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Natural Sciences Laboratory Requirement

CAS requires all students to complete one natural science course that includes a laboratory component.

Central to a modern liberal arts and sciences education is the exposure of undergraduates to the natural sciences. Taking courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and related natural sciences educates students in the nature of the physical world. Laboratory experiments are key to this essential exposure to the scientific exploration of the physical world. Distinct from computer simulations, or experiments studying human behavior, performing hands-on laboratory experiments in the natural sciences exposes students to the direct, personal, scientific exploration of the physical world. This experience is necessary for students to obtain a comprehensive liberal arts and sciences education.

Learning Outcomes

  • Acquire, by experience, an understanding of the process of scientific inquiry by conducting laboratory experiments related to the nature of the physical world; and
  • Demonstrate a broad understanding of the principles of natural science, including the critical role of experiments in establishing humanity’s understanding of the physical world.

Fulfilling the Laboratory Science Requirement

 The lab science requirement may be met by any of the following (1–5):

  1. Any astronomy (AS), biology (BI), chemistry (CH), biochemistry & molecular biology (BB), neuroscience (NE), or physics (PY) course that includes a laboratory section or is a stand-alone laboratory course.
  2. Any psychology (PS) class that is cross-listed as an NE class that includes a laboratory section.
  3. Any course from the following list: AN 102, AN 550, AN 595, AR 307, CC 111, EE 101, EE 105, EE 107, EE 300, EE 305, EE 317, EE 542, EE 543, EE 544, EE 557, EE 562, EE 591, PS 329.
  4. Completion of the College of General Studies Program of Study.
  5. Transfer credit or advanced credit considered equivalent to any course satisfying 1, 2, or 3 above.

CAS courses that fulfill the laboratory science requirement:

 Anthropology

  • CAS AN 102 Human Biology, Behavior, and Evolution
  • CAS AN 550 Human Osteology
  • CAS AN 595 Methods in Biological Anthropology

Archaeology

  • CAS AR 307 Archaeological Science

Astronomy

  • CAS AS 101 The Solar System
  • CAS AS 102 The Astronomical Universe
  • CAS AS 202 Principles of Astronomy I
  • CAS AS 203 Principles of Astronomy II
  • CAS AS 441 Observational Astronomy

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

  • CAS BB 421 Biochemistry 1
  • CAS BB 422 Biochemistry 2
  • CAS BB 522 Molecular Biology Laboratory
  • CAS BB 527 Biochemistry Laboratory 1
  • CAS BB 528 Biochemistry Laboratory 2

Biology

  • CAS BI 105 Introductory Biology for Health Sciences
  • CAS BI 107 Biology 1
  • CAS BI 108 Biology 2
  • CAS BI 114 Human Infectious Diseases
  • CAS BI 116 Biology 2 with Integrated Science Experience 1 Lab
  • CAS BI 210 Human Anatomy
  • CAS BI 211 Human Physiology
  • CAS BI 218 Cell Biology with Integrated Science Experience II Lab
  • CAS BI 281 Fundamentals of Biology 1
  • CAS BI 302 Vertebrate Zoology
  • CAS BI 303 Evolutionary Ecology
  • CAS BI 305 Plant Biology
  • CAS BI 306 Biology of Global Change
  • CAS BI 310 Human Structure & Function: Anatomy, Histology, and Pathology
  • CAS BI 311 General Microbiology
  • CAS BI 315 Systems Physiology
  • CAS BI 407 Animal Behavior
  • CAS BI 421 Biochemistry 1
  • CAS BI 422 Biochemistry 2
  • CAS BI 445 Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology
  • CAS BI 449 Neuroscience Design Lab
  • CAS BI 513 Genetics Laboratory
  • CAS BI 527 Biochemistry Laboratory 1
  • CAS BI 528 Biochemistry Laboratory 2
  • CAS BI 561 Proteostasis in the Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Chemistry

