Academics
BU offers hundreds of courses related to sustainability — in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and special degree programs. Learn about our academic partners here . Whatever your major, course offerings enable you to advance your sustainability awareness and know-how. Make sustainability part of your education and set yourself up for an impactful career by delving into topics such as…
sustainable energy
climate change
environmental history
The below list is updated annually.
Learn about Diverse Sustainability Leaders , with the help of a resource developed by BU Sustainability Intern Cellina Kim. Study these leaders, draw inspiration from their work, and build upon their legacies.
From the moment you set foot on campus, start getting involved in interdisciplinary research . See climate-related sustainability research by BU students and learn about Campus Climate Lab research funding opportunities.
CAS AN 285 Coping with Crisis in Contemporary Africa (area)
4 credits.
Explores the ways ordinary Africans are coping with problems of security, environmental degradation, forced migration, economic decline, and disease. Readings and lectures contrast outsiders' interpretations of these "crises" with the way they are experienced by those they affect. Staff. 4 cr. Either sem. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I.
CAS AN 309 Boston: An Ethnographic Approach (area)
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Using the tools of ethnographic practice, explores Boston's multiple identities. Boston's patterns of immigration and demographic change are mapped through fieldwork and historical documentation. On site observations will help students understand local meanings of place and community. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Social Inquiry II.
CAS AN 362 Culture and Environment
4 credits.
Examines mutually transformative relations between human societies and their environments. Shows how social constructions of environment, nature, and culture vary cross-culturally. Topics include: political ecology, environmental conservation, agriculture, climate, bioprospecting, relations with other animals, pollution. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II.
CAS BI 306 Biology of Global Change
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Scientific Inquiry II
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI107) Recommended: CASCH101 or CASCH171. - The ecological impacts of human activity on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Climate change, forest decline, eutrophication, acidification, loss of species diversity, and restoration of ecosystems. Three hours lecture, three hours lab. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AN 333 Human Population Genetics
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Quantitative Reasoning II Research and Information Literacy Scientific Inquiry II
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CAS AN102 OR AN233 OR CAS BI108 AND either BI206 OR BI216). - This course uses human genomic variation as a framework for better understanding our evolutionary history. Using hands-on population genetic analyses, we will analyze real human genomic data from the 1000 Genomes Project to investigate the evolutionary patterns underlying human diversity. 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 AN 336 Primate Evolutionary Ecology
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Quantitative Reasoning I Scientific Inquiry II
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASAN102) - Introduction to the various theoretical approaches to understanding the diversity and evolutionary ecology of wild non-human primates. Using lemurs, marmosets, chimpanzees and more, this course delves into behavioral ecology, genetic approaches to mating systems, foraging theory, community ecology, and conservation. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning I, Scientific Inquiry I, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS AN 363 Food and Water: Critical Perspectives on Global Crises
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Social Inquiry II Teamwork/Collaboration
Examines how people, past and present, have interacted with food and water. Explores multiple causes and consequences of global food and water inequities. Considers the cultural politics of food/water production, consumption, and distribution in different parts of the world. 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, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS AN 379 China: Tradition and Transformation (area)
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy Social Inquiry II
Examines daily life in China and Taiwan, tracing how opposed economic and political paths transformed a common tradition. Topics include capitalism and socialism; politics and social control; dissidence; gender relations; religion, arts, and literature; and pollution. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AN 556 The Evolution of the Human Diet
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Research and Information Literacy Scientific Inquiry II Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASAN102 OR CASBI107 OR CASBI108) or consent of instructor. - An investigation of human dietary evolution including primate and human dietary adaptations, nutritional requirements, optimal foraging, digestive physiology, maternal and infant nutrition, hunting and cooking in human evolution, and impacts of food processing and agriculture on modern diets and health. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Scientific Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AR 290 Human Impacts on Ancient Environments
4 credits.
Examination of human-environmental interactions in the global landscape over the past 10,000 years through migration, hunting, disease, agriculture, and other cultural activities; implications for contemporary and future resources management and environmental policy. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS BI 260 Marine Biology
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Research and Information Literacy Scientific Inquiry I
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI107) or consent of instructor. - Life in the seas: its ecology, evolution, and human impacts. Includes behavioral, physiological, structural, ecological, and evolutionary perspectives. A prerequisite for the Marine Semester. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Critical Thinking, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 306 Biology of Global Change
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Scientific Inquiry II
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI107) Recommended: CASCH101 or CASCH171. - The ecological impacts of human activity on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Climate change, forest decline, eutrophication, acidification, loss of species diversity, and restoration of ecosystems. Three hours lecture, three hours lab. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 423 Marine Biogeochemistry
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Research and Information Literacy Scientific Inquiry II
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASCH 101 and CASCH 102 or BUMP semester and 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 BI 443 Terrestrial Biogeochemistry
4 credits. Fall
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI107 OR CASES105) and CH 101/102, or consent of instructor. - The patterns and processes controlling carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Links between local and global scales are emphasized. Topics include net primary production, nutrient use efficiency, and biogeochemical transformation. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion.
CAS BI 523 Marine Urban Ecology
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the BU Marine Semester. - Marine Urban Ecology is an emerging, interdisciplinary field that aims to understand how human and ecological processes can coexist in human-dominated systems. Covers ecosystems, and organisms associated with urbanization in the Greater Boston area.
CAS BI 530 Forest Ecology
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy Scientific Inquiry II
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI107) and CASBI303 or CASBI306, 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. Meets with CAS GE 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 BI 539 Coral Reef Dynamics: Shallow Waters, Deep Time
4 credits.
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
4 credits. Fall
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 546 Marine Megafaunal Ecology: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Surrounding Waters
4 credits.
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 578 Marine Geographic Information Science
4 credits. Fall
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI260 & CASES144) CASMA213 strongly recommended. Enrollment in the Marine semester requ ired. - Introduction to marine geographic information systems and spatial analysis for conservation, management, and marine landscape ecology. Comparative examples from Gulf of Maine and tropics. Solve problems in coastal zoning and marine park design, whale and coral reef conservation. Also offered as CAS EE 578.
CAS EE 395 Sustainability Science: Earth House Practicum 1
2 credits. Fall
Undergraduate Prerequisites: sophomore standing and residency in Earth House. - This seminar-style course is designed for residents of BU's Earth House. The course is intended to enrich student residents' living/learning experience through exploring the theory and practice of sustainability, with 7 Buswell Street serving as the principle object of inquiry. Through guided discussions and student-led research, we will examine the three pillars of sustainability - social, environmental, economic - across four resource domains of food, water, energy, and materials, and consider how these multiple pillars and domains overlap and interact as a nexus. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Scientific Inquiry II.
