Students will choose 9 units of core courses from the following list.
Astronomy 475
Planetary Astrobiology
This course will explore the processes related to planet formation, the properties of planets and the planetary conditions required for the emergence of life. We will study the formation of our Solar System and exoplanetary systems, the distribution and properties of exoplanets, and the potential habitability of other planets/moons in our system or extrasolar systems. The course will also review science cases and possible future astrobiology studies, both in site and via remote sensing, of astrobiologically relevant environments. Toward the end of the semester a few guest lectures will highlight particularly exciting and timely topics.
Astronomy 488A
Astrochemistry
This astrochemistry course is the study of gas phase and solid state chemical processes that occur in the universe, including those leading to pre-biotic compounds. Topics include chemical processes in dying stars, circumstellar gas, planetary nebulae, diffuse clouds, star-forming regions and proto-planetary discs, as well as planets, satellites, comets and asteroids. Observational methods and theoretical concepts will be discussed.
Geosciences 478
Global Change
Analysis of the Earth system through an examination of its component parts (particularly climate and biogeochemistry) and their interactions with human activities, emphasizing information needed to understand modern and future environmental changes.
Geosciences 484
Coevolution of Earth and the Biosphere
This course examines the interplay of changes in earth environments and biological evolution from the earliest life to the present. The focus is geochmical and topics include the early earth and life, evolutionary jumps, massextinctions, and the rise of hominds.
Molecular and Cellular Biology 315
Key Concepts in Quantitative Biology
This one-semester introductory course covers key principles of molecular and cellular biology, with an emphasis on contemporary quantitative approaches such as systems biology and genomic analysis. Topics to be covered include cellular growth control and cancer, the role of viruses in human disease, developmental biology, and stem cell research. It is intended both for students in the life sciences interested in quantitative methods and for students outside the life sciences with an intellectual curiosity about biological systems. The course will provide an integrated conceptual foundation in biology and develop critical thinking skills and quantitative problem-solving abilities. Students will be expected to work on group projects, on-line assignments, presentations, problem sets, and essay exams, and to participate in class discussions and group problem solving. Discussions will explore readings in current scientific literature.
Molecular and Cellular Biology 437
Life in Extreme Environments
Extreme environments are numerous and diverse on Earth. Despite harsh environmental conditions, microbes have been found thriving from the deepest seafloors to the highest mountains, from the coldest polar regions to the hottest and most arid deserts or steaming hot springs. Microbes survival in such extreme and varied conditions allows them to play fundamental roles in global nutrient cycling. The course will encompass foundational material for the study of life in extreme environments.
In this course, we will examine microbial adaptations to their environment, how the adaptive responses affect microorganisms' evolution and how microorganisms modify their environment. We will consider physical extremes, such as temperature, radiation, pressure, and geochemical extremes (e.g., desiccation, salinity, pH, depletion of oxygen or extreme redox potential).
We will also assess how the study of life in extreme environments can provides critical elements of answer to important questions such as: "How did life appear on our planet?", "How microbes made Earth habitable?" and "Could life exist beyond our planet?", and explore the impact of human activity on ecosystems. Additionally, we will explore the wide application potential of this area of research in the fields of medicine, biotechnology, chemical and pharmaceutical industry, or cosmetics.
Planetary Sciences 407
Chemistry of the Solar System
Abundance, origin, distribution, and chemical behavior of the chemical elements in the Solar System. Emphasis on applications of chemical equilibrium, photochemistry, and mineral phase equilibrium theory. Prerequisites: CHEM 142/152/162 and MATH 129 or their equivalents.
Planetary Sciences 450
Origin of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems
This course will review the physical processes related to the formation and evolution of the protosolar nebula and of protoplanetary disks. In doing that, we will discuss the main stages of planet formation and how different disk conditions impact planetary architectures and planet properties. We will confront the theories of disk evolution and planet formation with observations of circumstellar disks, exoplanets, and the planets and minor bodies in our Solar System.