GRADUATE COURSES IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Course Descriptions
BIO 501. Methods in Scientific Research (2)
Scientific manuscript preparation and communication techniques: manuscript
format, graphics, design of experiments, library use, oral presentation, and
writing techniques. Two lecture hours each week.
BIO 524. (425) Microbiology (4)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Study of nonpathogenic and pathogenic
microorganisms with emphasis on the biology of viruses and bacteria. Laboratory
sessions include the techniques required to identify, culture, and stain
selected microorganisms. Three lecture and three laboratory hours each week.
BIO 529. (430) (ANT 430) Evolutionary Biology (3) Prerequisite: Course in
genetics. Advanced survey of organizational principles of the genetic apparatus
of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Emphasis is on critical evaluation of current
concepts and models of evolutionary dynamics using relevant illustrative
examples from the literature. Three lecture hours each week.
BIO 534. Advanced Ecology (4)
Prerequisite: Course in general ecology. Advanced topics in population dynamics,
community ecology, and ecosystem energetics. Emphasizes current issues in these
fields and analytical methodology to address ecological questions. Three lecture
and three laboratory hours each week.
BIO 537. (457) Ichthyology (1)
Prerequisite: Course in general zoology. A survey of systematics, evolution,
ecology, and natural history of living fishes with emphasis on southeastern USA.
Three lecture hours each week.
BIOL 537 (BIOL 457) Ichthyology Laboratory (3) Prerequisite
or corequisite: BIO 537. A survey of the anatomy, systematic techniques, and
local fishes through field trips and study of class collections. Three
laboratory hours each week.
BIO 539. Advanced Topics in
Population Biology (2–4) Prerequisite: Courses in
genetics and ecology or permission of instructor. Study of the ecology,
genetics, and evolution of populations. Topics include dynamics of population
structure, growth, and regulation; natural selection and the maintenance of
genetic variation within populations; differentiation of populations and
speciation; evolution of population strategies. Lecture hours each week. May be
taken more than once for credit under different instructors.
BIO 540. (465) Biochemistry (3)
Chemical properties and metabolism of amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates,
lipids, and nucleic acids; enzymes kinetics; bioenergetics; regulatory
mechanisms. Three lecture hours each week.
BIOL 540. (465) Biochemistry Laboratory (1)
Corequisite: BIO 540. Experiments demonstrating basic phenomena and techniques
of biochemistry. Three laboratory hours each week.
BIO 549. Advanced Topics in Animal Physiology
(2-4) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Study of topics in animal
physiology for which significant new understanding has been obtained.
Consideration is given to those emergent techniques that have permitted the
application of scientific methodology to particular physiological problems.
Lecture and laboratory hours.
BIO 552. (455) Field Methods in Marine Mammalogy
(3) Prerequisite: Animal Biology and consent of instructor. Research
experience in field and laboratory techniques pertaining to marine mammal
ecology, behavior, and communication. Two lecture and three laboratory hours
each week.
BIO 553. Natural History of Intertidal Organisms
(3) Prerequisite: Course in invertebrate zoology or permission of
instructor. Study of characteristics of invertebrates inhabiting the intertidal
zone. Topics include physical and biological features defining zonation,
recruitment, competition, and other factors regulating intertidal populations.
Two lecture hours and field work each week.
BIO 555. Animal Communication (3)
Prerequisite: Course in general zoology or animal behavior. An introduction to
the topic of animal communication, with a focus on acoustic communication in
vertebrates. A comparative approach will be used, addressing mechanistic,
ontogenetic, functional, and phylogenetic perspectives. Three lecture hours each
week.
BIO 558. Biology of Recreational and Commercial
Fishes (3) Prerequisite: Course in ichthyology and permission of the
instructor. A study of the major groups of fishes and invertebrates utilized in
fisheries, with emphasis on the biology, economic importance, and management of
selected groups. Topics focus on contemporary management strategies and needs.
Two lecture and three laboratory periods each week.
BIO 561. Barrier Island Ecology (3)
Prerequisite: Course in general ecology or permission of instructor. Survey of
vegetation and physiography of barrier islands. Two lecture and three laboratory
hours each week.
