May 03, 2024

2022-2023 Catalog

2022-2023 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

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. 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.

For all undergraduate 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.

For all graduate courses a “B” or better grade is required for a course to be used as a prerequisite for another course. If a course was taken for a “S/U” grade then a “S” grade is required.

WORLD LANGUAGES

No credit is allowed for completing a less advanced course after successful completion (C-or better) of a more advanced course in the world languages. This applies only to lower division world language courses, not upper division courses.

GRADING OPTIONS

Unless otherwise stated in the course description, each course is letter graded with a P/NP or S/U option (unless required for your major or graduate program). The policy regarding Grading Options , can be found in an alternate section of the catalog.

More information about Course Substitutions and Course Materials and Services Fees can be found in alternate areas of the catalog.

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Computer Science and Engineering
	CSE 199: Upper Division Individual Study Lower Unit Limit: 1 Upper Unit Limit: 5 Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 99 Pass/No Pass only Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: Yes View course scheduling information
Core
	CORE 001: The World at Home Units: 4 Provides foundation for UC Merced’s general education program with a strong emphasis on writing, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and understanding events in their historical and cultural contexts. CORE 001 is designed to introduce students to UC Merced’s faculty, our research, and the academic fields in which we work. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: WRI 001 or equivalent exam Open only to the following class level(s): Freshman Sophomore Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CORE 090X: Freshman Seminar Units: 1 Examination of a topic. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 99 Pass/No Pass only Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
Critical Race and Ethnic Studies
	CRES 001: Introduction to Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Units: 4 Examines the historical and contemporary contexts of race and indigeneity. Uses an intersectional lens (including gender, sexuality, class, religion, etc.) to explore settler colonialism and labor; im/migration and segregation; and politics of representation and resistance. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Ethics Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 020: Introduction to Asian American Studies Units: 4 Examines the history of Asian immigration to the United States and Asian American racial formation through the immigration and citizenship restrictions, popular culture, and U.S. transnational relations with Asian nations. Traces the “Asian American” figure to foreground the categories of race, class, gender, and sexuality and center this figure in the formation of the U.S. nation-state. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 027: Local Harvest, Global Industry: History of the Production and Consumption of Food Units: 4 Looks at various ways to understand the complex role of food in society. Explores Issues of food production and consumption, and how our relationship to food contributes to the political and social structures that we live with. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 027 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Ethics Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Badge: Sustainability Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 043: African Civilization Units: 4 Surveys African civilization and culture from well before recorded history to the mid-1800s. Students will explore major themes and topics in pre-colonial African history such as African geography and environmental history, pre-conquest empires and kingdoms, the development of Swahili culture, the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the historical roots of apartheid, among others. Diverse histories of African people and places that existed on the continent prior to the era of European colonization is emphasized. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 043 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 051: The History of Things: A History of the Contemporary World Units: 4 Introduction to a world history of commodities. Major topics include colonialism, imperialism, labor, consumption and inequality, gender and sexuality, war, violence, environmentalism, and mass incarceration. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 051 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Badge: Sustainability Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 052: Power in Film Units: 4 Explores the power of cinema, especially movies designed for popular audiences. We ask how movies tell stories of the past and present, and how films engage questions of race, class, gender, sexuality, and/or nation, all of which are products of longer historical experiences. Course pairs film screenings with academic texts to highlight film’s power to tell stories, create communities, and reinforce or resist ideas of the present and past. Themes vary by instructor. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 1 Crosslisted with: HIST 052, GASP 064B Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 059A: Cinema as Rebellion and Love Units: 4 Addresses the politics of representation in media (that is, film, literature, music), particularly in times of social mayhem, revolution, and war. Questions the dynamics of power embedded in the production of “the other,” paying particular attention to how race, sexuality, and class, involved the processes of representation. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will serve as one of our main case studies, as we will focus primarily on the cultural, sociological, and political representations of this dispute. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: GASP 059A Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Ethics Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 070: Music of the Caribbean World Units: 4 Addresses music of the Caribbean and the regions that border it, including its islands as well as Eastern Mexico, the southeastern United States, eastern Central America, and the northern countries of South America. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: GASP 070C Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Social Science Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Ethics Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 072B: Elements and Cultures of Hip Hop Units: 4 From its early stages marked by spirit and struggles localized marginalized communities, hip-hop has grown into an international billion-dollar business and an undeniable element of mainstream american culture. While gaining knowledge about historical developments — its origins in urban Black and Latino communities, its reverberations in other parts of the US and the world — our critique and reflection will focus on analyzing the successes and pitfalls of the movement in dealing with socio-political issues ingrained into the genre: race, gender and sexual identities. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: GASP 072B Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 076A: Social Dance, Social Bodies Units: 4 Students in this course will gain knowledge of a wide variety of different kinds of social dance, both in their own bodies and as an intellectual concern. They will learn to think about how dance can shape our interpersonal relationships and our understanding of the world around us. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: GASP 076A Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Badge: Ethics Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Badge: Diversity and Identity Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 076B: Movement for Dancers Units: 4 Introductory lecture and studio practice in contemporary movement forms; includes engagement with historical, theoretical, and/or literary material that deals with the body as knowledge production. Introduces participants to terminologies applicable to any form of movement. Students will embody an eclectic cocktail Africanist aesthetics senses, American postmodern dance, physical theatre, and martial arts techniques. The class physically interrogates cultural norms by drawing from transcultural physicalities and philosophies. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: GASP 076B Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 100: Theories in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Units: 4 Advanced survey of key issues, themes, and debates in the field of critical race and ethnic studies. Perspectives may include symbolic interaction, class analysis, sovereignty, literary criticism, feminism, racial formation, critical race theory, postmodernism, and global or transnational. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Upper Division: Crossroads Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline Approaches to Knowledge: Social Science Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Ethics Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: CRES 001 or ANTH 100 or ENG 031 or SPAN 031 or ENG 100 or SPAN 100 or GASP 133 or GASP 021 or GASP 173A or GASP 160 or GASP 155 or GASP 101 or HIST 101 or GASP 175 or HIST 126 or HIST 017 or HIST 027 or HIST 100 or HIST 123 or HIST 141 or PHIL 103 or SOC 038 or SOC 100 or SOC 180 or equivalent exam Open only to the following class level(s): Sophomore Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 101: Race and the Media Units: 4 Studies representations of race and its intersections with gender and sexuality in film and other popular media. Topics will include images in film, TV shows, and advertisements, the social implications of popular racial images, and the role of media in shaping and reflecting power relations. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: GASP 103U Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Upper Division: Crossroads Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Ethics Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 102: Race, Gender, Sexuality Units: 4 Examines the idea of sexuality alongside the categories of race, gender, and nation. Traces sexuality’s co-construction with race through colonialism and modernity. Examines how sexuality, gender, and race intersect in culture, politics, and everyday practice. Addresses the question: how does sexual politics create racial subjugation? Turns to critical queer, trans, and feminist theory to ground our thinking and practice around race, sex, and gender. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Upper Division: Crossroads Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 110: Interdisciplinary Methods in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Units: 4 Examines methodological approaches to the study of race and ethnicity in the United States. The course also assesses the relative strengths and weaknesses of key methodological paradigms. Perspectives may include ethnography and oral history, archival research, literary and cultural analysis, and decolonizing methods. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Upper Division: Crossroads Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline Approaches to Knowledge: Social Science Badge: Ethics Requisites and Restrictions Open only to following major/minor(s): Critical Race & Ethnic Studies (Undergraduate) - CRES History (Undergraduate) - HIST Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 119: Topics in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Units: 4 Explores a topic related to an interdisciplinary field and region of focus in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. Students leave this class with enhanced critical thinking skills to effectively synthesize ideas and experiences of power and resistance. They will also develop and enhance their ability to engage in meaningful discourse about how difference and power structure the world in which we live. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 4 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Upper Division: Crossroads Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 120: Race, Law and Civil Rights Units: 4 Explores the relationship between race, gender, class, sexuality and law as it applies to civil rights both in a historical and a contemporary context. Themes include myth, production, and effects of law. Topics include slavery, settler colonialism, voting rights, immigration, segregation, marriage, prison industrial complex, deportation, and reproductive rights. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Upper Division: Crossroads Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Ethics Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 121: Critical Refugee Studies Units: 4 Charts an interdisciplinary field of critical refugee studies (CRS) to re-conceptualize the refugee as a site of social and political critiques. It also assesses communities, movements, artists, and academic texts as critical sites of knowledge to forge new and humane dialogues and representations. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Upper Division: Crossroads Approaches to Knowledge: Social Science Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Ethics Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 122: Comparative Immigrations Units: 4 Examines the history of immigration and citizenship legislations as well as contemporary debates about immigration to understand how the historical and contemporary issues impact immigrant groups. Traces the “immigrant” figure to foreground the categories of race, class, gender, and sexuality and center this figure in the formation of the U.S. nation-state. Examines immigrant rights movements and cultural productions that reshape the immigration debate. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Upper Division: Crossroads Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: CRES 001 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 123: Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the United States Units: 4 Examines the construction of race and ethnicity in the United States in an historical and comparative context. The foundational concept of this course is that race is a social construction that comes into being through both historical and continuing interactions between various groups within U.S. society. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 123 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Media and Visual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 124BR: African American History 1877 to Present: Research Units: 4 Explores the African American experience from Reconstruction through the present day. Themes include the development of African American culture, Jim Crow segregation, civil rights, black power, and the prison industrial complex. The “R” version of the course involves a student research project. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 124BR Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: HIST 016 or HIST 017 or CRES 001 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 141: The African Diaspora in Latin America Units: 4 Examines a wide range of issues regarding race and ethnicity in Latin America. We will begin by exploring the profound impact of Africans in the broadly-defined Latin American region during the last five hundred years. By focusing on the lives of free and enslaved people in the Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina, this class reveals the varied and diverse experiences of African descent people living in the broader African Diaspora. This course is not an exhaustive study of slavery, however. We will also study how race and ethnicity have taken on special meanings in Latin America, and students will learn about how race, and specifically, blackness, has been manifested in different parts of contemporary Latin America. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 141 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Badge: Diversity and Identity Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: HIST 010 or HIST 011 or HIST 016 or HIST 017 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 144: Ancient Africa: Crossroads of the World Units: 4 Explores in depth the rich cultures, societies, and civilizations of North, South, East, and West Africa from prehistoric times through late antiquity. The course will focus on African development as well as knowledge production and exchange from its earliest times to showcase the sophistication of African peoples throughout the continent. The course also focuses on the contributions of ancient Africa to other ancient civilizations such as those in Asia, India, Greece, Rome, Phoenicia, and even the ancient Americas. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 144 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 145: Black Consciousness and African Freedom Units: 4 Black consciousness was strong among African nationalist leaders and this course will help students to analyze these leaders’ ideas for national freedom as rooted in anti-racism and anti-colonialism. The course focuses on the intellectual history of African nationalism and uses race as an analytical tool to understand the experiences of African people in colonial times. Students will cover topics such as African leaders in the US, What is Black Consciousness?, Africa and WWII, and also Women in African nationalism. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 145 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 146: Christian Africa Units: 4 Offers evidence of another story of Christianity in Africa that predates slavery and colonialism. Christianity has very deep roots in Africa, however the global narrative of the faith is tied to European history and thought. Among the most popular ideas about Christianity in Africa is that it came into the continent with the expansion of slavery and colonialism. This is not true. It will cover an analysis of familiar Biblical stories, Beta Israel (original Ethiopian Jewish populations), African philosophers and Bishops of the early Catholic church, Black Mary and Jesus statues in Europe, Walatta Petros who supported Ethiopian Christianity while she refused Italian Christianity and colonialism, and race and the disappearance of African influences in the early narrative of Christianity. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 146 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 147: Decolonizing Africa Units: 4 Focuses on decolonization and its immediate aftermath in Africa. Critically examines how liberation from colonial rule and the project of nation-building emerged and what their implications were for Africans and Africa in the post-WWII era. Students will dive into the political, cultural, social, economic and psychological dimensions of decolonization and its lessons and legacies by examining primary sources, contemporary film and literature, and critical analysis from a number of viewpoints. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 147 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Diversity and Identity Requisites and Restrictions Open only to the following class level(s): Sophomore Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 150: Asians in the Americas Units: 4 Focuses on Asian migrations to the Americas and cultural production by and about Asian Latin Americans. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: SPAN 150 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Upper Division: Crossroads Approaches to Knowledge: Social Science Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Ethics Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: CRES 001 or SPAN 050 or SPAN 051 or SPAN 103 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 151: British Romanticism and India Units: 4 During the Romantic period (roughly 1780-1830), British literature and the early British Empire underwent transformations in which the Orient, real and imagined, served as an experimental site for envisioning a global modernity. This course is premised on the assumption that literature served as a crucial medium through which Britons and their colonial subjects understood a developing western empire, and the early empire in turn profoundly informed the themes and forms of literary expression in Britain and India. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: ENG 110 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Open only to the following class level(s): Sophomore Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 152: Twentieth Century Latin American Revolutions Units: 4 Examines twentieth-century social revolutions in Latin America, focusing on the cases of Mexico, Cuba, and Nicaragua. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 152 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Requisites and Restrictions Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 153: Mesoamerican Literature and Culture Units: 4 Examines Mesoamerican Indigenous people and culture through literature written from various perspectives. Through an examination of Indigenous writings from around the time of contact and up to contemporary writings, the course will focus on Indigenous methods of cultural survivance in the face of changing modes of colonization, with some attention given to texts written about Indigenous people by both allies and antagonists. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: ENG 111 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: WRI 010 or equivalent exam Open only to the following class level(s): Sophomore Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 159: History of Iran Units: 4 Focuses on the history of Iran. Begins with the pre-Islamic era, and then examines the Islamic conquests, and social, political and religious developments. Special topics will include literature, art and architecture, kingship, and political legitimacy. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 159 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: Any lower-division HIST course or CRES 001 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 160: History of Women and Gender in the Middle East Units: 4 Covers the history of women and gender in the Middle East beginning with the period immediately prior to the establishment of Islam and continuing into the modern period. Examines issues related to veiling, power and authority, women and religion, colonialism, nationalism and revivalist movements, and intersectionality. Readings will cover a broad variety of historical texts, emphasizing women’s voices. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: HIST 160 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Badge: Global Awareness Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: Any lower-division HIST course or CRES 001 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 166B: Topics in Korean History and Cultures Units: 4 Study focused topics within the larger framework of Korean histories and cultures. Topics can focus on individual themes such as ethnic Korean minorities, or time periods. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 1 Crosslisted with: HIST 166B Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 167B: Topics in Japanese History and Cultures Units: 4 Study focused topics within the larger framework of Japanese histories and cultures. Topics can focus on individual themes such as ethnic Japanese minorities, gender and sexuality during the age of the Samurai, Imperial Japan, or topics tied to specific issues or time periods. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 1 Crosslisted with: HIST 167B Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Societies and Cultures of the Past Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 174B: Divas and Democracy Units: 4 Uncovers the relationship between American diva figures with democratic politics and poetics. “Diva” may evoke a single individual, an exceptional subject that inhabits a world of privilege, glamour, and visibility. This contrasts with ideas of “democracy”, a messy, seemingly disembodied process whereby a multiplicity of opinions and experiences inform the leadership of a community. We situate the figure of the diva in the political contexts that construct, build, listen and adore her/him, and the role that race, gender and sexuality plays in its development. Moreover, we interrogate our own links to divas and democracy through embodied performance and personal narrative. