Environmental Sciences and Studies Major

An introduction to the biological sciences. Topics include the principles of genetics, evolutionary theory, ecology, and conservation biology. Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section BIO 101L.

The laboratory course parallels the topics in BIO 101 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in BIO 101. Students must register for both BIO 101 and the lab section concurrently. (This course carries an additional laboratory fee.)

This case study based course serves as the bridge experience for students completing their introductory course requirements for the ESS major or the ENV minor and who are now moving into the upper-level courses (However it is open to all interested students meeting the prerequisite). Through detailed examination of several case studies at the local, regional, and global levels, students synthesize material from introductory level courses to explore the interdisciplinary nature of today’s environmental issues. They examine what different disciplines offer to our understanding of and attempt to solve these issues.

The course exposes students to a range of quantitative methods used in the environmental sciences. It will introduce students to the science of geographic information systems (GIS) and their use in understanding and analyzing environmental issues. Students will gain hands-on experience with GIS software. This course will also examine statistical methods commonly applied in quantitative environmental research. It assumes students already possess a background in statistics and environmental science.

This course considers the principles of biological diversity and the application of science to its conservation. It covers conservation concepts at the genetic, species, population, community, and landscape level. The course examines the causes behind the current biodiversity crisis and then focuses on modern conservation and restoration efforts. It employs recent case studies around the globe to illustrate course concepts. May include laboratory sessions and field trips.

This course examines the interactions of organisms with their environment and each other, the dynamics of populations, the structure and functions of ecosystems, the role of biogeochemical cycles, and biodiversity. Required laboratory sessions. BIO 102 and MAT 182 are strongly recommended prior to taking this course.

This seminar-style course will examine the emergent field of sustainability as well as the science it employs to understand and manage the interactions between human society and the natural world. It will trace the development of our understanding of sustainability and its importance in the contemporary world. It will examine key processes driving global change in areas such as biodiversity, climate, energy use, pollution, population growth, public health, and urbanization, as well as provide an overview of the tools we use to measure sustainability. Lastly, it will explore some of the innovative approaches people are employing to address contemporary problems and effect a transition to a more sustainable society. Students in the course will apply their learning in a project that develops a solution for a particular sustainability problem on campus, locally, or somewhere on the globe.

The course provides an overview of the fascinating world of plants, with a primary focus on higher plants. It explores how plants are structured at both the cellular and organismal levels and how these features differ across species and environments. It examines how plants reproduce, how they interact with each other and other organisms, and their role in ecosystem functions. It also considers their interactions with humans and the important roles they play for human societies, including for food, medicine, and carbon sequestration. Using the campus grounds and the local area, students will engage in field activities that may take place outside of the regularly scheduled course period. Although only one course in introductory biology is required, students will have ideally completed both semesters of the introductory biology sequence before taking this course. (Students who have previously earned credit for BIO 103 may not also earn credit for BIO 203.)

Epidemiology examines a wide range of disease conditions and their distribution in the human populations to promote public health. The course will at first analyze the methods employed in describing, monitoring, and studying health and diseases in populations. The core of the course will then focus on the discussion of factors and issues of illnesses most currently prevalent in the world including: HIV/AIDS, vaccine preventable diseases, avian influenza, emerging infections, DT, tuberculosis and malaria. Particular attention will be given to the immune system and on the body's reactions when exposed to foreign agents such as bacteria, viruses and toxins. Aspects addressed in lectures will also be the strategies for disease surveillance and for outbreak prevention, detection and control. Two case studies that may be considered are the Spanish Flu and the Avian Influenza. The class format will include lectures, discussions and critical review of assigned reading material.

As long as humans have walked the planet, they have faced dangers from the environment, such as earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes. Today's technology creates new possibilities for disasters, including climate change, killer smog, and nuclear accidents. Students in this course will study the science behind natural disasters as well as examine society's preparedness for and response to these problems from an interdisciplinary perspective. It will look at both historical and recent events and consider what disasters await us in the future.

