Natural Science
Science plays a pervasive and fundamental role in modern society, providing the technological advances that drive our economy and the insights that help us understand ourselves, our environment, and the universe in which we live. Students learning to work toward the common good must have some sense of how scientific reasoning – from observation, to interpretation, to theory formation – allows us to make sense of complex, interacting natural systems that characterize our planet, our home. Without the powerful tools of science, there is little hope of addressing pressing issues such as climate change, water quality, disease, natural disasters, and even poverty. For all these reasons, the natural sciences are essential to a liberal arts education.
Students will take one core-area course in the natural sciences that includes a hands-on
laboratory experience. For students intending to major in a natural science, the core-area course will typically be a foundational course that serves as an introduction to the discipline and provides fundamental skills needed for future courses. For students not intending to major in the natural sciences, courses typically focus more on the importance of science literacy in daily life. Students are asked to critically evaluate scientific arguments by assessing the relevance, reliability, and limitations of scientific knowledge. Through engaging the natural world, students are exposed to the scientific method to illustrate that science is a continually changing process to better understand the world in which we live. The laboratory component of these courses uses an experiential-based approach with opportunities for students to engage in the scientific process.
Students must take one lab science:
- BIOL 101
- BIOL 102
- BIOL 105
- BIOL 106
- BIOL 110
- BIOL 207
- BIOL 208
- BIOL 209
- BIOL 361
- CHEM 100
- CHEM 101
- CHEM 109
- CHEM 111
- CHEM 115
- ENGR 123
- ESCI 132
- GEOL 102
- GEOL 111
- GEOL 114
- GEOL 115
- GEOL 130
- GEOL 161
- GEOL 162
- GEOL 163
- GEOL 211
- GEOL 220
- GEOL 260
- IDSC 150
- NSCI 201
- PHYS 101
- PHYS 104
- PHYS 105
- PHYS 109
- PHYS 110
- PHYS 154
- PHYS 211
- PHYS 212
- PUBH 200
- PUBH 210