Science Courses Offered At Penn State Mont Alto
Penn State Mont Alto offers courses for the first two years of study in many of the baccalaureate majors in the Eberly College of Science. In addition, we offer a variety of science courses for students in other majors. The abbreviation (GN) indicates that a course satisfies a portion of the General Education requirement for natural science (GN). Please check your degree requirements carefully to be sure that you sign up for classes that count toward graduation for your major. See your advisor for help.
Information on a course number and name, the number of credits, and the course description comes directly from the Penn State Bulletin. In addition, I've indicated the semester that we typically offer the class at Mont Alto. Hopefully this will help you in planning your schedule; please note that some sequences begin in the spring (PHYS) and some courses are offered only in alternate years (BIOL).
Scroll down to see all our course offerings or click
on the area of interest:
ASTRO || B
M B || BI SC || BIOL || CHEM
|| MICRB || PHYS
Click here to go to the course schedules at the Penn State Registrar's homepage.
Click here to check for webpages relating to this course at Penn State Mont Alto.
Click here to see information about arranging independent studies courses and honors options.
ASTRO 001 (GN) Astronomical Universe
(3)
Occasional
Nonmathematical description of the astronomical
universe and the development of scientific thought. For
non-Science majors. Students who have passed ASTRO 010 may not schedule
this course.
B M B 001 (GN) Understanding the
Bases of Human Disease
(3)
Spring
A broad survey of the molecular and cellular factors
that provide an explanation for an understanding of human disease.
BI SC 002 (GN) Genetics, Ecology,
& Evolution (3)
Occasional
How living organisms pass on their inheritance,
how plants and animals came to be what they are, and how they now react.
Students
who have passed BIOL 033, 110, 220W, or 222 may not schedule this course.
BI SC 003 (GN) Environmental Science
(3)
Spring, occasional summers
Kinds of environments; past and present uses and
abuses of natural resources; disposal of human wastes; prospects for the
future. Students who have passed BIOL 220 or any
other upper-level ecology course in biology may not schedule this course.
Biol 011 (GN*) Introductory
Biology I (3)
Spring
An introduction to fundamental biological topics
(including cells, energy transduction, genetics, evolution, organismal
structure/function, ecology) for non-majors biology-related
fields.
* Students must take a combination of
Biol 011 GN and Biol 012 GN to receive General Education credit in biology.
Biol 012 (GN*) Introductory Biology
II (1)
Spring
Laboratory exercises demonstrating principles of
biology. Prerequisite or concurrent: Biol 011.
* Students must take a combination of
Biol 011 GN and Biol 012 GN to receive General Education credit in biology.
BIOL 020 (GN; GI) Plants, Places,
and People (3)
Occasional
Effective Date: SP2004
Useful and dangerous plants; historical (archaeological),
cultural (ethnological), and economic (anthropocentric) aspects, including
structural and chemical characteristics of botanical importance. Students
who have passed BIOL (PPATH; STS) 424 may not
schedule this course.
BIOL 055 (GN) Biology of Aging
(3)
Fall, Summer
Examination of human aging from a biological perspective;
causes of physiological and pathological changes and factors that contribute
to life propagation. Students who have passed
BIOL 409 may not enroll for this course.
BIOL 110 (GN) Biology: Basic Concepts
& Biodiversity
(4)
Fall
A study of the evolution of the major groups of
organisms including the fundamental concepts of biology.
Notes on scheduling Biol 129 -- At Penn State Mont Alto, students admitted to PTA, OTA, and Nursing programs have priority on enrolling for this course in the fall semester. Other students may enroll during the fall semester if there is room in the class, or may enroll during the spring or summer semesters.
BIOL 142 Physiology Lab (1)
Fall, Spring, Summer
Experiments demonstrating basic physiological principles,
with special reference to man. Prerequisite or concurrent: BIOL 141.
BIOL 220W (GN) Biology: Populations
& Communities (4)
Alternate springs; alternates with
Biol 240W
A study of the structures and functions of organismic
interactions from simple populations to complex ecosystems. Prerequisite:
BIOL 110. (BIOL 220W, 230W, and 240W each carry only 1 credit of "Writing";
all three courses must be taken to meet the W requirement.)
BIOL 297 Special Topics (1-9)
Offered occasionally. Contact individual
faculty members to discuss possibilities.
CHEM 006 Problem Solving in Chemistry
(1)
Fall, Spring
Techniques, strategies, and skills for solving
problems in general chemistry. Prerequisite: FTCAP placement. Concurrent:
CHEM 012.