This interdisciplinary, writing-intensive course will introduce students to environmental literary criticism, more commonly known since the 1990s as ''ecocriticism.'' As a theoretical approach to literature, eco-criticism provides a secondary lens through which to analyze primary sources; an eco-critical approach focuses on how these primary sources have ''constructed'' our relationship to the natural world through writing and narrative. In applying eco-critical theory to a selection of primary fiction, students will examine some of the major environmental themes found in literature, among others: land use, speciesism, climate change, environmental apocalypse, and the post-human. Students will explore these themes using some of the basic critical tools and methodologies of ecocriticism, not only to explore how authors write about the environment, but also to examine how the environment itself is constructed through aesthetic discourse. Students should leave the course with improved critical environmental literacy skills that will enable interdisciplinary reflection about our interactions with the natural environment.

Modern human society has generated various biological, chemical, and physical hazards that threaten human health, as well as the quality of the air, water, soils, and ecosystems. This course first presents the origin and characteristics of these hazards. It then evaluates how the hazards affect the environment and human health and the disproportionate nature of these effects. It also explores the strategies and approaches that have been developed to manage risks and mitigate impacts. The course considers these issues in regional and global contexts, with a particular focus on Switzerland and Europe.

This course will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the properties, synthesis, and metabolism of amino acids, sugars, fatty acids, and nucleotides. The polymeric nature of these biomolecules will be a focus as students learn how these molecules are synthesized and their roles in energy production and the removal of waste products. While there are thousands of reactions that govern cellular metabolism, there are only relatively few types of reactions. This course will focus on the reaction types observed most frequently in cellular metabolism: nucleophilic substitution, elimination, isomerization, oxidation-reduction, and hydrolysis. Recommended prerequisite: CHEM 202.

This course explores various aspects of rivers, freshwater lakes, and groundwater aquifers. It provides an introduction to the distinct ecology of these three freshwater systems, their human uses, different approaches to their conservation, possibilities for restoration of degraded systems, and a look at the role that lakes and rivers play in international relationships. During Academic Travel, the class will visit various freshwater systems and will also practice field data collection techniques. Tentatively, the travel will take place in North-East Italy and Slovenia. This course may also include shorter day-trips to local points of interests.

This course examines various aspects of marine and coastal systems. First, it provides an overview of the major physical, chemical and ecological processes that control and shape these systems. Then, it explores how society interacts with marine systems, how human activities alter them, and what these changes could mean for humanity's future. Lastly, the course looks at different protection and conservation approaches. During Academic Travel, students will visit and study coastal and marine ecosystems and will gain hands-on experience in marine medicine (in conjunction with University of Colorado School of Medicine). The Academic Travel component of this course will tentatively take place along the Red Sea coast in Egypt. (Good swimming abilities required.)
This Academic Travel course carries a supplemental fee.

This course examines the management of environmental resources in New Zealand and the discourse of sustainability from the island's perspective. It will focus on the challenge of conserving New Zealand's flora and fauna, as well as New Zealand's aggressive management of the non-native species that have arrived since human settlement. It will examine attempts to restore natural habitats through visits to the several restoration projects, and to Christchurch to study how environmental concerns are being incorporated into the city's recovery from the devastating 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The course will also scrutinize the effects of tourism on the New Zealand environment and the opportunities that tourism also present. Lastly, the course will explore how the Maori culture influences environmental management in the country. (Previous coursework in environmental studies recommended.)

The research project is an opportunity for the student to pursue independent research either at Franklin or with an approved external partner. May be used in preparation for ENV 499, the senior research project or thesis.

This course provides credit for a professional experience in the environmental field in a public, private, or non-profit organization anywhere in the world. Throughout the internship period, the student should ensure close on-site supervision. Students should follow guidelines laid out in Franklin’s Internship Program Information and the course syllabus.

