Lower Division Courses numbered 1–99 are designed primarily for freshmen and sophomores but are open to all students for lower division credit. (Graduate students requesting to enroll in lower-division undergraduate courses will not receive unit credit nor will the course fulfill degree requirements.)
Upper Division Courses courses numbered 100–199 are open to all students who have met the necessary prerequisites as indicated in the catalog course description. Preparation should generally include completion of one lower division course in the given subject or completion of two years of college work.
GRADUATE COURSES
Courses numbered 200–299 are open to graduate students. (Undergraduate students must obtain the signature of the instructor, School Dean, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Graduate level units will count towards the required 120 units for graduation; however students are urged to meet with their academic advisor in order to determine if graduate course units may be used to fulfill a graduation requirement.)
CROSS-LISTED/CONJOINED COURSES Cross-listed Courses are the same course offered under different course subjects at the same level (either undergraduate or graduate) that share the same meeting time, requirements, units, etc.
Conjoined Courses are the same course but one is undergraduate and one is graduate.
COREQUISITE COURSE
A corequisite course is a course that must be taken at the same time as another course.
PREREQUISITES
Prerequisites for courses should be followed carefully; the responsibility for meeting these requirements rests on the student. If you can demonstrate that your preparation is equivalent to that specified by the prerequisites, the instructor may waive these requirements for you. The instructor also may request that a student who has not completed the prerequisites be dropped from the course. Note: For all courses a “C-” or better grade is required for a course to be used as a prerequisite for another course. If a course was taken for a “P/NP” grade then a “P” grade is required. If the prerequisite for a course is not satisfied, students must obtain the approval of the instructor (or school designee) of the course they wish to take.
Introduction to evolution and how natural selection has shaped modern human variation. Examination of non-human primate behavior and how analogous it might be to that of early humans. Discussion of culture, the fossil evidence, genetics, and inheritance.
Provides oversight and structure for a student’s internship in a field related to anthropology in community organizations, professional research projects, etc. connected to the study of anthropology. Students are required to write an original research paper or relevant product that demonstrates how the internship advanced their knowledge of anthropology.
Permission of instructor required.Pass/Fail only.Course may be repeated 2 times for credit.
ANTH 100: History of Anthropological Thought and Practice
[4 units]
Historical overview of key individuals and central ideas influencing the practice of anthropology and the production of anthropological knowledge. Topics may include the disciplining of anthropology into related subfields; social evolutionism, historical particularism, British structural-functionalism; French structuralism; cultural ecology; sociobiology; symbolic and interpretive anthropology; feminist and other critiques of anthropology.
Prerequisite:ANTH 001 and (ANTH 003 or ANTH 005) or consent of instructor.Offered fall only.Discussion included.
ANTH 110: Migration, Diaspora and Transnational Belonging
[4 units]
Exploration of modern, global movements of people with a focus on the conditions, processes, and practices of contemporary national and transnational belonging. Topics include globalization, migration, immigration, Diaspora, the nation-state, national identities and cultural citizenship.
Political anthropology involves the study of formal political institutions as well as the manifestations of power in everyday life. Topics may include anthropological perspectives on: the state and other forms of political authority; social inequality; conflict; indigenous responses to colonialism and the nation-state; social movements; citizenship; governmentality; and globalization.
Introduction to the practices, spaces, artifacts and media through which social memory is formed, maintained and reproduced. Topics may include: how societies remember; how the past and its representation is bound up with national and other collective identities; commemoration; heritage; and the link between history, memory, and social justice.
Focusing on the contemporary struggles of Indigenous peoples for rights; self-determination; social, political, and environmental justice and/or increased nation-state participation. Examines how the mobilization of indigenous peoples is strengthened through regional, hemispheric and global solidarities; and how international law, media, and technology support indigenous actions for change.
Provides knowledge about medical anthropology, how different cultures
understand human physiology and health, definitions of sickness, types of medical
systems and practitioners, how cultural practices affect health, issues in gender environmental health, and how medical anthropology influences health policy.
Provides knowledge of medical systems cross culturally including the three ancient literary systems (Chinese, Ayurvedic, Greco-Arabic), shamanism, folk medicine, and biomedicine. Readings focus on the beliefs and organization of each system, types of practitioners, types of sicknesses treated, and how anthropologists research and understand these phenomena.