CAS EE 396 Sustainability Science: Earth House Practicum 2
2 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: sophomore standing, residency in Earth House, and CAS EE 395; or consent of instructor. - This seminar-style course is designed for residents of BU's Earth House. The course is intended to enrich student residents' living/learning experience through exploring the theory and practice of sustainability, with 7 Buswell Street serving as the principle object of inquiry. Through guided discussions and student-led research, we will examine the three pillars of sustainability - social, environmental, economic - across four resource domains of food, water, energy, and materials, and consider how these multiple pillars and domains overlap and interact as a nexus. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
CAS GE 365 An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
4 credits. Fall and Spring
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.
CAS HI 175 World History to 1500
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Historical Consciousness
Explores historical and environmental factors influencing how cultures take shape and impact each other. Examines early global connections and conflicts between people of different continents as well as between humans, other species, the natural environment, and the planet as a whole. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS HI 316 American Urban History
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Historical Consciousness Social Inquiry I Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Examines cities in America, from colonial era forward, focusing on Boston, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Detroit, and San Francisco in national and transnational context. Focus on social, political, and environmental change to understand present and past urban landscapes. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I.
CAS HI 343 Taste, Culture, and Power: The Global History of Food
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Digital/Multimedia Expression Historical Consciousness
An exploration of the global history of food from prehistory to the present, considering the birth of agriculture, food in nations and empires, hunger and nutrition, and the future of eating, including examples from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS HI 346 History of International Human Rights
4 credits.
Meets with CAS IR 348. History of international human rights since the eighteenth century. Examines political, social, economic rights, the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and related international conventions, enforcement, regionalism, globalization, and NGOs. Analyzes tensions between national sovereignty and human rights.
CAS HI 351 Environmental History of Africa
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy Scientific Inquiry II
Focus on the African environment and ecological systems over the past 150 years. Topics include climate change, hydrography, agriculture, deforestation, soil erosion, disease, conservation, famine, and the role of colonialism and government policy in environmental change. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS HI 450 Topics in the History of Popular Culture
4 credits. Fall and Spring
May be repeated for credit if topic is different. Topic for Spring 2024, Section A1: The History of Stuff. This seminar explores American history in global context through material objects and commodities. How have historians used material objects to reveal important cultural, economic, social, and political processes? Topics include histories of sugar, cotton, meat, petroleum, rubber, uranium, and more.
CAS HI 451 Fashion as History
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Historical Consciousness
This seminar treats clothing and other products of material culture as historical documents. Explores what clothing can tell us about key developments in the modern period relating to trade and commerce, empire, gender, class, industry, revolution, nation-building, identity politics, and globalization. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS HI 589 Nature's Past: Histories of Environment and Society
4 credits.
Explores approaches in environmental history and asks how non-human actors, together with human agents, determined historical outcomes and shaped ecological, technological, demographic, political, and cultural change. Cases are selected from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
CAS IR 206 Introduction to the Sociology of Globalization
4 credits. Fall and Spring
(Meets with CAS SO 206.) A sociological introduction to globalization. Explores the roles of technology, transnational corporations, and the state. Considers globalization's impacts on the workplace, the environment, and other institutions as well as the emergence of global social movements. Carries social sciences divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
COM CM 313 Corporate Communication
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CM215 - Explores the trends and issues affecting corporations, crisis management, public affairs communication, consumer affairs, employee relations, environmental problems, and issues of multinationals. Uses case studies.
COM CM 561 Special Topics
4 credits.
Each section of this course will explore a different relevant topic in the field of mass communication, public relations, or advertising. Pre-requisites for each topic can be found in the class notes. Please contact the MCADVPR Department at mcadvpr@bu.edu for more information.
COM JO 705 Science Unbound
4 credits. Fall
An introduction to writing magazine articles about science. Through real-world assignments students will learn to write the short to medium-length pieces that appear in the front-of- the-book or online editions of publications such as?The New Yorker,?Wired, Discover, ?and?Science.??Class discussions will also examine several areas in which media have had a troubled role in communicating science-related issues, such as climate change and public health. Open to Science Journalism students and others by instructor's permission. Four credits.
COM JO 723 Science Newswriting 1
4 credits. Fall
Students develop experience in writing about science, technology, and medicine for the consumer press. At instructor's option, students may write scripts for broadcast and/or articles for publication in scientific, professional, or business magazines and periodicals. Four credits, fall semesters.
COM JO 724 Science Narrative 2
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This seminar, a continuation of Science Narrative I, begins by analyzing examples of work by established writers. We also discuss the work of several established visiting writers, who share insights and respond to our questions. Mostly, this will be about YOUR work, specifically a full-blown long-form narrative of publishable quality. Research and analysis will continue to play a central role as well as consideration of structure, scene-setting, character development and voice. We will carefully edit our work in multiple workshops, and respond to those edits with revisions. Required of all Science Journalism students and open to other students by permission of the instructor. Four credits, spring semesters.
COM JO 732 Conflict and Commentary in Science Reporting
4 credits. Spring
A course in writing about science policy issues, including in-depth coverage of controversial issues and writing scientific-related essay, such as those that appear in Slate and Salon. classroom discussions will involve complex areas of science reporting, including scientific fraud and business issues related to science. Four credits. (Prerequisite: COM JO 705.)
COM JO 881 Science Video Production
4 credits. Fall and Spring
The moving image carries enormous power; whether shown in theaters, on television, on the internet or on our smart phones, video has the ability to change the world, as has been demonstrated time and again. this course is designed to examine the power of non-fiction video through the deconstruction of various films and videos, and serve as an introduction to video production through a series of production exercises culminating in a complete short film as a final project. While this course focuses on science, it will be useful for anyone interested in learning more about non-fiction video production.
ENG BE 209 Principles of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: high school biology and CAS CH 101 or equivalent - Introduction to the molecular, physical and computational principles of cell function in the context of cutting-edge applications in bioengineering and medicine. Biological concepts include: molecular building blocks, energetics, transport, metabolism, nucleic acids, gene expression and genetics. Applications include bioenergy, synthetic biology, the human-genome project, and gene circuit engineering. The objectives of the labs are to teach basic techniques and instrumentation in bioengineering, to collect and analyze data and to make sound conclusions. Labs emphasize the experimental, problem solving, and analytical skills required in biomedical engineering and research.
ENG EC 417 Electric Energy Systems: Adapting to Renewable Resources
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEK307) - This course will present a detailed perspective of electric power systems from generation, transmission, storage, to distribution to end users. Significant emphasis will be placed on methodologies for reliable and efficient transmission and distribution of power over the grid including challenges for adapting to renewable resources such as photovoltaics and wind. Conventional approaches will be presented with emphasis to future technology such as the "smart grid". Analysis of 3-phase power will be presented using numerous examples. Items such as power system stability, security, reliability will be covered. Optimization methods, models, simulation techniques, monitoring and control, grid storage technologies, and micro-grids will also be discussed. Power electronics will be introduced specifically in reference to high voltage circuits. Finally, planning for large numbers of electric vehicles will present new challenges to the effective distribution of power which will be discussed from both centralized and decentralized approaches.