The research project is an opportunity for the student to pursue independent research or a professional project on a topic related to the student's course of study. Depending on the student's career path, the research can be classified either as a research project or a thesis.

The course offers an introduction to the history of art and visual culture from antiquity to the Renaissance in an intercultural and interdisciplinary context. It studies all forms of art, such as painting, sculpture, architecture, and printed works within their historical, social, and cultural contexts, as well as their representation in modern media (film, documentary, etc.). The course aims at an international and cross-cultural perspective, as well as introducing students to interdisciplinary modes of analyzing art that respond to developments in the fields of art ecologies and art industries.

The course is the sequence to AHT 102 and offers an introduction to the history of art and visual culture from the High Renaissance to the present day.  It studies early modern painting, sculpture, architecture, and prints within their historical, social, and cultural contexts, as well as photography and new media in the modern and contemporary world. It also introduces students to interdisciplinary modes of analyzing art that respond to developments in the fields of art ecologies and art industries.

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, and pandemics, as well as wars, nuclear explosions, and cyber attacks are some examples of natural and man-made disasters that have tremendous impact on both the planet and human lives. How do humans confront and come to terms with catastrophic events? Can trauma in the wake of disaster be faithfully documented or accurately represented? Does devastation produce a tabula rasa effect on visual culture, meaning in what manner does it have the potential to destroy existing and produce new forms of representation? In addition to answering these questions from historical and contemporary perspectives, the course will probe what kinds of aesthetics and visual iconographies have proven to be effective in the raising of awareness of pending disasters and in contributing to positive change. The course addresses all aspects and approaches of the Art Histories, Ecologies, Industries major.  

This course introduces students to the field of international business with a twofold purpose. Firstly, it examines the external environment of international business, exploring how and why cultures, countries, and regions differ. It also addresses the economics and politics of international trade, while considering critical issues related to business ethics and sustainability in a global context. Secondly, it investigates the internal environment of international businesses, focusing on companies’ operations, the roles of various business functions and the analysis of their strategies and structures. Close attention is given to applying international business knowledge to practical problems and fostering ethical behavior and decision-making.

This course is an introduction to the tools and concepts used in the marketing process for consumer and industrial products as well as for services. The focus is on the basic marketing concepts (product, place, price, promotion) as they relate to the field of global marketing. Emphasis is placed on the increasingly important role of interdisciplinary tools to analyze economic, cultural and structural differences across international markets. Specific consideration is given to the development of integrated marketing programs for a complex, global environment.

The course provides students with a state-of-the-art understanding of corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The practical relevance of CSR is highlighted through various examples that show how corporations have to deal with emerging ecological and social sustainability issues and stakeholder demands. Given the challenges' underlying complexity and uncertainty as well as multi-stakeholder involvement, corporations require awareness and strategic thinking to engage with their evolving responsibilities. Drawing on examples from various sectors, students will learn about different managerial approaches to address CSR issues and meet diverging stakeholder demands when designing and implementing long-term CSR strategies.

This course has two primary goals: to introduce students to the history and theoretical writings of various strands of cultural studies, and to acquaint them with some of the intersecting axes - race, class and gender - that energize the field. Close attention will be paid to issues such as the shaping of identity, forms of representation, the production, consumption and distribution of cultural goods, and the construction of knowledge and power in a host of cultural practices and cultural institutions.

This course approaches film from an ecocritical perspective to explore how the medium of film articulates relations between the environment and human rights. In recent decades, scholars have increasingly examined how film represents ecological issues and humans' involvement with those issues, particularly with regards to environmental disaster and climate change. The course aims to make students familiar with those debates by examining a variety of film genres -- blockbuster, documentary, animation, among others -- to offer a survey in reading film ecocritically, from a human rights’ perspective. Students will gain experience in analyzing films as texts and in applying ecocritical theory to those films and the ethical issues surrounding them, from production to narrative, and distribution to reception. Screenings, theoretical readings, class discussion, video-making and writing assignments will help students develop a critical awareness of how film tells the story of our complex relation with the environment against the backdrop of contemporary human rights regimes.

