Environmental Science Department
Undergraduate Course Descriptions
Mathematics
MT 096 Pre-College Mathematics (3)
A review of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers through concepts in fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, proportions, positive and negative numbers, and simple equations. Includes an introduction to geometry. Credits may not be applied toward a certificate or degree program.
MT 097 Elementary Algebra (3)
Properties of real numbers, polynomials, factoring, exponents, radicals, algebraic fractions, graphing, solving linear equations, systems of linear equations, linear inequalities, absolute value equations, and quadratic equations. Credits may not be applied toward a certificate or degree. Prerequisite: MT 096 or placement test.
MT 101 Intermediate Algebra (3)
Includes and extends topics covered in MT 097. Covers properties of real numbers, exponents, radicals, solving linear and quadratic equations and inequalities, operations with polynomials, factoring, rational expressions, functions, and graphing of equations and inequalities (first and second degree). Prerequisite: MT 097 or placement test.
MT 115 College Algebra (3)
Includes and extends topics covered in MT 101. Topics include equation theory, solving equations of degree greater than two, logarithmic, exponential and inverse functions, inequalities, linear and quadratic systems and inequalities, matrix algebra, determinants, and graphs and equations of conic sections. Prerequisite: MT 101 or placement test.
MT 116 Plane Trigonometry (2)
Topics needed prior to taking Calculus I include trigonometric functions, radian and degree measure, graphs of trigonometric functions, inverse trigonometric functions, solving trigonometric equations, trigonometric identities, and applications. Prerequisite: MT 115.
MT 210 Math Concepts (3)
Elementary set theory, the real number system, numeration systems, algorithms of arithmetic, logic and geometry, the metric system, calculators, computer programming, and probability and statistics. MT 210 satisfies the university mathematics competency requirement. Prerequisite: MT 101, placement test or permission of student's advisor.
MT 231 Applied Statistics (4)
The fundamental principles of statistics including descriptive statistics, probability, linear regression, inferential statistics (with science and business applications), and an introduction to the interpretation of the output of statistical analysis packages for microcomputers. Prerequisite: MT 115 or placement test.
MT 250 Calculus and Analytic Geometry I (4)
Differential and integral calculus of the elementary functions (including trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions) with associated analytic geometry. Prerequisite: MT 115 and MT 192 or permission from the instructor.
MT 251 Calculus and Analytic Geometry II (4)
Integration techniques and infinite series with associated analytic geometry. Prerequisite: MT 250.
MT 352 Multivariable Calculus (4)
Vectors, curves, surfaces, partial differentiation, and multiple integrals. Prerequisite: MT 251.
MT 353 Differential Equations (3)
Ordinary differential equations. Elementary methods of solution; linear differential equations, and power series. Course offered as demand warrants. Applications. Prerequisite: MT 352.
MT 354 Linear Algebra (3)
Linear transformations, characteristic values, eigenvalues and eigenvectors and inner product spaces. Prerequisite: MT 352.
MT 3XX Advanced Statistics (4)
This course is pending approval.
Physical Education Activities
PE 103, 203
Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Level Physical Education and Outdoor Skill Activities Aerobic Conditioning, Swimming, Running, Weight Training, Circuit Training, Canoeing/Kayaking, Alpine Skiing, Basketball, Soccer/Field Games, Karate, Austria Ski Tour, Wrestling, Badminton/Tennis, Volleyball and Cross-Country Skiing
Environmental Science
SC 100 Integrated Science I (4)
Laboratory course tailored for non-science majors. Examination of the development of major scientific concepts and theories which are the basis of study in the distinct scientific disciplines. Scientific concepts will be placed in a social context by exploring the relationships between science, technology, and society. Includes lab. Lab fee required. Satisfies laboratory science GUR.
SC 101 Principles of Biology (4)
General introduction to the science of life and the fundamental processes which govern and dictate the success of all organisms. Includes lab. Lab fee required. Satisfies laboratory science GUR.
SC 102 Introductory Botany and Zoology (4)
Examination of the plant and animal kingdoms emphasizing structural, functional, and evolutionary relationships. Includes lab. Lab fee required. Satisfies laboratory science GUR.
SC 105 Natural History of Alaska (4)
This is an introduction to the animals, plants, and geology of South Central Alaska’s terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. As a field based block class, the goal of the class is to familiarize students with this area’s natural history sufficiently that they can share their knowledge with others. The course requires approximately four hours each day on field time plus one hour of class time. In additional there is a one week long trip to Kachemak Bay that is covered by the lab fee.
