Previous | Next

Courses:

Natural Sciences

• Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in Natural Sciences
• Current Topics in Medicine
• Environmental Management I
• Environmental Management II
• Principles of Occupational Health
• Ocean Environments
• Rainforest Conservation Ecology
• Introduction to Epidemiology
• Human Pathophysiology II

NSCI E-100 Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in Natural Sciences
Graduate proseminar. 4 units. Graduate credit $1,275. Limited enrollment.

Fall term, section 1 (11432) (Syllabus): Amanda R. Benson, PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University. Tuesday, Sep. 19, 5:30-7:30 pm, 51 Brattle Street, Room 219.

Fall term, section 2 (10211) (Syllabus): Alain Viel, PhD, Instructor in Dermatology, Harvard Medical School. Tuesday, Sep. 19, 7:35-9:35 pm, Science Center, Room 412. Students need proof of registration to be admitted to Science Center classrooms above the first floor.

Spring term, section 1 (21457) (Syllabus): Amanda R. Benson, PhD, Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University. Tuesday, Jan. 30, 5:30-7:30 pm, 51 Brattle Street, Room 219.

Spring term, section 2 (20684) (Syllabus): Robert Lue, PhD, Senior Lecturer on Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University. Wednesday, Jan. 31, 7:35-9:35 pm, Science Center, Room 412. Students need proof of registration to be admitted to Science Center classrooms above the first floor.

This proseminar uses selected readings from primary scientific literature on various topics to emphasize hypothesis development, experimental methodology, critical interpretation of scientific data, and presentation. Topics may include techniques in biotechnology, research on the AIDS virus, and molecular biology. Prerequisite: Graduate-level reading comprehension and the ability to write coherent, logical arguments. Students must earn a satisfactory score on the placement test.

This 1-hour placement test, which focuses on basic thinking and writing skills, requires students to read an essay, answer some questions, and write a brief response. Students will be admitted to NSCI E-100 in the order in which they register and pass the placement test. They must bring a photo ID to the test and should arrive 30 minutes before the printed start time (below). Students who pass the placement test can be admitted to NSCI E-100 in any future term.

Placement Test Schedule

Fall term
Tuesday, August 29, 6 pm Science Center C
Wednesday, September 6, 6 pm Science Center C

Spring term
Wednesday, January 3, 6 pm Science Center C
Friday, January 19, 6 pm Science Center B

Back to top of page.

NSCI E-105/W Current Topics in Medicine (11036) (Syllabus)
Donna R. Cooper, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
Writing-intensive course. 4 units. Noncredit $260, undergraduate credit $495, graduate credit $1,260.
Thursday, Sep. 21, 7:35-9:35 pm, Emerson Hall, Room 108. Optional writing workshops Thursday, 6:30-7:30 pm. Fall term

While a science background may be helpful, this course is designed for the patient, not the premed science major. Its purpose is to help individuals understand how physicians approach medical problems. After a presentation of pertinent anatomy and physiology, we will develop a further understanding of the implications of a disease, both from the perspective of an individual patient and from that of society. Students will learn what questions to ask when they seek medical care and how to begin to answer those questions. We will discuss infectious diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis, breast and prostate cancer, coronary artery disease, menopause and estrogen replacement therapy, living wills, nutrition, and holistic medicine. Students will learn how to investigate medical issues by analyzing medical literature.

Back to top of page.

NSCI E-126 Environmental Management I (11769) (Syllabus)
John D. Spengler, PhD, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, Harvard School of Public Health. George D. Buckley, MS, Chairman of Science, Watertown Public Schools and Director, Marine Ecology Project.
4 units. Noncredit $260, undergraduate credit $495, graduate credit $1,260.
Wednesday, Sep. 20, 7:35-9:35 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 104. Optional sections to be arranged. Fall term
Course also available on the Internet. See Distance Education.

This course examines environmental problems from a local, national, and international perspective. Federal legislation on air pollution, water pollution, drinking water quality, toxic substances, and hazardous waste are reviewed. The fundamentals of pollution sources, pathways of transport, measurement methods, mechanisms of toxicity, health effects, and effects on the ecosystem are presented. Control technologies for treating air and water discharges are described. A one-day field trip to Cape Cod will be scheduled on a weekend in the fall.

Back to top of page.

NSCI E-127 Environmental Management II (20190) (Syllabus)
Petros Koutrakis, PhD, Professor of Environmental Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health. John D. Spengler, PhD, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, Harvard School of Public Health.
4 units. Noncredit $260, undergraduate credit $495, graduate credit $1,260.
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 7:35-9:35 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 104. Spring term
Course also available on the Internet. See Distance Education.

