Courses

This course explores the social, cultural, and political dimensions of water primarily through ethnographic studies, in a variety of geographic and spatial contexts, that engage both with water itself and with the things that surround and mix with it (pipes, walls, ditches, dirt, waste, sugar). Anthropology encourages us to consider water in its myriad arrangements and meanings—water can be dynamic, vital, threatening, toxic, a material through which our lives are structured and governed. Its relevance has only become heightened amid the constraints and hazards of climatic and sociopolitical change. We will be attentive to the many forms and combinations that characterize water’s place in our world, finding inspiration in its liquid ways while taking care not to become too occupied with its metaphorical qualities. The course is divided into thematic areas that have taken on critical weight and urgency in recent years: water futures, infrastructure and power, urban ecologies, and (de)colonial waters.

Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: a working knowledge of high school algebra. May be counted toward the science requirement for most Columbia University undergraduate students. The overall architecture of the solar system. Motions of the celestial sphere. Time and the calendar. Major planets, the earth-moon system, minor planets, comets. Life in the solar system and beyond.

ASTR UN1404: In this course, we will explore how stars, galaxies, and the Universe formed and changed over time. We will have a combination of lectures, class discussions, and hands-ons activities to examine concepts including: distances to, and fundamental properties of, nearby stars; nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution; novae and supernovae; galaxies; the structure of the universe and theories concerning its origin, evolution, and
ultimate fate. This course will use algebra, but ample math support will be provided. You can only receive credit for ASTR UN1404 if you have not taken ASTR BC1754, ASTR UN1420 or ASTR UN1836

This course introduces students to the physiology, morphology, pathogenicity, and genetics of microorganisms and their diverse applications. Topics include microbial evolution, cell structure and function, metabolic pathways, information flow and regulation, microbial systems, and the influence of microorganisms on health and disease. Core methods in microbiological research will be examined through the analysis of primary scientific literature and case studies.

Students enrolled in the MA in Biotechnology Program have the opportunity to receive academic credit while conducting Supervised Research under the guidance of a faculty mentor within the University (S5502) or a biotech business-specific Supervised Internship outside the University (S5503) within the New York City Metropolitan Area unless otherwise approved by the Program. Credits received from this course are used to fulfill the Practical Training requirement for the MA degree.

Students enrolled in the MA in Biotechnology Program have the opportunity to receive academic credit while conducting Supervised Research under the guidance of a faculty mentor within the University (S5502) or a biotech business-specific Supervised Internship outside the University (S5503) within the New York City Metropolitan Area unless otherwise approved by the Program. Credits received from this course are used to fulfill the Practical Training requirement for the MA degree.

Students enrolled in the MA in Biotechnology Program have the opportunity to receive academic credit while conducting Supervised Research under the guidance of a faculty mentor within the University (S5502) or a biotech business-specific Supervised Internship outside the University (S5503) within the New York City Metropolitan Area unless otherwise approved by the Program. Credits received from this course are used to fulfill the Practical Training requirement for the MA degree.

Students enrolled in the MA in Biotechnology Program have the opportunity to receive academic credit while conducting Supervised Research under the guidance of a faculty mentor within the University (S5502) or a biotech business-specific Supervised Internship outside the University (S5503) within the New York City Metropolitan Area unless otherwise approved by the Program. Credits received from this course are used to fulfill the Practical Training requirement for the MA degree.

Prerequisites: High school algebra or the instructor's permission. Recommended: high school physics and chemistry. This course is preparation for CHEM UN1403 General Chemistry I Lecture or the equivalent, as well as for other science courses. It is intended for students who have not attended school for sometime or who do not have a firm grasp of high school chemistry. Topics include inorganic nomenclature, chemical reactions, chemical bonding and its relation to molecular structure, stoichiometry, periodic properties of elements, chemical equilibrium, gas laws, acids and bases, and electrochemistry. Please note that students must attend a recitation section.

Prerequisites: high school chemistry and algebra, CHEM S0001, or the department's permission. Topics include stoichiometry, states of matter, nuclear properties, electronic structures of atoms, periodic properties, chemical bonding, molecular geometry, introduction to quantum mechanics and atomic theory, introduction to organic, biological chemistry and inorganic coordination chemistry. Topical subjects may include spectroscopy, solid state and materials science, polymer science and macromolecular structures. The order of presentation of topics may differ from the order presented here. Students are required to attend the separate daily morning recitations which accompany the lectures (total time block: MTWR 9:30-12:20). Registering for CHEM S1403D will automatically register students for the recitation section. Students who wish to take the full sequence of General Chemistry Lectures and General Chemistry Laboratory should also register for CHEM S1404Q and CHEM S1500 (see below). This course is equivalent to CHEM W1403 General Chemistry I Lecture.

Prerequisites: CHEM S1403 General Chemistry I Lecture or the equivalent. Topics include gases, kinetic theory of gases, states of matter: liquids and solids, chemical equilibria, acids and bases, applications of equilibria, thermochemistry and spontaneous processes (energy, enthalpy, entropy, free energy) as well as chemical kinetics and electrochemistry. The order of presentation of topics may differ from the order presented here. Students must also attend the daily morning recitations which accompany the lectures (total time block: MTWR 9:30-12:20). Registering for CHEM S1404Q will automatically register students for the recitation section. The continuation of CHEM S1403D General Chemistry I Lecture. Students who wish to take the full sequence of General Chemistry Lectures and General Chemistry Laboratory should also register for CHEM S1403D and CHEM S1500 (see below). This course is equivalent to CHEM UN1404 General Chemistry II Lecture.

Prerequisites: CHEM S1403 General Chemistry I Lecture or the equivalent. Topics include gases, kinetic theory of gases, states of matter: liquids and solids, chemical equilibria, acids and bases, applications of equilibria, thermochemistry and spontaneous processes (energy, enthalpy, entropy, free energy) as well as chemical kinetics and electrochemistry. The order of presentation of topics may differ from the order presented here. Students must also attend the daily morning recitations which accompany the lectures (total time block: MTWR 9:30-12:20). Registering for CHEM S1404Q will automatically register students for the recitation section. The continuation of CHEM S1403D General Chemistry I Lecture. Students who wish to take the full sequence of General Chemistry Lectures and General Chemistry Laboratory should also register for CHEM S1403D and CHEM S1500 (see below). This course is equivalent to CHEM UN1404 General Chemistry II Lecture.