SC 107 Physical Geology (4)
Physical aspects of the solid earth including earth materials (minerals, rocks, and soils), and the internal and external processes forming and modifying the earth and materials. Unifying concepts include uniformitarianism, the scientific method, and plate tectonics. Includes lab. Lab fee required. Satisfies laboratory science GUR.
SC 108 Historical Geology (4)
Conceptual approach to the origin and subsequent history of the earth and the evolution of life through time. Includes lab. Lab fee required. Satisfies laboratory science GUR.
SC 111 College Physics I (4)
Introduction to classical physics including Newtonian mechanics, circular motion, work, energy, and elementary thermodynamics. Problems will apply mathematical reasoning to analyzing basic physics concepts. The laboratory portion of the course will utilize Vernier software to collect and analyze data; and examination of the agreement of theory and experiment will be primary goal of the lab. Prerequisite: MT 115 and MT 116. Satisfies laboratory science GUR.
SC 115 Principles of Chemistry I (4)
Basic principles of chemistry including reactions, stoichiometry, ideal gas law, atomic theory, and calculations. Includes lab. Lab fee required. Prerequisite: MT 101. Satisfies laboratory science GUR.
SC 116 Principles of Chemistry II (4)
Continuation of SC 115. Study of chemical kinetics, equilibrium theory, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry. Includes lab. Lab fee required. Prerequisite: SC 115. Satisfies laboratory science GUR.
SC 202 Winter Ecology and Cold Weather Physiology (4)
A definition of winter and the strategies organisms pursue to survive it. Principles and processes of energy and biochemistry are briefly reviewed in preparation for a survey of animal and plant adaptations to cold stress. Interactions between populations in a winter context are also covered. The course begins with a study of human responses to cold and methods of staying warm. Lab fee required.
SC 203 Introduction to Environmental Science (4)
Major concepts of natural resources management including those in agriculture, forestry, wildlife, fisheries, water, air, energy, mining, and recreation. Consequences of the use and misuse of vital resources are addressed. Serves as the sophomore seminar for major. Satisfies the Sophomore Seminar: Directed Study GUR.
SC 205 Principles of Botany (4)
This is a lecture and laboratory course that focuses on plant structure and function. Structural adaptations to environment will be discussed in the context of their function. This course will provide students with a working knowledge of how plants work and how they evolved to specialized niches. Included in each lecture, where appropriate, will be a discussion of what structural or functional features result in ethnobotanically significant plants. Lab fee required. Prerequisite: SC 101, SC 102, or SC 203. Satisfies the Sophomore Seminar: Directed Study GUR.
SC 210 Principles of Zoology (4)
This course introduces students to the Animal Kingdom in the classroom, laboratory and field. Major and minor animal phyla (including the protozoa) are examined with respect to anatomy, ecology, evolutionary relationships among and within phyla, and relationships with humans. Important classes within phyla will be emphasized as well as important groups within classes. Field experience will be gained in terrestrial, aquatic and marine systems. A large portion of the course will be based at Baxter Marine Station, Kasitsna Bay, Alaska. Lab fee and travel costs required. Prerequisite: SC 101, SC 102, or SC 203. Satisfies the Sophomore Seminar: Directed Study GUR.
SC 212 Principles of Physics II (4)
A continuation of SC 211. Introductory examination of electricity, magnetism, wave mechanics, acoustics and modern physics. Includes lab. Lab fee required. Satisfies the Sophomore Seminar: Directed Study GUR.
SC 220 Wilderness, Wildlife and Oil (4)
This class explores the environmental, social, and economic impact of oil and gas development in Alaska. Students will journey to islands in Price William Sound to examine the biological effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, visit the Valdez terminal of Trans-Alaska pipeline, travel the length of the pipeline and learn its history, and tour the Prudhoe Bay oil/gas complex. Students will also examine the environmental legacy of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
SC 301 Ecology (4)
Introduction to the interactions between organisms and their environment, both biotic and abiotic. Considers organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems and biomes, and lays the groundwork for more advanced classes in ecology and conservation biology. Simple mathematical models and their analyses are used. Prerequisites: SC 102 and MT 115, or permission from the instructor. Satisfies the Sophomore Seminar: Directed Study GUR.
SC 302 Environmental Assessment (4)
Examines Federal and Alaska environmental law emphasizing National Environmental Policy Act, and Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act. Further study of the Environmental Impact statement process includes methods and procedures required by NEPA regulations. The course details the requirements of CERCLA for the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment focusing upon real estate transactions. The contents of Phase II (Intrusive Studies) and Phase III (Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Studies) are also presented, as well as an introduction to risk assessment.