ENG EC 543 Sustainable Power Systems: Planning, Operation and Markets
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Senior standing or consent of instructor. - Breakthroughs in clean energy generation technologies and the advantage of exploiting efficiently the available work in fossil fuels will render electricity the dominant energy form in a sustainable environment future. We review the key characteristics of Electric Power Transmission and Distribution (T&D) networks and the associated planning and operation requirements that ensure supply adequacy, system security and stability. Capital asset investment and operation cost minimization is discussed in a systems engineering context where the assets as well as the dynamic behavior of generators, T&D networks, and loads interact. Recent developments in the formation of competitive wholesale markets at the High Voltage Transmission system level, the associated market participation and clearing rules and the market clearing optimization algorithms are presented and analyzed in terms of their effectiveness in fostering cost reflective price signals and competitive conditions that encourage optimal distributed/not-centralized investment and operating decisions. Finally, we present T&D congestion and supply-demand imbalance related barriers to the widespread adoption of environmentally friendly and economically efficient technological breakthroughs, and propose a systems engineering and real-time retail-market based coordination of centralized as well as decentralized generation, storage and load management resources that is able to achieve desirable synergies and mitigate these barriers. Same as ENG ME 543 and ENG SE 543. Students may not receive credits for both.
ENG EC 573 Solar Energy Systems
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEK408) graduate standing or permission of the instructor. ENG EC 471 is sugg ested. - This course is designed for first year graduate and senior undergraduate students from engineering disciplines. It is intended to educate students in the design and applications of solar energy technology. It will focus on fundamentals of solar energy conversion, solar cells, optical engineering, photoelectrochemical cells, thermoelectric generators, and energy storage and distribution systems. The course covers solar energy insolation and global energy needs, current trends in photovoltaic energy engineering, solar cell materials science, design and installation of solar panels for residential and industrial applications and connections to the national grid and cost analysis of the overall system. In addition, basic manufacturing processes for the production of solar panels, environmental impacts, and the related system engineering aspects will be included to provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art approach to solar energy utilization. Same as ENG MS 573. Students may not take credit for both.
ENG EC 583 Power Electronics for Energy systems
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEC410) - Introduction to power electronics with emphasis on conversion circuits for energy systems. DC to DC conversion using buck, boost, and buck-boost converters. DC to AC inverters. Connection to power grid. Properties of MOS transistors used for high power conversion applications. Properties of magnetic elements and interactions with power circuits. Applications of power electronic circuits to energy systems, including solar cell installations, wave and wind power, and electric vehicles. High frequency inductors and transformers.
ENG EC 707 Radar Remote Sensing
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Experience in electromagnetic waves, analog and discrete signal proces sing, or consent of the instructor. - Principles of radar systems and radar signal analysis with emphasis on environmental remote sensing. Topics include antenna fundamentals, wave propagation/scattering in various media, the radar equation, radar cross-section, target characteristics, ambiguity function, radar system components, pulse compression techniques, and aperture synthesis. Highlighted systems include ground-penetrating radars, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), weather radars, and incoherent scatter radars, and LIDAR.
ENG EK 131 Introduction to Engineering: Hands On
2 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Freshman standing or consent of instructor - This course introduces freshmen to a set of design-oriented engineering skills through a hands-on experience using engineering tools (software and hardware) for design and prototyping. Students will be exposed to a number of mechanical and electrical engineering tools applicable to 3D visualization, building structures, designing and wiring circuits, prototyping and instrumentation. Students will work individually and in teams to build substructures that can be integrated into a functional device (final product).
ENG EK 210 Introduction to Engineering Design
2 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEK131) ENG EK 131 and Sophomore standing or consent of instructor. - A two-credit introductory course to the principles of engineering design, intended to give second- year undergraduates a basic understanding of the process of taking a product from client explanation to design concept through product deployment. Students will work in teams with time and budget constraints on societally meaningful projects. Web-based lectures will cover topics concurrent with specific phases of the projects. The course will culminate in a "Design Showcase." Restricted to ENG sophomores - others only by consent of instructor. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Teamwork/Collaboration.
ENG EK 225 Introduction to Energy Conversion and Environmental Engineering
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This class examines the existing state of the world's energy use and its impact on society and the planet. A quantitative framework is provided in order to evaluate current and potential technologies. Individual energy generation, conversion, and end use options are evaluated within this framework. Both renewable energy generation technologies: wind, solar, biomass, and hydro, and conventional sources such as nuclear and fossil fuels will be compared. Energy conversion is discussed with regards to batteries and fuel cells, liquid bio- fuels, and grid level storage systems. These technologies are then put into a social context and their use around the world is discussed. Evaluations are based on homework and class discussions, midterms, and a final. Cannot be used for credit towards an engineering degree.
ENG EK 335 Introduction to Environmental Engineering
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASCH131 & CASMA124) or equivalent. Sophomore standing. ; Undergraduate Corequisites: (ENGME304 & ENGME306 & ENGME303) - This course provides a technical introduction to a wide range of environmental engineering topics to quantitatively understand and analyze environmental problems. Topics covered include mass and energy balance for analyzing environmental engineering concepts, population growth, models for resource consumption and risk analysis, energy systems, air pollution and prevention strategies, water quality assessment and supply issues, drinking and waste water treatment, solid waste treatment and management strategies, and resource recovery and recycling. Relevant existing laws and regulations are also reviewed in the context of the topics covered.
GMS BC 600 Biology, Chemistry and Physics of Natural and Man-made Hazards
3 credits. Fall and Spring
This course provides a broad overview of physical, chemical and biological aspects of man-made and natural hazards. Hazards range from the everyday-thunderstorms, winter, chemical spills, disease clusters-to the extraordinary-powerful hurricane, earthquakes, dirty bombs, and pandemic. This course will teach details essential to every healthcare emergency manager to prepare for known and emerging threats, including threats to the infrastructure essential to healthcare delivery. Emphasis will be placed on the increasing number of technological hazards, both those that may be intentionally introduced to those created because of the international connectivity provided by airplanes. Discussion will include the short, medium and long term impact to human populations and infrastructures of the various hazards and the impacts on triage and triage decision making processes. 3 cr
GMS BC 610 Medical Consequences of Natural and Man-made Hazards
3 credits. Fall and Spring
This course provides a broad overview of medical consequences of man-made and natural hazards. Hazards can directly impact people's lives, as well as indirectly by damaging an area's health infrastructure. This course will teach details essential to every healthcare emergency manager to prepare for known and emerging threats, including discussing external and internal hazards. Emphasis will be placed on human population effects, and the wide range of multiple interdependent aspects of social, cultural and physical infrastructures. Discussion will include the short, medium and long term impact on healthcare delivery, including the importance of psychological concerns such as morale and post-event counseling. 3 cr
GMS BC 620 Psychology and Sociology of Disasters and Methods of Risk Communication
3 credits.
