Human Science Minor Course Descriptions
HSC 400. Human Science Seminar. Seminar course in which current topics in human science will be examined from the multiple perspectives of anthropology, biology, and psychology. Students can expect to study, and attempt to synthesize, proximate (mechanistic), ontogenetic, and evolutionary explanations for each of the topics examined. (Open only to Human Science minors.)
GANTH 196. Biological Anthropology. 3 credits (B,R). Offered fall and spring. An introduction to the origins, evolution and genetic variability of humans and their relationship to nonhuman primates. Examination of the fossil record, the relationship between biology and culture and human genetics are included. Theories and methods used in the study of biological anthropology are also introduced.
ANTH 300. Anthropology of Diet and Nutrition. 3 credits (B,C).Offered every three semesters. An evolutionary and cross-cultural perspective on diet and nutrition in human populations. Focus on how and why people choose what to eat, the range and significance of cross-cultural variability in diet, how diets have changed in the evolutionary and recent past, and the health and social significance of those changes. Prerequisite: Any lower-level course in anthropology or permission of the instructor.ANTH 315. Human Evolution. 3 credits (B). Offered occasionally. An examination of the evidence for the emergence of humans and the factors which influenced it. Includes a review of fossil and artifact evidence for biological and cultural evolution.
ANTH/SOCI 352. Birth, Death, Sex: Exploring Demography. 3 credits (B,C). Offered every three semesters. Fertility (birth) and mortality (death) and their biological and social determinants in cross-cultural and evolutionary/historical frameworks. Exploration of the dynamic between the material constraints on and symbolic significance of reproduction, sexuality and death within a cultural context. Critical examination of population growth as a global “problem.” Basic demographic methods. Prerequisite: Any lower-level course in anthropology or sociology or permission of the instructor.
ANTH 360. Medical Anthropology. 3 credits (B,C). Offered every three semesters. The evolutionary, ecological and sociocultural context of health and disease. A multi-level, cross-cultural exploration of disease including genetic and macro-level social inputs. Topics include Darwinian medicine, cultural ecology of infectious disease, including emergent diseases, the biology of poverty, maternal-child health and the history of global health problems. Prerequisite: GANTH 195, GANTH 196 or permission of the instructor.
ANTH 420. Evolution of Human Behavior. 3 credits (B). Offered spring. An exploration of human behavior from an evolutionary perspective. Darwinism, life history theory and the fundamentals of heredity will be reviewed and employed in the analysis of human behavior from bipedalism to morality. Data from the fossil and archeological records, genetics, non-human primate studies, and ethnographic fieldwork will be used. Prerequisite: GANTH 196 or permission of the instructor.
BIO 214. Cell and Molecular Biology (3, 3). 4 credits. Offered fall and spring. Students will explore the physiology, metabolism and reproductive biology of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Topics will include the structure and function of macromolecules, theoretical and mechanistic aspects of metabolism, bioenergetics and signal transduction. Labs will include investigations that introduce students to various biochemical techniques. Credit may not be earned in both BIO 214 and BIO 220. Prerequisites: Grades of “C-” or better in BIO 114 and either CHEM 131, CHEM 120 or permission of the instructor.
*BIO 270. Human Physiology (3, 2). 4 credits. Offered fall, spring and summer. An introduction to basic physiological principles using humans as the primary organism. Physiological adaptations will be examined at the molecular through organismal levels. Intended for students in health related fields and Cluster 3 of the General Education program, and not available for biology major credit. Prerequisites: CHEM 120, CHEM 131 or equivalent, and MATH 220 or equivalent.
BIO 280. Allied Health Microbiology (3, 3). 4 credits. Offered fall, spring and summer. An introduction to the biology and significance of microorganisms. Emphasis will be placed on human- and health-related aspects of microbiology. Credit may not be earned in both BIO 280 and BIO 380. Not available for major credit. Prerequisite: CHEM 120, GSCI 101, GBIO103 or equivalent.
BIO 290. Human Anatomy (3, 3). 4 credits. Offered fall, spring and summer. A study of the basic body plan is reinforced by studies of dissected human cadavers and computer simulations. Emphasis is on the major body structures and systems.
BIO 364. Human Uses of Plants (3, 0). 3 credits. Offered fall. A survey of past, present and future uses of plants with emphasis on economically important plant families. Issues of cultivated plant origins, biodiversity and germplasm preservation are considered. Prerequisite: BIO 124 or permission of the instructor.
BIO 370. Animal Physiology (3, 3). 4 credits. Offered fall and spring. Design and function of cellular and organ physiology will be explored in both non-human and human animals. Class activities will emphasize problem-solving, and collaborative and independent learning. The laboratories will utilize computer simulations and animal/human experiments to examine principles of both physiology and scientific investigation. Prerequisites: BIO 214 and CHEM 132 or permission of the instructor. One semester each of calculus and statistics are recommended.
BIO 380. General Microbiology (2, 4). 4 credits. Offered fall and spring. A study of the structure and function of microorganisms and their relationship to humans and to the environment. Credit may not be earned in both BIO 280 and BIO 380. Prerequisite: BIO 214 or permission of the instructor.