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: GASP 174B Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Open only to the following class level(s): Sophomore Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 183: Intersectionality Units: 4 Examines the concept, theory, method and practice of intersectionality. The following will be considered and addressed: how scholars have intersectionality as a concept, theory, method and practice of social change; what intersectionality has to offer to other theoretical approaches; and the ongoing debates regarding intersectionality and the study of social inequality and justice. The objective of this course is to critically examine and understand the paradigm of intersectionality. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: SOC 183 Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: SOC 001 or CRES 001 or SOC 038 or SOC 060 or SOC 030 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	CRES 190: Senior Capstone Units: 4 Senior capstone for critical race and ethnic studies students. Students will formulate a research proposal, conduct research, and write a final capstone paper based on their research. Students will apply interdisciplinary theories and methods to produce knowledge about race, gender, sexuality, and power in the United States. This course will be a culmination of the critical thinking, research, and interdisciplinary skills cultivated in other preceding CRES courses. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Badge: Leadership, Community, and Engaging the World Upper Division: Culminating Experience Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: CRES 001 and CRES 100 and CRES 110 Open only to following major/minor(s): American Studies Minor (Undergraduate) - AMER Anthropology (Undergraduate) - ANTH Chicano Chicana Studies Minor (Undergraduate) - CCST Critical Race & Ethnic Studies (Undergraduate) - CRES English (Undergraduate) - ENG Global Arts Studies (Undergraduate) - GASP History (Undergraduate) - HIST Sociology (Undergraduate) - SOC Spanish (Undergraduate) - SPAN Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
Environmental Systems Science
	ES 268: Life Cycle Assessment Units: 4 Study in the quantification of the cradle-to-grave environmental impacts of products and systems using the tool of life cycle assessment (LCA). Training in mathematically defining the life cycles of products and systems, performing an LCA, interpreting LCA results, and evaluating LCAs within the context of the scientific literature. Includes lectures and discussions. Project-based towards a complete LCA with a literature review, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty analysis using available data and impact assessment methods. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Open only to following major/minor(s): Applied Mathematics (Graduate) - AMAT Bioengineering (Graduate) - BIOE Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Graduate) - CCB Chemistry and Biochemistry (Graduate) - CBC Elec Eng & Computer Sci (Graduate) - EECS Environmental Systems (Graduate) - ESYS IGP Bio Eng & Sm Scale Tech (Graduate) - IGBT Management of Complex Systems (Graduate) - MCS Management of Innovation, Sustainability & Technology (Graduate) - MIST Materials & Biomaterials Science & Engineering (Graduate) - MBSE Mechanical Engineering (Graduate) - MECE Physics (Graduate) - PHYI Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	Syllabus ESS 001: Introduction to Earth Systems Science Units: 4 Introduction to basic principles of earth systems for non-science majors and prospective majors. A multidisciplinary approach that draws from geology, chemistry, physics, and biology to understand how the Earth functions as a complex system, and the role and impact of human beings on Earth systems. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion and Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Natural Science Badge: Quantitative and Numerical Analysis Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	Syllabus ESS 002: Sustainability Science Units: 4 Explores the scientific basis for a rigorous definition of the concept of sustainability and its implementation in society. Using “back-of-the-envelope” style calculations it explains major magnitudes and trends of environmental impacts and sustainable activities. It will also employ assignments and discussions that encourage communication across disciplinary barriers. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Engineering Science Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Quantitative and Numerical Analysis Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Sustainability Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 005: Introduction to Biological Earth Systems Units: 4 Introduction to basic principles of coupled biological and earth systems for non-science majors and prospective majors. An interdisciplinary approach that combines concepts from biology and earth science to understand how the Earth functions as a biological incubator, the origin and evolution of molecular life, the rise of complex biological and ecological earth systems, human impacts, and the sustainable Earth. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 010: Earth Resources and Society Units: 4 We are users and changers of our planet. This course discusses the materials and resources our planet supplies to societies, and the environmental consequences that result from consumption. We will examine the origin and use of food, water, energy, and mineral resources, and consider challenges to management and sustainability. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Engineering Science Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Quantitative and Numerical Analysis Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Sustainability Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 011: Climate Justice Units: 4 Provides an overview of climate justice, a field that addresses climate change from a social justice perspective. Students will be prepared with the knowledge and tools necessary to address climate change from an equity perspective. This course will also provide space for reflection on their role as global citizens and their contribution to the public good. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 1 Crosslisted with: MIST 011 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Badge: Diversity and Identity Badge: Ethics Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Sustainability Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 015: Weather, Climate, and the Environment Units: 4 Introduces the Earth’s weather and climate, and environmental issues associated with the Earth’s atmosphere. Topics include weather measurements, maps, forecasts, and extreme weather events, and environmental topics such as air pollution, the ozone hole, and climate change. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Natural Science Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Badge: Quantitative and Numerical Analysis Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Sustainability Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 020: Fundamentals of Geology Units: 4 Introduction to geology with emphasis on physical and chemical processes that have shaped the Earth through time. Topics include Earth history, plate tectonics, mineral and rock formation, mountain building and landscape evolution, and interior and surface geologic processes. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Quantitative and Numerical Analysis Badge: Sustainability Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 025: Introduction to Ecosystem Science Units: 4 Fundamentals of ecosystem science; organization, function and development of ecological systems; energy and mass flow; biogeochemical cycling; biodiversity, population dynamics, and sustainability. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (ESS 001 or ESS 005 or BIO 001 or equivalent exam) and (MATH 011 or MATH 021 or equivalent exam) and (PHYS 008 or PHYS 008H or PHYS 018 or equivalent exam) Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 034: Introduction to Marine Science Units: 4 Introduction to biological, chemical, and physical oceanography, marine geomorphology, and their synthesis in the study of marine life; also including relationships with atmospheric, freshwater, and terrestrial systems. Areas of emphasis include ecosystems (from the deep sea to saltwater ponds), the integrated coastal zone, resource management, and global change. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 034 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Quantitative and Numerical Analysis Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Sustainability Badge: Ethics Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 040: Air Quality, Air Resources and Environmental Health Units: 4 A survey of principles and issues related to air quality and resources from global to regional scales, including evolution of the earth’s atmosphere, urban smog formation, visibility, acid rain, stratospheric and tropospheric ozone, effects of meteorology on air pollution, air pollution transport across political boundaries, and health effects of exposure to air pollution. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 043: Biodiversity and Conservation Units: 4 Introduction to the study of biodiversity and conservation. Patterns, origin, and importance of biodiversity are discussed. An introduction to the major biological groups and the conservation efforts used to preserve contemporary biodiversity. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 043 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Natural Science Badge: Ethics Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Quantitative and Numerical Analysis Badge: Sustainability Badge: Scientific Method Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	Syllabus ESS 047: Astrobiology Units: 4 Astrobiology refers to the study of the origin and evolution of life in the cosmos: What is life, how did it form, and where is it? It is an integrative, multidisciplinary field that includes areas of astronomy, biology, (bio)chemistry, geology, and physics. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 047 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Natural Science Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Ethics Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 050: Ecosystems of California Units: 4 An introduction to ecological principles and processes through the examination of California’s varied ecosystems; discussion of native and invasive species, land use, human impacts, and biodiversity; two Saturday field trips to a variety of California habitats. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Natural Science Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 060: Global Environmental Change Units: 4 History, causes, and consequences of anthropogenic and natural changes in the atmosphere, oceans, and terrestrial ecosystems; geologic evidence for glacial cycles and climate changes, modern marine and atmosphere circulation, greenhouse gases, deforestation and species extinctions, and human population growth and impacts on climate and resources. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 065: Natural History of Dinosaurs Units: 4 Provides an introduction to the history of life, emphasizing the radiation of dinosaur species throughout the Mesozoic Era, and ecological roles filled by different dinosaur groups. Connections will be made between the ecological, and environmental events shaping the Mesozoic and those experienced throughout the Anthropocene. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 065 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 090X: Freshman Seminar Units: 1 Examination of a topic in earth systems science. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Pass/No Pass only Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 094: Research in Environmental Systems Science Units: 4 Jump into Environmental System Science research by learning to read the primary literature. This course delves intensively into peer-reviewed, scientific research articles by Life and Environmental Sciences faculty at UC Merced to demystify the scientific process. Classes often cover environmental topics, processes, and mechanisms, but cross-disciplinary skills related to scientific reading, writing, and data analysis are often not explicitly taught. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 1 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Natural Science Badge: Quantitative and Numerical Analysis Badge: Scientific Method Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 095: Lower Division Undergraduate Research Lower Unit Limit: 1 Upper Unit Limit: 5 Supervised research. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 4 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: Yes View course scheduling information
	ESS 098: Lower Division Directed Group Study Lower Unit Limit: 1 Upper Unit Limit: 5 Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 99 Pass/No Pass only Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: Yes View course scheduling information
	ESS 099: Lower Division Individual Study Lower Unit Limit: 1 Upper Unit Limit: 5 Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 99 Pass/No Pass only Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: Yes View course scheduling information
	Syllabus ESS 100: Environmental Chemistry in Natural Sciences Units: 4 Chemical principles of Earth systems focusing on environmental processes in water, soil, and air. Applications of equilibrium and kinetic concepts to natural and human-impacted environmental systems. Topics include composition of natural waters, acid-base chemistry, mineral and gas solubility, oxidation and reduction, natural organic matter, and biogeochemical cycles. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (CHEM 010 or CHEM 010H or equivalent exam) and (MATH 011 or MATH 021 or equivalent exam) Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 102: Chemical Processes in the Soil Environment Units: 3 Thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical process in soil systems. Topics include the formation and identification of common minerals, adsorption/desorption, precipitation/dissolution, and electrochemical reactions in soils. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ENVE 100 or ESS 100 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 103: Geochemistry of Earth Systems Units: 3 Quantitative analysis of earth systems using principles of thermodynamics, kinetics, and isotope geochemistry; solution-mineral equilibrium and phase relations; equilibrium and reactive transport approaches to modeling geochemical processes at ambient and elevated temperatures. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ENVE 100 or ESS 100 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 104: Organic Geochemistry Units: 3 Focus on organic chemical reactions in soils and sedimentary environments. Topics include the formation and weathering of natural organic matter and reactions of natural organic matter with pollutants. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ENVE 100 or ESS 100 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 105: Biogeochemistry Units: 4 Biogeochemistry of the common elements such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, iron, and other important elements. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Conjoined with: ES 205 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ESS 148 or BIO 148 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 108: Surface and Colloid Chemistry of Earth Materials Units: 3 Surface, colloid, and interfacial chemistry related to soil, environmental, and microbial applications; properties, energetics, and reactivity of surfaces and interfaces of Earth materials; the role of mineral surfaces in promoting and catalyzing chemical phenomena at phase boundaries. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ENVE 100 or ESS 100 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 109: Inorganic Chemistry of Earth’s Materials Units: 3 Chemical principles, structure, and bonding of minerals and Earth materials, including crystallography (symmetry, space groups, group theory), coordination chemistry, bonding models (valence bond, crystal field, and MO theories), and electronic and magnetic properties. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Conjoined with: ES 209 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ESS 100 or ENVE 100 or CHEM 010 or CHEM 010H or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	Syllabus ESS 110: Hydrology and Climate Units: 4 Develops an understanding of the conceptual basis of the sciences of climate and hydrology and to introduce quantitative methods that (a) allow interpretation of hydrologic and climate data, (b) describe of linkages between the various components of the hydrologic and climate system, and (c) support decision making in resource management and conservation. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (ENVE 020 or MATH 015) and (MATH 012 or MATH 022 or equivalent exam) Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 112: Subsurface Hydrology Units: 4 Hydrologic and geologic factors controlling the occurrence and use of groundwater on regional and local scales. Physical, mathematical, geologic and engineering concepts fundamental to subsurface hydrologic processes. Introduction to ground-water flow and transport modeling, with emphasis on model construction and simulation. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Conjoined with: ES 212 Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ENVE 110 or ESS 110 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 113: Sustainability in the Anthropocene Units: 4 Teaches intermediate-level concepts in sustainability and Anthropocene studies in the context of societal issues facing this and future generations. The goal is to help prepare students to effectively interpret, generate, and use data and multiple modes of communication in future venues as a researcher or a citizen. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 113 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Upper Division: Crossroads Approaches to Knowledge: Natural Science Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Sustainability Requisites and Restrictions Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 120: Introduction to Ecological and Environmental Microbiology Units: 4 Fundamentals of microbiology in ecological and environmental systems, including the distribution of microbial diversity throughout terrestrial, extreme, and marine environments; microbial control of global biogeochemical cycles; and environmental services provided by microorganisms. Both classical and contemporary biochemical, molecular, and genomic approaches to microbial physiology, metabolism, and ecology will be discussed. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 121 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (CHEM 010 or CHEM 010H or equivalent exam) and (ESS 001 or BIO 001 or ENVE 020 or equivalent exam) Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	Syllabus ESS 124: Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology Units: 4 Ecosystem ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their physical environment within an Earth-system context. Focuses on energy, water, and nutrient flows through the living (plants, animals, microorganisms) and nonliving (soils, atmosphere) components of both natural and human-modified terrestrial ecosystems. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 157 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: BIO 148 or ESS 148 Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 125: Microbial Ecology Units: 4 Advanced study of microbiological systems and techniques. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ESS 120 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 126: Environmental Genomics Units: 4 Introduction to the principles and methods of genomics as applied to the understanding of ecosystems. Topics include population genetics, adaptation to environmental change, and genomic analysis of environmental microbial communities; experimental and computational methods relevant to environmental genomics. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: BIO 141 or ESS 120 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 128: Theoretical Ecology Units: 4 Advanced study of the application of theoretical and quantitative methods for the analysis and interpretation of populations, communities and ecosystems. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: BIO 145 and (MATH 012 or MATH 022 or equivalent exam) Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 129: Paleoecology Units: 3 Introduction to the relationships of fossil organisms to one another and to their physical environment, focusing on terrestrial paleoecology of the past 2.5 million years. This class will introduce past environments, discuss common proxies for studying paleoecology, and examine ecological principles as applied to the past. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 129 Conjoined with: ES 229 Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Upper Division: Crossroads Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Sustainability Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (BIO 148 or ESS 148) and (one lower-division BIO or ESS course, or equivalent exam) Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 130: Plant Biology Units: 4 Introduces students to the basics of plant biology. Topics covered include plant biochemistry and metabolism, anatomy, reproduction, evolution, and ecological interactions, as well as the interactions between plants and humans in the context of agriculture, medicine, and global change. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 130 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Natural Science Badge: Literary and Textual Analysis Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Sustainability Upper Division: Crossroads Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (BIO 001 or BIO 148 or ESS 148 or equivalent exam) and (CHEM 002 or CHEM 002H or equivalent exam) Open only to the following class level(s): Sophomore Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 131: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Units: 4 Chemistry and physics of the troposphere and stratosphere, including atmospheric aerosols. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (ESS 020 or ENVE 020) and (CHEM 008 or CHEM 008H) and (PHYS 009 or PHYS 009H) Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 133: Flora of California Units: 4 An introduction to the plant diversity of California. It consists of lectures and labs focusing on plant identification in the foothills of the Central Sierra Nevada and covers concepts such as endemism, plant/soil interactions, and vegetation types. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 133 Conjoined with: ES 227 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Upper Division: Crossroads Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: BIO 001 or ESS 001 or BIO 148 or ESS 050 or equivalent exam Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 134: Air Pollution and Resources Units: 3 Chemistry and physics of atmospheric pollutants, urban air pollution, visibility, mitigation, and resource economics. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Conjoined with: ES 234 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ESS 100 or ENVE 100 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 135: Ocean Science Units: 3 Integrative studies of ocean and coastal ecosystems, including current issues. Also referencing relationships with atmospheric, freshwater, and terrestrial systems. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 134 Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: BIO 141 or BIO 148 Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 141: Environmental Science and Policy Units: 4 In depth-analysis of environmental case studies. Focus on science critical to policy development and implementation, the policy-making process, and policy outcomes. Special emphasis on interaction between scientific information and policy-making. Example topics include Western water resources, biodiversity conservation, and global warming. Emphasis on written and oral communication and critical analysis. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: ENGR 141, GEOG 141 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (WRI 010 or equivalent exam) and any lower-division BIO, ECON, ENVE, ESS, POLI, or PUBP course or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 148: Fundamentals of Ecology Units: 4 Introduction to the principles of ecology at population, community, ecosystem, landscape, and global scales. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 148 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Sustainability Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: BIO 001 or BIO 005 or ESS 001 or ESS 005 or equivalent exam Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 148F: Ecology Research in the Field and Lab Units: 4 A semi-structured course-based undergraduate research experience that will allow students to learn how to apply and extend ecological concepts to the field and lab. This course focuses on the practice of ecology, including natural history observations, fieldwork, quantitative reasoning, designing investigations, working collaboratively, and communication. Students will first be introduced to common tools of ecology and different modes of ecological inquiry, then in small teams will design, implement, analyze, and present their own research project. Through these activities, students will extend their understanding of core ecological concepts, human-environment interactions, and cross-cutting themes in ecology. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 148F Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Natural Science Upper Division: Culminating Experience Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses with Concurrent Option: BIO 148 or ESS 148 Open only to following major/minor(s): Biological Sciences (Undergraduate) - BIOS Environmental Systems Science (Undergraduate) - ESY Instructor Permission Required: No For BIO majors, it is recommended that students be enrolled in the Ecology and Evolution emphasis area of Biology. View course scheduling information
	ESS 149: Conservation Biology Units: 4 Detailed examination of the evolutionary, ecological, management, and policy issues related to the conservation of ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity. Theory and practical aspects of biological conservation are presented, with special reference to case studies from California. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 149 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (BIO 001 or equivalent exam) and (MATH 018 or MATH 032 or BIO 018 or equivalent exam) Instructor Permission Required: No BIO 148 recommended View course scheduling information
	ESS 150: Geomorphology and Surface Processes Units: 4 Observation and analysis of earth surface processes and the development of landforms and landscape. The interaction between surficial processes and tectonic, biologic, hydrologic, climatic, and atmospheric processes. Evaluation of environmental hazards and engineering solutions. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ESS 020 or ENVE 020 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 156: Ecological Dynamics Units: 3 Introduction to theoretical ecology, involving a tour through population dynamics, stochastic processes, and ecological networks. Students will become familiar and comfortable with basic theoretical models in ecology and understand how these models are used to gain information about biological systems. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 156 Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (BIO 001 or equivalent exam) and (MATH 021 or equivalent exam) Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 159: Insect Ecology and Evolution Units: 4 Explores the fundamentals of insect biology, ecology, and evolution. Field-based lab investigates local insect biodiversity and identification. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 159 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 170: Fundamentals of Soil Science Units: 3 Examines the soil as a natural resource and soils as ecosystems. Soil science explores the major physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils, and fundamental processes that regulate interaction of the terrestrial biosphere with other components of the earth system. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Conjoined with: ES 201 Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: (CHEM 002 or CHEM 002H or equivalent exam) and (BIO 001 or ESS 001 or equivalent exam) Corequisite Courses: ESS 170L Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 170L: Soil Science Laboratory Units: 1 An introduction to common laboratory methods used in soil science. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Conjoined with: ES 201L Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Corequisite Courses: ESS 170 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 172: Sustainability of Agricultural Ecosystems Units: 4 Application of ecological theory to understand sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems at local to global scales. Topics include nutrient cycling, biodiversity, landscape connectivity, soil fertility, organic matter management, and climate resilience. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 172 Discussion included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Upper Division: Crossroads Badge: Global Awareness Badge: Sustainability Badge: Practical and Applied Knowledge Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ESS 148 or BIO 148 Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	Syllabus ESS 174: Fundamentals of Stable Isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Science Units: 4 Focuses on the fundamentals of stable isotope ecology, biochemistry, and geochemistry using both lecture and lab. Isotope systematics for carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, strontium, and neodymium and how they operate in plants, animals, soils, and microbes during modern and geological timescales will form the framework for the class. Corresponding lab section will teach sample preparation, hypothesis building, and research skills using stable isotopes. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Crosslisted with: BIO 174 Laboratory included Normal Letter Grade only GE Requirements Approaches to Knowledge: Natural Science Upper Division: Crossroads Upper Division: Writing in the Discipline Requisites and Restrictions Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 179: Critical Zone Science Units: 4 The Critical Zone (CZ) is defined as the Earth’s outer layer from vegetation canopy to the soil and groundwater that sustains human life. Teaches the importance and overall functioning of the CZ, and the temporal and spatial scales at which the CZ may be studied. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade only Requisites and Restrictions Prerequisite Courses: ESS 100 or ESS 110 or ESS 124 or BIO 157 or ESS 148 or BIO 148 or ESS 170 Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	Syllabus ESS 190: Undergraduate Seminar Units: 1 Weekly seminar of current topics in earth and environmental systems. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Upper Division: Culminating Experience Requisites and Restrictions Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information
	ESS 192: Topics in Environmental Systems Lower Unit Limit: 2 Upper Unit Limit: 4 Treatment of a special topic or theme in Environmental Systems. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 4 Conjoined with: ES 292 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: No Course may be repeated 4 times for credit in different subject area View course scheduling information
	ESS 195: Upper Division Undergraduate Research Lower Unit Limit: 1 Upper Unit Limit: 5 Supervised research. Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 99 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: Yes View course scheduling information
	ESS 198: Upper Division Directed Group Study Lower Unit Limit: 1 Upper Unit Limit: 5 Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 1 Pass/No Pass only Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: Yes View course scheduling information
	ESS 199: Upper Division Individual Study Lower Unit Limit: 1 Upper Unit Limit: 5 Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 1 Pass/No Pass only Requisites and Restrictions Open only to the following class level(s): Junior Senior Instructor Permission Required: Yes View course scheduling information
Economics
	ECON 001: Introduction to Economics Units: 4 Introduction to economics principles and methods, including microeconomics (operation of the economy at the individual and firm level) and macroeconomics (nature and functions of the national economy in a global context). Course Details Repeats Allowed for Credit: 0 Normal Letter Grade with Pass/No Pass option GE Requirements Badge: Scientific Method Badge: Quantitative and Numerical Analysis Approaches to Knowledge: Social Science Requisites and Restrictions Instructor Permission Required: No View course scheduling information

