Earth and Environmental Sciences - Junior

Course # EAES 3256

Credits 6

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites: Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences, Introduction to Geological Materials and Resources, Sedimentary Geology and Stratigraphy

Course Description

Welcome to Structural Geology, the study of the physical evidence and mechanisms of rock deformation, such as jointing, faulting, folding, and flow. These structures provide information on the Earth's crust's history, geologic hazards (such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides), and the distribution of natural resources and contaminants. This course provides an introduction to the theoretical principles, observational methodologies, and analytical methods utilized in contemporary structural geology. Geologic formations are investigated in the field and via the analysis of published data sets in order to comprehend basic processes. Structural geology requires understanding of geological maps and basic knowledge of geological mapping. Therefore, in this course you will be introduced to the basic techniques of geological mapping and field observations to collect structural data for geological mapping. The goal of this course is to help you better appreciate the relevance of structural geology to a wide range of problems in the Earth and environmental sciences and to apply the knowledge and skills you acquire to whatever field of study you choose by putting your own observations within the context of addressing these problems.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

• Observe geological structures in an outcrop and collect data for structural analyses
• Synthesize your observations from hand samples, outcrops, and geological maps of geological structures
• Analyze collected structural data and interpret the results of your structural analysis in the context of the geological evolution of a study area
• Formulate hypotheses to explain the genesis of the observed structures, and test these hypotheses using physical or numerical models
• Assess the relevance of an unknown geological structure to a problem be it in volcanology, hydrology, energy resources, earthquake risks, or planetary science

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # EAES 3266

Credits 6

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites: None

Course Description

This course on physical and engineering hydrology aims to impart knowledge on the processes that secure the most valuable natural resource: WATER. It deals with the complex interaction and pathways of water connecting the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere. This course will give an idea on how hydrological science is mathematically quantified for engineering applications to manage water resources. The knowledge acquired in this course will be pre-requisite for different advanced level courses in post-graduate. The course starts with an explanation of hydrological processes related to atmosphere, surface and subsurface regime. This is followed by the explanation on hydrological analysis, which is mandatory for the design of hydraulic structures. The course ends with basic discussion on hydrological statistics important for dealing with significant amounts of data and its uncertainties, which forms the backbone of hydrological analysis

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

• Undertake hydrological investigations of natural and urban catchments.
• Estimate floods for engineering design and planning.
• Conceptually design and estimate flows of a minor drainage network.
• Apply a range of common techniques, such as flood frequency analysis, probabilistic rational, regional methods to estimate design peak flows in rural areas.
• Apply runoff-routing methods, rainfall hyetograph estimation, and model calibration and prediction to estimate flood hydrographs.
• Compare and evaluate (e.g. how they work, what their limitations are) a number of methods for determining peak flows and flood hydrographs for urban and rural areas, including flood frequency analysis, the probabilistic and deterministic rational methods, the regional method and runoff routing methods.
• Solve an engineering design problem in the context of the conceptual design of a small urban drainage system by applying the deterministic rational method to estimate peaks flow in urban areas and comparing various urban drainage design options.
• Define and comprehend key concepts related to drought risk assessment, including the use of stochastic models, such as the lag-one autoregressive model, and yield estimation methods for water supply systems, including water storage behavior analysis.
• Apply and evaluate stochastic modelling techniques and water storage behavior analysis to estimate the yield of a small rural water supply system.
• Produce technical reports developed by teams at the standard required by the engineering profession.

Course Assignments and Grading

Course # EAES 3246

Credits 6

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites: Introduction to the Earth and Environmental Sciences and Biology.

Course Description

Soil determines the nature of plant ecosystems and the capacity of land to support human, animal, plant, and other organisms. This introductory soil science course is designed to provide an overview of the fundamental concepts of soil science and lead to the development of students’ understanding of the properties and processes that are basic to the use and management of soils. Specifically, this course covers the fundamentals of soils including soil formation, soil classification, soil physics, soil biology, soil ecology, soil chemistry along with soil management aspects such as soil fertility and nutrient management, soil erosion and control and soil health in the Anthropocene. Students are also expected to gain practical experience by creating a soil map and conducting soil lab experiments which would enhance their understanding about the importance of soil, various types of soil, physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil especially in mountainous areas.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, students will be able to:

• Explain the soil formation processes including the basic processes, environmental factors, weathering, and characteristics of soil profile.
• Evaluate various classes of soil including categories of soil classification systems, features of soil diagnostic horizons and characteristics of soil orders.
• Explain the basic physical, biological, ecological, chemical, and mineralogical properties of soil.
• Determine soil textural classes using soil textural triangle.
• Explain the chemical properties of soil such as pH, salinity, acidity, and the role of organisms that live in the soil.
• Explain the importance of the soil in the environment, the interactions of various properties of soil and its impact on plant growth, soil behavior, and soil management.
• Evaluate the challenges of soil management related to nutrients, erosion, and maintenance of soil health.

Course Assessments and Grading

Course # EAES 4216E

Credits 6

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites: Physics, Introduction to the Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Environmental Governance: Water, Air, Land and Biosphere.