  • CAS CH 101 General Chemistry 1
  • CAS CH 102 General Chemistry 2
  • CAS CH 109 Advanced General Chemistry with Quantitative Analysis Lab 1
  • CAS CH 110 Advanced General Chemistry with Quantitative Analysis Lab 2
  • CAS CH 111 Intensive General Chemistry with Quantitative Analysis Lab 1
  • CAS CH 112 Intensive General Chemistry with Quantitative Analysis Lab 2
  • CAS CH 116 General Chemistry 2 with Integrated Science Experience 1 Lab
  • CAS CH 131 General Chemistry for the Engineering Sciences
  • CAS CH 171 Principles of General Chemistry
  • CAS CH 172 Principles of Organic and Biochemistry
  • CAS CH 174 Principles of Organic Chemistry
  • CAS CH 181 Intensive General and Physical Chemistry 1
  • CAS CH 182 Intensive General and Physical Chemistry 2
  • CAS CH 201 Quantitative Analytical Chemistry Laboratory
  • CAS CH 203 Organic Chemistry 1
  • CAS CH 204 Organic Chemistry 2
  • CAS CH 211 Intensive Organic Chemistry 1
  • CAS CH 212 Intensive Organic Chemistry 2
  • CAS CH 214 Organic Chemistry with Qualitative Analysis
  • CAS CH 218 Organic Chemistry 1 with Integrated Science Experience II Lab
  • CAS CH 220 Organic Chemistry Laboratory with Qualitative Analysis
  • CAS CH 232 Inorganic Chemistry
  • CAS CH 301 Chemical Synthesis and Analysis
  • CAS CH 303 Instrumental Analysis Laboratory
  • CAS CH 354 Physical Chemistry Laboratory
  • CAS CH 421 Biochemistry I
  • CAS CH 422 Biochemistry II
  • CAS CH 527 Biochemistry Laboratory I

Core Curriculum

  • CAS CC 111 Core Natural Science I: Origins of the Big Bang, Earth, Life, and Humanity

Earth & Environment

  • CAS EE 101 Natural Environments: The Atmosphere
  • CAS EE 105 Crises of Planet Earth
  • CAS EE 107 Introduction to Climate and Earth System Science
  • CAS EE 300 Earth’s Rocky Materials
  • CAS EE 305 Rock Deformation and Structure
  • CAS EE 317 Introduction to Hydrology
  • CAS EE 542 Coastal Ecosystems: Adaptation and Resilience to Environmental Change
  • CAS EE 543 Estuaries and Nearshore Systems
  • CAS EE 544 Coastal Sedimentology
  • CAS EE 557 Oceanography of Stellwagen Bank and Surrounding Waters
  • CAS EE 562 Tropical Seagrasses: Ecology and Conservation
  • CAS EE 591 Bio-Optical Oceanography

Neuroscience

  • CAS NE 102 Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • CAS NE 116 Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology with Integrated Science Experience 1 Lab
  • CAS NE 203 Principles of Neuroscience with Lab
  • CAS NE 218 Fundamentals of Neuroscience with Integrated Science Experience II Lab
  • CAS NE 327 Experimental Psychology: Perception
  • CAS NE 328 Experimental Psychology: Memory & Cognition
  • CAS NE 329 Experimental Psychology: Cognitive Neuroscience
  • CAS NE 445 Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology
  • CAS NE 449 Neuroscience Design Lab
  • CAS NE 561 Proteostasis in the Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Physics

  • CAS PY 104 Physics of Health Sciences
  • CAS PY 105 Physics 1
  • CAS PY 106 Physics 2
  • CAS PY 107 Physics of Food and Cooking
  • CAS PY 211 General Physics 1
  • CAS PY 212 General Physics 2
  • CAS PY 241 Principles of General Physics 1
  • CAS PY 242 Principles of General Physics 2
  • CAS PY 251 Principles of Physics 1
  • CAS PY 252 Principles of Physics 2
  • CAS PY 313 Waves and Modern Physics
  • CAS PY 351 Modern Physics 1
  • CAS PY 371 Electronics for Scientists
  • CAS PY 581 Advanced Laboratory

Psychology

  • CAS PS 327 Experimental Psychology: Perception
  • CAS PS 328 Experimental Psychology: Memory & Cognition
  • CAS PS 329 Experimental Psychology: Cognitive Neuroscience

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