Covers anthropological perspectives on mental states, experience of
emotions, and concepts of mental normality in a variety of cultural settings. Lectures and readings will focus especially on the relationship between individual and society, the role of emotions, and the definition of psychological phenomena cross culturally.
Examines gender and sexuality cross-culturally: cultural aspects
of gender, sexuality, reproduction, and gender identity. Readings will explore
definitions of male and female roles, sexual mores, issues in human reproduction, variations in definitions of sexual identity, and cultural, economic and religious aspects of gender, marriage, and family.
Examines the role that material objects play in human social relations, identity, and economy, including archaeological application of such knowledge to past societies. We explore the range of production and use of material objects, including theories of material culture, technology, style, meaning, memory, and agency.
Prerequisite:ANTH 003 or junior standing or consent of instructor. Discussion included.
Course is a survey of the history of archaeological interpretation and the schools of thought from which they were derived. Students develop an appreciation of the close relationship between method, theory, and interpretation in archaeological practice.
Prerequisite:ANTH 003 or consent of instructor. Normal Letter Grade only.
Examines ethnographic and archaeological literature on small-scale hunter-gatherer-fisher and horticultural societies, and explores how these data contribute to study of subsistence and settlement strategies, technology, exchange, demography, and social relations in the past and present.
Prerequisite:ANTH 003 or junior standing or consent of instructor.
Critical examination of the legal, practical, and ethical aspects of cultural heritage management in the United States and abroad. Topics include cultural resource management in public and private contexts, participation of stakeholders, the application of anthropological knowledge, and public outreach.
Prerequisite:ANTH 003 or WH 001 or junior standing or consent of instructor.
Course integrates archaeological knowledge with narrative and analytical writing. Students develop research and writing skills while learning to use and disseminate knowledge gained by producing creative, culturally sensitive, and factually
supported texts. Cross-listed with WRI 141.
Prerequisite:ANTH 003 and WRI 010 or consent of instructor. Normal Letter Grade only.
Examines theoretical perspectives, issues, and interpretations in archaeological study of the interaction between indigenous peoples, European colonists, and enslaved Africans. Topics include disease, power, resistance, colonial institutions, multi-ethnic communities, and gender relations in diverse native engagements with colonists and others from a variety of homelands.
Prerequisite:ANTH 003 or junior standing or consent of instructor.
Course examines ritual, religion, and cosmology in the archaeological record and
explores theories that inform research and contribute to archaeological inferences. Takes a broad comparative approach and holistic perspective for the investigation of their historical, environmental, and social contexts.
Prerequisite:ANTH 003 or junior standing or consent of instructor.
In-depth exploration of archaeological thought or data on one or more anthropological topics relevant to small-scale societies of North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and/or Asia.
Prerequisite:ANTH 003 or junior standing or consent of instructor.
Investigation of how human biological variation is studied and how the definition of such variation differs between the scientific community and the public. Topics include historical perspectives on race and eugenics, how scientific racism has shaped national policy, and how genetic diversity and the Human Genome Project have informed such issues.
Examination of how humans live in marginal environments, such as extremely hot, extremely cold, or high altitude areas. Evolutionary, genetic ecological, demographic, and cultural explanations for human biological adaptability are explored. Students consider case studies from the high Andes, Siberia, equatorial South America, and the International Space Station.
Prerequisite:ANTH 005 or junior standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of the multiple cultural meanings of death and the dead person, including hospice, reactions to death, memorial gestures, rights to and constructions of the dead body in the U.S. legal system, cadavers in education and research, dead persons in mass disasters and human rights cases, archaeological examples, and repatriation issues.
Prerequisite:ANTH 005 or junior standing or consent of instructor.
Exploration of human population growth and decline, fertility and mortality, and population age and sex structure in the past without benefit of written records. Topics include the interplay of demography and hominid evolution, migration, environmental stress, the transition to agriculture, and the rise and fall of complex societies.
Prerequisite:Junior standing and ANTH 003 and ANTH 005 or consent of instructor.
