Courses

Students will be required to choose a topic for their senior thesis (BIOL 409-410/GENV 409- 410) in consultation with an instructor. Selected readings and references pertinent to the topic will be assigned. A final written report will be presented consisting of a detailed thesis proposal and a review of the literature.

Research in a chosen area of biology or environmental studies with a final written report. Presentation of research findings will also be made by the student in a poster session.

An overview of the interdisciplinary science of genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics which applies the tools of information technology (computer hardware and software) to analyze biological data such as gene or protein sequences. This course examines the theory of bioinformatics as well as its practical application to biological problems using approaches such as BLAST searches, phylogenetics, and protein structure function analysis.

This capstone course in biotechnology considers the theoretical and practical aspects of implementing biotechnology, paying particular attention to current issues including: (1) technology transfer and commercialization; (2) patent protection in biotechnology; (3) Good Laboratory Practices (GLP); (4) Good Manufacturing Practices (Food and Drug Regulations, 2002 edition); (5) Good Clinical Practices (GCP); (6) Research Ethics Board guidelines; (7) validation studies; (8) downstream processing and the recovery of purified products; (9) novel developments in methodology. The course includes a seminar series by industry and regulatory experts and site visits to local biotechnology companies to assess how they have implemented and overcome obstacles to production and quality control.

An introduction to global business practices. A survey of governmental and corporate practices of major economic systems—Japan, Europe, Pacific Rim, Rhine countries, etc. Different cultural meanings of concepts such as globalization, world class, nimble organizations, empowerment, and teams are explored. The class provides the students with experiential as well as classroom learning to provide a better grasp of the differences in cultures and the adaptation of business concepts.

In this course, modern business is studied in its various aspects: economic and social setting, business classifications and financial requirements, business structure and functional areas, basic concepts and techniques, practices and responsibilities, and career opportunities in business.

Accounting fundamentals, techniques, principles, and concepts. Other topics include the complete accounting cycle, including adjusting and closing entries, the preparation and interpretation of simple financial statements, inventory treatments, capital assets, and partnership accounting. Students are also required to complete a computer based accounting lab.

Business research allows managers to make effective decisions in today's organizations. This class will assist students in understanding the research questions to ask in business and will prepare them to analyze and present the data they gather. Students will gain extensive skills in the use of spreadsheets and in spreadsheet modeling - an indispensable tool in the business world.

The first half of the course focuses on financial accounting with topics such as shareholder equity, investments, the cash flow statement, the comprehensive income statement, and financial analysis. Students learn to analyze and extract key information from corporate financial statements. The second half of the course focuses on managerial accounting covering topics such as cost-volume-profit analysis and budgeting.