Undergraduate Courses | Earth & Environment

All courses are 4 credits unless otherwise noted. Offering patterns are subject to change.

All courses:

100 level

CAS EE 107S Introduction to Climate and Earth System Science

4 credits.

Quantitative Reasoning I
Research and Information Literacy
Scientific Inquiry I

Introduction to Earth as an integrated system composed of interacting biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere subsystems. Major themes include earth system stability, instability, and capacity for change on all time scales, including human-induced climate change. Carries natural science divisional credit (with lab) in CAS. Students must register for two sections: lecture and laboratory. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS EE 150 Sustainable Energy: Technology, Resources, Society and Environment

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Historical Consciousness
Research and Information Literacy
Scientific Inquiry I

Examines the social, environmental, and technological aspects of renewable and nonrenewable energy systems, their historical evolution and implications for the future. Discusses energy issues in context of globalization, climate change, and sustainable development. Explores lifestyle and policy decisions related to energy issues. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Scientific Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.

200 level

300 level

400 level

CAS EE 423 Marine Biogeochemistry

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Research and Information Literacy
Scientific Inquiry II

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.

CAS EE 475 Urban Ecology

4 credits.

Historical Consciousness
Scientific Inquiry II
Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEE100 OR CASEE101) and one of the following: CAS BI 306, CAS BI 443 or GRS BI 643, CAS EE 456 or GRS EE 656, or CAS BI 530 or CAS EE 530; or consent of instructor. - This course explores the biophysical environments and ecology of urban settlements. Key topics covered include the physical environment (particularly climate & water), patterns in human population growth and development, ecosystem structure and function (net primary productivity, soils, nutrients cycling, organismal populations), global change (urban growth, disturbance, climate change), urban environment pollution and management (air and water quality), and sustainable urban development policies and regulations. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Scientific Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration.

500 level

CAS EE 508 Data Science for Conservation Decisions

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Digital/Multimedia Expression
Quantitative Reasoning II
Research and Information Literacy

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS EE 270 or other intro to statistics; EE 375 or other intro to prog ramming. Recommended: EE 365, EE 505, or other intro to geospatial dat a. - Application of quantitative methods to support conservation decisions. Ecosystem value mapping, systematic conservation planning, policy instrument design, rigorous impact evaluation, decision theory, data visualization. Implementations in state-of-the-art open-source software. Real-life case studies from the U.S. and abroad. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Quantitative Reasoning II, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS EE 509 Applied Environmental Statistics

4 credits.

Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Writing-Intensive Course

Undergraduate Prerequisites: Introductory statistics (CAS MA 115/116 or MA 213/124 or equivalent), Calculus I (CAS MA 121 or CAS MA 123 or equivalent), and First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120. - Survey of modern probability-based statistical methods in environmental science. Core concepts in likelihood and Bayesian approaches are used to address spatial, time-series, and latent variable models and non-Gaussian, non-linear, heterogeneous, and missing data. Project-based course focused on applications to data. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Writing-Intensive Course.

CAS EE 511 Introduction to the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

4 credits.

Quantitative Reasoning II
Research and Information Literacy
Scientific Inquiry II

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASEE 310, 2 semesters of calculus (CASMA 123 & 124, or 127, or 129), 1 semester of statistics (CASMA 213 or CASEE 270, or equivalent), 1 semester of physics (CASPY 211 or 251); or instructor consent. - Covers the basic dynamics of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), with a focus on the ABL processes and modeling. Introduces statistical descriptions of turbulent flows in the atmosphere and the connection between the ABL and other environment/climate system processes. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS EE 512 Urban Climate

4 credits.

Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Research and Information Literacy
Scientific Inquiry I

Undergraduate Prerequisites: one semester of physics (PY 211, 212 or 251) is required, one semester of calculus (MA 123 or 124, or 127, or 129) is recommended, prior coding experience is strongly encouraged, or consent of instructor - Introduction to urban microclimate within the context of global climate change. Basic climate processes in urban systems; urban heat islands; mixing and dispersion; modeling and observational techniques; anthropogenic emissions; climate change impacts on cities; mitigation and adaptation. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Scientific Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS EE 528 US Environmental Policy

4 credits. Fall

Research and Information Literacy
Social Inquiry II
Writing-Intensive Course

Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120); CAS EE 100 or equivalent; EE 309 or equivalent; or consent of instructor. - Survey and historical overview of key environmental policies and regulations in the United States. Emphasis on policy development, including formulation and implementation of federal pollution control regulations since the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970. Considers possible future policy needs. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS EE 530 Forest Ecology

4 credits. Spring

Oral and/or Signed Communication
Research and Information Literacy
Scientific Inquiry II

Undergraduate Prerequisites: BI 107 and BI 303 or BI 306, or consent of instructor - Prerequisites: CASBI107 and CASBI303 or CASBI306, 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. Three hours lecture plus discussion. Also meets with BI 530. Effective Spring 2023, 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.

CAS EE 545 Methods of Environmental Policy Analysis

4 credits. Fall and Spring

Quantitative Reasoning II
Research and Information Literacy
Social Inquiry II

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS MA 121 or MA 123 or MA 124, or equivalent; EC 101, or equivalent; or consent of instructor. - A rigorous introduction to the economic analysis of environmental policy, and to the implications of the special character of environmental problems for public decision making. Introduces the tools available to environmental policy makers, and develops quantitative frameworks for analyzing their effectiveness, advantages, and disadvantages. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS EE 585 Ecological Forecasting and Informatics

4 credits.

Ethical Reasoning
Oral and/or Signed Communication
Teamwork/Collaboration

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI 303 or BI 306; CASMA 121 or MA 123; CASMA 115 or MA 213 or CASEE 375; or consent of instructor. - The statistics and informatics of model-data fusion and forecasting: data management, workflows, Bayesian statistics, uncertainty analysis, fusing multiple data sources, assessing model performance, scenario development, decision analysis, and data assimilation. Case studies highlight ecological forecasting across a range of subdisciplines. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.