Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletins
Department of Natural Sciences
- Faculty
- Field Description
- The Major
- The Minor
- Natural Sciences Laboratory Equipment
- Department of Natural Sciences Web Site
The Department of Natural Sciences is an integrated department consisting of offerings in biology, chemistry, environmental studies, and physics. The mission of the department is threefold: (1) to engage all students in the scientific enterprise through hands-on learning, enabling them to become scientifically literate citizens who are able to make informed decisions about public policy issues; (2) to prepare students for admission to and success in graduate and professional schools and for entry into the scientific workforce; and (3) to promote innovative faculty research on campus that advances science while enhancing teaching and providing research opportunities for Baruch College students. Undergraduates may work with a faculty advisor to design ad hoc majors to prepare for postbaccalaureate careers in science- and healthrelated fields or for entry to graduate or professional studies.
Arts And Sciences Ad Hoc Major in Natural Science Areas
When a student's educational objectives cannot be fully attained solely by study within an existing department, program, or school, he or she is given the option of devising an ad hoc pattern of courses in an area of concentration of his or her own choosing. A student may embark upon an ad hoc major following preparation and acceptance of a proposal outlining the area of study, the desired outcomes, and the educational values of the program. The program must be approved by the Office of the Associate Dean,Weissman School of Arts and Sciences.
The Department of Natural Sciences offers a preprofessional specialization that enables students to include chemistry and physics courses as part of an arts and sciences ad hoc major. Students prepare for entry into professional schools of medicine, dentistry, and other health care fields; graduate study in biological sciences; and teaching of biology, chemistry, and general sciences. Students combine basic courses in chemistry and physics with advanced electives.
The department also offers a specialization in environmental studies as part of an arts and sciences ad hoc major. This major includes a variety of courses in the sciences and additional courses from the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, the Zicklin School of Business, and the School of Public Affairs. This ad hoc major integrates ecological principles in the dual context of science and society.
Prospective students are urged to register with the office of the Department of Natural Sciences early in their college careers. Each student will be assigned an individual advisor who will assist in formulating the specific ad hoc major program designed to attain the desired educational objectives. The department can be contacted at 646-660-6200.
The Weissman School of Arts and Sciences ad hoc major requires 30–33 credits.
Natural Sciences Minor
Students may wish to minor in natural sciences in order to pursue general intellectual interests or specific career objectives. For example, students can complete some of the science courses required for admission to medical school by doing a minor in natural sciences. For the natural sciences minor, students take two natural sciences courses at the 3000 level or above, followed by a capstone course at the 4000 level. The capstone course must be taken at Baruch College. All 4000- level courses offered by the Department of Natural Sciences or an independent studies course may serve as the capstone. Interested students should contact the department.
Tier III Interdisciplinary Minor in Environmental Sustainability
The Department of Natural Sciences, the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, and the Zicklin School of Business offer a joint interdisciplinary program in environmental sustainability that satisfies Baruch College's Tier III liberal arts requirement. The environmental sustainability minor is an interdisciplinary program suitable for both business and liberal arts students who have an interest in developing a critical understanding of interactions between human society and the broader global ecosystem. The program emphasizes economic, legal, and philosophical issues of environmental sustainability.
To satisfy the Tier III minor in environmental sustainability (11–12 credits) students must take one course at the 3000 level or above in environmental studies (ENV) offered by the Department of Natural Sciences, any other course from the electives listed below, and a required capstone course (ENV 4005 or 4900).
| Program Prerequisite | |
| ENV 1020 | Principles of Ecology |
Required Capstone Course |
|
| ENV 4005 | Ecosystem Sustainability |
| ENV 4900 | Topics in Environmental Science |
Electives |
|
| BIO 3009 | Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development (ENV 3009) |
| BIO 3020 | Biology of Invetebrates |
| BIO 3040 | Plants in Action |
| BIO/ENV 3050 | Freshwater Ecology |
| ENV 3001 | Introduction to Environmental Science |
| ENV 3002 | Energy Conservation |
| ENV 3003 | Human Conservation |
| ENV 3005 | Economic and Legal Aspects of Ecology |
| ENV 3008 | Air and Water Pollution |
| ENV 3015L / ENV 3015 | Tropical Reef Ecology (Lecture and Lab) |
| ECO 3511 | Contemporary Economic Development |
| GEOG 3009 | Introduction to Human Geography |
| GEOG 3036 | World Regional Geography |
| ENG 3800 | Environmental Reporting |
| LAW 3122 | Law and the Environment |
| PHI 3200 | Environmental Ethics |
| POL 3317 | The Politics of Energy and the Environment |
Natural Sciences Laboratory Equipment
Facilities for advanced studies in biology, chemistry, and physics are available on the Baruch campus. In addition to equipment standard to biology research, the Department of Natural Sciences has laboratories equipped for microbiology and microbial ecology, cell biology, ecology, and physiology.
A student research lab offers incubators, microscopes, balances, centrifuges, growth chambers, and water baths to permit a wide range of research. Computers for data analysis and presentation design are also available. Faculty research labs are dedicated to specific areas of inquiry: cell-cell communication, molecular systematics and evolutionary biology, and microbial ecology. Research facilities are available for prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell culture, growth and maintenance of various plant and invertebrate animal species, histology, video microscopy, DNA amplification, cell fractionation, and various standard biochemical techniques, including UV/visible spectroscopy, electrophoresis, and chromatography.
Laboratories in chemistry are equipped for specific areas of experimentation: general chemistry, environmental chemistry, organic chemistry, and organic synthesis (electrochemistry apparatus, dissolved oxygen meters, atomic absorption apparatus, and instruments for nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, UV/visible spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy).
The physics area has a special computer lab for student research and a faculty laser optics research lab.
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