This course surveys psychological and social factors affecting community and individual responses to disasters. Emphasis is placed on groups who may experience greater impact as a result of disability, social, economic, or racial disparities. This course explores the methods of risk communications to diverse audiences including considerations of subjectivity of risk, translating complex concepts into clear concise informative messages, and recognizing time sensitivity of information. 3 cr
GMS BC 630 Ethical & Policy Issues in Health and Medical Services Emergency Management
3 credits.
This course explores the complex issues surrounding ethical, legal and policy issues concerning health and health care delivery under crisis conditions. Issues evaluated include end-of-life decision making, implications of triage, medical malpractice, insurance company regulation and liability. Additionally, the interrelationships of the various levels, and often competing branches, of government will be evaluated. 3 cr
GMS BC 650 Community Health and Emergency Management
3 credits.
Public Health is a multidisciplinary field that aims to prevent disease and death and to promote a healthy quality of life. Public Health surveillance, intervention, and evaluation intervene at the population and societal level, taking on the effort to advance the health and safety of the greatest amount of people. This course will explore the multiple concentrations of public health, focusing on epidemiology and environmental health. In order to understand what public health is and how it should be applied during an emergency, this course will discuss specific epidemiological disasters in history, the scientific and statistical perspective associated with collecting, analyzing, interpreting and utilizing data, and the interconnectedness that is required to rapidly evaluate and manage disasters. 3 cr
GMS BC 700 The Disaster Lifecycle
3 credits. Fall and Spring
This course focuses on examining health needs and health care delivery methods to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate impacts of crises. Preparedness consists of being ready for any kind of emergency no matter what the source of the disaster. Practically this means looking at preparedness from an all-hazards perspective and developing the complicated array of policies, methods and programs. Disaster response is a complicated multi-institutional operation requiring sophisticated planning, logistics and communications. Response planning emphasizes the interface and coordination requirements of the National Response Framework. Recovery involves all the necessary actions to reinstate normal operations including reconstitution of necessary data, hardware, software, personnel, supplies and facilities. Recovery actions are focused on issues and decisions that occur after immediate response needs are addressed. Current and proposed Federal, state, local and private nonprofit disaster recovery methods are discussed. This course addresses these issues through discussion of the cycle of planning, training, equipping, exercising and mission continuity processes and reviewing case studies of current and past governmental and private methods. 3 cr
GMS BC 710 Methods and Practices of Incident Command
3 credits. Fall and Spring
This course examines command and control processes, including Incident and Unified Command Structures, under crisis and disaster management situations for health and medical services. Use of simulations tools will be accomplished (such as Incident Commander: A Crisis Training Simulation) to provide training of community management level incident command actions, based on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mandated command structures articulated in the National Incident Management System. Additionally, decision making under uncertainty and emerging social and operational network theory will be evaluated and discussed. 3 cr
GMS MA 709 Service Learning Internship (Pt. 2)
2 credits. Fall and Spring
For this practicum, students will continue working on their a volunteer project with the group or community with whom they plan to conduct their fieldwork. The purpose of the practicum is to initiate the process of engagement in Community-Based Participatory Research design.
GMS MH 706 Social & Cultural Foundations
3 credits.
This course provides an overview of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society, in order to enable students to work effectively with people from varied racial, cultural and class backgrounds. The course is organized around a social justice model and the ethical responsibility of counselors to provide clients across a wide range of identities with meaningful and relevant clinical services, and the role of counselors in promoting overall health and wellness across cultures. A contemporary body of professional literature is explored, with an emphasis on self-awareness, cultural sensitivity and humility, experiential learning activities, and multicultural counseling skills acquisition. 3 cr, Yr. 1, Spring sem.
KHC BI 101 Climate Change Biology in Massachusetts: What Would Henry Say?
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This course will place Thoreau and Walden within the context of modern climate change biology research. Students will read Walden concurrently with papers on climate change and recent books to appreciate how Thoreau anticipated many modern climate change issues. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking.
KHC HC 301 Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Global Challenges I
4 credits. Fall
In this course, students will develop an understanding of global public health from interdisciplinary perspectives. Specifically, the course will foster students’ ability to critically consider key contemporary issues in global public health with a lens on ethical considerations, and in turn make links to policy and practice implications. Students will take on a range of issues that go well beyond the study of public health itself, raising questions such as those around identity, childhood, mental health, historical legacies of colonialism, and contemporary inequalities. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
KHC HC 302 Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Global Challenges II
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Social Inquiry II Teamwork/Collaboration
68.5 million people were displaced from their homes by wars and persecution by the end of 2017. What disciplines and methodologies will help us understand this unprecedented global crisis? A premise of this course is that any understanding of the contemporary refugee crisis requires interdisciplinary study, and the most effective solutions are developed by teams like the interdisciplinary groups you will form in this class. The refugee crisis will provide a lens through which to understand nation/states, culture, identity, technology, trauma, and human resilience. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
KHC HC 501 People in Process: Lives & Works
2 credits.
Students discuss case studies that highlight the impact of innovative research on culture and examine the major challenges that face our society, from access to higher education to health care to race and gender in the workplace. The course also supports students ongoing work on their senior projects. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following Hub area: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
KHC HC 502 People in Process: Choice and Change - Writing Intensive
2 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Explores the challenges, choices, and influence of an individual who has had an impact on the student's educational decisions by crafting written arguments with attention to modes of expression and range of genres. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Writing- Intensive Course.
KHC PH 103 Seeing Poverty
4 credits.
How do we understand poverty in modern America? Images of poverty might lead us to believe poverty is exclusively a problem of urban people of color, but what do historic and modern depictions of poverty in popular culture -- reality TV shows, or films tell us? How is data on poverty calculated and understood? This course will explore the ever-changing and ever-political sociological and public health issues of measuring poverty in America today. Using literature, film, photography, and public data sets, the course will explore the true meaning of "poverty." Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.
LAW BK 935 MICROFINANCE
2 credits. Fall and Spring
This course provides an introduction to the field of microfinance, particularly its rapid evolution and role in economic development. Students will learn key concepts including the study of lending methodologies, products available to micro-entrepreneurs and the legal challenges, public policy considerations, and risks faced by investors, technical experts and financial providers. This course will also examine financial practices in the developing world such as payment and remittance systems, which allow foreign nationals to transfer funds internationally within and outside traditional banking systems. Not offered Spring 2024.
