.
  Culture, history, political systems, and science can shape ocean policy. Students practice current strategies to build, analyze, and communicate about diverse policy issues. Examines the power, use, and limitations of science and the scientist's voice in determining ocean policy.
• CAS NS 321: Oceans in the Global Carbon Cycle
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the SEA semester and a minimum of three lab science courses, including one at the 300 level or higher, or consent of instructor.
  Ocean as carbon source and sink. Examines global‐scale flux patterns and carbon storage mechanisms, from solubility/biological pumps to geo‐engineering. Explores buffering capacity and mitigation strategies in the face of anthropogenic carbon cycle perturbations. Oral presentation and written research proposal required.
• CAS NS 322: Maritime History and Culture
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the SEA Semester. Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.
  Explores impacts of European maritime ventures on the societies they contacted in the Atlantic or Pacific, with focus on the resulting social, political, economic, and cultural changes. Investigates responses documented in the post‐Colonial literature of indigenous people.
• CAS NS 323: Marine Environmental History
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the SEA Semester. Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.
  Employs methods and sources of historians and social scientists. Examines the role of human societies in coastal and open ocean environmental change. Issues include resource conservation, overfishing, pollution, invasive species, and climate change.
• CAS NS 326: The Ocean & Global Change
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the SEA Semester; sophomore standing or consent of instructor.
  Ocean ecosystem change in the anthropocene: warming, acidification, fisheries depletion, and pollution. Reviews principles of circulation, seawater chemistry, nutrient dynamics, and biological production to understand causes and consequences of change. Field measurements for contribution to time‐series datasets are conducted.
• CAS NS 327: Cultural Landscapes and Seascapes: A Sense of Place
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the SEA Semester; sophomore standing or consent of instructor.
  Field‐intensive analysis and documentation of dynamic relationships between nature and culture in specific coastal, island, and ocean places. Cultural landscape and related interdisciplinary bio‐cultural approaches are applied to place‐based environmental studies.