CHEM 11 Introductory Chemistry
(3)
Fall, Spring, Summer
Selected principles and applications of chemistry.
Prior
study of chemistry not assumed. Prerequisite: MATH 021 ; or satisfactory
performance on the MATH FTCAP examination-- i.e., placement beyond the
level of MATH 021
Note: This course often serves as a prep course
for Chem 12.
CHEM 12 (GN*) Chemical Principles
(3)
Fall, Spring
Basic concepts and quantitative relations. Prerequisite:
Satisfactory performance on the Chemistry and Math FTCAP placement tests
. Students must take a combination of CHEM 12 & CHEM 14 to receive
General Education credit in chemistry.
CHEM 13 (GN*) Chemical Principles
(3)
Spring
Continuation of CHEM 012, including an introduction
to the chemistry of the elements. Prerequisite: CHEM 012 or 017. Prerequisite
or concurrent: CHEM 014.
*Students must take a combination of
CHEM 13 & CHEM 15 to receive General Education credit in chemistry.
CHEM 14 (GN) Experimental Chemistry
(1)
Fall, Spring
Introduction to quantitative experimentation in
chemistry. Prerequisite or concurrent: CHEM 012 or 017.
*Students must take a combination of
CHEM 12 & CHEM 14 to receive General Education credit in chemistry.
CHEM 15 (GN*) Experimental Chemistry
(1)
Occasionally offered Spring
Continuation of CHEM 014, with emphasis on analytical
procedures.
Prerequisite: CHEM 014. Prerequisite or concurrent: CHEM
013.
*Students must take a combination of
CHEM 13 & CHEM 15 to receive General Education credit in chemistry.
MICRB 106 (GN*) Elementary Microbiology
(3)
Fall, Summer
Importance of microorganisms in public health and
disease, agriculture, and industry; descriptive
course for nontechnical students.
*Students must take a combination of
MICRB 106 & MICRB 107 to receive General Education credit in biology.
MICRB 107 (GN*) Elementary Microbiology
Lab (1)
Fall, Summer
Selected techniques with regard to recognition
and enumeration of bacteria; effects of chemical and physical agents on
microorganisms. Prerequisite or concurrent: MICRB 106.
*Students must take a combination of
MICRB 106 & MICRB 107 to receive General Education credit in biology.
PHYS 001 (GN) The Science of Physics
(3)
Fall, Spring
Historical development and significance of major
concepts and theories, with emphasis on the nature of physical science
and its role in modern life. For students in nontechnical
fields.
PHYS 211 (GN) GENERAL PHYSICS:
MECHANICS
(4)
Spring
Calculus-based study of the basic concepts of mechanics:
motion, force, Newton's laws, energy, collisions, and rotation. Concurrent:
MATH 140 . Phys 211 has replaced Phys 201.
PHYS 212 (GN) GENERAL PHYSICS:
ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM (4)
Fall
Calculus-based study of the basic concepts of electricity
and magnetism.
Prerequisite: MATH 140, PHYS 211 . Concurrent: MATH 141
. Phys 212 has replaced Phys 202.
PHYS 213 (GN) GENERAL PHYSICS:FLUIDS
AND THERMAL PHYSICS (2)
Spring
Calculus-based study of the basic concepts of fluids
and sound, heat, kinetic theory, and entropy. Prerequisite: MATH 140
, PHYS 211 . Concurrent: MATH 141 . Phys 213 and Phys
214 have replaced Phys 203/204. Check the requirements of your degree program
in the bulletin and with your advisor to see whether you need one or both
courses.
PHYS 214 (GN) GENERAL PHYSICS:
WAVE MOTION AND QUANTUM PHYSICS (2)
Spring
Calculus-based study of the basic concepts of wave
motion, geometrical optics, interference phenomena, photons, wave mechanics,
and the structure of matter. Prerequisite: MATH 140 , PHYS 211 . Concurrent:
MATH 141 . Phys 213 and Phys 214 have replaced Phys 203/204.
Check the requirements of your degree program in the bulletin and with
your advisor to see whether you need one or both courses.
PHYS 250 (GN) Introductory Physics
(4)
Fall
Selected topics in mechanics, heat, and sound.
Prerequisite:
algebra to quadratics. Phys 250 has replaced Phys 215.
PHYS 251 (GN) Introductory Physics
(4)
Spring
Selected topics in light, electricity, and magnetism.
Prerequisite
or concurrent: PHYS 215. Phys 251 has replaced Phys 265.
PHYS 296 Independent Studies
(1-18)
Offered by arrangement with instructor. Contact
individual
faculty members to discuss possibilities.
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