Courses

Environmental

  • SPEA-E 100 Environmental Topics (1-3 cr.) Study of selected issues in environmental affairs. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-E 162 Environment and People (3 cr.) Environment and People is an introductory course that examines how humans interact with their environment. This course covers multiple topics, centered-around human-environment dimensions of environmental change. The overarching objective is to develop an understanding of our impact on the planet and possible solutions to environmental degradation. Credit not given for both SPEA-E 162 and E 262.
  • SPEA-S 162 Honors—Environment and People (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA-E 162; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 260 Introduction to Water Resources (3 cr.) P: SPEA-E 272; any biology course.  This course provides an introduction to the science and management of water resources.  Topics include hydrology and the water cycle; a survey of aquatic ecosystems, biota and processes; and an examination of the types and consequences of water pollution and impairment of water resources.
  • SPEA-E 262 Environmental Problems and Solutions (3 cr.) P: One semester of college-level chem­istry. An integrated approach to understanding and solving environmental problems. Topics may include ecosystem restoration, surface water and groundwater contamination, air pollution, and global environmental change. This course is intended primarily for majors in the B.S.E.S. degree program.
  • SPEA-E 272 Introduction to Environmental Sciences (3 cr.) P: (no P required for Bloomington); a statistics course. Application of principles from life and physical sciences to the understanding and management of the environment. Emphasis will be placed on (1) the physical and biological restraints on resource availability and use, and (2) the technological and scientific options to solving environmental problems.
  • SPEA-S 272 Honors—Introduction to Environmental Sciences (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA-E 272; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 311 Introduction to Risk Assessment and Risk Communication (3 cr.) This course will cover basic human health and risk assessment procedures, as outlined by the various regulatory agencies (especially EPA) and standard setting groups. Because risk communication is an integral part of any risk management process, risk communication techniques and applications will be integrated into the course material.
  • SPEA-S 311 Honors—Introduction to Risk Assessment and Risk Communication (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA-E 311; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 316 Insects and the Environment (3 cr.) This course introduces insects in the context of their ecological importance, their effects on humans, and the environmental/economic impacts of pest management. The course is taught in five modules: Entomology, Insect Pests, Pest Management and Risk Reduction, Policies of Pest Management and Bio-diversity, and Pollution Prevention and Benefit-Cost Analysis.
  • SPEA-S 316 Honors—Insects and the Environment (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA-E 316; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 324 Controversies in Environmental Health (3 cr.) A skills course in a debate format. Skills are developed by researching, preparing arguments for, and debating topics related to environmental health and health of the environment. Clear writing skills are also emphasized, as the students write up debate evaluations, which are critically graded for content, form, and style.
  • SPEA-E 325 Computing for Environmental Scientists (1-3 cr.) P: (no P required for Bloomington); MATH-M 118 or M 119; K 300 or equivalent; SPEA-E 272. Survey of computing applications to environmental issues. Personal computing emphasized. Application of spreadsheets, graphics, simple statistics, and BASIC programming to environmental science issues. Manipulation and interpretation of real data, case studies, and projects. Many software packages used.
  • SPEA-E 332 Introduction to Applied Ecology (3 cr.) P: MATH-M 119 or M 211; CSCI-C 211 or BUS-K 201; and K 300. This course provides an introduction to applied ecology for non-science majors.
  • SPEA-S 332 Honors—Introduction to Applied Ecology (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA-E 332; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 340 Environmental Economics and Finance (3 cr.) This course familiarizes students with the principles of environmental economics, finance, and cost-benefit analysis. The incentive effects of environmental policy design are assessed. Policy instruments include tradeable permits, emissions taxes, deposit-refund systems, pollution-prevention programs, and voluntary agreements. Project appraisal techniques are then developed and applied to specific case evaluations.
  • SPEA-E 355 Introduction to Limnology (3 cr.) Limnology is the integrated science of inland waters. Principles of physics, chemistry, geology, and biology combine to form the basis for understanding how lakes and streams function as aquatic ecosystems. The course will highlight the effects of human activity on lake and stream ecosystems.
  • SPEA-E 363 Environmental Management (3 cr.) Introductory course in environmental management. Subjects covered include current issues and trends, total quality environment management, managing scientific and technical personnel, managing contracts and grants, nontraditional approaches to regulation, environmental conflict resolution, working with the media, risk communication, and working with communities.
  • SPEA-E 375 Techniques of Environmental Science (3 cr.) P: SPEA-E 272 or H 316. Principles and methods of sampling, collection, measurement, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data concerning environmental science. Through lab demonstrations and field work, students will become familiar with instrumen­tation and analytical methods currently used in environmental analysis. Team instruction will be used to demonstrate techniques.