Explores the biological heritage of humans by providing students with a rigorous grounding in modern evolutionary theory and undertaking detailed Study of the phylogeny, morphology, and paleoecology of the Hominini. In addition, this course uses the fossil record to reveal the truly unique features of Homo sapiens.
ANTH 162: Growth, Development, and Human Evolution
[4 units]
Applies modern life history theory to understand how evolution of growth patterns contributed to divergence in adult morphology among human ancestors, as revealed by the fossil record of hominin species. We also examine the uniquely human phenomenon of childhood, and the geographic diversity
observed among modern human beings.
Explores current trends in biological anthropology. Course material will vary. Possible topics may include: isotopic analysis of human nutrition; genetic studies of human variation and adaptability; life history and population studies of health
and disease; studies of the interaction of the environment, human behavior, and human biology; and ethics.
Prerequisite:ANTH 005. Course may be repeated 1 time for credit.
Training in how to conduct field based qualitative research including learning about
ethics, training in human subjects protection, skills of participant-observation,
interviewing, taking field notes, and the analysis and presentation of research results.
Examines the critical use of historical documents, journals, and visual images; archives; and oral history to understanding past cultures and culture change. Analysis of case studies and original archival research demonstrate how these sources complement data collected through ethnographic, archaeological, or biological methods.
Prerequisite:ANTH 001 or ANTH 003 or junior standing or consent of instructor.
Systematic consideration and practical application of analytical laboratory and data recording techniques used to study stone tools and manufacturing debris. Topics include procurement; production and reuse; style and function; the organization of technology with respect to settlement and gender; and craft specialization.
Prerequisite:ANTH 003 or consent of instructor. ANTH majors/minors given priority.Laboratory included.
Course is an introductory course in ceramic analyses that includes a laboratory component. Students will learn theory and methods as they are applied to ceramic artifacts and will conduct a hands-on research project using an in-house collection.
Prerequisite: ANTH 003 and ANTH major or consent of instructor. Normal Letter Grade only.Laboratory included.
Introduction to the goals and methods of archaeological surface survey, excavation, and various forms of field documentation. The integration of research issues and methods is addressed through both classroom and field activities.
Students develop a basic familiarity with human skeletal remains, including the identification of the bones of the skull, dentition, and axial and appendicular skeletons. Identification of side (i.e., left, right) and element of both intact and fragmentary remains are to be considered.
Prerequisite:ANTH 005 or consent of instructor. ANTH majors/minors given priority.Laboratory included.
Study of human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts. Theoretical and thematic approaches in contemporary research. In-depth consideration of bioarchaeological methods used to explore pathology, occupation, geographic origins, etc. from human skeletal remains. Anthropometrics, disease, and trauma are considered, preparing students for anthropological study of both individual remains and skeletal populations.
Prerequisite:ANTH 005. ANTH major/minor only or consent of instructor.Normal Letter Grade only.Laboratory included.
Provides oversight and structure for a student’s internship in a field related to
anthropology in community organizations, professional research projects, etc.
connected to the study of anthropology. Students are required to write an original
research paper or relevant product that demonstrates how the internship advanced their knowledge of anthropology.
Prerequisite:Junior standing. Permission of instructor required.Pass/Fail only.Course may be repeated 2 times for credit.
Develops cognitive skill of drawing by teaching the ability to see accurately. Material covered is not limited to skills required for becoming an artist. Anyone interested in sharpening one’s perceptions and creative abilities finds this course useful.
The study and performance of Jazz vocal repertoire with continued instruction in correct singing techniques, posture and breathing, diction, and anatomy of the singing instrument. In addition to vocal instruction, includes written assignments requiring research and analysis of the music, composers, style, and music fundamentals.
The study and performance of Musical Theater/Broadway repertoire. Instruction in correct singing techniques, posture and breathing, diction, correct use of the chest and “theater” voice. Special attention to character development and stage movement. Includes written assignments requiring research and analysis of music, composers, style, and music fundamentals.
Course teaches the skill of painting in watercolor to develop the complex process of color vision to enhance one’s perceptive powers. The use of this skill is not limited to those planning to be artists. This is a studio class that will include drawing and painting from nature.