LAW JD 716 CONSTRUCTION LAW
2 credits. Fall and Spring
This course will introduce students to the key concepts of construction law. The course takes students from pre-construction through project execution, and addresses the issues and conflicts that frequently arise during the construction process. Although portions of the course will address issues of contract law and dispute resolution, the course focuses on issues that are particular and unique to construction.
LAW JD 722 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE & CIVIL RTS
3 credits. Fall and Spring
Environmental Justice can be defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws and policies. Over the last two decades efforts to secure environmental justice, including climate justice, have become important features of environmental policy and activism in the United States and globally. This seminar will explore whether a healthy environment is a basic human right, why environmental justice concerns have arisen, and what legal mechanisms may be used to address them. We will identify current situations where claims of environmental injustice might be made, and examine how existing legal tools, such as the US Constitution, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, federal environmental statutes, and international treaties might be applied to deal with them. Course requirements include a final paper, a class presentation based on the paper topic, and class participation. Students may also register for the Environmental Law Practicum and gain practical experience working on environmental justice issues at an environmental non-profit organization. There is no prerequisite for this seminar. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students may be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. GRADING NOTICE: This class does not offer the CR/NC/H option. OFFERING PATTERN: This class is not offered every year. Students are advised to take this into account when planning their long-term schedule. **A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
LAW JD 766 Environmental Law Practicum
Var credits.
THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have formally applied to and been accepted to the Environmental Law Practicum. Students receive credit for completing environmental law-related legal projects for a regional or national environmental law organization, such as the Conservation Law Foundation and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Projects will vary in scope and content based on student interest and the needs of the partnering organization. Project topics include clean energy, clean water, and environmental justice, which concerns the intersection of civil rights, fundamental fairness, and environmental policy. Students may also have the opportunity to work on litigation-related matters. Throughout the semester, students will work both under the supervision of an attorney at the partner organization and under the supervision of Professor Pam Hill. Practicum students must attend at least six class meetings with Professor Hill. Students receive either 1, 2 or 3 graded credits depending on the nature of the project and the anticipated workload. NOTE: This clinic counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option.
LAW JD 778 INTRO TO RISK MANAGEMENT & COMPLIANCE
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Spanning the range of industries from health care to financial services to manufacturing and beyond, compliance is the fast-growing practice of managing the full range of legal risk within highly-regulated organizations. At the complex intersection of law, business operations, reputation, and ethics, compliance lawyers practice "preventive law" to protect companies against corporate criminal and civil liability. We will discuss how to identify and evaluate an organization's legal risks and and work in multidisciplinary teams to develop effective strategies to prevent wrongdoing (and detect violations when they do occur). Among other topics, we will look at the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and enforcement guidance from the Department of Justice and Securities & Exchange Commission to see how compliance has become a key mechanism of corporate accountability in the U.S. and globally.
LAW JD 779 Digital Civil Liberties
3 credits.
This readings seminar will focus on emerging issues of civil liberties in our digital society, with special attention paid to privacy and freedom of speech in the age of social media, platforms, and artificial intelligence. We will explore the potential and dangers of the Internet revolution in communications, and how it is affected by the activities of users, by companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter, and by government attempts to restrain or shape the evolution of online activity through law. The course will be structured around discussions of principal readings of relatively recent (and readable) books and articles, including the possibility of videoconferencing or in-person lectures with some of the authors to discuss their work. There will be three student papers required – two short papers due during the semester providing a critical review of one of the readings chosen by the student, and a slightly longer paper due at the end of exams comparing and critiquing two of the principal readings. In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of the topics of the books, we will work on developing essential skills for lawyers of close reading and clear and persuasive writing. UPPER-CLASS WRITING REQUIREMENT: A limited number of students may use this class to satisfy the requirement. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar. or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
LAW JD 796 CLIMATE CHANGE LAW & POLICY
3 credits. Fall and Spring
Climate change is the most important environmental issue of this century. It has generated major law and policy over the last several years, both in the United States and internationally, and presents significant legal and policy issues that remain unresolved. This seminar will examine the legal tools available to address climate change and possibilities for future action, as well as related challenges in light of the current political landscape. The seminar first will consider the international context and review the history of climate change efforts on a global scale, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the 2015 Paris Agreement. It will then focus on currently available U.S. authorities, including the Clean Air Act and executive branch powers, and on state and local efforts. Because there is no statute that addresses climate change head-on, the seminar will consider the challenges presented when a major policy concern is advanced in the absence of a firm statutory foundation. Climate change also raises important issues of human rights, environmental justice, and international and intergenerational equity, which will be examined. Finally, the seminar will look to the future and pose questions concerning expectations for international cooperation and possible developments in U.S. law and policy. There are no prerequisites. The grade will be based on class participation and papers. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT: A limited number of students may be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
LAW JD 832 ENERGY LAW & POLICY
3 credits.
Energy law and policy are integral to the U.S. economy and have major impacts on the environment. This seminar will provide an overview of U.S. energy law and policy with an emphasis on the sources and regulation of electric energy. We will pay particular attention to emerging alternative energy sources, e.g. wind, solar, biomass, as well as new technologies, e.g. horizontal fracking for the development of natural gas. We will consider the division of regulatory authority among federal, state, and local governments. Students will have the opportunity to enhance their research, writing, and oral presentation skills and receive detailed feedback. There are no pre-requisites to the course other than a curious mind and interest in the subject matter. UPPER-CLASS WRITING REQUIREMENT: A limited number of students may use this class to satisfy the requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
LAW JD 833 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This is an introductory survey course in environmental law. We will consider the theoretical foundations and political dimensions of environmental law as we focus on several key statutes including the Clean Air Act (and its application to climate change), Clean Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (the Superfund statute), and the National Environmental Protection Act.
MET AD 620 Environmental Law, Regulation & Sustainability
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This course provides a framework to study the global environmental problems and the direct impact on government, business, and non-governmental organizations in seeking sustainability. Students will be seeking resolution of major environmental concerns related to a vital balance between economic needs and environmental protection domestically and on a global perspective. Students will examine global concerns of climate change, ozone destruction, disposal of solid & hazardous waste and 20 major global environmental issues. 4 credits
MET AD 650 Economic Development via Tourism in the Developing World
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Many branches of the tourism industry have become incorporated into the increasingly important economic paradigm of sustainable economic development (economic development while minimizing the negative environmental, social and cultural impact of such development) in both the developed and developing world. In this course students will visit a developing country and learn how the tourist industry has developed in that country, determine how sustainable that development has been and what are potential directions for future growth in the tourist industry.