  • SPEA-S 363 Honors—Environmental Management (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA‑E 363; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies (1-3 cr.) P: (no P required for Bloomington) SPEA-E 272. An interdisciplinary consideration of specific environmental topics. May be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-E 410 Introduction to Environmental Toxicology (3 cr.) P: any organismal biology course. Study of toxic mechanisms, pathology, and disease development resulting from exposure to biological and chemical agents in the environment.
  • SPEA-E 411 Introduction to Groundwater Hydrology (3 cr.) An overview is presented of the theory and practice of groundwater movement, groundwater contamination, and aquifer testing and remediation, as well as policy issues such as groundwater management. The formal lectures are supplemented by several guest speakers, who are professionals working in different areas of groundwater hydrology.
  • SPEA-E 412 Risk Communication (3 cr.) Risk communication is the means by which technical information is communicated to others (the public included), especially in the context of making decisions about environmentally related policy (such as siting of a landfill). The course emphasizes both theory (in lectures) and practical experience through developing and acting in role-play scenarios.
  • SPEA-E 418 Vector-Based Geographic Information Systems (3 cr.) Introduction to geographic information systems using vector data structure Vector GIS capabilities and uses. Data structure and file management of spatial data. Laboratory exercises using ARC/INFO software.
  • SPEA-E 419 Applied Remote Sensing of the Environment (3 cr.) Applications of remotely sensed data and raster geographic information systems in environmental research. Concepts of remote sensing. Image acquisition from different sensors, ranging from aerial photography to various types of satellite imagery. Image processing and analysis. Raster geographic information systems. Raster-vector integration. Concepts of spatial analysis.
  • SPEA-E 422 Urban Forest Management (3 cr.) Originally an outgrowth of arboriculture, urban forestry now encompasses the broader concepts of managing the trees, forests and other natural resources of cities for ecological, economic, and social benefits. Lectures, discussions, and field projects will be supplemented by outside speakers. IUB and Bloomington will be the field laboratory.
  • SPEA-S 422 Honors—Urban Forest Management (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA-E 422; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 423 Environmental Health Science Technology: Managing Water and Wastes (3 cr.) P: SPEA-H 316; MATH 153. Technology approach to preventing the transmission of disease among humans through water and wastes. Course focuses on drinking water treatment and distribution, water quality and pollution, wastewater treatment, storm water management, municipal solid waste, and hazardous waste management.
  • SPEA-E 426 Applied Mathematics for Environmental Science (3 cr.) P: Differential and Integral Calculus. Applications of mathematics to modeling environmental processes; applied calculus, numerical analysis, differential equations.
  • SPEA-E 431 Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment (3 cr.) P: (no P required for Bloomington) SPEA-E 272 or H 316; CHEM-C 101 or equivalent; MATH-M 119 or equivalent. Health and ecological premises for water and wastewater treatment; principles of water supply; treatment, distribution, and construction; basis for water standards and laboratory examinations; wastewater disposal methods and construction for private installations, institutions, municipalities, and industries; water quality control with respect to wastewater pollution.
  • SPEA-E 440 Wetlands: Biology and Regulation (3 cr.) P: SPEA-E 272 or H 316. This course focuses on structural and functional characteristics of wetlands, their importance as a natural resource and value to society. Topics include characteristics used to identify and classify wetlands, adaptations for living in wetlands, community structure and ecosystem processes, functions and values. Management of wetlands includes jurisdictional delineation and hydrogeomorphic assessment.
  • SPEA-S 440 Honors—Wetlands: Biology and Regulation (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA-E 440; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 442 Habitat Analysis—Terrestrial (3 cr.) This is an experiential field methods course. Students work as teams, collecting field data to test hypotheses about forest habitats. Students will learn new methods and field skills in local parks and forests, then prepare scientific reports that incorporate statistical analysis to be presented in a class symposium.
  • SPEA-E 443 Habitat Analysis—Aquatic (3 cr.) This is an experiential field methods course. Students work in teams, collecting field data to test hypotheses about aquatic habitats. Students will learn new methods and field skills in local creeks, lakes, and wetlands, then prepare scientific reports that incorporate statistical analysis to be presented in a class symposium.
  • SPEA-E 451 Air Pollution and Control (3 cr.) P: (no P required for Bloomington); SPEA-E 272 or H 316; CHEM-C 101 or equivalent; MATH-M 118 or equivalent. A survey course covering the chemistry, transport, and fate of air pollutants related to current issues of air quality, such as photochemical smog, ozone depletion, particulate matter, and indoor air quality. Topics include the types, sources, health and environmental effects, measurement, evaluation, control, regulation, and modeling of air pollution concentrations.
  • SPEA-E 452 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management (3 cr.) P: (no P required for Bloomington); SPEA-E 272 or H 316. Types and sources of solid waste; collection methods; disposal techniques: sanitary landfill, incineration, composting, reclaiming, or recycling; advantages and disadvantages of each; special and hazardous waste handling; operation and management of solid and hazardous waste programs.