An introductory course that aims to help students acquire technical and critical photographic skills. It focuses on developing students’ capacity to produce well-structured photographs utilizing in-camera controls such as aperture and shutter speed. Digital SLR Camera or equivalent digital camera with manual controls required.
Students have opportunity to study with a contemporary artist. Open to any student interested in learning how acquisition of technique supports creative processes. Emphasis is put on process instead of result. Technique taught varies depending on instructor artist’s medium of expression.
Course may be repeated 4 times for credit.Laboratory included.
ARTS 171: Techniques of Interdisciplinary Research in Arts
[4 units]
Explores differences between research conducted by artists and by academics. Examines how artists process information, as well as how various forms of artistic expression influence content and meaning. The role of cliché and stereotypical representation in the creation of works of art is also explored.
ARTS 180: Architecture Design Studio: Modern Houses
[4 units]
Course introduces students to issues of complex form making in architecture through the study of important works of Modern domestic architecture. Tools of exploration will include research and writing, drawing, three dimensional model-making and computer modeling.
ARTS 181: Architecture Design Studio: Urban Architecture and Sustainability
[4 units]
Course introduces students to issues of sustainability in urban architecture. Tools include analyzing and diagramming modern and pre-modern urban form, in-depth study of specific regional and urban issues around the city of Merced, and design projects created to address these subjects. Course work includes research, writing, drawing, and model-making.
Presents students with an overview of the creative synergies between engineering and life sciences that define the scope of Bioengineering. Examples of successful Bioengineering endeavors (devices, materials, processes, models) are provided. Discussion of current frontiers and future direction of Bioengineering, with an emphasis on information technology and nanotechnology.
Prerequisite:MATH 021 and PHYS 008 and BIO 001 and CHEM 002, which may be taken concurrently. Normal Letter Grade only. Laboratory included.
Using the conceptual, analytical, modeling and design tools of engineering to achieve quantitative insights into physiological systems. Transport mechanisms, energy transduction, feedback and feed forward control, optimization, and materials selection principles in the context of cells, tissues, and organs. How muscles, nerves and biological fluids interact to allow you to read this course description.
BIOE 101: Modeling of Nanoscale Process in Biology
[3 units]
Advanced mathematical modeling, simulation and data analysis applied to biological problems at the molecular level; probabilistic models. Scope and limitations of these techniques. Molecular conformations and folding, protein structure, molecular interactions, binding sites, formation of aggregates and complexes, phase changes, membrane transport, physiological control systems in cells.
Prerequisite:MATH 021 and PHYS 008 and MATH 023 and BIO 001. MATH 024 recommended.Normal Letter Grade only.Laboratory included.
Design of natural and artificial devices for characterizing the physical and chemical environment inside and outside living cells. Detection of metabolites, toxins, pathogens and cancers. Molecular and nanoparticle probes. Immunosensors. Nucleic acid sensors and DNA chips. Enzyme-based biosensors. Organism and whole cell-based biosensors. Natural and synthetic receptors for biosensors. Remote diagnosis.
Prerequisite:BIO 001 and MATH 021 and PHYS 008. Course cannot be taken after successfully completing BIOE 103.Normal Letter Grade only.Laboratory included.
Intended for the last-year engineering student to facilitate the student’s development into bioengineering investigation. Designed to introduce fundamental principles of circuit theory, analog and digital electronics and biological instrumentation techniques commonly used in biomedical research.
Biological Transport Phenomena is the quantitative description of momentum transport (viscous flow) and mass transport (convection and diffusion) in living systems. We explore the similarities between the fundamental principles of momentum, heat, and mass transfer, and combine fundamentals with conservation laws to develop mathematical descriptions of physiological and engineering systems.
Preparation, characterization, and applications of supramolecular structures. Factors that promote controlled molecular assembly at interfaces and in 3-D. Hydrophobic bonding and the role of water. Liquid crystalline phases. In vivo and in vitro examples of self-assembly. Biomimetic materials: the quest for adaptive responses to changes in environment, and self-healing. “Green” processing routes via biotechnology. Limitations of biomimetic materials.