SC 305 Principles of Forest Management (4)
All aspects of forest management -- forest ecology, dendrology, entomology and pathology, inventory and measurements, wood technology, soil science, research, harvesting systems, forest protection (fire management, insect and disease control), forest products, economics, planning and marketing, management, silviculture, and policy. Some emphasis given to Alaskan forest ecosystems and their management. Prerequisite: SC 301.
SC 310 Resource Economics (4)
Relationship of economic principles to human efforts to optimize utilization of natural resources. Models for optimal utilization are presented and management techniques are applied to such resource industries as fisheries, agriculture, mining, energy, water, and forestry.
SC 311 Organic Evolution (4)
This course examines empirical and theoretical evidence of evolutionary patterns and processes. Emphasis is placed on the study of contemporary processes, especially those most relevant to applied conservation biology. Topics covered include: the macro and micro fossil record, natural selection and other avenues of evolutionary change, geomorphological and geochemical aspects of evolution, coevolution, adaptive radiation, divergence, speciation, and extinction. The study of contemporary processes includes: concepts of minimum viable population size, natural and artificial selection, and evolution on islands and other isolated habitats. The course attempts to apply knowledge gained through basic investigations in evolutionary science to contemporary problems, especially biodiversity crises. Prerequisite: SC 301 or permission of instructor.
SC 314 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (4)
A general survey of the principles of geographic information systems (GIS). The course introduces use of geo-relational data in a desktop-computing environment. Topics cover data capture, management, analysis, and cartographic display. Analytical applications include land use assessment, habitat evaluation, and natural resource related problem solving. The course is presented in a lecture/laboratory format. Lab fee required.
SC 315 Applied Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (4)
An intermediate level course that enhances knowledge in the areas of data capture, database management, spatial analysis, and cartographic display. Students will work with geo-relational data in a workstation environment, and develop skills in digitizing, editing coverages, manipulating data, and producing maps. The course is project-based, capitalizing on the benefits of experiential learning. It will have a lecture and laboratory component. Prerequisite: SC 314 or permission of instructor.
SC 320 Animal Behavior (3)
This course introduces the science of animal behavior, with an emphasis on an evolutionary understanding of behavior. Topics include approaches to animal behavior, evolution & genetics, mechanisms, learning, behavioral ecology, communication, food & shelter, social organization, mating systems, and animal experiences. No lab. Satisfied Social/Behavioral Sciences University requirement. Prerequisites: SC 101 or SC 102, Sophomore seminar (SC 203 or PY 210 or ED 212 or LS 201 or BA 200)
SC 331 Winter Ecology With Statistics (4)
A definition of winter and the strategies organisms pursue to survive it. Principles and processes of energy and biochemistry are briefly reviewed in preparation for a survey of animal and plant adaptations to cold stress. Interactions between populations in a winter context are also covered. Includes a study of human responses and methods of staying warm. This course requires students to apply statistics to the data collected in the field during Winter Ecology and Cold Weather Physiology (SC 202). Lab and travel fees required. Prerequisite: MT 231
SC 350 Oceanography (4)
The geological, physical, chemical, and biological factors that influence the marine environment. Study of marine resources and the role of the oceans to provide for global sustainability. Course conducted outside of Alaska during winter block. Travel fees required. Prerequisite: One laboratory science course.
SC 351 Meteorology: Weather and Climate (4)
Composition and behavior of the air; energy as it relates to weather, temperature, moisture, precipitation, pressure and winds; air masses, fronts, and storms; weather predictions; and climate change and classification.
SC 355 Environmental Chemistry (4)
Designed for Environmental Science majors. Survey of environmental chemistry principles in preparation for additional work in the discipline. Examination of the chemical basis of environmental issues. Introduction to basic field techniques for environmental sampling and monitoring. Lab fee required. Prerequisite: SC 116.
SC 410 Environmental Ethics (4)
Various perspectives and philosophies concerning the natural environment and resource utilization are explored in order to give the student a basis on which to develop his or her own ethical perspective. The human factor in addressing environmental issues is emphasized.
SC 413 Environmental Geology (4)
Focuses on the entire spectrum of possible interactions between humankind and the physical environment. Topics include earth materials, natural hazards, hydrology, waste disposal and environmental health, minerals, energy, and an introduction to environmental law and land-use planning. Includes lab. Lab fee required.