It seems almost a cliché to say that the literature of New Zealand feeds off its often wild and varied landscape. And yet - from the Māori creation narrative to Eleanor Catton’s 2013 Man Booker Prize-winning novel ''The Luminaries'' the ideas that define New Zealand's literary history are built around and shaped by the land. Against the backdrop of the narrated landscapes themselves, this course will draw on short and longer texts by authors such as Katherine Mansfield, Keri Hulme, Janet Frame, Owen Marshall, Hone Tuwhare, Catton and Kapka Kassabova, as well as on related visual culture (e.g. work by filmmaker Jane Campion), to explore the relationship between humans and the environment in New Zealand literature, focusing particularly on the central South Island and its East and West Coasts. How does this relationship negotiate notions of belonging and a ''place to stand'' in a postcolonial country where land is symbolic not only of internal, but also of external conflict? How do more recent migrants make critical use of these ideas (Kassabova)? How do the sharp edges and isolated spaces of the landscape convey the ''small violences'' of rural New Zealand (Mansfield, Frame, Marshall)? And how does literature raise the bigger questions about the destructive power of humankind (Tuwhare)?

The cultural debris that results from political and natural catastrophes is made up of narratives that contain both implosion and creation, wreckage and renewal. In that sense disasters mark pivotal turning points in the way we conceptualize and understand human phenomena and cultural processes in a number of disciplinary perspectives from psychoanalysis to literature, from environmental science to religion and from ethics to aesthetics. Students will read the narrative fallout in fiction, science, and film that emanate from distinct disaster zones ranging from the petrified texture of Pompeii to the generative force field of ground zero.

This course is an introduction to themes and trends in the political, economic, cultural, and social, history of pre-modern societies in global perspective. It covers the development of civilizations in Eurasia, Africa and the Americas from the Neolithic Revolution to the ''Columbian Exchange'' with emphasis on the emergence and diffusion of religious and political institutions, the role of the environmental context, as well as the impact of encounters between human societies. Students are introduced to the historiography of empire and global history/globalization, and attention is devoted to the reading and analysis of different categories of primary sources.

This course is an introduction to themes and trends in the political, economic, cultural, and social history of modern societies in global perspective. It covers the development of societies in Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas from the ''Columbian Exchange'' to the twenty-first century with emphasis on the development of institutions within their changing cultural, political, and environmental context, as well as the impact of encounters between human societies. Students are introduced to the historiography of globalization and of the modern state. Further attention is devoted to the analysis of different categories of primary sources. (It is recommended that HIS 104 be taken prior to HIS 105).

Basic concepts of the discipline are discussed in this class with a focus on the evolution of the state and the role of the individual from historical, ideological, and comparative perspectives.

This course provides the basic analytic tools necessary for the understanding of international relations. After a brief introduction to the realist and liberal approaches to the study of international relations, the course covers various fundamental concepts, such as national power, foreign policy, conflict, political economy, international trade, and international organizations.

The analysis of contemporary challenges calls for a theoretically informed and multi-disciplinary approach. This course introduces students to the key concepts related to allocating tangible and intangible resources under conditions of scarcity, and producing public or commercial goods and services. In doing so, the course draws on political, managerial, game-theoretical and economic frameworks and encourages students to apply them to a broad range of cases. The objectives include enabling students to understand and analyze policy-making, the functioning of markets and their social and political implications, as well as the management of public and private institutions. Specific topics covered include (but are not limited to) modes of decision-making, rational behavior, supply and demand, competitive dynamics, welfare, externalities and public goods, consumer choice, and basic monetary and fiscal policy. While special emphasis will be placed on the analysis of political and managerial challenges, the course is relevant to students of other disciplines.