The molecular and physical chemistry of membranes formed from natural and synthetic amphiphiles. Relationships between surfactant molecular structures, chemical and physical environment, and membrane assembly. Solubility of proteins in biomembranes. Pore formation and structure. Transport through biomembranes. Biomembranes as catalysts and reaction vessels. Characterization of membrane structure and properties.
Cell receptor biology in the context of cell interactions with materials. Biomolecule adsorption to solid materials. Relevance to catalysis, adhesion, and responses to implanted biomaterials. Interactions between nanoparticles and biological tissue. Coagulation and thrombosis, infection, acute inflammation, chronic inflammation and the foreign body response, immune and tumorgenic mechanisms. Surface and interface characterization methods.
Introduce fundamental principles of biomedical instrumentation commonly used in biomedical engineering research labs and hospitals. Techniques and principles of bioinstrumentation include biosignal and noise, biosensors, electrodes, electrocardiogram (ECG), defibrillators, pacemakers, electroencephalography (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), respiratory instruments, and optical microscopy. Biomedical circuit and electronics will be reviewed.
Prerequisite: (PHYS 009 or PHYS 009H or PHYS 019) and BIO 001 and ENGR 065. Course cannot be taken after successfully completing BIOE 103.Normal Letter Grade only.Laboratory included.
Fundamental topics include: issues related to the cell source (including stem cells, plasticity, transdifferentiation, therapeutic cloning vs. reproductive cloning, bone marrow transplants, and cell differentiation and purification), cell culture and tissue organization, gene therapy delivery methods, cell adhesion and migration, issues in construct design, tissue preservation, and immunoisolation and/or modulation. We also cover current case studies and issues for FDA approval of tissue engineered products.
BIOE 117: Lab on a Chip: Developing 3rd World Diagnostics for Global Health
[3 units]
Innovative campus course between UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Merced which aims to 1) raise awareness and knowledge about global health issues 2) teach students critical engineering skills such as nano/micro-fabrication 3) enable students to design, build, and test their own diagnostics and 4) develop entrepreneurial skills. Students learn about tuberculosis from leading experts at UCSF and then address the death of sensitive diagnostics by designing and testing their own nano/micro-systems. Taught at UC Merced with tele-conferencing to the other campuses. Two field trips also are required.
Prerequisite:Junior standing and MATH 021 and PHYS 008 and BIO 001 and CHEM 002.Normal Letter Grade only.Laboratory included.
Human physiological functions in organ systems. Labs emphasize functional aspects of organs systems through experimentation. This lab should help you gain practical lab skills, scientific reasoning, understanding of physiology subject matter, and teamwork skills. Physiology laboratory is intended for transfer students that have completed the lecture portion of Physiology at another institution.
Designed to introduce fundamental principles of biomedical imaging commonly used in biomedical engineering research and applications. Techniques and principles of biomedical imaging include x-ray photon generation, x-ray imaging, fluorescence optical imaging, position emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, ultrasound imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging.
BIOE 126: Nanodevice Fabrication: Bridging Research and Education
[3 units]
Basic properties of nanomaterials and their applications as transducers (the lecture part). Nanomaterial synthesis using both solution and
vapor-based approaches will be performed and a transducer will be fabricated and tested (the lab part). The interactive and experiential education will be blended with theoretical concepts.
Prerequisite:Junior standing and CHEM 002 and (PHYS 009 or PHYS 019).ENGR 065 is highly recommended but not required.Normal Letter Grade only.Laboratory included.
Students work in teams on bioengineering problems requiring design solutions. Students define the problem, propose a viable solution, acquire approval for the design, and build and test the designed device.
Research credit is designed to give credit to students that elect to conduct research in a laboratory on campus. Credits are proportional to the hours spent in the laboratory (1-5 credits).
Permission of instructor required.Normal Letter Grade only.Course may be repeated for credit.Laboratory included.
Biological Engineering and Small-Scale Technologies
BEST 200: Special Topics in Bioengineering
[3 units]
Special Topics in Bioengineering cover background principles of cutting-edge research directions in the field of Biological Engineering. Includes 3 hours of lecture and discussion per week and significant out-of-class reading and study. The course format also emphasizes student-led presentation, analysis and discussion of reading assignments from the current and recent scientific literature.
