Earth and Environmental Sciences - Fall 2023 Senior

Course # EAES 3056

6 Credits

Course Description 

This course will examine how different institutions or groups understand, value, and use the environment, focusing on local and indigenous ways of knowing in Central Asia while linking to other mountain-based regions. Students are introduced to concepts of Indigenous traditional knowledge, worldview and epistemology. The course begins with a reflection on students’ personal cultural worldviews and a review of knowledge creation and ways of knowing. It then explores the value, importance and uniqueness of Indigenous ways of knowing about the environment and examines how mountains are valued by different groups. Material implications of these issues for environments, societies, and for effective land, and resource management policies and practices are explored. The course concludes with deliberations on the prospects of indigenous ways of knowing for the future of knowledge.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course the students will be able to:

• Examine mountain environments and societies using the framework concept of socio-natures
• Explore a range of Indigenous ways of knowing and compare with “western” scientific knowledge systems
• Challenge and reflect upon personal worldview and ways of knowing
• Investigate the contributions of indigenous and local knowledge in the context of socio-cultural and environmental change and natural resource management in mountain environments

Course Assessment and Grading

Course # EAES 4141

4 Credits

Course Description

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are known as critical part of development planning processes, incorporating risk analysis, impact mitigation and practical tools that may be used to assist in predicting and evaluating potential impacts on the environment and their mitigation. This course aims to cultivate an understanding of various stages of EIAs’ process and explore how EIAs are related to the three pillars of sustainable development framework. This understanding helps students to gain knowledge in identifying potential negative impacts of proposed interventions, assessing the extent and the severity of such impacts, and recommending alternatives that may be better suited to socioeconomic and environmental contexts and needs. In this course the conceptual frameworks and practical tools surrounding environmental impact and risk assessments are examined.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course the students will be able to:

• Explain how ‘environmental assessments’ fit within the broader framework of sustainable development.
• Explain how ‘environmental impact and risk assessments’ are intended to aid in the mitigation of harm.
• Describe how risk is a function of ‘impact’ (severity) and the ‘likelihood of occurrence’ of a hazard or threat.
• Apply the sequence of steps that should be undertaken in environmental impact assessments (EIAs) in analyzing a specific development project.
• Conduct a suite of data collection and analytical approaches that may be used to facilitate the EIA process.
• Evaluate how social impacts may be related to environmental impacts and how these can be combined in assessment processes, also noting how public participation in EAs may contribute to the social dimensions.
• Describe how ‘higher level’ and ‘Next Generation’ EAs may contribute toward more equitable development – including not only environmental outcomes but also socioeconomic and other dimensions of sustainable development.

Course assessment and grading

Course # EAES 4034

4 Credits

Course Description

The course in Hydrology and Hydrogeology offers a fundamental understanding of all facets of hydrology, with a primary emphasis on water under the surface of the earth. The goal of this course is to learn about the physical, chemical, hydrologic, geologic, and other factors that influence the occurrence and dynamics of groundwater. Students research groundwater systems, carry out laboratory and field investigations, and resolve hydrogeological issues. Students work with a variety of spatial data types used in the investigation of hydrology and water resources, such as expertise in RS and GIS systems.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Explain the hydrologic cycle, particularly the inherent hydrologic processes and what affects the inherent hydrologic processes.
• Describe basic concept of remote sensing and numerical/spatial analysis techniques commonly used in hydrology and hydrogeology data analysis.
• Use numerical/spatial analysis techniques within an image processing and GIS framework to solve hydrology, hydrogeology, and environmental problems.
• Describe the water cycle and its driving processes and characteristics such as temperature, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, interception, infiltration, percolation etc.
• Apply the water-balance equation to various hydrological problems in time and space.
• Measure elements of the water cycle, such as stream flow to explain how human activity affects those elements.
• Analyze municipal planning and hydrological data to assess the area's water resource management.
• Analyze how ground water has been used by humans conducting case studies.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # EAES 4142

3 Credits

Course Description

The course “Environment and Development in Mountain Regions” focuses on environmental and developmental aspects and challenges in mountain areas. The course aims to cultivate a comprehensive understanding of various elements of environmental systems and sociocultural and economic development, and to explore the interactions between them in mountainous regions. This integrated understanding of the elements of environmental systems and development aspects equips students with the ability to describe, discuss, critically analyze, evaluate, and address the pressing environmental and developmental problems in mountain areas. The course also has a field trip component where students can explain and evaluate environmental and developmental dimensions facing local mountain areas and communities.