This course complements NSCI E-126, and covers regional and global environmental problems including urban pollution, energy, transportation and development, ozone depletion and acid rain, and indoor air pollution. The second half of the course focuses on new approaches, including lifecycle analysis, sustainable development, pollution prevention, industrial ecology, and zero-waste strategies.

Back to top of page.

NSCI E-132e Principles of Occupational Health (10214) (Syllabus)
Louis DiBerardinis, MS, Instructor in Industrial Hygiene, Harvard School of Public Health. Martin Horowitz, MS, Visiting Lecturer on Industrial Hygiene, Harvard School of Public Health.
4 units. Noncredit $260, undergraduate credit $495, graduate credit $1,260.
Tuesday, Sep. 19, 5:30-7:30 pm, Sever Hall, Room 110. Fall term

An introduction to modern industrial technology and its attendant health hazards, the medical consequence of overexposure to chemical agents and physical conditions, methods to evaluate the workplace, the control technology that has evolved to protect the worker, and regulatory activities in occupational health. Topics also include noise, radiation, indoor air quality, ergonomics, air sampling methods, and personal protective equipment. The course includes a field trip to a local industry.

Back to top of page.

NSCI E-133c Ocean Environments (20191) (Syllabus)
George D. Buckley, MS, Chairman of Science, Watertown Public Schools and Director, Marine Ecology Project.
4 units. Noncredit $260, undergraduate credit $495, graduate credit $1,260.
Monday, Jan. 29, 7:35-9:35 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 202. Optional sections to be arranged. Spring term

This course provides a study of the major environments of the world's oceans, focusing on their ecology and the varieties of sea life that inhabit them. Habitats examined will include the rocky and sandy shores; salt marshes; mangrove areas; the shallow, open, and deep ocean; and coral reefs. Related topics that will be investigated include aquaculture, the marine fouling community, ocean research methods, management of marine resources, and seashells of the world's oceans. The course will include field trips to Cape Cod's coastal environments and the New England Aquarium.

Back to top of page.

NSCI E-142/W Rainforest Conservation Ecology (11833) (Syllabus)
Mark Leighton, PhD, Lecturer on Anthropology and Director, Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Peabody Museum, Harvard University.
Writing-intensive course. 4 units. Noncredit $260, undergraduate credit $495, graduate credit $1,260.
Thursday, Sep. 21, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 102. Optional sections to be arranged. Fall term

The course addresses the problems of rainforest conservation and sustainable utilization. Ecological principles and biological attributes unique to rainforests are reviewed in relation to conservation biology theory and practice, and to their implications for sustainable agricultural and forestry practices. Rainforest conservation will be explored in its economic, anthropological, and policy contexts. Scientific approaches integrating these interdisciplinary components will be discussed as the best means of comprehensively evaluating land use options for policy makers.

Back to top of page.

NSCI E-161 Introduction to Epidemiology (20193) (Syllabus)
Karin B. Michels, ScD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
4 units. Noncredit $260, undergraduate credit $495, graduate credit $1,260.
Tuesday, Jan. 30, 7:35-9:35 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 202. Spring term

This course introduces the student to the basic principles and methods of epidemiology. These include types of epidemiologic studies, choices in study design, measures of disease frequency and association, sources of bias, and applications to public health. Prerequisites: familiarity with medical terminology helpful; basic quantitative skills essential.

Back to top of page.

NSCI E-163 Human Pathophysiology II (11771) (Syllabus)
Stephanie A. Shore, PhD, Associate Professor of Physiology, Harvard School of Public Health. Nancy C. Long Sieber, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physiology, Harvard School of Public Health.
4 units. Noncredit $260, undergraduate credit $495, graduate credit $1,260. Limited enrollment.
Tuesday, Sep. 19, 5:30-7:30 pm, Kresge Building, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Room 502. Optional sections Tuesday, 7:35-8:35 pm. Fall term
Students need proof of registration to be admitted to Harvard School of Public Health classrooms.

The course will focus on the pathophysiology of the human neural, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. The concept of homeostasis will be integrated with general disease processes such as injury, inflammation, fibrosis, and neoplasia, in order to demonstrate ways in which perturbations in physiological regulatory mechanisms and anatomy result in pathophysiology. Prerequisites: high school chemistry and physics and college-level physiology, or permission of instructor.

Back to top of page.

Previous | Next