MET AD 657 Economic Sustainability, Development, and Competitiveness of a Tourist Destination
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This course allows the student to understand and learn how to develop and manage tourism destinations that have the capability to perform effectively in an increasingly competitive international marketplace in ways that are environmentally, socially, and culturally sustainable. Topics include: the evolving nature of competition and sustainability, dimensions of competitive destination and sustainable destination, the global macro-environment for tourism, the competitive micro-environment, core resources and attractors, supporting facilities, and destination policy, planning, and development.
MET ES 108 Environmental Geology II: Land Use Planning, Environmental Impact, and Global Change (N)
4 credits. Fall and Spring
The course introduces the concept of global climate change and Earth system science by first discussing basic principles of environmental geology and plate tectonics. Groundwater, groundwater pollution, and environmental impact of resource recovery are discussed in the context of health and land-use planning. Other topics include glaciations, desertification, acid rain, global warming, and long-term geologic change.
MET ML 626 Food Waste: Scope, Scale, & Signals for Sustainable Change
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Food waste is a hot topic but not a new one. Some wasted food is the sign of a healthy system-- if there were exactly enough calories produced to meet each of our needs, there would be mass starvation, riots, and hoarding as we all scrambled to get our share. But by some estimates, food loss and waste account for nearly 40% of the food produced. How much wasted food is too much? At the same time this food is wasted, food insecurity is everywhere, even on BU's campus. Is all wasted food "trash?" Need it be? Why is food wasted and where along the supply chain is it wasted? What are the ethics of donating surplus food/waste/trash of those who have too much to those who don't have enough? This hybrid course explores the history, culture, rhetoric, and practicalities of wasted food, from farm, through fork, to gut (is overeating a form of food waste? What about wasting micronutrients by converting them to ultraprocessed foods?). Each week includes readings, discussion, application activity; and several weeks will include a guest lecture from a food system practitioner. Students will develop practical solutions in a final project.
MET ML 720 Food Policy and Food Systems
4 credits.
This course presents frameworks and case studies that will advance participants' understandings of U.S. and global food systems and policies. Adopting food-systems and food-chain approaches, it provides historical, cultural, theoretical and practical perspectives on world food problems and patterns of dietary and nutritional change, so that participants acquire a working knowledge of the ecology and politics of world hunger and understand the evolution of global-to-local food systems and diets. Global overview of world food situations will be combined with more detailed national and local-level case studies and analysis that connect global to local food crisis and responses.
MET ML 723 Sustainable Food Systems
4 credits.
Sustainability, will examine the contemporary food system through a multi- disciplinary lens. The course will allow students to put readings and ideas into culinary practice. By examining the often-competing concerns from other domains, including economic (both micro and macro), social welfare, social justice and social diversity, health and wellness, food security and insecurity, and resiliency, we can begin to move towards solutions that treat the disease (our food system) and not just the symptoms (domain specific issues). Students will read widely in the topic area, engage in classroom discussion, and work together in the kitchen to understand hands- on culinary approaches to some of the most important issues of our time.
MET PO 241 Introduction to Public Policy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate core course. Analysis of several issue areas: civil rights, school desegregation, welfare and social policy, education and urban housing, energy and the environment. Characteristics of policy systems in each issue area are analyzed to identify factors which may affect the content and implementation of public policies.
MET SO 335 Technology, Environment, and Society
4 credits.
Relationship between technology, environment, and social life. Impact of actual cases of technological development and environmental degradation. Emergence of social problems, and strategies for their solution.
MET SO 501 Special Topics in Sociology
4 credits.
SO501 is the designation for "Special Topics in Sociology". The subject matter for SO501 courses changes from semester to semester, and more than one SO501 can be offered in a given semester. For additional information, please contact the MET Applied Social Sciences Department. Fall 2018, SO501 D1: "Developing Sustainable Communities." This course is designed to explore the many challenges of achieving sustainable development through a coherent and thought provoking overview of moves towards developing sustainable communities. The course will focus on improving the quality of people's lives, on disinvested communities and on the inequitable distribution of income, wealth, and environmental hazards. It will investigate the theory of sustainable development and ask about the principles, tools, and techniques, of moving towards the ecological integrity, economic security, empowerment, responsibility and social well being characteristics of sustainable communities. Case studies will be drawn from around the world.
QST PL 851 Sustainable Energy Business Models and Policies
3 credits. Fall and Spring
The course will feature a series of 13 speakers, each from one area of sustainable energy business, in a discussion that connects the business strategy, business model, public policy and regulatory drivers that affect the business. The areas featured include solar and wind energy, the smart grid, energy efficiency businesses, energy storage, and several others. The goal of the course is to (1) introduce business students to this specialized area and to the range of subjects they will need to learn if they intend to pursue a career in this sector; (2) show students how different sustainable energy companies define their business model to respond to transformations and opportunities in their industry, and how that business model interacts with public policies. Students from outside of Questrom may enroll with permission of instructor, based on knowledge of energy technologies, regulation, and basic energy economics.
QST SI 430 Cleantech Venture Consulting Practicum
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: QST SM131; CAS EE150 or ENG EK225 - Required course for the Undergraduate Minor in Sustainable Energy. Serves as the capstone project providing students with a multidisciplinary experience that applies ALL three disciplines on the Undergraduate Minor in Sustainable Energy, i.e. Business, Environmental Sciences and Engineering. The practicum is offered in conjunction with a "sponsoring company" to provide students with a hands-on experience with a real-world sustainable energy project.
QST SI 453 Strategies in Environmental Sustainability
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: QST SM131, or QST SI250, or QST SI480, or COM FT591, or SHA HF307; Jun ior standing - With the growing global call for climate action, firms are recognizing business imperatives for climate resiliency. This course broadens our vision of corporate strategy to incorporate environmental initiatives as a way to create value. If you are a student who embraces the power of the private sector to lead climate imperatives, you will find this course particularly applicable. You will leave this course with a clear and actionable framework for implementing sustainability initiatives at all levels of the firm. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Teamwork/Collaboration. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Teamwork/Collaboration. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration.
QST SI 836 Decarbonization of the Global Economy
3 credits. Fall and Spring
The changing relationship between business and the natural environment offers both challenges and opportunities for firms. In this course we will discuss many facets of business, including financing, risk management, measurement, competitive positioning, innovation, and strategy in the context of increasing pressures for improved environmental sustainability. The course will be interactive and discussion-oriented, with a case discussion in most class sessions, supplemented by debates, simulation exercises, visitors, student presentations, discussions of recent news articles, and mini-lectures. The course is appropriate for all students interested in how demands for sustainability will continue to change the business environment.
