Summer 2020 | Tier II – Natural Sciences

Ohio University students can choose from a variety of online courses this summer that meet the Tier II – Natural Sciences general education requirement—even one on Dinosaurs and the Mesozoic.

• See the Tier II – Natural Sciences Athens campus online courses.
• Summer courses are offered online.
• 30 percent off undergraduate courses with Athens Summer Scholarship.

The following are Arts & Sciences courses that meet Tier II requirements.

Tier II – Natural Sciences

BIOS 1000 Animal Diversity

• Full Summer Session, starts May 11
• Molly Gurien
• Description: For nonmajors, this course is a broad survey of all of the major groups of animals, including aspects of the biology, reproduction, ecology, and evolution of the animal phyla.

BIOS 1030 Human Biology I: Basic Principles

• Summer Session II, Starts June 29
• Karen Mammone
• Description: For nonmajors, this course covers humans as biological organisms: our origins, ecology, and inheritance, and functioning of our body systems.

BIOS 1710 Biological Sciences II: Ecology, Evolution, Animal Body Systems

• Summer Session II, Starts June 29
• Steven Edinger
• Description: This course on animal organ systems is designed for science majors and preprofessional students. An introduction to multicellular life, organ systems, anatomy, physiology, and animal development, the course emphasizes comparative strategies within the animal kingdom; ecology and evolutionary biology; and introduction to the principles of evolution, ecology, and behavior.

BIOS 2060 Drugs and the Brain

• Summer Session II, Starts June 29
• Daewoo Lee
• Description: The brain creates behavior in part via multiple chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) systems that serve specific functions such as mood alteration and arousal. Recreational and psychoactive medical drugs work by mimicking these natural messenger systems, and thus help elucidate the behavioral functions of different neurotransmitter classes. This course reviews nervous system structure and chemical signaling pathways and then survey the major classes of psychoactive drugs, including alcohol, opium, cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine, caffeine, marijuana, the hallucinogens, and the antidepressants. Particular attention is paid to the biological bases of their effects.

BIOS 2750 Ecology in the 21st Century

• Full Summer Session, starts May 11
• Rose Isgrigg
• Description: This is an introductory study of the natural environment and relations of organisms to one another and their surroundings. Individual, population, and community and global dynamics are considered in natural and human-influenced environments to improve ecological literacy about how the natural world works.

GEOG 1100 Physical Geography

• Summer Session I, starts May 11
• Dorothy Sack
• Description: This is an introduction to the earth’s dynamic, natural environmental systems—weather and climate, landforms, soils, ecosystems, and biomes.

GEOL 1300 Geology of the National Parks

• Summer Session II, Starts June 29
• Keith Milam
• Description: This course is a survey of the geologic features of the national parks of the United States, emphasizing the history of their geologic development.

GEOL 1400 Dinosaurs and the Mesozoic

• Summer Session I, starts May 11
• Daniel Hembree
• Description: This course is an introduction to the systematics, anatomy, physiology, ecology, evolution, and extinction of dinosaurs and other Mesozoic life, as well as a review of the science of paleontology and basic Earth history during the Mesozoic including climate, geography, tectonics, mass extinctions, and other major geologic events.

GEOL 2080 Geology of the Solar System

• Summer Session II, Starts June 29
• Keith Milam
• Description: Students can experience the thrill of geologic exploration of solid planets and moons in the solar system through the study of samples and knowledge obtained by manned and robotic spacecraft missions. Focuses on changing perceptions and advancement of knowledge with each new mission and discovery.

PBIO 1090 Americans and their Forests: Ecology, Conservation and History

• Summer Session I, starts May 11
• Glenn Matlack
• Description: This course provides an understanding of modern forests encompassing both recent and long-term effects arising from natural and human causes. The pattern and character of forest utilization are interpreted in terms of varied cultural experiences in different regions and times.

PBIO 2470 Biomes of the World

• Summer Session II, Starts June 29
• Harvey Ballard
• Description: This is a detailed survey of biomes around the world. Broad characterization of each ecosystem globally is coupled with details on representative protected areas for each biome in North America. Emphasis is placed on geologic and ecological processes determining vegetation zones and the plant and animal species characteristic of each biome. Conservation issues, human impacts, and products for human use, are discussed throughout the course.

PHYS 2001 Introduction to Physics

• Summer Session I, starts May 11
• Mark Lucas
• Description: This first course in physics is open to students from all areas. Students should have a background in algebra, trigonometry and geometry, but no calculus is required. It is recommended for students in liberal arts, architecture, industrial technology, geological sciences, and premedicine. Mechanics of solids and liquids, oscillations, heat, thermodynamics are covered.

PHYS 2002 Introduction to Physics

• Summer Session II, Starts June 29
• Eric Stinaff
• Description: Continuation of 2001. This second course in physics is open to students from all areas. Students should have a background in algebra, trigonometry and geometry, but no calculus required. Recommended for students in liberal arts, architecture, industrial technology, geological sciences, and premedicine. It includes electricity, magnetism, waves, sound, light, relativity, quantum, atomic, and nuclear physics.

PHYS 2051 General Physics

• Summer Session I, starts May 11
• Justin Frantz
• Description: Classical physics with calculus and vectors. Newtonian mechanics, rotational dynamics, gravitation, oscillations, fluids, thermodynamics.