Earth and Environmental Sciences - Junior

Course # EAES 3052

Credits 6

Prerequisites and/or Corequisites: NA

Course Description

Environmental governance refers to how and why societies and governments manage the relationship between human beings and the natural world. Studying environmental governance is to learn the rationales, rhetoric and structures of environmental management systems, and to compare these systems to understand why certain environmental problems are managed as they are, which approaches to environmental management, and for whom and in what ways they are (or are not) successful. This course seeks to provide tools for describing, discussing and analyzing the issues that underpin environmental management problems.

Course Learning Outcomes

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

• Apply key concepts and theories of institutional analysis in relation to environmental issues.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of four major institutional forms (state, market, civil society, and global governance bodies) in addressing environmental problems.
• Analyze a particular environmental management problem through the lens of an applicable governance model in writing.

Course Assessments and Grading

Course # EAES 3063

Credits 6

Prerequisites and/or Corequisites: Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences, Chemistry

Course Description

Geologic Materials and Resources introduces the physical and chemical properties and characteristics of minerals, rocks and sediments, including the techniques of measuring or determining their values in the laboratory and in-situ. The relationships between rock types and plate tectonics, and the origins and characteristics of geological resources are discussed. Students will complete laboratory and field-based studies as part of this course. 

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Describe and identify hand specimens of common rock forming minerals and rock types, both in the laboratory and in the field.
• Relate mineral properties to composition, atomic structure, bonding, and the occurrence of those minerals in different rock types.
• Describe the processes of formation of common rock types, and use their textural, chemical and mineralogical features to classify them.
• Predict where certain rock types have formed at different periods of geological time and where they are forming today, using plate tectonics through time as a framework.
• Apply knowledge of rock forming processes to interpret the geological history of an area based on samples and geological maps, with a particular focus on the local region.
• Relate important economic minerals to their mineral deposit types, geological setting and deposit formation processes.

Course Assessments and Grading

Course # EAES 4045

Credits 6

Prerequisites: Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences

Course Description

Welcome to Sedimentary Geology and Stratigraphy. This course covers one of the most widespread type of rocks on the Earth’s surface – sedimentary rocks.  It includes classification of different types of sedimentary rocks, their composition, their structures and textures, sediment production, transport and deposition processes, sedimentary environments and systems, and stratigraphic patterns. The goal of this course is to provide students with theoretical and practical knowledge to distinguish sedimentary rocks in the field, to observe and document the lithological composition of sedimentary rocks, their macroscopic and microscopic textures and structures, and to interpret the origin of sedimentary rocks based on facial analysis of sedimentary deposits.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Document sedimentary rocks, their structure, texture and composition in field.
• Acquire and interpret data from sedimentary deposits to recreate the mechanisms responsible for their formation and evolution.
• Collect or use existing data at many scales (outcrop to grain) to construct and evaluate a hypothesis about the type and spatial distribution of sedimentary environments or facies.
• Interpret changes in a depositional environment across time (stratigraphic change) at many geographical and temporal scales, using data from sedimentary rocks and successions.
• Correlate between different sequences of sedimentary rocks across space and reconstruct sedimentary basins of the geological past and their environments

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # EAES 3027E

Credits 6

Prerequisites and/or Corequisites: Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences

• 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 completion of this course, the student 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 # MDIA 3045E

Credits 6

Course pre-requisites and co-requisites:

Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences, Introduction to Geological Materials and Resources

Course Description

Geophysics is an interdisciplinary and applied science which involves geology and physics. This course introduces students to various subdisciplines of geophysics (gravity, geomagnetism, seismology, resistivity and geothermics) and their applications in study of the interior and crust of the Earth and applications in prospecting for water, oil and mineral resources. The course presents a broad overview of size and shape of the earth; seismology and the interior structure of the earth; heat flow in the earth and geothermics; gravity and variation of density; geomagnetic field and paleomagnetism; electrical properties of the Earth; and application of the physical properties for exploration purposes.

Course Learning Outcomes:

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

• Describe the physical behavior of Earth's different layers, including the crust, the lithosphere, the mantle and the core.
• Select appropriate geophysical techniques for investigating specific geological, environmental, and resource-related problems.
• Process and interpret geophysical data, including seismic and earthquake data, thermal data, electrical resistivity, and gravity anomalies
• Apply mathematical tools to explain geophysical behaviors and processes of Earth materials
• Apply quantitative geophysical methods and integrate geophysical observations with geological information to develop reasonable interpretations of subsurface structure.

