Scientific Perspectives on the Natural World

Climate change. Antibiotic resistance. Alternative fuels. Engineering for earthquakes. Some of these most challenging issues in society today demand solutions that require a scientific understanding of the natural world.

Scientific understanding can also illuminate the beauty and wonder of natural phenomena all around us. To prepare Pacific graduates to be scientifically literate citizens, the classes that meet this Exploration help students learn how to use scientists’ tools to understand natural phenomena and apply that understanding to societal problems.

Upon completion of this requirement students will be able to:

  • use measurable evidence to support or reject a scientific hypothesis about the natural world.
  • apply scientific approaches to problem-solving and decision-making.

Students complete 4 credits from the courses listed below.

Courses That Meet the Scientific Perspectives on the Natural World Core Requirement Credits
BIOL 160 Selected Topics for Non-Science Majors 2-4
BIOL 165 Natural History of Galapagos and Ecuador Prep. 2
BIOL 170 Human Genetics 4
BIOL 166 Natural History Galapagos/Ecuador Travel 2
BIOL 200 Introduction Biology: Flow of Energy 4
BIOL 201 Introduction Biology: Flow of Information 4
CHEM 110 Chemistry and Your Environment 2
CHEM 220 General Chemistry I 4
CSD 204 Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Swallowing 4
CSD 303 Speech Science 4
ENV 121 Our Global Environment 4
ENV 141 Permaculture Design Science 4
ENV 200 Sustainability Science 4
ENV 210 Tropical Environmental Biology 4
HBIO 110 Human Biology 4
PHY 204 Introductory Physics II 4
PHY 242 General Physics II-Workshop Physics II 4
SCI 170 Astronomy 4
SCI 172 Introduction to Cosmology 2
SCI 201 Material Science for Makers 2