QST SI 847 Strategic Analysis of Energy & Environmental Sustainability Projects
3 credits. Fall and Spring
Graduate Prerequisites: AC710/711/712, FE717/721/722, FE730/PL714/727, IS710/711/716, MK713/72 3/724, OB712/713/715, OM710/725/726, QM711/716/717, SI718/750/751 - This course is a field-based team project course focused on real world issues related to energy and environmental sustainability. Course projects are provided by external "client" organizations and provide students with an integrative, hands-on experience in the development, deployment, and/or implementation of sustainable energy/environmental technologies/systems/initiatives. Examples of client organizations are public/private/non-governmental organizations that operate in the: a) energy generation, distribution or storage sector, b) energy/energy services (ESCO)/environmental services sector, c) energy/environmental project development services or financing sector, or d) public/private sector, such as a large energy-user evaluating sustainable energy/environmental strategy/implementation alternatives. The course is of hybrid design, blending in-class lectures, panel discussions and cases with on-line elements and field site visits. Prior course work in areas such as finance, marketing, policy and strategy will be augmented with specific/relevant industry/application/technical content through online sources, webinars and expert speakers.
QST SI 849 Corporate Sustainability Strategy
3 credits. Fall and Spring
Graduate Prerequisites: (QSTSI750 OR QSTSI751) - Focuses on embedding sustainability (ESG/CSR) into corporate strategy as an approach for creating long-term shareholder/stakeholder value, where value covers the broad spectrum of economic, environmental and social outcomes. Through readings, lectures, case discussions, in-class exercises, lab session and a team project, this course will: 1) Introduce students to problem framing and environmental scanning techniques as methods for understanding macro-level social, economic and environmental systems and their implications; 2) Apply a variety of long-range strategic forecasting and analysis methods, techniques and tools through a scenario planning lab simulation; 3) Develop decision frameworks for corporate strategy development focused on creating/capturing value and managing risk through a sequence of strategic actions over time; 4) Explore newly emerging paradigms for sustainability-driven innovations in product/service, value chain and business model development and stakeholder-based, non-market actions.
QST SI 870 Strategies for Sustainable Development
3 credits. Fall and Spring
Graduate Prerequisites: OB712/713/715, AC710/711/712, QM711/716/717, MK713/723/724, FE717/721/ 722, PL714/727/FE730, IS710/711716, OM710/725/726 - SI870: Strategies for Sustainable Development is an advanced strategy course that explores the analysis, conceptualization and development of innovative, market-based solutions for sustainable development challenges for a future defined by natural resource, environmental and biological constraints. Specifically, the course the explores 1) the complex global context for sustainable development, 2) key stakeholders, 3) the emergent strategy (entrepreneurial) development process, method and practice, and 4) the structure, governance, and financing/microeconomics of new, emergent organizational forms and business models for sustainable development, such as cross-sector cooperative alliances, public-private partnerships with a particular focus multi-stakeholder platforms. Note: Market-based solutions for sustainable development are economically self-sustaining alternatives to traditional governmentally-funded or aid-based programs for addressing systemic social, economic and environmental problems. These solutions engage public, private, NGO and civil society actors and employ a variety in emerging organizational forms (both for profit and non-profit), innovative business models and strategies to deliver effective solutions at scale. The course takes a stakeholder-oriented, system-of-systems approach to the issues of sustainable development with a specific focus on the network of interrelated actors and interdependent issues within the class of "wicked problems"; .i.e. social, economic or environmental problems that are difficult to frame, scope and seemingly insoluble because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements. Cases, readings, video and lectures will establish global context and sustainable development worldview across nine countries; Brazil, China, India, Israel, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and South Africa, and explore solutions to a range of issues from energy, food, water and climate change to health, education, economic inclusion, gender equity, security, organized crime and the informal. Students will work in teams to initially identify, frame and scope a complex, global sustainable development challenge and then work throughout the semester to research, conceptualized, evaluate and propose a global initiative for a market-based solution to that challenge.
SAR HS 325 Introduction to Global Health
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
This course will provide students with an overview of the complex social, economic, political, environmental, and biological factors that structure the origins, consequences, and possible treatments of illness worldwide, as well as the promotion of health. Students will learn about the major themes and concepts shaping the interdisciplinary field of global health, and will gain an understanding of solutions to health challenges that have been successfully implemented in different parts of the world. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
SAR HS 345 Global Environmental Public Health
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Environmental health is associated with recognizing, assessing, understanding and controlling the impacts of people in their environment and the impacts of the environment on the public health. The complexity of the problems requires multidisciplinary approaches. This course will provide an introduction to the principles, methods, and issues related to global environmental health. This course examines health issues, scientific understanding of causes, and possible future approaches to control of the major environmental health problems internationally. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
SAR HS 425 Healthcare Policy and Practice in Ireland
4 credits. Fall
Available in Dublin Health Science program onlyHow can healthcare policy and practice in Ireland be described? What are its origins and how has it evolved, specifically related to cultural, political, social and economic developments? How can the current fragmented and two-tiered system be improved? These are key questions, especially following the launch in 2017 of the ten-year Sl¿intecare healthcare programme. During this course students will discuss these questions, using the six building blocks of the World Health Organisation (WHO) health system framework, comparing the Irish health systems with other health systems. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry I.
SPH EH 717 Foundations of Environmental Health
3 credits. Fall and Spring
EH717 is the introductory core course that focuses on assessment and control of a broad range of physical, chemical, and biological factors in the natural and built environment that affect the health of individuals and populations. EH717 addresses an array of environmental issues including emergency preparedness; food safety and regulation; electromagnetic radiation; energy utilization; solid, liquid, and hazardous materials management; the fate of chemicals in the environment; vector control; livestock production; air and water quality; occupational health and safety; the built environment; environmental justice; and other timely environmental issues of growing importance across the globe.
SPH EH 725 Analytical Methods in Environmental Health
2 credits. Fall and Spring
Graduate Prerequisites: Required for all EH concentrators who have not completed EH765. EH717 may be taken concurrently with or prior to EH725. - Students in this course learn the skills, methods and critical thinking framework necessary for upper level environmental health courses and for success as public health professionals. Environmental Health is a field of public health in which environmental hazards and health risks to populations are identified, assessed and managed through a data-driven process. This course extends the depth of concepts taught in EH717 and should be taken concurrently for students entering in the fall semester. We take the opportunity to partner with communities to design and conduct a data collection and analysis effort that is suitable for rigorous analyses with the many tools commonly used in environmental health.
SPH EH 730 Methods in Environmental Health Sciences
4 credits.