BIO 562. Wetlands of the United States and their
Management (3) Prerequisite: Course in general ecology or permission of
the instructor. Ecology and management of wetlands and adjacent communities.
Examination of methods used to restore and create wetlands. Two lecture and four
laboratory hours each week.
BIO 563. Coral Reef Biology (4) Ecology
and physiology of coral reef organisms, emphasizing processes that contribute to
the diversity and complexity of coral reef ecosystems. Reef formation, coral
biology and physiology, ecological, interactions, man’s effects, conservation
and global change.
BIOL 564. Biological Oceanography Laboratory (1) Corequisite:
BIO 564. Laboratory and field investigations of oceanographic problems,
including instruction in standard analytical techniques, experimental design,
and analysis, with an emphasis on biological responses to physical and chemical
factors. Three laboratory hours per week.
BIO 565. (458) Fisheries Biology (4)
Prerequisite: Courses in ichthyology and statistics, and permission of
instructor. Advanced studies in the biology of fishes. Topics include age,
growth, foods, parasites, population dynamics, reproduction, and economic
pressure. A technical report on the biology of a fish species is required. Three
lecture and three laboratory hours each week.
BIO 566. Behavioral Ecology of Reef Fishes (3)
Prerequisite: Course in ichthyology or permission of instructor. An ecological
and ethological approach to the study of reef fishes, including theories and
problems dealing with ecological niche, competition, social systems, and
population biology. Two lecture and three laboratory hours each week.
BIO 567. (460) Limnology (3)
Prerequisite: Introductory biology and chemistry. Corequisite: BIOL 567. An
examination of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of
freshwater systems, particularly lakes and ponds. Three lecture hours each week.
BIOL 567. (460) Limnology Laboratory (1) Prerequisite:
Introductory biology and chemistry. Corequisite: BIO 567. Field and laboratory
investigations of limnological problems with an emphasis on water quality. Three
laboratory hours each week.
BIO 570. (468) Planktonology (4)
Prerequisite: Course in invertebrate zoology or consent of instructor.
Classification, physiology, and ecology of phytoplankton and zooplankton.
Discussion of current topics in plankton biology. Two lecture and four
laboratory hours each week.
BIO 572. (472) Marine Phycology (4)
Prerequisite: Course in general botany. An introduction to the morphology, life
histories, and ecology of benthic marine algae with emphasis on special topics
such as morphogenesis, ecotypic variation and speciation, phytogeography, or
seasonal periodicity of growth and reproduction. Three lecture and three
laboratory hours each week.
BIO 573. (447) Marine Botany (4)
Prerequisite: Course in general botany. An introduction to the coastal marine
plant communities, including how the marine environment affects plant community
dynamics. Topic areas include: classification and identification, morphology,
physiological ecology, importance to humans, and current hot topics. Three
lecture and three laboratory hours each week.
BIO 575. Taxonomy of Aquatic and Wetland Plants(3) Prerequisite: Course in plant taxonomy or permission of instructor.
Discussion, collection, and identification of vascular plants found in the
aquatic and wetland habitats of coastal North Carolina. Extensive field work and
individualized instruction in collection and identification techniques. Two
lecture and three laboratory hours each week.
BIO 578. Biology of Harmful Algae (3)
Prerequisite: BIO 205, BIO 446, or consent of instructor. Identification
(taxonomy), ecology, physiology and toxin production by both marine and
freshwater microalgae. Toxin structure and mode of action, effects on humans and
public health, environmental damage and possible mitigation/management
strategies.
BIO 582. (482) Wildlife Ecology (3)
Principles of wildlife ecology and management, including population dynamics,
techniques, behavior, habitat manipulations, policy and administration, and
contemporary issues such as anti-hunting. Lecture hours and assigned field
problems.
BIO 586. Advanced Topics in Mariculture (3) Prerequisite:
Bio 380. Designed to deal with advanced mariculture topics not considered in
detail in the introductory course. More than one topic may be taken for credit.
BIO 587. (487) Introduction to Coastal Management (4)
Interdisciplinary study of human impacts on coastal environments and organisms.