This interdisciplinary course explores the politics and practice of sustainable development in the industrial North and developing South. Through a series of problem-based case studies, students will explore the political, social, economic, environmental, and cultural relationships that encompass the important field of sustainable development. Students will come to better understand how developed, as well as lesser developed countries, approach sustainability and natural resource management. Student research projects will include team-based analyses of the politics of sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable design within the broader context of global environmental issues such as deforestation, desertification, habitat degradation, and conventional models of development. (Destination countries will vary.)

This course addresses central questions of international organization and the challenges facing the liberal international order today. Taking the perspectives of central International Relations theories, we will focus specifically on the role of Great Powers and of International Organizations in creating and upholding order at a global level. While broad in terms of topics, the course emphasizes the importance of contemporary security governance, and the security risks that threaten the international order today.

The resolution of global environmental problems has been problematic for nation-states. Hence, international cooperation is essential for exploring and applying solutions. This course will first examine the origins of environmental problems facing nations such as climate change, desertification, biodiversity, and international trade in endangered species. Further topics for investigation will include the impact of globalization and the feasibility of sustainable development in the industrial north and developing south, as well as the effectiveness of international treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol and CITES.
For the travel component of the course, on-site investigations may take place in various destinations, which may change from year to year, and may include the study of policies related to natural resource conservation, sustainability, and ecotourism.

This introductory course is designed to provide an overview of the field of psychology, including theoretical positions, major research areas and methods of gathering data. Subtopics of psychology, such as physiological processes, developmental, abnormal behavior and social psychology are discussed.

The overall aim of this course is to promote students’ understanding and knowledge of research methodology in the social sciences. The course has three main features: it addresses a wide range of perspectives, comprising both qualitative and quantitative approaches; it provides opportunities to learn and reflect from research practice in various social science fields, including clinical, developmental, social and work psychology; it encompasses both traditional/mainstream and critical research approaches, paying constant attention to real world research. An important part of the course is the ''Research Proposal'', which students will draft in stages over the course of the semester. By working on their own research proposal throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to engage in relevant research activity, ‘learning by doing’ in relation to crucial research principles and practices.

This course introduces a relatively new field of study in psychology that focuses on the interaction between the environment and human beings, examining how the physical features of the environment impact cognition, behavior, and well-being, and how human actions in turn produce immediate and long-term consequences on the environment. In this course, the environment is broadly defined to include not only our physical surroundings (both natural and built) but also the larger, socio-cultural and political milieu in which people live. This course will borrow ideas and information from a variety of other areas and disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, biology, geography, urban planning, public policy, and other areas. Topics to be covered include: dysfunctional and restorative environments, the effects of environmental stressors, the nature and use of personal space, environmental risk perception, psychological impact of ecological crises, values and attitudes towards nature, and conservation psychology.

One of the fundamental questions we all face today is how to counter the urgent challenges posed by global climate change and unequal economic development. Questions coalescing around notions of ethics, justice, equality, and human rights intersect with questions of how to shape a culturally and environmentally sustainable world. Exploring a wide range of theoretical and practical perspectives on Sustainability, Social Justice and Ethics, this cross-disciplinary, introductory course will give students multiple disciplinary frameworks to think critically and productively about the intersections between the social and the natural worlds. The course provides the gateway to the program in Social Justice and Sustainability (SJS).

This course explores the challenges faced by the population of rural Madagascar – one of the poorest countries in the world – including limited schooling and poor learning outcomes, scarce and low-income employment opportunities, lack of basic infrastructure, high fertility, bad nutrition, poor health conditions and adverse environmental impacts. In particular, the Madagascar educational system and the reasons behind its very low quality are examined. During the travel, students are hosted by local schools and must adapt to lodging and transport conditions that, albeit still a luxury for most of the local population, are relatively closer to the lifestyle of the local population. This gives students the possibility to obtain first-hand experience of how different it is to live in low-income countries. Students have numerous opportunities to meet and bond with local students, teachers, school directors, tourist guides, and micro-entrepreneurs, allowing them to learn how rich Madagascar is in terms of cultural, natural, and human resources and to hear directly from the local youth what their needs, wishes and aspirations are. This academic travel in a remote non-touristic part of North Madagascar is organized by the Swiss NGO Boky Mamiko. Students are expected to participate in some pre-travel volunteering work and to represent the NGO in Madagascar in a professional and responsible manner. 

