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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 BI 530: Forest Ecology
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI 107 and CASBI 303 or CASBI 306, or consent of instructor. - The major biotic and abiotic factors influencing forest ecosystem composition, structure, and function. Role of solar radiation, hydrology, soils, succession, and management of forest ecosystems. Includes New England case study. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Scientific Inquiry 2, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Scientific Inquiry II
  • CAS BI 531: Ichthyology: Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution of Fish
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI 260 and consent of instructor. - A comprehensive introduction to fish biology and systematics. Emphasis on phylogenetic relationships, ecology, and behavior. Labs include morphological studies of specimens and behavioral studies of live fishes. Effective Fall 2021, this course no longer carries any Hub units.
  • CAS BI 533: Progress in Neurobiology
    Facilitates work-in-progress presentation and discussion of research that includes preliminary data and research progress. All Neurobiology graduate students are encouraged to participate each semester, but receive credits toward the degree only once. BI533 (fall) and BI534 (spring) can both be taken (4 credits total) for the degree.
  • CAS BI 534: Progress in Neurobiology
    Facilitates work-in-progress presentation and discussion of research that includes preliminary data and research progress. All Neurobiology graduate students are encouraged to participate each semester, but receive credits toward the degree only once. BI533 (fall) and BI534 (spring) can both be taken (4 credits total) for the degree.
  • CAS BI 535: Translational Research in Alzheimer's Disease
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASNE 102 or CASBI 108, CASNE 203 or CASBI 325, and CASBI 203/213; and junior and 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.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Research and Information Literacy
  • CAS BI 539: Coral Reef Dynamics: Shallow Waters, Deep Time
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the Marine Semester. - Tropical reefs-- diverse, complex, and ancient-- exhibit lawful cycles of growth, degradation, and regeneration. Explore these through observations on the Belize Barrier Reef in fossil reef environments and through laboratory experiments. Insights are applied to reef conservation in today's changing world. Also offered as CAS EE 539.
  • CAS BI 541: Coral Reef Resilience and Restoration
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the BU Marine Semester and junior or senior standing. - Caribbean coral reefs have fallen into ruin. Students develop methods to restore reef health by applying genomics, life history theory, landscape ecology and climatology. This course includes field work in Belize.
  • CAS BI 542: Neuroethology
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI 325 or CASNE 203 or consent of instructor. - An in-depth study of the neural mechanisms underlying natural behaviors in animals, integrating perspectives from behavioral ecology and neurobiology. Emphasizes behaviors central to fitness, including sensory and motor bases of prey detection, predator avoidance, communication, courtship, navigation, and migration. Covers non-model organisms (e.g., honey bees, owls, bats, and crickets). 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.
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Scientific Inquiry II
  • CAS BI 546: Marine Megafaunal Ecology: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Surrounding Waters
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI 260 and CASMA 213 or consent of instructor; enrollment in the BU Marine Semester. - Marine macrofauna, from macrobenthos to whales, seals, seabirds, sharks, bony fishes, turtles, jellies, and humans in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Sail aboard research vessel "Auk" and become a participant in SBNMS research to understand life in the Gulf of Maine. Apply data collected to marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management. Student research helps to invent the science of coupled human and natural systems, mines ecosystem insights for Sanctuary operations, and guides deployment of the new kid on the block: offshore renewable energy.
  • CAS BI 548: Marine Microbial Ecology: Exploring Marine Microbes through Microscopy
    Microorganisms are the most abundant form of life in the ocean. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a critical tool that uses sequencing to develop a deeper sense of specific microbe roles in an ecosystem. This project-based course weaves together scientific background, analytical tools, and data processing and analysis. Students gain insight into the complexity and importance of marine microbial communities. With lab-based FISH projects, students design and conduct an adaptive set of experiments. Through computational data analysis, students turn raw data into usable results.
  • CAS BI 550: Marine Genomics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI 108 or equivalent. - Covers the evolution of genomes, the architecture of gene networks, and the connection between genotype and phenotype in marine organisms, as well as the technical development of modern genomics. Student research projects utilize modern genomics experimental approaches. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS BI 551: Biology of Stem Cells
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI 203 OR CASBI 206), or consent of instructor. - Views on stem cell research range from assumptions of a potential cure for most diseases to fears that it will depreciate the value of human life. This course equips students with the science that underlies this discussion, including the biological properties of stem cells and the experimental hurdles to utilization in regenerative medicine.
  • CAS BI 552: Molecular Biology 1
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI 203 or CASBI 213) and (CASBI 206 or CASBI 216). - Synthesis, structure, function, regulation of macromolecules (DNA, RNA, proteins). Prokaryotic and eukaryotic molecular biology. Topics include: replication, repair, recombination, transcription, translation, 5-methylcytosine, transcription factors, DNA looping (enhancer-promoter, insulator, etc.), histone modification/chromatin remodeling, non-coding RNA, biomolecular condensates. Discussion of genetic and recombinant DNA techniques, including CRISPR/Cas9.
  • CAS BI 553: Molecular Biology 2
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI552) (CAS BI/CH 421/422 recommended.) - This course focuses on eukaryotic gene regulation. Course topics include genome organization and DNA rearrangement, RNA interference and noncoding RNAs, gene editing, mouse transgenic approaches, signal transduction pathways, chromatin structure, and cell cycle. Research articles will be discussed.
  • CAS BI 555: Big Data in Neuroscience
    Prerequisite: CASBI 325. - This course introduces how neuroscience is transformed by massive datasets—from behavioral recordings and brain activity to genetic and anatomical maps. Students will explore cutting-edge neuroscience through interactive tools, visual data platforms, and team-based projects.
  • CAS BI 556: Drug Discovery in Neuroscience
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASNE 102 (or BI 108), CH 102, and NE/PS 333. - 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, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, modeling of disease states within the context of the drivers and limitations of the Drug Discovery Industry. 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.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Scientific Inquiry II
  • CAS BI 557: Neurobiology of Disease: From Molecules to Circuits
    Prerequisites: CASBI 203 and CASBI 325. - This advanced course investigates the molecular and cellular basis of brain disorders and how these disruptions affect neuronal circuits.
  • CAS BI 558: Coastal Biogeochemistry
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASCH101 & CASCH102 & CASES144) or equivalents, and admission to the Marine Semester. - Examines coastal energy flow and nutrient cycling in the context of human impacts. Links between local and global scales are emphasized. Course is part of the Marine Semester and involves field and laboratory work. Also offered as CAS ES 558. Effective Fall 2019, this course is part of a Hub sequence.
    • Part of a Hub sequence
  • CAS BI 559: Quantitative Microbiology
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI108 & CASMA121 & CASPY105) or equivalents; or consent of instructor. - Covers mathematical models used to describe bacterial behaviors and phenomena including growth, multispecies interactions, motility, and cell differentiation. Includes an introduction to python (no programming experience needed). Techniques/approaches learned are applicable to any area of the life sciences.
  • CAS BI 560: Systems Biology
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI552) or consent of the instructor. - Examines critical components of systems biology, including design principles of biological systems (e.g., feedback, synergy, cooperativity), and the generation and analysis of large-scale datasets (e.g., protein- protein interaction, mRNA expression).

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