Course learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Describe the unique environmental characteristics of mountain regions.
• Analyze the complex relationships between the environment and development in addressing pressing issues facing mountain areas and communities.
• Explain how mountain ecosystems are significant as sources of natural resources, biodiversity, and population.
• Assess various development approaches, policies and sustainable development initiatives related to mountain development.
• Recognize challenges in mountain regions (e.g., pollution, resource use, global warming, natural hazards, isolation, poverty, governance, inequalities) and their interactions in global and Central Asian mountain development.
• Recognize and discuss linkages and interconnections between environmental, sociocultural, and economic elements of mountain communities.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # EAES 4132

3 Credits

Course Description

Field works are the essential part of the Earth and Environmental studies. This course will help Earth and Environmental Science students to gain skills in organizing a productive and safe field work, locating the study area, interpreting aerial photos and topography and geological maps, detailed observing geological and environmental features, analyzing them in the field, taking comprehensive and informative notes and photos and collecting representative rock, mineral, sediment, soil, water and ice samples. The course provides the concept of geological mapping, using knowledge from previous EES courses such as structural geology, sedimentology, mineralogy and earth materials. This includes interpreting the three-dimensional geological structures and proposing the mechanism of their formation using the field observations.

Course learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Organize field works and design strategy to observe natural phenomena and features.
• Collect enough, accurate and representative data using disciplinary conventional tools such as notes, maps, photos, samples, etc.
• Relate the observation to knowledge, concept and skills from previous courses to synthesize data.
• Interpret collected data in the framework of Earth and Environment systems.
• Develop hypotheses and arguments consistent with observations and data.
• Work independently and at the same time collaboratively to enhance individual and team field work skills.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # DMNS 2012

3 Credits

Course Description

Linear Algebra is a foundational course at UCA. It can be applied in business, economics, sociology, ecology, demography, engineering and other areas.
In this course, students will study mathematics that deals with the system of linear equations and their applications, operations with matrices, applications of Markov chains, applications of determinants, eigenvalues and eigenvectors and their applications.

Course learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Set up and solve a system of equations to fit a polynomial function to a set of data points.
• Use matrices and Gaussian and Gauss – Jordan eliminations to solve a system of linear equations.
• Do operations with matrices.
• Find the inverse of a matrix.
• Use a stochastic matrix to find the nth state matrix of a Markov chain.
• Find steady state matrices of absorbing Markov chain.
• Use matrix algebra to analyze an economic system (Leontief input- output model).
• Find the least square regressions line for a set of data.
• Use Cramer’s rules to solve a system of n linear equations in n variables.
• Model population growth using an age transition matrix and an age distribution vector.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # MDIA 2113

3 Credits

Course Description

Creative Writing involves the development of intellectual, imaginative and skills of embodied self-expression. It also involves reading. In this craft-based course, students engage in a series of lectures and workshops, learning a range of creative writing skills in a variety of genres, methods and approaches and, in turn, are encouraged to be experimental and adventurous in their writing. Seminars address different creative writing topics and readings so that students can learn about various approaches from poetry to film dialogue-writing. The workshops are interactive; they aim to increase understanding of the process of creative writing and, most importantly, the process of script development, editing and presentation. All creative work in its original form can be written in a language of the student’s choosing but must be translated into English for assignment submission.

Course learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify and write in a range of genres including original fiction, non-fiction and poetry using literary techniques.
• Identify and demonstrate - in literature and in their own work - classic language forms and features, and elements of plot development, characters, landscape and setting, and achieve creative writing and reading skills in relation to concepts, topics, craft, technique and voice.
• Describe and demonstrate the creative processes of revision and editing.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # EAES 2130E

3 Credits

Course Description

This Elective Course explores the human and environmental interactions in Central Asia. The interaction of the people inhabiting the region with its environment has a long history. This course focuses on the major environmental issues that have both resulted from human interaction, from habitation in the region and have also altered the relationship between humans and the environment. It will also examine how the environment and settlement in various parts of Central Asia were affected by colonial, Soviet, and present political, economic, social, and demographic changes. Guided by the new approaches of Environmental Humanities the course stresses the multidisciplinary approaches to understanding human habitation and environment in the region. Throughout the course students will analyze primary and secondary sources: documentaries, photographs, policy papers, and fictional works, to have a better understanding of the issues affecting human relationships with the environment in Central Asia.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Analyse how socio-economic and political changes in modern Central Asia had an impact on human interactions with environment. 
• Discuss the ways  human impacts on ecosystems in different parts of the region 
• Identify and critically analyse the environmental issues that affect settlement of population 
• Identify appropriate sources to analyse environmental changes, and interventions in the region 
• Discuss different approaches to understanding major environmental changes in Central Asia 

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # EAES 3027

6 Credits

Course Description

Introduction to methods is used in academic and professional endeavors to formulate and answer earth and environmental research questions. Students will practice using qualitative and quantitative methodologies and research methods including use of academic, public domain and other literature, interviews, field studies data collection, surveys, and primary and secondary data, as well as approaches such as case studies and participatory research. Using an inquiry approach, students will gain practical experience in research design, data collection, and data analysis.