SJS 100 recommended prerequisite. Introductory French desirable.

This course serves as the capstone course for students in the Environmental Sciences and Studies program.  Students synthesize the material from the courses in the major and demonstrate their ability to apply knowledge this knowledge to contemporary environmental issues.

An introduction to the biological sciences. Topics include the principles of genetics, evolutionary theory, ecology, and conservation biology. Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section BIO 101L.

The laboratory course parallels the topics in BIO 101 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in BIO 101. Students must register for both BIO 101 and the lab section concurrently. (This course carries an additional laboratory fee.)

This course provides students with an introduction to the biological sciences focused on the structure and functioning of animal cells and organs. Topics include basic biochemistry, cell structure and function, cellular respiration, and animal physiology. This course will emphasize human anatomy and physiology as model systems for understanding and contrasting key principles of animal biology. Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section BIO 102L.

The laboratory course parallels the topics in BIO 102 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in BIO 102. Students must register for both BIO 102 and the lab section concurrently. (This course carries an additional laboratory fee.)

The course examines atomic structure, bonding, stoichiometry and the mole concept, the behavior of gases, liquids and solids, thermochemistry, and intermolecular forces. Students are required to concurrently enroll in the corresponding lab section CHEM 101L. This course is a prerequisite for CHEM 102 and is a pre-health course.

The laboratory course parallels the topics in CHEM 101 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in CHEM 101. Students must register for both CHEM 101 and the lab section concurrently. (This course carries an additional laboratory fee.)

This course examines chemical equilibria and acids and bases, coordination chemistry, oxidation-reduction reactions, electrochemistry, thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, nuclear chemistry, and an overview of organic chemistry. Students are required to concurrently enroll in the corresponding lab section CHEM 102L. This course is a prerequisite for all upper-level chemistry courses and is a pre-health course.

The laboratory course parallels the topics in CHEM 102 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in CHEM 102. Students must register for both CHEM 102 and the lab section concurrently. (This course carries an additional laboratory fee.)

This case study based course serves as the bridge experience for students completing their introductory course requirements for the ESS major or the ENV minor and who are now moving into the upper-level courses (However it is open to all interested students meeting the prerequisite). Through detailed examination of several case studies at the local, regional, and global levels, students synthesize material from introductory level courses to explore the interdisciplinary nature of today’s environmental issues. They examine what different disciplines offer to our understanding of and attempt to solve these issues.

This course will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to key topics in physics.  Specifically, the course will be divided in four main sections: basic mechanics (e.g., kinematics, equilibrium, vectors, work and energy, and Newton's laws); vibrations and waves (e.g., sound, harmonic waves, and Doppler effects); electricity (e.g., Ohm's law and electric circuits), and; light and optics (e.g., reflection, refraction and magnification). As part of the pre-health curriculum, this course will also connect concepts to human body structure and functioning.
Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section PHYS 101L.

The laboratory course parallels the topics in PHYS 101 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in PHYS 101. Students must register for both PHYS 101 and the lab section concurrently (This course carries an additional fee for laboratory supplies).

The course exposes students to a range of quantitative methods used in the environmental sciences. It will introduce students to the science of geographic information systems (GIS) and their use in understanding and analyzing environmental issues. Students will gain hands-on experience with GIS software. This course will also examine statistical methods commonly applied in quantitative environmental research. It assumes students already possess a background in statistics and environmental science.

The course begins with a review of functions and their graphs, after which students are introduced to the concepts of differentiation and integration. Understanding is reinforced through extensive practical work, with a strong emphasis on applications in economics, statistics and management science.