This course is one of three foundational courses for the Environmental Health (EH) Certificate. Environmental health is a field of public health in which environmental hazards and health risks to populations are identified, assessed and managed through a data-driven process and sustainable alternatives are explored. This course extends the depth of concepts taught in the Core MPH curriculum and extends the breadth of topics to teach the scientific and policy aspects of a wide range of environmental health situations. In this course, we design and conduct a data collection and analysis effort that is suitable for rigorous analyses with the many tools commonly used in environmental health. The methods relevant to the field are taught in the context of the relevant environmental health issues of today. Students are well prepared for upper level environmental health courses and for success as public health professionals.
SPH EH 735 The Environmental Determinants of Infectious Diseases
2 credits.
Graduate Prerequisites: SPH PH709 or EH710 or one year of college biology within last 5 years with a B or better - The environment is a key determinant of infectious disease burden in a population. This course presents an overview of how existing and, in particular, changing global environmental (physical, social, and behavioral) factors can affect the transmission cycle of infectious pathogens in both developing and industrialized countries. It examines issues of water, sanitation and hygiene in resource-limited settings that contribute to the enormous morbidity and mortality associated with childhood diarrheal diseases, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). It also explores how environmental alterations and natural disasters can result in ecological changes that impact the maintenance and spread of infectious diseases in a community. Sustainable environmental intervention strategies to reduce the burden of infectious diseases will be considered for each of the major diseases covered in class. This course is appropriate for MPH students and undergraduates.
SPH EH 745 Wastewater and Health/Sustainable Sanitation
2 credits. Fall and Spring
Graduate Prerequisites: EH 730 or consent of instructor. - This course provides students with an overview of the relationship between human health, ecological health, and sanitation. The different disposal and treatment methods for human excreta are described in their historical and political contexts. Related topics such as the land application of sewage sludge, the role of government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and public health experts are presented as well as practical solutions toward sustainable sanitation. This course involves a group project and a paper.
SPH EH 750 Water Quality and Public Health
2 credits. Fall
Graduate Prerequisites: EH 730 or permission of the instructor. For undergrads, course in biol ogy or chemistry. - Adequate water supply and good water quality are critical to the public's health and for disease prevention. The processes for design and management of municipal treatment facilities and private water systems are examined -- with attention to climate change impacts. Considerations of historical contaminants (lead, cholera andfeces) and emerging contaminants (PFAS, pharmaceuticals and Harmful Algae) with regard to water treatment and sustainable solutions are emphasized. Water quality topics include standards and regulations and water quality analysis of drinking and surface waters. Social, political, and economic factors effecting water quality, treatment and access are discussed. Students are expected to participate in field sampling (during class time) in order gain useful skills.
SPH EH 757 Environmental Epidemiology
4 credits.
Graduate Prerequisites: EH 730 or consent from instructor. - This course introduces students to epidemiologic investigations of environmental health problems, a fundamental tool for building a sustainable and healthy future. Topics include perennial subjects such as the health effects associated with air and water contaminants and occupational exposure, as well as newer issues such as endocrine and metabolic disruptors, PFAS "forever chemicals", chemicals in consumer products, exposure to mixtures of compounds and environmental epidemiology of pets. The course emphasizes epidemiologic methods, particularly exposure assessment, confounding, and sources of bias. Students gain experience in the critical review and design of related epidemiologic studies. This course counts as concentration credit for epidemiology concentrators.
SSW HB 735 Racial Justice and Cultural Oppression
3 credits.
Graduate Corequisites: Graduate Corequisites: HB 720; Or permission of department chair. Requ ired of all students - This course examines the causes and implications of racism as a dynamic force influencing social work, and the Intersectionality of racism with other forms of oppression. The course builds on and integrates concepts presented in foundation courses. It analyzes and evaluates the social, cultural, political, economic and interpersonal contexts of racism that bear on our current policies and institutional arrangements. The course is designed to familiarize students with 1) theoretical overviews of racism and oppression; 2) historical accounts and contemporary experiences of racism, 3) the formation of complex racial identity, 4) multicultural contexts and fundamentals of cultural competency, and 5) effective social change efforts based on organizational analysis.
SSW HB 749 Social Perspectives on Health and Illness
3 credits. Spring
Graduate Prerequisites: (SSWHB720) Or permission by department chair. - This course is designed to orient students toward major contemporary health issues and to foster an understanding of the way that social, environmental, and cultural contexts can contribute to either health or illness. The course is premised on the notion that understanding how context influences these outcomes is of direct importance to social work practice in a variety of domains. The course is organized into three modules. The first introduces students to important historical, theoretical, and current perspectives on health and illness and provides the groundwork for the rest of the course. The second module focuses on health and illness using the social ecology of health model. The last module focuses on emergent issues in health and illness, integrating the knowledge from the first two modules in order to demonstrate to students the multitude of ways in which social contexts can jointly promote health-related outcomes.
STH TC 815 Acadia Travel Seminar
3 credits. Fall and Spring
TRAVEL DATES: Monday, May 20 to Sunday, May 26 This course will explore the context of nature as a foundation for spiritual practice. Readings from a variety of faith traditions, including Celtic Christianity and Native American spirituality, will provide the theological grounding for the course. Emphasis will be placed on experiencing and developing individual and communal practices that connect persons to the Holy in and through nature. Students will be guided in experiencing nature as sacred subject rather than object; as teacher, spiritual guide, companion, and neighbor. The settings for this course will be Boston and the Alcyon Center, a spiritual life center in Seal Cove, Maine, just outside the bounds of Acadia National Park, that hosts nature-based retreat experiences (www.alcyoncenter.org) . Four Boston-based sessions will be held on Fridays prior to the travel portion of the course. These sessions will offer theoretical and theological foundations for the travel portion of the course as well as an opportunity to connect with nature in non-wilderness settings. The week after graduation, the class will travel to the Alcyon Center for several days exploring holistic approaches to grounding spiritual practices in nature. With Acadia National Park as a context, students will be led in hikes, nature walks, and other activities exploring how to facilitate such experiences as spiritual practices. Students will also be given the opportunity to reflect upon and engage in the practices and operations of the Alcyon Center, which are based in a rhythm of holy living grounded in nature. These experiences will provide insight into how spiritual traditions can impact more than just programming in such settings. Other class sessions will consider environmental stewardship and sustainability as individual and communal spiritual practices with local resource persons and Alcyon Center staff providing assistance. A follow up session will be held at STH at the beginning of June. Please note: * Each day in Acadia will involve 2-4 miles of hiking, most of which will be easy, but one or two of which could be considered moderately strenuous depending upon one's ability. We will do our best to accommodate persons with differing ability levels, but students should be prepared to undertake this level of activity. * Meals at the Alcyon Center are mostly vegetarian (some chicken and fish) with a good number of gluten-free options (though not prepared in a dedicated GF kitchen). There is ample refrigerator space for students needing to tend to food needs that fall outside these parameters.