BIO 420. Medical Parasitology (2, 4). 4 credits. Offered spring odd years. A study of the principal parasites of humans. Topics will include terminology, overview of host-parasite relationships, host defenses, organism’s response to host and laboratory methods. Morphology, lifecycle, epidemiology, geographic distribution, pathology and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and possible eradication will be studied for each organism. Prerequisite: BIO 214 or permission of instructor.
BIO 430. Human Genetics. 3 credits. Offered spring and summer. Current topics in human genetics with emphasis on species and population variation, medical genetics and genetic applications that affect humans. Prerequisite: BIO 224.
BIO 442. Immunology. 3 credits. Offered spring. A study of the molecular and cellular basis of the immune system. Topics include the properties of antigens and immunoglobulins, the development and regulation of humoral and cell-mediated immunity, resistance and immunization to infectious diseases, allergies, and autoimmune and immunodeficiency disorders. Credit may not be earned in BIO 442 and BIO 542. Prerequisite: BIO 214 or permission of instructor.
BIO 482. Human Histology (3, 3). 4 credits. Offered fall. Microscopic structure of cells, tissues and major organ systems of the body. Basic anatomical and physiological function is presented to emphasize the histological significance of the examined organ systems. Prerequisite: BIO 270, BIO 290 or equivalent.
BIO 490. Biomechanics (3, 3). 4 credits. Offered spring. A study of the interactions of organisms with their physical environment. Concepts from fluid and solid mechanics are applied to biological form and function. Prerequisite: BIO 114 or permission of the instructor.
GPSYC 101. General Psychology. 3 credits. Offered fall and spring. A study of the nervous system, sensation, perception, consciousness, learning, memory, language, intelligence, motivation, emotion, life span development, personality, psychopathology, psychotherapy, social psychology and the scientific method.
PSYC 210. Psychological Measurement and Statistics. 4 credits.Offered fall and spring. This course provides an introduction to statistical techniques used by psychologists in measuring behavior. Fundamental measures and theory of descriptive and inferential statistics will be discussed. The use of computers for data analysis will be introduced. Prerequisites: GPSYC 101 and MATH 205, MATH 220, MATH 231, or MATH 235 with a grade of “C-” or better.
PSYC 211. Psychological Research Methods (3,2). 4 credits.Offered fall and spring. This course provides an introduction to the application of scientific methodology to investigate psychological phenomenon. Through lecture and laboratory, attention is given to choosing research questions, developing hypotheses, designing and conducting research, describing, analyzing and evaluating data and effectively communicating research findings. Prerequisites: GPSYC 101 and PSYC 210.
PSYC 250. Introduction to Abnormal Psychology. 3 credits.Offered fall and spring. An introduction to the field of abnormal psychology for the nonpsychology major. This course will examine methods of defining psychological normality and abnormality and the classification, causes and treatment of abnormal behavior. This course cannot be used for psychology major credit. Students may not earn credit for both PSYC 250 and 335. Prerequisite: GPSYC 101 or GPSYC 160.
PSYC 285. Drugs and Behavior. 3 credits. An introduction to the pharmacological effects of psychoactive drugs. This course will examine the neural mechanisms and behavioral effects of common substances such as caffeine and nicotine, drugs of abuse, and pharmaceuticals that are used to treat mental disorders. Prerequisite: GPSYC 101.
PSYC 308. Health Psychology. 3 credits. This course deals with personality and its relation to health and illness behaviors. Topics include psychological factors involved in control and helplessness, conflict management, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, pain, substance abuse and other psychophysiologically related factors. Prerequisites: GPSYC 101 and junior status.
PSYC 310. The Psychology of Women and Gender. 3 credits. An examination of research and theory regarding the abilities and behaviors of women and the changing roles of women. Consideration is given to biological, developmental and societal determinants of sex and gender. Prerequisites: GPSYC 101 and junior status.
PSYC 335. Abnormal Psychology. 3 credits. This course for the psychology major critically examines psychological normality and abnormality and the classification, causes and treatment of abnormal behavior. Students learn classification and diagnosis, explore social and multicultural issues relating to diagnosis and discuss research in the field. Students may not earn credit for both PSYC 250 and PSYC 335. Prerequisite: PSYC 211 or PSYC 213.
PSYC 385. Biopsychology. 3 credits. A survey of the neurological and chemical mechanisms which control behavior. This course examines the brain and how it processes sensation, perception, cognition, movement, motivation, learning, memory and other behavioral processes of interest to psychologists. Prerequisite: PSYC 211 or PSYC 213.
PSYC 390. Psychology of Learning. 3 credits. Basic principles of learning and conditioning with a consideration of extinction, reinforcement, generalization, discrimination, transfer, concept formation and verbal learning. Prerequisite: PSYC 211 or PSYC 213.
PSYC 395. Comparative Animal Behavior. 3 credits. This course covers aspects of the development, function and evolution of the behavior of nonhuman animals. Topics include intraspecies communication, feeding, aggression, territoriality, reproductive behavior and social behavior. Prerequisite: PSYC 211 or PSYC 213.