This course considers the principles of biological diversity and the application of science to its conservation. It covers conservation concepts at the genetic, species, population, community, and landscape level. The course examines the causes behind the current biodiversity crisis and then focuses on modern conservation and restoration efforts. It employs recent case studies around the globe to illustrate course concepts. May include laboratory sessions and field trips.

This course examines the interactions of organisms with their environment and each other, the dynamics of populations, the structure and functions of ecosystems, the role of biogeochemical cycles, and biodiversity. Required laboratory sessions. BIO 102 and MAT 182 are strongly recommended prior to taking this course.

This seminar-style course will examine the emergent field of sustainability as well as the science it employs to understand and manage the interactions between human society and the natural world. It will trace the development of our understanding of sustainability and its importance in the contemporary world. It will examine key processes driving global change in areas such as biodiversity, climate, energy use, pollution, population growth, public health, and urbanization, as well as provide an overview of the tools we use to measure sustainability. Lastly, it will explore some of the innovative approaches people are employing to address contemporary problems and effect a transition to a more sustainable society. Students in the course will apply their learning in a project that develops a solution for a particular sustainability problem on campus, locally, or somewhere on the globe.

The course provides an overview of the fascinating world of plants, with a primary focus on higher plants. It explores how plants are structured at both the cellular and organismal levels and how these features differ across species and environments. It examines how plants reproduce, how they interact with each other and other organisms, and their role in ecosystem functions. It also considers their interactions with humans and the important roles they play for human societies, including for food, medicine, and carbon sequestration. Using the campus grounds and the local area, students will engage in field activities that may take place outside of the regularly scheduled course period. Although only one course in introductory biology is required, students will have ideally completed both semesters of the introductory biology sequence before taking this course. (Students who have previously earned credit for BIO 103 may not also earn credit for BIO 203.)

Epidemiology examines a wide range of disease conditions and their distribution in the human populations to promote public health. The course will at first analyze the methods employed in describing, monitoring, and studying health and diseases in populations. The core of the course will then focus on the discussion of factors and issues of illnesses most currently prevalent in the world including: HIV/AIDS, vaccine preventable diseases, avian influenza, emerging infections, DT, tuberculosis and malaria. Particular attention will be given to the immune system and on the body's reactions when exposed to foreign agents such as bacteria, viruses and toxins. Aspects addressed in lectures will also be the strategies for disease surveillance and for outbreak prevention, detection and control. Two case studies that may be considered are the Spanish Flu and the Avian Influenza. The class format will include lectures, discussions and critical review of assigned reading material.

This course is an introduction to the chemistry of carbon-based compounds. The course begins with a quick review of foundational concepts from CHEM 101 and CHEM 102, specifically covalent bonding, hybridization, VSEPR theory, polarity and intermolecular forces. It continues with an introduction to the different classes of compounds within organic chemistry and their characteristic physical and chemical properties, with an emphasis on structure and functional groups as well as stereochemistry. The study of the different types of chemical reactions will rely on an understanding of how the electrons in the covalent bonds are rearranged, giving rise to the full understanding of the mechanisms of each reaction. Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section CHEM 201L.

This course builds upon the foundation of CHEM 201 with a focus on the synthesis and identification of organic compounds. The reactions of aromatic compounds, carbonyl containing compounds and the pericyclic reactions will be emphasized. Finally the major biomolecules will be covered in depth as well as an introduction to biochemistry. Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section CHEM 202L.

This course will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the properties, synthesis, and metabolism of amino acids, sugars, fatty acids, and nucleotides. The polymeric nature of these biomolecules will be a focus as students learn how these molecules are synthesized and their roles in energy production and the removal of waste products. While there are thousands of reactions that govern cellular metabolism, there are only relatively few types of reactions. This course will focus on the reaction types observed most frequently in cellular metabolism: nucleophilic substitution, elimination, isomerization, oxidation-reduction, and hydrolysis. Recommended prerequisite: CHEM 202.