Topics include the physical and biotic setting of worldwide coastal regions,
principles of coastal management, and analysis of potential solutions to coastal
problems. Three lecture and three laboratory hours each week.
BIO 588. (488) Forensic Environmental Science
(3) Prerequisite: CHM 102 or equivalent and junior status. Presentation
and practice of the techniques for applying scientific methods, investigative
procedures, legal standards of evidence and case preparation techniques to
investigation of environmental problems. Three lecture hours each week.
BIO 590. (490) Biomechanics (4)
Prerequisite: BIO 206. A study of the interactions of organisms with their
physical environment. Concepts from fluid and solid mechanics are applied to
biological form and function. Three lecture and three laboratory hours each
week.
GRADUATE COURSES IN CHEMISTRY
Course Descriptions
CHM 501. Introduction to Chemical Research (2)
Scientific proposal and manuscript preparation. Communication techniques. Experimental design and data analysis. Computer applications. Library use. Laboratory safety. Two hours each week.CHM 536. Advanced Analytical Chemistry (3)
Prerequisite: Organic chemistry, quantitative analysis. Application of modern analytical methods to chemical problems. Emphasis upon chemical information, structural and quantitative, obtainable from these techniques. Topics may include modern spectroscopic, chromatographic, electrochemical, or bioanalytical techniques.CHM 567. (467) Biochemical Techniques and Instrumentation (2)
Prerequisite or corequisite: CHM 365 or equivalent. Theory and practice of advanced biochemical techniques. Topics may include buffer and reagent preparation, protein assay, protein purification, electrophoresis, enzyme kinetics, vesicle construction, DNA isolation, and molecular visualization and modeling. Four hours each week.CHM 568. Advanced Biochemistry (3)
Prerequisite: CHM 365 or equivalent and CHM 321. Topics may include protein structure, stability, and visualization, enzyme kinetics and mechanisms including enzyme activators, inhibitors, and inactivators, ligand recognition and binding, and enzyme regulation.CHM 574. Aquatic Chemistry (3)
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. The chemistry of aqueous solutions, including use of activity coefficients, acid-base and buffer concepts, gas solubility, results of carbon dioxide dissolution, trace metal speciation, oxidation-reduction processes, photochemistry and mineral solubility. Concepts will be applied to laboratory solutions and natural waters.CHM 576. (PHY 576) Chemical and Physical Analysis of Seawater (3)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Study of modern chemical and physical measurements of seawater including salinity, alkalinity, pH, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen. Several class periods may also be devoted to working aboard an oceanographic research vessel while at sea.CHM 578. (478) Aquatic Toxicology (3)
Prerequisite: Organic Chemistry. Topics in aquatic toxicology, including toxicity testing; transport, transformation and ultimate distribution and fate of chemicals in the aquatic environment; and the performance of hazard risk assessments on aquatic ecosystems exposed to chemical insult.CHM 579/MSC 579. Role of the Oceans in Human Health (3)
Prerequisite: CHM 212, BiO 110, or consent of instructor. Discovery, structure, and biological activity of marine bioactive compounds, chemotaxonomy, pharmaceutical leads, marine biotoxins, structure, mode of action, regulation and monitoring, the producing organisms, how (biosynthesis) and why these compounds are made. Two lectures per week.GRADUATE COURSES IN EARTH SCIENCES
Course Descriptions
GGY 522. (GGY 422)
Remote Sensing in Environmental Analysis (3)
Prerequisite: GGY 130 or 205, or GLY 101, or consent of instructor. Use and
interpretation of aerial photography and other remote sensing techniques in
environmental analysis. The course emphasizes problem identification, digital
image analysis, and interpretation of images through laboratory exercises.
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GGY 524. Geographic
Information Systems (3) Permission of instructor. Introduction to the
science and technology of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) including data
collection, spatial data structures, spatial analysis theory and techniques, and
end-user map products. Instruction will be provided through lectures,
demonstrations, and lab exercises. Two lecture and three laboratory hours each
week.