SC 415 Conservation Biology (4)
Introduction to the science of preserving biological diversity, its principles, policy and applications. Topics include extinction, ecological and genetical effects of habitat fragmentation, minimum viable population analysis, reserve design and management, the Endangered Species Act, and conflict mediation. Includes lab. Lab fee required. Prerequisite: SC 107 and SC 301.
SC 420 Natural Resource Planning and Politics (3)
The relationship between the political process and natural resource inventory, planning, development, management and conservation. Emphasis is placed on Alaskan renewable and nonrenewable natural resources and the impact of local, state, and national legislation, regulation, and political action.
SC 425 Natural Resource Policy and Law (4)
Overview of the procedural and substantive issues of law and regulation affecting the Federal lands and natural resources therein - water, minerals, timber, range, wildlife, recreation and preservation. A brief history and review of the acquisition and disposition of Federal lands, our judicial systems, constitutional authority of the branches of government and relevant Federal agencies, legislative process, and pertinent doctrines of administrative law. Legal issues will be studied through lectures, case briefs, and additional materials.
SC 426 Managing Alaska’s Resource Commons (4)
This course will critically examine the perspectives, politics, and issues surrounding the management of Alaska’s common pool resources. Building on Garret Hardin’s seminal but controversial ideas presented in "Tragedy of the Commons," we will look at how new perspectives are forcing a reconsideration of environmental, economic and political factors of using and sustaining common pool resources, with specific Alaskan examples.
SC 430 Environmental Advocacy and Leadership (4)
Examines environmental interest groups and methods of advocacy. Students learn the tasks of environmental and natural resource advocates, such as how to start and organize an advocacy group, conduct an investigation of an issue, communicate with political representatives, effectively participate in public hearings, develop a media campaign and engage in various fund-raising activities.
SC 435 Land Use Planning (4)
Overview of land use planning at the municipal, county and state levels and on public or private lands that have their own planning jurisdiction. Coverage of the history, legal framework, processes needed for successful land use planning. Requires project based exercise that utilizes geographical information systems (GIS). Lab fee required. Prerequisite: SC 314.
SC 440 Tropical Ecology (4)
A field-oriented block course that explores the ecology of a tropical region. Emphasis is placed on the structure, function, and biodiversity of natural ecosystems. Logging, agriculture, sustainable development, and conservation are also discussed. This course often requires difficult and uncomfortable travel through underdeveloped rural and wilderness areas by minibus, boat, and foot. Students are expected to have a passport, necessary inoculations, and wilderness experience. Additional costs between $1500 and $2000 are required of the student for travel to, from, and within the destination countries. Permission of the instructor and prior college-level courses in ecology and statistics are required.
SC 445 Soils and Geomorphology (4)
This course examines the physical aspects of the land resource including the soils and sediments that comprise the landforms of the earth’s surface. The course presents detailed study of landforms and the processes that control their formation, whether erosional, depositional, tectonic, or volcanic. An introduction to land capability is included. Laboratory work includes field-sampling techniques, analysis of soils, and interpretation of landforms on air photos and topographic maps. Lab fee required. Prerequisite: MT 115 and SC 107 or SC 413.
SC 450 Environmental Science Seminar (1)
Exploration of natural resource and environmental issues with focus upon attendance of public hearings and off-campus seminars. Oral presentation of a research topic in a classroom setting. Prerequisite: Senior standing.
SC 452 Water Resources Management (3)
Major concepts involved in water resources management. Basic hydrology, water use, water rights, water quality, groundwater, planning, floodplain management, and dams. Emphasis will be placed on the interrelationships among the technical, legal, economic, and political aspects of water resources management by examining Alaskan water resources laws and current issues.
SC 498 Research Methods (4)
Students determine their own senior project themes, scopes and methods, with assistance from instructor. Research concepts and methods are presented to aid project proposal development. Student’s exchange and critique project ideas to refine and formalize senior project plans.
SC 499 Senior Project (12)
The senior project is the capstone of the student’s academic career. The goal of the class is to help the student identify, plan, implement, and evaluate a project that focuses the student’s skills and knowledge on his or her professional interests. Projects may be planned individually or in small groups. The class will meet periodically during the semester. Students may register in increments of three or more semester hours, not to exceed twelve.
SC 380, 480 Directed Study (1-3)
Individual study in a given field under the guidance of a regular faculty member and by permission only.
SC 185, 285, 385, 485 Practicum (3-12)
Practical work experience in a given area of concentration under the cooperative guidance of a faculty member and an on-the-job supervisor.
SC 190, 290, 390, 490 Seminar (1-3)
Small groups which meet with faculty members for in-depth study and discussion of particular topics. Appropriate course descriptions are published as seminars are offered.
