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 AS 709: Observational Techniques
  Telescopes, light detection, and analysis tools and techniques of experimental astronomy. Signal-to-noise calculations. Photometric and spectroscopic instrumentation and applications. Use of the observatory, CCD light detectors, modern software analysis tools, image processing. Proposal writing and science writing.
• CAS AS 720: Graduate Research and Scholarship
  An introduction to the methods of research and scholarship required for successful graduate study and the associated ethical issues. Topics include choosing a research advisor, the research topic, the research record, scholarly writing and publishing, intellectual property, and research funding.
• CAS AS 753: Normal Galaxies and the Milky Way
  Graduate Prerequisites: CAS AS 701, CAS AS 704, CAS AS 706, and CAS AS 708, or consent of instructor. - Normal galaxies and the Milky Way as systems. Stellar components and clusters, elliptical and disk galaxies. Luminosity functions, radial distributions, distance indicators, triaxial spheroids, and central bars. Motions near the sun, asymmetric drift, velocity ellipsoid, galactic rotation, Oort formulae, gas distributions, galactic center.
• CAS AS 759: Cosmology
  Graduate Prerequisites: CAS AS 701, CAS AS 704, and CAS AS 706, or consent of instructor. - Modern physical cosmology. The Friedmann equation, expansion of the universe and the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. Determination of fundamental cosmological parameters. Large-scale structure, galaxy formation, active galaxies, and quasars. Dark matter and dark energy in the universe. The inflation era.
• CAS AS 786: The Sun and Heliosphere
  Graduate Prerequisites: CAS AS 701, CAS AS 703, CAS AS 704, CAS AS 706, and CAS AS 708, or consent of instructor. - Fundamentals of solar and heliospheric physics, including observational methods and theory from the sun's interior through interplanetary space and into the local interstellar medium. The sun as a star. Relation of our heliosphere to astrospheres surrounding other stars.
• CAS AS 791: Special Topics in Astrophysics
  Lecture course examining special topics of current interest in astrophysics. Offered as a 2- or 4-credit course, depending on the topic.
• CAS AS 850: Graduate Literature Seminar 1
  Weekly seminar offering graduate students the skills and practice needed for reading, evaluating, and discussing scientific peer-reviewed literature on current research topics.
• CAS AS 851: Graduate Literature Seminar 2
  Weekly seminar offering graduate students the skills and practice needed for reading, evaluating, and discussing scientific peer-reviewed literature on current research topics.
• CAS AS 865: Graduate Research Seminar 1
  Weekly seminar offering graduate students the skills and practice needed for oral presentations on current research topics and to receive peer and expert feedback.
• CAS AS 866: Graduate Research Seminar 2
  Weekly seminar offering graduate students the skills and practice needed for oral presentations on current research topics and to receive peer and expert feedback.
• CAS AS 901: Research in Astronomy
  RES IN ASTRONMY
• CAS AS 902: Research in Astronomy
  RES IN ASTRONMY
• CAS AS 911: Directed Study in Astronomy
  DS IN ASTRONOMY
• CAS AS 912: Directed Study in Astronomy
  DS IN ASTRONOMY
• CAS BI 500: Shark Biology & Conservation
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: some background in ecology and/or evolution recommended. - Explores the natural history and behavior of sharks and their relationship to other animals in the ecosystem. Conservation of sharks and other elasmobranchs is crucial to ecosystem function and requires accurate scientific knowledge to implement the best conservation practices. 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.
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  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Scientific Inquiry II
• CAS BI 503: Neuroimmunology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI 203/NE 102 or BI 213 and BI 325/NE 203 and senior standing. - Neuroimmunology is a burgeoning field in neuroscience. This course examines current topics including the role of glia in brain development, health, and disease, glia-neuron crosstalk, impact of stress and environment on the neuroimmune system, and cell trafficking into the brain.
• CAS BI 504: Advanced Evolutionary Analysis
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI309) or permission of instructor. - Modern concepts, controversies, and analytical approaches in evolutionary biology. Topics include adaptation, natural and sexual selection, species and species formation, phylogenetics, origin of evolutionary novelty, adaptive radiation, basic population and quantitative genetics, development and evolution. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion.
• CAS BI 505: Evolution and Development
  This course focuses on the evolution of development. We explore how biodiversity arises by examining the intersection of development, genetics, evolution and ecology. Topics include: the origin of novel traits, developmental constraints, heterochrony, epigenetic inheritance, evolution of gene networks, developmental systems drift and the evolution of complex traits. We also cover common tools used in Evo Devo research, including: RNAseq, RNA interference, CRISPR/Cas-9 and in situ hybridization.
• CAS BI 506: Phenotypic Plasticity
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: senior standing, CAS BI 107; and one of the following: BI 303, BI 309, BI 315, or BI 410; or consent of instructor. - Explores the flexible phenotype as a product of development and target of natural selection, addresses phenotypic plasticity in ecological interactions and evolutionary diversity, evolution and mechanisms of plasticity, plasticity in ecology, diversification of life, and conservation in a changing environment.
• CAS BI 507: Diversity of Sex
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: senior standing, and one of the following: CAS BI 225, BI 309, BI 315, BI 407, or BI 410; or consent of instructor. - Examines the integrative and comparative biology of sex and sexes based on readings drawn from recent primary literature, review papers, and book chapters. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Oral and/or Signed Communication.
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  • Oral and/or Signed Communication