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GLY 501. Research Methods in Geology (2)
Scientific proposal preparation, experimental design, scientific ethics, library use, safety, project management, data analysis, quality assurance and computer applications. One lecture and two laboratory hours per week.GLY 502. Technical Communication in Geology (2)
Scientific manuscript preparation and communication techniques: writing
techniques, manuscript format, abstracts, oral and poster presentations. One
lecture and two laboratory hours per week.
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GLY 510. Sedimentary Environments (3)
Prerequisite: Petrology, stratigraphy, field camp. Survey of ancient sedimentary environments with an evaluation of the criteria used in their recognition in the rock record. Specific ancient sedimentary sequences are examined and compared to their modern counterparts. Field trips.GLY 515. Methods of Sedimentology (3)
Prerequisite: Petrology. A survey of the parameters of sedimentation. Emphasis on the processes involved in the formation of sedimentary rocks, including their origin, transport, deposition and lithification of rock–forming minerals. Techniques of physical and chemical analyses of sediments are stressed. One lecture and six laboratory hours per week. Field trips.GLY 520. Global
Climate Change (3) Preqrequisites: General chemistry, college physics,
and calculus with analytic geometry. Analysis of natural and anthropogenic
global climate change. Historical and geological records of climate including
sediment, tree ring, and ice core analysis. Physics and chemistry of climate
including Earth's energy balance, global carbon cycle, climate modeling,
atmospheric composition and dynamics.
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GLY 526. Geohydrology (4)
Prerequisites: Two semesters of college calculus and petrology. Geology of
ground waters and related aspects of surface waters. Methods of groundwater
resource evaluation, protection, exploitation, and contaminant remediation.
Three lecture and two laboratory hours per week.
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GLY 531. Micropaleontology (3)
Prerequisite: Invertebrate paleontology or consent of instructor. Paleobiology and geological history of microorganisms, emphasizing the classification and systematics of major microfossil groups. Two lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Field trips.GLY 552. Coastal Sedimentary Environments (4)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Sedimentary processes and environments of the world's coastal systems. Emphasis on river deltas, estuaries, bays, salt marshes, barrier islands and associated inlets. Ice–bound as well as rocky coastlines also are examined. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Field trip.GLY 555. Coastal Sediment Dynamics (3)
Prerequisites: One year of calculus or physics or consent of the instructor. Theory and application of models used to quantify sediment movement and deposition in the coastal environment. Three lecture hours per week. Field trips.GLY 558. (BIO 587) Introduction to Coastal Management (4)
Interdisciplinary study of human impacts on coastal environments and organisms. Topics include the physical and biotic setting of worldwide coastal regions, principles of coastal management, and analysis of potential solutions to coastal problems. Three lecture and three laboratory hours each week.GLY 561. Coastal Plains Geology (3)
Prerequisites: Invertebrate paleontology, stratigraphy, petrology. Origin and development of Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plains with emphasis on stratigraphy, structure, geomorphology and tectonic history. Field trips. Three lecture hours per week.GLY 565. Introduction to
Geophysics (3) Prerequisite: Consent of
instructor. Integrated application of geophysical methods to solve environmental
and geologic problems. Includes discussion of reflection/refraction seismology,
gravity, magnetics, electrical resistivity, ground penetrating radar, and
geophysical well logging.
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GLY 572. Introduction to
Geochemistry (3) Prerequisites: Two semesters of
college calculus; mineralogy or inorganic chemistry; or permission of
instructor. Investigation of the abundance and distribution of chemical elements
in the Earth's crust, mantle, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
Introduction to thermodynamics, phase and mineral equilibrium, stable and
radiogenic isotopes, and geochronology. Emphasizes the application of
geochemical processes to solving geologic and environment problems, with
selected examples from field and laboratory studies.
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GRADUATE COURSES IN PHYSICS AND PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Course Descriptions
PHY 575. (475) Physical
Oceanography (3) Prerequisite: College physics
and calculus. An introduction to the descriptive and dynamical features of ocean
circulation. Topics include: the physical properties of seawater; oceanic heat
budget; dynamics of ocean currents; descriptive oceanography; waves and tides.
