Program Overview

Area B Guidelines (prior to summer 2020)

In the sections that follow, you will see the specific learning goals for each area. Together, we refer to these requirements as "Guidelines."

  • Generally speaking, "Educational Objectives" refer to what students will learn by completing that sub area while "Course Criteria" refer to how the course is designed to support that learning.

 

These guidelines pertain to courses in catalogs 2019-20 or prior.

Area B: Math, Science, and Quantitative Reasoning


Lower-Division Introduction

B1—B4: Educational Objectives

B1—B4: Course Criteria

B5: Science and Mathematics Elective

B6: Upper-Division Math, Science, and Quantitative Reasoning (ABET-Accredited Programs

B7 (formerly Area F): Upper-Division Math, Science, and Quantitative Reasoning (non-ABET-Accredited programs)

 



Lower-Division Introduction

 

Lower-division courses in B1, B2, B3, and B4 provide a basic understanding of the nature, scope, and limitations of mathematics, statistics, and the physical and life sciences, as well as an understanding of their breadth of application to other disciplines. Courses in this area teach fundamental concepts in mathematics, science, and statistics, including the scientific method; consequently, these courses should not be interdisciplinary in nature.

They also provide a vision of why this area is an important component of general education by placing basic knowledge in a larger context. (This might be accomplished by providing some historical perspective that includes great achievements in the discipline and their impact and/or by the examination of important contemporary issues and problems from the discipline.) Courses in this area should include an appropriate writing component to further students' understanding of basic scientific, mathematical, and statistical concepts.
 

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B1—B4: Educational Objectives

 

Lower-division courses in B1 - B4 must fulfill FOUR of the following objectives:

After completing the foundation Area B courses, students should have an enhanced ability to:

  • EO 1 — Understand and appreciate the scientific method and its role in scientific inquiry;

  • EO 2 — Understand the abstract logical nature of mathematics, as well as the applications and limitations of mathematics and statistics to other disciplines;

  • EO 3 — Analyze problems in a structured way and to develop strategies for solutions using scientific, mathematical, or statistical principles; EO 4 understand and examine critically the scientific and mathematical aspects of issues and problems which arise in daily life;

  • EO 5 — Articulate fundamental scientific concepts using appropriate vocabulary;

  • EO 6 — Articulate fundamental mathematical and/or statistical concepts using appropriate vocabulary;

  • EO 7 — Advance, with the necessary preparatory skills, to study the wider-ranging, cross-disciplinary Area B topics to be presented at the upper-division level.

B2: Life Science Course Content Guidelines

  • All B2 Life Science GE courses will focus on fundamental life science concepts (as described below) throughout the entire course. B2 Life Science GE courses are not interdisciplinary in nature. Applications can be used to place the fundamental concepts in a larger context; however, the overall focus of B2 Life Science courses will be fundamental concepts. Students should gain knowledge that can be transferred among any of the life sciences and should gain perspective on the diversity of life science. In addition, all B2 Life Science GE courses will address the nature of science, and how the processes of science further our understanding of life science principles.
  • B2 Life Science GE courses will introduce students to the Life Sciences either by presenting a broad overview of a number of important disciplines within the life sciences, or by presenting a narrower but more in-depth focus on a smaller set of disciplines. Courses presenting a broad overview of the life sciences will cover at least five of the subject areas listed below at a basic level. Courses presenting a narrower study of the life sciences will cover at least three of the subject areas in depth.
     

Basic Life Sciences Subject Areas:

  1. The patterns, processes, and outcomes of evolution, including the relationship between the process of evolution and the diversity of life.
  2. The genetic underpinnings of life, including the processes of reproduction and patterns of inheritance.
  3. The interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment.
  4. The development and function of structures at the cellular and/or organismal levels.
  5. The molecular mechanisms underlying life, including their evolutionary conservation and the roles of important biomolecules.
  6. The physiological principles underlying life, including energy transformations, homeostasis, and signaling/communication.

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B1—B4: Course Criteria

 

Lower-division courses in B1 - B4 must meet EACH of the following criteria; additionally, the course proposal and expanded course outline must clearly indicate how the course:

  • CR 1 emphasizes fundamental concepts and principles, leading to an understanding of the nature, scope, and limitations of science, mathematics, or statistics;

  • CR 2 facilitates the achievement of at least four of the desired educational objectives for Area B;

  • CR 3 promotes an understanding of the breadth of application of science, mathematics, or statistics to other disciplines;

  • CR 4 examines great achievements, considers important contemporary issues, or provides a context that establishes the importance of the discipline;

  • CR 5 develops problem-solving and reasoning skills;

  • CR 6 incorporates a writing component.

Courses in the Physical and Life Sciences should also:

  • CR 7 emphasize the methods of science, including systematic observation and experimentation;

  • CR 8 emphasize essential concepts and ideas of one of the physical or life sciences;

  • CR 9 include techniques and procedures for the design of experiments, data collection, and analysis, if the course incorporates a laboratory.

Courses in Mathematics and Statistics should also:

  • CR 10 emphasize essential concepts, ideas, and problem solving in mathematics or statistics;

  • CR 11 have significant mathematical or statistical content;

  • CR 12 promote understanding rather than merely providing instruction in basic computational skills.