As long as humans have walked the planet, they have faced dangers from the environment, such as earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes. Today's technology creates new possibilities for disasters, including climate change, killer smog, and nuclear accidents. Students in this course will study the science behind natural disasters as well as examine society's preparedness for and response to these problems from an interdisciplinary perspective. It will look at both historical and recent events and consider what disasters await us in the future.

This interdisciplinary, writing-intensive course will introduce students to environmental literary criticism, more commonly known since the 1990s as ''ecocriticism.'' As a theoretical approach to literature, eco-criticism provides a secondary lens through which to analyze primary sources; an eco-critical approach focuses on how these primary sources have ''constructed'' our relationship to the natural world through writing and narrative. In applying eco-critical theory to a selection of primary fiction, students will examine some of the major environmental themes found in literature, among others: land use, speciesism, climate change, environmental apocalypse, and the post-human. Students will explore these themes using some of the basic critical tools and methodologies of ecocriticism, not only to explore how authors write about the environment, but also to examine how the environment itself is constructed through aesthetic discourse. Students should leave the course with improved critical environmental literacy skills that will enable interdisciplinary reflection about our interactions with the natural environment.

Modern human society has generated various biological, chemical, and physical hazards that threaten human health, as well as the quality of the air, water, soils, and ecosystems. This course first presents the origin and characteristics of these hazards. It then evaluates how the hazards affect the environment and human health and the disproportionate nature of these effects. It also explores the strategies and approaches that have been developed to manage risks and mitigate impacts. The course considers these issues in regional and global contexts, with a particular focus on Switzerland and Europe.

This course explores various aspects of rivers, freshwater lakes, and groundwater aquifers. It provides an introduction to the distinct ecology of these three freshwater systems, their human uses, different approaches to their conservation, possibilities for restoration of degraded systems, and a look at the role that lakes and rivers play in international relationships. During Academic Travel, the class will visit various freshwater systems and will also practice field data collection techniques. Tentatively, the travel will take place in North-East Italy and Slovenia. This course may also include shorter day-trips to local points of interests.

This course examines various aspects of marine and coastal systems. First, it provides an overview of the major physical, chemical and ecological processes that control and shape these systems. Then, it explores how society interacts with marine systems, how human activities alter them, and what these changes could mean for humanity's future. Lastly, the course looks at different protection and conservation approaches. During Academic Travel, students will visit and study coastal and marine ecosystems and will gain hands-on experience in marine medicine (in conjunction with University of Colorado School of Medicine). The Academic Travel component of this course will tentatively take place along the Red Sea coast in Egypt. (Good swimming abilities required.)
This Academic Travel course carries a supplemental fee.

This course examines the management of environmental resources in New Zealand and the discourse of sustainability from the island's perspective. It will focus on the challenge of conserving New Zealand's flora and fauna, as well as New Zealand's aggressive management of the non-native species that have arrived since human settlement. It will examine attempts to restore natural habitats through visits to the several restoration projects, and to Christchurch to study how environmental concerns are being incorporated into the city's recovery from the devastating 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The course will also scrutinize the effects of tourism on the New Zealand environment and the opportunities that tourism also present. Lastly, the course will explore how the Maori culture influences environmental management in the country. (Previous coursework in environmental studies recommended.)

The research project is an opportunity for the student to pursue independent research either at Franklin or with an approved external partner. May be used in preparation for ENV 499, the senior research project or thesis.

This course provides credit for a professional experience in the environmental field in a public, private, or non-profit organization anywhere in the world. Throughout the internship period, the student should ensure close on-site supervision. Students should follow guidelines laid out in Franklin’s Internship Program Information and the course syllabus.

The research project is an opportunity for the student to pursue independent research or a professional project on a topic related to the student's course of study. Depending on the student's career path, the research can be classified either as a research project or a thesis.

This course serves as the capstone course for students in the Environmental Sciences and Studies program.  Students synthesize the material from the courses in the major and demonstrate their ability to apply knowledge this knowledge to contemporary environmental issues.