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University of California, Merced

Course Descriptions

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

GRADUATE COURSES

CROSS-LISTED/CONJOINED COURSES

COREQUISITE COURSE

PREREQUISITES

WORLD LANGUAGES

GRADING OPTIONS

CSE 199: Upper Division Individual Study

CORE 001: The World at Home

CORE 090X: Freshman Seminar

CRES 001: Introduction to Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

CRES 020: Introduction to Asian American Studies

CRES 027: Local Harvest, Global Industry: History of the Production and Consumption of Food

CRES 043: African Civilization

CRES 051: The History of Things: A History of the Contemporary World

CRES 052: Power in Film

CRES 059A: Cinema as Rebellion and Love

CRES 070: Music of the Caribbean World

CRES 072B: Elements and Cultures of Hip Hop

CRES 076A: Social Dance, Social Bodies

CRES 076B: Movement for Dancers

CRES 100: Theories in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

CRES 101: Race and the Media

CRES 102: Race, Gender, Sexuality

CRES 110: Interdisciplinary Methods in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

CRES 119: Topics in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

CRES 120: Race, Law and Civil Rights

CRES 121: Critical Refugee Studies

CRES 122: Comparative Immigrations

CRES 123: Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the United States

CRES 124BR: African American History 1877 to Present: Research

CRES 141: The African Diaspora in Latin America

CRES 144: Ancient Africa: Crossroads of the World

CRES 145: Black Consciousness and African Freedom

CRES 146: Christian Africa

CRES 147: Decolonizing Africa

CRES 150: Asians in the Americas

CRES 151: British Romanticism and India

CRES 152: Twentieth Century Latin American Revolutions

CRES 153: Mesoamerican Literature and Culture

CRES 159: History of Iran

CRES 160: History of Women and Gender in the Middle East

CRES 166B: Topics in Korean History and Cultures

CRES 167B: Topics in Japanese History and Cultures

CRES 174B: Divas and Democracy

CRES 183: Intersectionality

CRES 190: Senior Capstone

ES 268: Life Cycle Assessment

ESS 001: Introduction to Earth Systems Science

ESS 002: Sustainability Science

ESS 005: Introduction to Biological Earth Systems

ESS 010: Earth Resources and Society

ESS 011: Climate Justice

ESS 015: Weather, Climate, and the Environment

ESS 020: Fundamentals of Geology

ESS 025: Introduction to Ecosystem Science

ESS 034: Introduction to Marine Science

ESS 040: Air Quality, Air Resources and Environmental Health

ESS 043: Biodiversity and Conservation

ESS 047: Astrobiology

ESS 050: Ecosystems of California

ESS 060: Global Environmental Change

ESS 065: Natural History of Dinosaurs

ESS 090X: Freshman Seminar

ESS 094: Research in Environmental Systems Science

ESS 095: Lower Division Undergraduate Research

ESS 098: Lower Division Directed Group Study

ESS 099: Lower Division Individual Study

ESS 100: Environmental Chemistry in Natural Sciences

ESS 102: Chemical Processes in the Soil Environment

ESS 103: Geochemistry of Earth Systems

ESS 104: Organic Geochemistry

ESS 105: Biogeochemistry

ESS 108: Surface and Colloid Chemistry of Earth Materials

ESS 109: Inorganic Chemistry of Earth’s Materials