Course learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Locate relevant earth and environmental information of all types.
• Evaluate and synthesize the information from a variety of quantitative and qualitative sources and viewpoints.
• Formulate relevant and testable research questions about the earth and environment.
• Construct a plan to answer such questions using appropriate research methods.
• Communicate a coherent synthesis and analysis of earth and environmental information, orally, graphically, and in writing.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # DMNS 2035

Course Description

This is an introduction to statistics for economics students. This course will cover elementary probability including introducing random variables, and discrete and continuous probability distributions so that students can use the language of probability in statistics. The second part of the course will cover inferential statistics wherein students will learn how to conclude a population based on a random sample. No prior preparation in probability and statistics is required, but familiarity with basic algebra and calculus is assumed.

Course learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Apply a variety of methods for explaining, summarizing, and presenting data and interpreting results clearly using appropriate diagrams, titles, and labels when required.
• Summarize the ideas of randomness and variability and the way in which these link to probability theory to allow the systematic and logical collection of statistical techniques of great practical importance in many applied areas.
• Perform inference to test the significance of common measures such as means and proportions.
• Use simple linear regression and correlation analysis and know when it is appropriate to do so.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # EAES 4751E

Course Description

Programming in Python is an introductory course that covers programming techniques and tools to manipulate, manage, and analyze relevant data. The course focuses on the Python programming language that students will use to solve statistical analysis and GIS problems, apply Machine Learning and Deep Learning techniques, and create a website using Django framework. The tasks will be accomplished by identifying and using existing Python packages as well as appropriate open-source software extensions. The course introduces basic to advanced statistical functions, data visualization, and data manipulation techniques. The relevant functions in data science are explained. The main goal of this course is to give students an understanding of the breadth of different programming applications. In particular, students will be taught how to design and write effective code using Python to perform routine and specialized data manipulation, management, statistical analysis, GIS analysis, and web application development tasks.

Course learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Explain the theoretical concepts of different data types
• Conceptualize and create loops and if/else statements in Python
• Create specialized functions in Python to handle results
• Manipulate data for descriptive statistical analysis in Python
• Use Django framework for development of different types of websites, in particular, a highly customizable app, such as an internet magazine website
• Use special packages, such as panda, to create graphs and convert plain text to formatted text.
• Using the packages NumPy, Matplotlib, Pandas and Skikit-Learn for various mathematical calculations, data manipulation, graphing and creating machine learning algorithms.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # MDIA 4083E

6 Credits

Course Description

This course increases students’ knowledge and skills in using communication to advance different environmental discourses by connecting the local with the global. Students study a range of visual and written texts to learn how environmental communication is used by different actors in society to achieve certain outcomes. The role of communication is studied at the intersections of other key issues such as biodiversity, sustainable development, and climate change. Through the evaluation and creation of a range of texts students gain an understanding of how various contexts and media shape environmental communication discourses in the public sphere. Using holistic and systems thinking students conduct research, identify target audience and design effective messages that place community concerns at the centre.

Course learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Examine the ways in which different political, cultural, economic and geographical contexts shape environmental communication discourses in the public sphere.
• Evaluate a range of texts and assess their effectiveness on the intended audience.
• Examine how visual texts act as cultural prism that shape our understanding of nature.
• Discuss the role of media in reporting key environmental issues in different societies while connecting the local with the global.
• Design communication responses to engage a variety of audiences about environmental issues.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # ECON 4132E

This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned throughout the specialization by analyzing and comparing multiple data sources.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify data sources to match a research question
• Break a research question down into quantifiable parts
• Administer face-to-face and telephone interviews
• Assess the tradeoffs between these error sources when researchers choose a mode or survey design.
• Design questionnaires for social surveys
• Determine when to apply simple random sampling, cluster sampling, stratification, systematic selection, and stratified multistage samples
• Estimate and summarize the uncertainty of random sampling
• Solve nonresponse and missing data problems through weighting and imputation
• Link records using statistical matching methods

Course Assessments and Grading