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Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. 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.

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  • CAS EE 300: Earth's Rocky Materials
    Utilizing an Earth Systems approach, this course begins with the mineral phases of the core and mantle. Crustal mineralogy and petrology follow, examining how minerals and the rocks that contain them are produced by magmatic, metamorphic, hypothermal, and surface processes. Weekly two-hour labs and a required field trip. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning I.
    • Quantitative Reasoning I
    • Scientific Inquiry II
  • CAS EE 302: Remote Sensing of Environment
    Introduction to sensor systems, methodology of remote sensing, and basic concept of image analysis. Presents the ways in which remotely sensed data can be used in scientific investigations and resource management. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Scientific Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Scientific Inquiry II
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS EE 304: Environmentally Sustainable Development
    Traces the emergence of sustainable development as a defining challenge of our times. Surveys and evaluates approaches for balancing ecological sustainability and human development in various parts of the world and at the global level. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS EE 305: Rock Deformation and Structure
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASEE 107. - Foundations of rock deformation and structural geology in a plate tectonics context. Emphasizes identification and analysis of rock structures in hand sample and in the field, collection and interpretation of 2D and 3D structural data, and synthesis of geologic histories.
  • CAS EE 307: Biogeography
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: BI 107 and EE 101 - Analysis of local, regional, and global distributions of plants and animals. Environmental and human influences on those distributions considered; changes resulting from geologically recent climatic fluctuations. Field trips. Also offered as BI 307. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Scientific Inquiry 1.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Scientific Inquiry I
  • CAS EE 309: Intermediate Environmental Analysis and Policy
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASEE 100 and CASEC 101. - Introduction and critical analysis of the economic and ecological foundations of sustainability. Applications to biodiversity, land use, energy, climate change, resource curse, ecological footprint, and planetary boundaries. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS EE 310: Climate and the Environment
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASMA 122 or MA 124 and PY 211; or consent of instructor. - Understanding physical processes of the atmosphere, ranging in scale from tornadoes to global winds. Emphasis on providing physical explanations of atmospheric phenomena and impact of weather on humanity. Satellite and weather modification technology. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • CAS EE 317: Introduction to Hydrology
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASEE 105 or EE 107 or EE 142 or EE 144; CASMA 121, 123, or 127, or consent of instructor. - Introduction to the science of hydrology and to the role of water as a resource, a hazard, and an integral component of the Earth's climatic, biological, and geological systems. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Quantitative Reasoning I
    • Scientific Inquiry I
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS EE 322: The Politics of Science, Care, and the Environment
    Undergraduate Prerequisite: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - This interdisciplinary course explores political conflicts over environmental problems as conflicts over science and care. Content ranges from concrete cases of U.S. environmental challenges (toxic exposure, wildlife in suburbs), to environmental political theory and the politics of climate change. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Social Inquiry II, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS EE 347: Water Resources and the Environment
    Examines global water resource systems, with emphasis on questions of culture, development, gender, social inequality, politics. Analyzes social relations and historical legacies that shape water infrastructure, distribution, and meaning. Cases from Africa, Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, South America. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS EE 351: Paleoclimatology and Paleoceanography
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASEE 105 or EE 107 or EE 142 or EE 144. - Examines causes and effects of climate change throughout Earth's history. Topics include ice age climates and glaciations; oceanic history; linkages between Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets; tectonic effects; ice-core, coral, and marine sediment records; El Nino; terrestrial extinctions. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Quantitative Reasoning II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Quantitative Reasoning II
    • Research and Information Literacy
  • CAS EE 360: Introduction to Physical Oceanography
    Prerequisites: CASMA122 or MA124 and CASPY 105 or PY 211 or PY 251; or consent of instructor. This introduction to physical oceanography course introduces concepts, terminology and topics on the physical properties and dynamics of the ocean. Topics include observations, modelling and theory of ocean circulation and how it impacts the Earth's climate system. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II.
    • Quantitative Reasoning II
    • Scientific Inquiry II
  • CAS EE 365: An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: MA 115 or EC 203 or equivalent. - Practical hands-on computing experience using GIS for analyzing data from maps and other sources. Analytical functions unique to GIS are emphasized, as are applications in archaeology, land use planning, environmental monitoring, and other fields. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning I, Scientific Inquiry II.
    • Quantitative Reasoning I
    • Scientific Inquiry II
  • CAS EE 371: Introduction to Geochemistry
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASEE 105 or EE 107 or EE 142 or EE 144; and CASCH 101 or CH 111 or CH171 or CH131; or equivalent - Chemical features of Earth and the solar system; geochemical cycles, reactions among solids, liquids, and gases; radioactivity and isotope fractionation; water chemistry; origins of ore deposits; applications of geochemistry to regional and global problems. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Scientific Inquiry I
  • CAS EE 375: Introduction to Quantitative Environmental Modeling
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS EE 270 or MA 115 or MA 213; or equivalent. - Introduces students to quantitative models of environmental systems. Emphasizes application of quantitative models to environmental problem solving. Includes computer exercises with examples from current environmental issues such as population growth, pollution transport, and biodiversity. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Quantitative Reasoning II.
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • CAS EE 400: Environment and Development: A Political Ecology Approach
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: senior standing - Theory and practice of development with an explicit focus on environmental issues. Introduces history of development and the environment; explores select themes in development and environmental studies (e.g. rural livelihoods, conservation, urbanization, and climate change); and considers alternative development paradigms.
  • CAS EE 422: Aquatic Optics & Remote Sensing
    An introduction to the use of optical measurements and remote sensing to study the biogeochemistry and water quality of aquatic environments. Covers fundamental concepts and measurements in optics/remote sensing and provides hands-on experience with real data. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Quantitative Reasoning II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Quantitative Reasoning II
    • Research and Information Literacy
  • CAS EE 423: Marine Biogeochemistry
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASCH 101 and 102, admission to BUMP or CASEE 144, or consent of instructor. - Oceanic nutrient and biogeochemical cycling in the context of the marine response to global change. Links between local and global scales are emphasized. Topics include oceanic productivity, iron limitation, oceanic glacial carbon dioxide budget, biogenic particle fluxes, oceanic glacial- interglacial biogeochemistry. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Scientific Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Scientific Inquiry II
  • CAS EE 444: Digital Image Processing - Remote Sensing
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASEE 302 or equivalent - At least introductory statistics (and preferably multivariate statistics) recommended. This course pursues both the algorithms involved in processing remote sensing images and their application. Topics include preprocessing, image transformations, image classification and segmentation, spectral mixture analysis, and change detection. Examples cover a wide range of environmental applications of remote sensing. Students do a project.
  • CAS EE 445: Physical Models in Remote Sensing
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASEE 302 or equivalent - Devoted to understanding the physical processes involved in remote sensing. Emphasis based on topics of radiative transfer in the atmosphere, at the surface, and in sensors. Reflectance modeling, advanced sensor systems, and geometric effects.

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