Special Topics in Materials covers background principles of cutting-edge research directions in the field of material science. Includes 3 hours of lecture and discussion per week and significant out-of-class reading and study. The course format also emphasizes student-led presentation, analysis and discussion of reading assignments from the current and recent scientific literature.
Application of kinetic principles to the study of mass transport processes, transformations, and reactions. Thermal activation and rates of processes; nucleation and growth; phase transformations; control of micro- and nano-structure. Case studies relevant to the processing of metals, polymers, ceramics, and nanomaterials. Undergraduate preparation in introductory calculus, physics, chemistry, and thermodynamics highly recommended.
Structure and bonding of materials and their relationship to the mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of materials within the context of structure-properties-processing performance relationships. Non- and quasi-crystalline materials and the role of defects. Processing and device applications.
Normal Letter Grade only.Discussion, Laboratory included.
The field of synthetic biology is quickly emerging as potentially one of the most important and profound ways by which we can understand and manipulate our physical world for desired purposes. While synthetic biology builds upon existing areas, such as genetic engineering, systems biology, and non-biological fields such as computer science, it is becoming evident that synthetic biology represents its own new engineering discipline. At the heart of synthetic biology is the aim to make the engineering of new biological functions predictable, safe, and quick and to aid in creating biological applications of benefit to society. Relevant topics in cellular and molecular biology and biophysics, dynamical and engineering systems, and design and operation of natural and synthetic circuits are covered in a concise manner that than allows the students to begin to design new biology-based systems.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Engineering or Natural Sciences. Normal Letter Grade only.Discussion included.
Fundamental topics include: issues related to the cell source (including stem cells, plasticity, transdifferentiation, therapeutic cloning vs. reproductive cloning, bone marrow transplants, and cell differentiation and purification), cell culture and tissue organization, gene therapy delivery methods, cell adhesion and migration, issues in construct design, tissue preservation, and immunoisolation and/or modulation. We also cover current case studies and issues for FDA approval of tissue engineered products.
BEST 217: Lab on a Chip: Developing 3rd World Diagnostics for Global Health
[3 units]
This is the first-ever four campus course between UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Merced which aims to 1) raise awareness and knowledge about global health issues 2) teach students critical engineering skills such as nano/micro-fabrication 3) enable students to design, build, and test their own diagnostics and 4) develop entrepreneurial skills. Students learn about tuberculosis from leading experts at UCSF and then address the dearth of sensitive diagnostics by designing and testing their own nano/micro-systems. Taught at UC Merced with tele-conferencing to the other campuses and two field trips.
Covers computational methods in materials research and their applications in theoretical studies. Among such methods are ab initio, molecular dynamics (MD), Mesoscale, Multiscale modeling and Finite element methods. Nanostructure evolution and materials properties will also be included. A computational MD project will be developed (lab).
Prerequisite: Bio Engineering Small Scale Technology majors only. Normal Letter Grade only.Discussion, Laboratory included.
Relationships between molecular characteristics, thermodynamics, kinetics, microstructure and properties in the context of polymeric materials. Students will apply their knowledge of physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology to develop a proficient understanding of how structure and processing affect the properties and performance of biological and synthetic polymers.
Prerequisite:Graduate standing in Engineering or Natural Sciences. Normal Letter Grade only.Discussion included.
Basic properties of nanomaterials and their applications (the lecture part). A nanoscale transducer will be chosen as a sensing element and sensors will be fabricated and tested (the lab part). The interactive and experiential education will be blended into theoretical concept teaching.
Seminar series covering various topics in bioengineering, biomaterials and materials science & engineering, and nanotechnology, hosted by Biological Engineering and Small-Scale Technologies Graduate Group.
Normal Letter Grade only.Course may be repeated for credit.
Seminar covering responsibilities and expectations for researchers as well as advice for success in graduate school and science careers, required for NIH-funded graduate students.
Introduction to the major concepts in biology including origin of life, evolution, DNA, genes and genomes, principles and patterns of inheritance, genotype to henotype, gene, environment and disease relationships, biotechnology, ecosystem structure and function, nutrient cycles and pollution, biodiversity, earth systems.