Course Assessments and Grading

Course # EAES 3029E

Credits 6

Course pre-requisites and co-requisites: Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing (EAES 3001)

Course Description

This course builds on Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing (EAES 3001). On the GIScience side, it covers the nature and uncertainty of geographic data, database management systems, and advanced spatial analysis, including machine learning. On the remote sensing side, it covers data types, acquisition, and analysis processes. Together these give students a solid foundation in GIScience research methods and in applying GIS to real problems in natural resource management and other fields. The course also examines the role GIS and remote sensing play in decision-making across the social and physical sciences, and discusses what's required to work as a GIS professional or GIScience practitioner, or to bring GIS expertise into decision-making in other fields.

Course Learning Outcomes

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

• Synthesize multi-sensor remote sensing imagery and heterogeneous spatial datasets to model complex environmental and natural resource challenges.
• Run advanced spatial analyses and resolve multi-criteria geospatial problems.
• Use machine learning and advanced image-processing techniques to extract high-accuracy thematic information from satellite imagery.
• Use cloud-computing platforms to manipulate, analyze, and visualize planetary-scale geospatial big data.

Course Assessments and Grading

Course # EAES 4751E

Credits 6

Prerequisites and/or Corequisites:  Information Technology course

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 completion of this course, every student 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 # ECON 3006

Credits 6

Prerequisites and/or Corequisites: Principles of Microeconomics or an equivalent course.  

Course Description 

This course introduces undergraduate students in the Global Economics program to the economic, social, environmental, and institutional dynamics governing natural systems and resource allocation. It applies microeconomic concepts, market-based mechanisms, and policy instruments to issues arising from the growth, extraction, depletion, and degradation of land, water, energy, and ecosystems.

Through empirical case studies, interactive discussions, qualitative analysis, and quantitative exercise evaluations, students examine how economic incentives can be aligned with sustainability goals. Special emphasis is placed on climate change economics (mitigation and adaptation), common-property resource governance, and environmental policy challenges relevant to mountain territories and developing economies. The course encourages research-oriented learning by helping students interpret socio-economic and environmental data, evaluate trade-offs between efficiency and equity, and connect natural resource economic theory with real-world regional policy problems.

Course Learning Outcomes 

Upon the completing this course, students should be able to:

• Explain the primary microeconomic, social, and political dynamics of natural resource allocation and climate change within a global and regional context.
• Apply analytical tools (rhetorical, graphical, and quantitative) to assess market failures, property rights structures, and environmental externalities.
• Compare policy instruments (taxation, cap-and-trade, community governance) across diverse resource sectors using economic reasoning and empirical evidence.
• Apply basic qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyze non-market valuation, benefit-cost frameworks, and intertemporal resource sustainability trade-offs.
• Interpret socio-economic and environmental data outputs to critically evaluate resource depletion, dynamic efficiency, and climate adaptation strategies.
• Evaluate policy interventions aimed at promoting sustainable and inclusive resource governance, particularly in fragile ecosystems and mountainous regions.
• Communicate economic arguments effectively through structured presentations, class discussions, and written analytical assignments.

Course Assessment and Grading 

Course # DMNS 2012

Credits 3

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 this course, students should 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.
  Solve Linear Algebra problems wit the application of R studio.

Course Assessments and Grading

Course # ECON 1001

Credits 6

Prerequisites and/or Corequisites: None

Course Description

Introduction to Microeconomics covers interactions between individual households and businesses. The course explains how prices of different commodities and factors of production are determined. It helps students understand how the free-market economy works and introduces basic economic concepts. The course introduces the concepts needed to understand economic policies and their effects on society and shows which policies can enhance productive efficiency and may result in greater social welfare. In brief, the course explains how a capitalist economy works. Students will develop quantitative reasoning skills through problem-solving, graphical analysis, and real-world applications.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon the completing this course, students should be able to:

• Explain the three main building blocks of supply and demand analysis – demand curves, supply curves, and the concept of market equilibrium.
• Apply utility functions in the analysis of preferences with a single and multiple goods.
• Calculate expected utility as a way to evaluate risky outcomes.
• Derive the equation of an isoquant from the equation of the production function.
• Describe the conditions that characterize different types of market structure.
• Explain why some kinds of games can lead players to cooperate, while other kinds do not.
• Explain why externalities and public goods are a source of market failure.

Course Assessments and Grading