General Science

This course comprises the study of medical terminology, which is necessary for students to communicate clearly and comprehend the language within the health professions. Students will understand and interpret information from the medical literature. This information will provide background and discussion material within the context of human anatomy and disease processes of body systems.

The course is a comprehensive review of laboratory safety practices. Students review the Chemical Hygiene Plan and its application, hazards of chemicals in the laboratory and protective measures available, use of Material Safety Data Sheets, detection of hazardous chemicals, permissible or recommended exposure limits for hazardous chemicals, proper labeling of hazardous chemicals, and safe disposal of chemicals. (Activity course: CR/NCR only.)

The course is a study of the interactions between environments and human activities over the earth’s surface, land, sea, and air. A complementary aspect of the course is the study of place-name geography.

In an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the software mapping package (ArcGIS) is used to make maps and analyze spatial relationships on maps. Practical applications of GIS are emphasized including examples from ecology (the relationship of roads and invasive species), business (determining numbers of potential customers in an area), and government (designing efficient road systems).

The course is an historical examination of the effects of scientific and technological innovations upon various societies, with emphasis being placed upon technology and science of the western world since 1850.

The course is a study of earth materials, earth structures, and the physical processes that shape the earth, including weathering, sedimentation, hydrology, diastrophism, volcanism, glaciation, and the features to which they give rise. A laboratory supplements the lecture and includes mineral and rock identification and topographic map interpretation.

The course is an application of the principles, practice, and case histories of earth science to environmental problems. Topics include water quality, landslides, subsidence, waste disposal, and geological aspects of land-use planning.

The course is a study of some of the major ideas conceived by western thinkers in attempting to comprehend and describe the natural world. (This course may be taken for credit as PHIL 353.)