  • SPEA-S 452 Honors—Solid and Hazardous Waste Management (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA-E 452; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 455 Limnology (3 cr.) P: College chemistry and biology or permission of instructor. Limnology is the ecology of inland lakes and streams, combining the principles of biology, chemistry, geology, and physics to understand how they function. The effects of human perturbation on aquatic systems will be highlighted in both lectures and laboratory work to aid student understanding of the concepts involved.
  • SPEA-E 456 Lake and Watershed Management (3 cr.) P: any college level biology or chemistry course. Students will learn to apply basic limnological principles to diagnose lake and watershed problems, to understand lake response to pollution, to identify appropriate management solutions, and to predict lake response to management.
  • SPEA-S 456 Honors—Lake and Watershed Management (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA-E 456; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 457 Introduction to Conservation Biology (3 cr.) P: a 300-level ecology course. Ecological principles associated with rare species and with biodiversity, laws and statutes used to conserve biodiversity, and land and species management practices. The aim is to understand scientific and political complexities of conservation biology and to study different methods used to conserve living resources and resolve conflicts associated with conservation.
  • SPEA-S 457 Honors—Introduction to Conservation Biology (3 cr.) Requires consent of SPEA Honors advisor. Course covers same content as SPEA-E 457; however, honors students will complete advanced coursework.
  • SPEA-E 459 Field Techniques in Ecology (3 cr.) P: one semester of statistics. Course provides an introduction to field research on ecology. Field labs teach techniques associated with geographic and map work, population estimation, habitat measurement in a variety of settings, and soil sampling. Indoor work covers descriptive, univariate, and bivariate statistical techniques, data display, and report writing.
  • SPEA-E 460 Fisheries and Wildlife Management (3 cr.) This course first reviews taxonomy, vertebrate biology, and population ecology, then introduces the student to a variety of conflicts concerning fisheries and wildlife. Cases examine endangered species, over harvesting, maximum sustained yield, habitat evaluation, and recreational use.
  • SPEA-E 461 Fisheries and Wildlife Management Laboratory (3 cr.) P: SPEA-E 272 or H 316; any biology course; and SPEA-E 460 (can be concurrent). Practical experience course in which students identify fish and wildlife in the field for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of and making recommendations for change to existing wildlife plans.
  • SPEA-E 464 Organic Pollutants: Environmental Chemistry and Fate (3 cr.) P: SPEA-E 536 or permission of the instructor. This course provides students with both a quantitative and intuitive understanding of the relationship between chemical structure, environmental properties, and the behavior of organic contaminants in the environment, particularly aquatic environments. Physical/ chemical properties of organic chemicals, fate determining processes, and modeling concepts will be examined in detail.
  • SPEA-E 465 Environmental Management in the Tropics (3 cr.) Historical examination of land use in tropical, non-Western cultures. Resource use in physical and cultural settings is explored through an interface with ecology, economics, and policy analysis. Common principles of analysis are used to help the students understand the cultural and historical dimensions of how people relate to their environment.
  • SPEA-E 466 International and Comparative Environmental Policy (3 cr.) This course explores how stakeholders manage environmental problems that extend beyond national borders. Key questions considered include the following: How do nations resolve environmental conflict? Is environmental diplomacy in a state of crisis? How can we improve international environmental management? Historical, contemporary, and emerging institutions for international environmental protection are examined.
  • SPEA-E 470 Elements of Fluid Mechanics (3 cr.) Introduction to the fundamental concepts of fluid mechanics that relate to environmental science. Topics are selected from three disciplines. From hydraulics: hydrostatics, flow-through pipes, and open channels. From water surface hydrology: water balances, stream-flow measurements, and calculations. From groundwater hydrology: Darcy's Law, flow nets, and pumping tests.
  • SPEA-E 476 Environmental Law and Regulation (3 cr.) Introductory course in environmental law and regulation. Subjects covered include command and control regulation, air quality, water quality, toxics, waste management, energy, natural resources, international environmental law, and alternative dispute resolution.
  • SPEA-E 482 Overseas Topics in Environmental Science (0-15 cr.) SPEA Abroad Program: study of selected topics in environmental science. Topics vary from semester to semester. may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-E 490 Directed Field Research in Environmental Science (1-4 cr.) Individualized laboratory or field-based research in any field of environmental science, under the direction of an advising professor. Students are expected to write a report on their research at the end of each semester. May be used to fulfill laboratory course requirement with the permission of the appropriate science department.
  • SPEA-E 491 Honors Research in Environmental Science (1-4 cr.) Individualized laboratory or field-based honors research in any field of environmental science, under direction of an advising professor. Students are expected to write a report on their research at the end of each semester. May be used to fulfill laboratory course requirement with permission of the appropriate science department.

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