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Natural & Physical Sciences

  1. UNO
  2. General Education
  3. Approved Courses
  4. Natural & Physical Sciences

  • General Education Home
  • General Education Curriculum
  • General Education Courses Distribution Area
  • Student Learning Outcomes
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Understanding the nature of scientific inquiry and the operation of the natural, physical, and technological world is essential for making personal and public policy decisions.

Courses in this area explore science as a way of knowing about the natural, physical, and technological worlds, highlighting the process of scientific inquiry. Emphasis is placed on students making connections between science and their daily lives.

Understanding the nature of scientific inquiry is essential for making personal and public policy decisions

Outcome(s): Demonstrate a broad understanding of scientific inquiry by:

  • Identifying key elements of scientific inquiry relative to a problem in the natural world
  • Solving problems based on scientific data, information, or models
  • Evaluating conclusions

To fulfill their distribution requirements, students must complete seven credit hours of coursework, representing at least two disciplines in this category, with at least one laboratory course. In addition, students must complete nine credit hours of coursework in Social Sciences, and nine credit hours in Humanities & Fine Arts towards their distribution requirements. Distribution requirements comprise 25 hours of the general education curriculum.


Below is a list of Natural & Physical Sciences courses that have been approved for inclusion in the general education curriculum.

Natural & Physical Sciences Approved Courses

Course Number Course Title Credits Prerequisite
ANTH 3910 Introduction to Physical Anthropology 3 YES
BIOI 1000 Introduction to Bioinformatics 3
BIOL 1020 Principles of Biology 5
BIOL 1330 Environmental Biology 3
BIOL 1450 Biology I 5 YES
BMCH 2400 Human Physiology & Anatomy I 4
CHEM 1010 Chemistry in the Environment and Society 3 YES
CHEM 1014 Chemistry in the Environment and Society Laboratory 1 YES
CHEM 1140 Fundamentals of College Chemistry 4 YES
CHEM 1144 Fundamentals of College Chemistry Laboratory 1 YES
CHEM 1170 General Chemistry I-II 5 YES
CHEM 1180 General Chemistry I 3 YES
CHEM 1184 General Chemistry I Laboratory 1 YES
CSCI 1200 Computer Science Principles 3 YES
CSCI 1204 Computer Science Principles Laboratory 1 YES
CSCI 1280 Introduction to Computational Science 3 YES
FSMT 1600 Fundamentals of Fire Science 3
GEOG 1030 Introduction to Physical Geography 4
GEOG 1050 Human Environment Geography 4
GEOG 1090 Introduction to Geospatial Sciences 4
GEOG 3510 Meteorology 3
GEOG 3514 Introduction to Meteorology Lab 1 YES
GEOL 1010 Environmental Geology 3
GEOL 1100 Earth System Science 3
GEOL 1104 Earth System Science Laboratory 1
GEOL 1170 Introduction to Physical Geology 4
GEOL 2100 Geology of Nebraska 3
GEOL 2500 Special Topics in Geography-Geology 1
HEKI 3090 Applied Nutrition 3
HONR 3040 Honors Colloquium - Non-Lab Science 3 YES
NEUR 1000 Superheroes, Zombies, Cyborgs and Droids: Could They Live Among Us? 3 YES
NSCI 1050 Science and Critical Thinking 3
PHYS 1030 Physics of Everyday Life 3 YES
PHYS 1034 Physics of Everyday Life Laboratory 1 YES
PHYS 1050 Introduction to Physics 4 YES
PHYS 1054 Introduction to Physics Laboratory 1 YES
PHYS 1110 General Physics I 4 YES
PHYS 1154 General Physics Laboratory I 1 YES
PHYS 1350 Principles of Astronomy 3 YES
PHYS 1354 Introductory Astronomy Lab 1 YES
PHYS 2110 General Physics 1 - Calculus Level 4 YES
STEM 2800 Science Experimentation and Engineering Design 4
TED 2800 Science Experimentation and Engineering Design 4

Approved Courses

  • General Education Home
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  • Student Learning Outcomes
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  • Transfer Guide and Articulation Agreements
  • Value of General Education
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Faculty and Staff Resources

Distribution Requirements

Beyond the fundamental academic skills, courses within the distribution requirements provide students with the opportunity to: 1) understand, analyze, and explore the human condition; 2) understand the complex dynamics that make up the world particularly the challenges, problems and factors that lead to social stability and change as essential for contributing to and living in contemporary society; and 3) understand the nature of scientific inquiry and the operation of the natural, physical and technological world for making personal and public policy decisions.

Questions?

If you have questions about general education, please contact us at unogened@unomaha.edu. 

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