Course Description

Water resources are experiencing increased environmental, social, political, and economic impacts. To address these impacts, it is highly important to have a comprehensive understanding of science and policy related to water resources management for further sound and sustainable decision-making. This interdisciplinary course adopts a holistic approach to water management with a specific focus on technical, economic, and social aspects. Students are expected to gain practical experience by solving a set of exercises, attend field trips including a local water treatment plant and a hydropower plant as well as participate in an engaging role-play simulation game related to promotion of the Water-Food-Energy approach which would enhance their understanding of scientific and policy aspects of water management.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, students will be able to:

• Explain the hydrological cycle including hydrological processes and their interactions.
• Apply surface water hydrology and hydrogeology analysis including derivation of unit hydrograph, flow duration curves, flood frequency and setting up groundwater balance for various scenarios.
• Estimate agricultural, urban and hydropower demands for meeting human needs.
• Explain the basic water quality parameters such as temperature, DO, pH and turbidity.
• Explain the conventional water treatment and municipal wastewater treatment processes along with physical, chemical, microbiological and radiological characteristics of water and wastewater.
  Describe water allocation frameworks including national, basin, regional/sub-basin and individual as well as water allocation challenges.
  Describe the water conflict and cooperation scholarship including causes of water conflicts, role of stakeholders as well as tools and tracks of water diplomacy.
  Examine the main principles and mechanisms of international environmental law relevant to water resources management and their implementation in water legislation of Central Asia.
  Discuss the existing challenges of transboundary water cooperation including interactions between water, food, and energy sectors.

Course Assessments and Grading

Course # ECON 1002

Credits 6

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites: introduction to microeconomics and pre-calculus

Course Description

Introductory macroeconomics is one of the fundamental courses in economics program for freshman students at UCA. It provides students with key concepts and principles of contemporary macroeconomic theory. Topics covered in the course pertain to the analysis of national income, the real economy, fiscal and monetary policy in the long run. Open economy and short-run economic fluctuations are also explored in the course. Existing debates over macroeconomic policy faced by policy makers and government agencies both in developed and developing countries are discussed. 

Course Learning Outcomes

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

• Define key macroeconomic concepts and principles;
• Calculate basic macroeconomic indicators related to GDP and cost of living within a group of countries or individual states;
• Explain how the real economy operates in the long run from production and growth perspectives;
• Explain the role of monetary and fiscal policies to tackle inflation and unemployment;
• Discuss advantages and disadvantages of the open economy;
• Use the concept of aggregate demand and aggregate supply to explain the main facts about economic fluctuations;
• Explain both potential and limits of economic policy aimed at macroeconomic stabilization and long-term economic growth;

Course Assessments and Grading

Course # ECON 3246

Credits 6

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites:

Course Description

This course focuses on processes of economic development within the context of low and middle-income countries, emphasizing the implications for development strategies and policies. Key issues include the level and nature of inter-relationships between rural and urban development, the processes of economic transformation, and the role of institutions and policies in development. The analytical approach and many of the issues discussed are drawn from development economics, although these will be positioned within the broader geographical, social and political context of Central Asia. The course employs theories and skills learnt in other economics courses and applies them in a less abstract way through collection and analysis of data from various sources. By the end of the course, the students should be able to identify relevant problems constraining the economic (rural and urban) development of the individual Central Asian republics and approach these problems in a rigorous and critical way.

Course Learning Outcomes

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

• Discuss economic theories that have shaped growth and development
• Explain the causes and consequences of underdevelopment, poverty and income inequality
• Apply the tools of economic analysis to problems of rural and urban development
• Analyze policy initiatives undertaken to spur economic growth and their economic, social and environmental impact
• Employ theory and data to conduct basic economic analyses on issues specific to economic development
• Evaluate empirical work in development.

Course Assessment and Grading

Course # ECON 4246E

Credits 6

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites: An introductory course in statistics

Course Description

This course provides an overview of the issues and methods involved in measuring the impact of policies, programs, and interventions, with a focus on developing countries. Through lectures, case studies, and real-world examples, you learn how to quantify the causal effect of interventions by carefully understanding attribution and the practical applications of methodologies. The course explores the steps involved in designing an evaluation, including conceptualization, developing a theory of change, understanding the different methodologies for conducting impact evaluation and choosing the most appropriate methodology given the set of circumstances. You learn about four methods of impact evaluation (randomized controlled trials (RCTs), instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, and difference-in-differences), and the weaknesses and strengths, as well as their appropriateness to real life evaluation scenarios.  The goal of this course is to equip you with the skills to design and conduct rigorous evaluations and so that you can make a real positive impact in the world, whether it be in academia, non-profit work, social entrepreneurship, private philanthropy or government.

Course Learning Outcomes

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

• Explain the theory of change underlying the causal relationship between an intervention and its outcomes.
• Develop evaluation questions that effectively measure the impact of a program or policy.
• Evaluate and select appropriate comparison groups that approximate the counterfactual in various real-life scenarios.
• Apply experimental and quasi-experimental designs to evaluate the impact of interventions.
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different impact evaluation methodologies and make informed decisions on the most appropriate methodology for a given situation

Course Assessment and Grading

Course # COOP 3001

Credits 2