B4: Lab Experience Course Content Guidelines

B4 courses are generally taught in the lab format, but activity courses will count as a lab experience if they satisfy the criteria listed in 1-4.
 

Lab experiences must meet the following criteria:

  1. be based on the use of the scientific method or on the application of basic scientific principles in a laboratory environment or in a field experience.

  2. involve observation and analysis or data collection and analysis.

  3. contain an appropriate writing component.

  4. require concurrent or previous enrollment in a course that satisfies the Area B life science or physical science requirements

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B5: Science and Mathematics Elective

 

Introduction

Lower-division courses suitable for Area B5 satisfy the same educational objectives and criteria as listed above for Areas B1-4, but are not foundational courses. As such, they are appropriate as second courses in science and mathematics. Upper-division courses in B5 must be integrative in nature, requiring application and generalization of basic scientific or mathematical knowledge from foundation Area B courses to new settings and problems. B5 courses may be interdisciplinary in nature, and could provide a capstone experience in science, mathematics, or statistics for students majoring in the Liberal Arts. Courses in this area also include writing as an integral part of the process of learning and discovery.


Upper-Division Educational Objectives

Upper-Division courses in B5 must fulfill EACH of the following objectives: After completing the upper-division elective, students should have an enhanced ability to:

  • EO 1 integrate the concepts from foundation courses;

  • EO 2 apply the fundamental scientific, mathematical, or statistical concepts from the foundation courses to solve problems in new or more advanced areas

Upper-Division Course Criteria

The course proposal and expanded course outline must clearly indicate that the course is at the 300-level and has one or one or more prerequisites from the Area B foundation courses. Upper-Division courses in B5 must meet EACH of the following criteria:

  • CR 1 integrates concepts from foundation courses;

  • CR 2 applies fundamental scientific, mathematical, or statistical concepts from the foundation courses to solve problems in new or more advanced area;

  • CR 3 includes an appropriate writing component. In addition to the above criteria, the following are strongly encouraged:

  • CR 4 courses that are interdisciplinary in nature;

  • CR 5 courses that include a significant writing component;

  • CR 6 courses that examine contemporary issues in the discipline.

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B6: Upper-Division Math, Science, and Quantitative Reasoning (ABET-Accredited Programs)


ABET Engineering Programs (B6) Educational Objectives and Course Criteria must require the application and generalization of basic scientific or mathematical knowledge from Lower-Division Area B courses.

Upper-Division Educational Objectives

Upper-Division courses in B6 must fulfill the following objective:

After completing an upper division Area B course, students should have an enhanced ability to

  • EO 1 apply the fundamental scientific, mathematical, or statistical concepts from Area B foundation courses to solve problems in new or more advanced areas.

Course Criteria

Upper-Division courses in B6 must meet EACH of the following criteria: The course proposal and expanded course outline must clearly indicate that the course is at the 300 or 400 level and has one or more prerequisites from the Area B foundation courses, as well as how the course:

  • CR 1 builds on concepts from foundation courses;

  • CR 2 applies fundamental scientific, mathematical or statistical concepts from the foundation courses to solve problems in a new or more advanced area;

  • CR 3 includes an appropriate writing component.

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B7 (formerly Area F): Upper-Division Math, Science, and Quantitative Reasoning (non-ABET-accredited programs)


Educational Objectives

  • EO 1 understand the relationship between technology and its scientific basis;

  • EO 2 understand and be able to articulate the considerations (which may include scientific, mathematical, technical, economic, commercial, and social) that are necessary for making rational, ethical, and humane technological decisions.

Course Criteria

Upper-division Courses in Area B7 must meet EACH of the following criteria:

Since courses satisfying the technology elective are integrative in nature and build on an Area B foundation, they must be upper-division and, as a minimum, require junior standing and have as a prerequisite the completion of Area B. If necessary, specific Area B lower-division courses (e.g. Math 141, BIO 151, etc.) may be listed as prerequisites.

Since these courses should be designed to be accessible to a wide range of students, the prerequisites may not be overly restrictive. The course proposal and expanded course outline must clearly indicate how the course is accessible to a broad audience, as well as how the course:

  • CR 1 builds on the Area B foundation;

  • CR 2 will instruct students about one or more areas of technology having a coherent theme, with an emphasis on how the technology works.

  • CR 3 develops an awareness of how basic scientific and mathematical knowledge is used to solve technical problems;

  • CR 4 develops an awareness of the methods used and difficulties inherent in applying technology to solve social, economic, scientific, mathematical, artistic, and/or commercial problems;

  • CR 5 addresses the ethical implications of technology;

  • CR 6 includes critical examination of technology from multiple perspectives;

  • CR 7 provides students with an historical, contemporary, and future-looking perspective of the technology;

  • CR 8 incorporates a writing component.

In addition to the above criteria, the following are strongly encouraged:

  • C9 courses that are interdisciplinary in nature;

  • C10 courses that examine local or current issues;

  • C11 courses that address how new and emerging technologies impact society.

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