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.

• CAS MA 586: Stochastic Methods for Algorithms
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 120); and (CASCS 111 or CDSDS 110, or ENGEK 125) and (CASMA 225 or CASCS 235 or CDSDS 122) and (CASMA 242 or CASMA 442 or CASCS 132 or CDSDS 121 or ENGEK 103) and (CASMA 581 or CASCS 237 or ENGEK 381 or ENGEK 500) or consent of instructor. - Application of stochastic process theory to design and analyze algorithms used in statistics and machine learning, especially Markov chain Monte Carlo and stochastic optimization methods. Emphasizes connecting theoretical results to practice through combination of proofs, numerical experiments, and expository writing. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Creativity/Innovation.
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  • Creativity/Innovation
  • Writing-Intensive Course
• CAS MA 588: Nonparametric Statistics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASMA 582 or consent of instructor. - The theory and logic in the development of nonparametric techniques including order statistics, tests based on runs, goodness of fit, rank-order (for location and scale), measures of association, analysis of variance, asymptotic relative efficiency.
• CAS MA 589: Computational Statistics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASMA 575 or consent of instructor. - Topics from computational statistics that are relevant to modern statistical applications: random number generation, sampling, Monte Carlo methods, computational inference, MCMC methods, graphical models, data partitioning, and bootstrapping. Emphasis on developing solid conceptual understanding of the methods through applications.
• CAS MA 592: Introduction to Causal Inference
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASMA 575 or consent of instructor. - Concepts and methods for causal inference. You may have heard "association does not imply causation." But, what implies causation' In this course, we study how to estimate causal effects from data. We cover both experimental and non-experimental settings..
• CAS MR 291: Undergraduate Marine Science Research
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: sophomore standing. - Research in marine science for students at the sophomore level. Students design and implement a research project with a faculty member. Topic must be defined by time of registration. Course grade determined by performance and written report.
• CAS MR 292: Undergraduate Marine Science Research
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: sophomore standing. - Research in marine science for students at the sophomore level. Students design and implement a research project with a faculty member. Topic must be defined by time of registration. Course grade determined by performance and written report.
• CAS MR 391: Undergraduate Marine Science Research
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior or senior standing. - Research in marine science for students at the junior or senior level. Students design and implement a research project with a faculty member. Topic must be defined by time of registration. Course grade determined by performance and written report.
• CAS MR 392: Undergraduate Marine Science Research
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior or senior standing. - Research in marine science for students at the junior or senior level. Students design and implement a research project with a faculty member. Topic must be defined by time of registration. Course grade determined by performance and written report.
• CAS MR 401: Senior Independent Work in Marine Science
  Laboratory or field research projects chosen under supervision of a Marine Science associated faculty member. Research topic must be defined at time of registration. Course grade determined by laboratory performance, written report, and oral presentation to the faculty. Successful completion of the full 8-credit course (MR 401/402) may lead to a degree with honors in the major; credit does not count toward major or minor (unless taken during Marine Semester).
• CAS MR 402: Senior Independent Work in Marine Science
  Undergraduate prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Laboratory or field research projects chosen under supervision of a Marine Science associated faculty member. Research topic must be defined at time of registration. Course grade determined by laboratory performance, written report, and oral presentation to the faculty. Successful completion of the full 8-credit course (MR 401/402) may lead to a degree with honors in the major; credit does not count toward major or minor (unless taken during Marine Semester). Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU HUB area: Writing-Intensive Course.
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  • Writing-Intensive Course
• CAS MR 491: Undergraduate Research in Marine Science
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior or senior standing. - Research in marine science for students at the junior or senior level. Students design and implement a research project with a faculty member. Topic must be defined by time of registration. Course grade determined by performance and written report.
• CAS MR 492: Undergraduate Research in Marine Science
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior or senior standing. - Research in marine science for students at the junior or senior level. Students design and implement a research project with a faculty member. Topic must be defined by time of registration. Course grade determined by performance and written report.
• CAS MR 500: Topics in Marine Science
  Examines contemporary topics in marine sciences. Pre-requisites vary with topic. Offered as part of the Marine Semester. May be repeated for credit as topics change.
• CAS MR 533: Scientific Diving and Underwater Research Methods
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the Marine Semester, basic scuba diving certification, and consent of instructor. - Introduces students to underwater research methods. Lecture and dive exercises include diving physics, diving physiology, dive planning, equipment, first aid, and data collection. This course fulfills American Academy of Underwater Sciences scientific diver training requirements. Taught in the Marine Semester.
• CAS NE 101: Introduction to Neuroscience
  Required of all NE majors. An introduction to the biological basis of behavior and cognition. Includes theoretical and practical foundations rooted in psychology, biology, neuropharmacology, and clinical sciences (e.g., neurology and neuropsychiatry). Neuroethical dilemmas are highlighted and integrated when relevant to discussion topics. Carries natural science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Scientific Inquiry I.
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  • Scientific Inquiry I
• CAS NE 102: Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - An introductory class examining the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern a cell's life, including mechanisms of neuronal function and disease. Project labs are intertwined with lectures and focus on experimental modeling of Alzheimer's disease. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single Hub unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Writing- Intensive Course, Teamwork/Collaboration.
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  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Scientific Inquiry II
  • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • Writing-Intensive Course
• CAS NE 116: Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology with Integrated Science Experience 1 Lab
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASCH101) and acceptance into the Integrated Science Experience (ISE). First Ye ar Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) ; Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASCH116) - Integration of general chemistry with biology and neuroscience, with an emphasis on how each discipline interacts experimentally. Laboratory focuses on projects relating to enzymes and their function. 3 lecture hours (meets with CAS NE 102 lecture), 3 hours lab. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course.
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  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Scientific Inquiry II
  • Writing-Intensive Course
• CAS NE 192: First-year Research in Neuroscience 2
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor. - Research in neuroscience for students at the freshman level. Students design and implement a research project with a faculty member. Research topic must be defined at the time of registration. Course grade is determined by laboratory performance and written report.
• CAS NE 202: Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASNE101) - Cognitive neuroscience seeks to understand the brain basis of cognition. This course introduces research methods and human neuroanatomy, and provides a survey of topics including learning and memory, attention, perception, language, social cognition, and executive function.
• CAS NE 203: Principles of Neuroscience with Lab
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASNE101 & CASNE102) and First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - Fundamentals of the nervous system, emphasizing synaptic transmission; hierarchical organization; automatic nervous system; mechanisms of sensory perception; reflexes and motor function; biorhythms; and neural mechanisms of feeding, mating, learning, and memory. Project labs focus on behavioral neurobiology through inquiry-based experiments. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
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  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • Writing-Intensive Course