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PHY 599. Thesis (1-6)
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RELATED GRADUATE COURSES
Course Descriptions
MSC 526. Cruise or Field Sampling (1-3)
Prerequisite: Permission of program director. Cruise and/or field sampling not
covered by other courses. Participation in the planning and sampling phases of
major marine or environmental research programs.
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MSC 579. (CHM 579) Role of the Oceans in Human Health (3)
Prerequisite: CHM 212, BIO 110, or consent of instructor. Discovery, structure,
and biological activity of marine bioactive compounds, chemotaxonomy,
pharmaceutical leads, marine biotoxins, structure, mode of action, regulation
and monitoring, the producing organisms, how (biosynthesis) and why these
compounds are made. Two lectures per week.
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MSC 591. Directed Independent Study (1-3)
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MSC 595. Graduate Seminar (1) Discussion by students,
faculty and guest lecturers of research ideas and results. May be repeated one
time for credit.
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PLS 520. Seminar
in Coastal Processes and Problems (3). Examines
various coastal management policies and problems from a variety of perspectives
(e.g., legal, economic, political, scientific, etc.)
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PLS 522.
Field Seminar in Coastal Management
(3). Field seminar that uses an applied
project to examine the political, economic, and socio-cultural challenges facing
coastal managers. It also examines the role of science in the policy and
management process. Students are expected to collect and analyze data, prepare
a report, and present their findings.
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PLS 524. Managing
Coastal Hazards (3). Explores the
natural and technological hazards that threaten coastal areas, the principles of
coastal hazard mitigation and the development of policy dealing with the
preparedness, response to, and recovery from the events.
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PLS 525. Managing
Coastal Ecosystems (3). Examines
programs, policies, and approaches to managing coastal ecosystems such as
watershed management, ecosystem management, command and control approaches, and
market-based approaches.
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PLS 526. Environmental
Policy and Management (3). Examines the
fundamental factors that influence the development and implementation of
environmental policy in the United States.
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PLS 592. Special
Topics in Public Administration (3). Intensive study
of selected topics in public administration.
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STT 500. Research Consultation in Statistics (1-3)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Statistical consultation on graduate thesis
research provided through access to the Department of Mathematics and
Statistics’ Statistical Consulting Center. May be repeated for a total of three
credit hours.
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STT 505. Data Analysis (3)
Prerequisite: Any statistics course. Introduction to exploratory data analysis.
Use of stem and leaf plots, boxplots. Transformations of data, resistant lines,
analysis of two–way tables, residual analysis. Comparison of robust/resistant
methods with standard statistical techniques.
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STT 511. (411) Design of
Experiments and Analysis of Variance (3)
Prerequisite: Any elementary statistics course. Review of elementary statistics;
design of experiments including completely randomized, randomized block,
factorial, split–plot, and repeated measures designs; analysis of variance;
non–parametric alternative methods of analysis. Statistical software packages
will be used as appropriate in problem solving.
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STT 520. (420) Biostatistical Analysis (3)
Prerequisite: Statistical programming and consent of instructor. Statistical
methods used in epidemiologic studies and clinical trials. Topics include
measures of association, logistic regression, covariates, life tables and Cox
regression; statistical analysis using SAS.
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STT 530. (430) Introduction to Non–parametric Statistics (3)
Prerequisite: A calculus-based statistics course. Theory and methods of
non–parametric statistics in the one– and two–sample problems and their
comparisons with standard parametric procedures. Non–parametric tests for
comparing more than two samples; tests of randomness and independence.
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STT 535. (435) Applied Multivariate Analysis (3)
Prerequisite: STT 511, 512. Matrix manipulations; multivariate
normal distribution; inference for mean vector and covariance matrix;
multivariate analysis of variance; principal components; canonical correlations;
discriminant analysis; factor analysis; cluster analysis; statistical analysis
using SAS.
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STT 566–567. (466–467) Mathematical Statistics (3–3)
Prerequisite: A calculus-based statistics course. A rigorous introduction to
mathematical statistics. Univariate and multivariate probability distributions;
conditional and marginal distributions; theory of estimation and hypothesis
testing; limiting distributions and the central limit theorem; sufficient
statistics and the exponential class of probability density functions.
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