Public Health Major Courses
Public Health Sciences (LD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
FMPH 40. Introduction to Public Health (4)
This course provides an introduction to the infrastructure of public health; the analytical tools employed by public health practitioners; bio-psychosocial perspectives of public health problems; health promotion/disease prevention; quality assessment in public health; and legal and ethical concerns. Prerequisites: Restricted enrollment to freshman, sophomore, and junior standing.
FMPH 50. Primary Care and Public Health (4)
This course explores historical and current interactions, achievements and challenges of primary care and public health. It will analyze the impact of common medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, mental health disorders, and others on individuals, their families, and society. Prerequisites: Restricted enrollment to freshman, sophomore, and junior standing.
FMPH 95. Medical School Prep 101 (1 - P/NP only)
- FMPH 95: Medical School Prep 101 Application (to be attached with EASy Request)
This course is designed for 1st or 2nd year students and first-year transfer students who are interested in pursuing medicine and becoming physicians. Learn what it takes to prepare for medical school as well as what it takes to be a competitive applicant. We'll cover everything from academic requirements, timeline, and MCAT to obtaining relevant experiences (i.e. healthcare, service, leadership, and research), letters of evaluation, the 15 core competencies and more.
Biology (LD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
BILD 1. The Cell (4)
An introduction to cellular structure and function, to biological molecules, bioenergetics, to the genetics of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, and to the elements of molecular biology.
BILD 2. Multicellular Life (4)
An introduction to the development and the physiological processes of plants and animals. Included are treatments of reproduction, nutrition, respiration, transport systems, regulation of the internal environment, the nervous system, and behavior. Prerequisites: BILD 1.
BILD 3. Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (4)
The first principles of evolutionary theory, classification, ecology, and behavior; a phylogenetic synopsis of the major groups of organisms from viruses to primates.
BILD 10. Fundamental Concepts of Modern Biology (4)
An introduction to the biochemistry and genetics of cells and organisms; illustrations are drawn from microbiology and human biology. This course is designed for nonbiology students and does not satisfy a lower-division requirement for any biology major. Open to nonbiology majors only. Note: Students may not receive credit for BILD 10 after receiving credit for BILD 1.
BILD 12. Neurobiology and Behavior (4)
Introduction to the organization and functions of the nervous system; topics include molecular, cellular, developmental, systems, and behavioral neurobiology. This course is designed for nonbiology students and does not satisfy a lower-division requirement for any biology major. Open to nonbiology majors only.
BILD 20. Human Genetics in Modern Society (4)
Fundamentals of human genetics and introduction to modern genetic technology such as gene cloning and DNA finger printing. Applications of these techniques, such as forensic genetics, genetic screening, and genetic engineering. Social impacts and ethical implications of these applications. This course is designed for nonbiology students and does not satisfy a lower-division requirement for any biology major. Open to nonbiology majors only. Note: Students may not receive credit for BILD 20 after receiving credit for BICD 100.
BILD 22. Human Nutrition (4)
A survey of our understanding of the basic chemistry and biology of human nutrition; discussions of all aspects of food: nutritional value, diet, nutritional diseases, public health, and public policy. This course is designed for nonbiology students and does not satisfy a lower-division requirement for any biology major. Open to nonbiology majors only. Note: Students may not receive credit for BILD 22 after receiving credit for BIBC 120.
BILD 26. Human Physiology (4)
Introduction to the elements of human physiology and the functioning of the various organ systems. The course presents a broad, yet detailed, analysis of human physiology, with particular emphasis towards understanding disease processes. This course is designed for nonbiology students and does not satisfy a lower-division requirement for any biology major. Open to nonbiology majors only. Note: Students may not receive credit for BILD 26 after receiving credit for BIPN 100.
BILD 30. Biology of Plagues: Past and Present (4)
An introduction to diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, and parasites, and the impact of these diseases on human society. Topics include the biology of infectious disease, epidemiology, and promising new methods to fight disease. Open to nonbiology majors only. Note: Students will not receive credit for BILD 30 if taken after BIMM 120.
COGS 17. Neurobiology of Cognition (4)
Introduction to the organization and functions of the nervous system. Topics include molecular, cellular, developmental, systems, and behavioral neurobiology. Specifically, structure and function of neurons, peripheral and central nervous systems, sensory, motor, and control systems, learning and memory mechanisms. Note: Students may not receive credit for both BILD 12 and COGS 17.
Chemistry (LD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
CHEM 6A. General Chemistry I (4)
First quarter of a three-quarter sequence intended for science and engineering majors. Topics include atomic theory, bonding, molecular geometry, stoichiometry, types of reactions, and thermochemistry. May not be taken for credit after CHEM 6AH. Recommended: proficiency in high school chemistry and/or physics. Corequisite: MATH 10A or 20A or prior enrollment.
CHEM 6B. General Chemistry II (4)
Second quarter of a three-quarter sequence intended for science and engineering majors. Topics include covalent bonding, gases, liquids, and solids, colligative properties, physical and chemical equilibria, acids and bases, solubility. May not be taken for credit after CHEM 6BH. Prerequisites: CHEM 6A or 6AH and MATH 10A or 20A. Recommended: Concurrent or prior enrollment in MATH 10B or 20B.
CHEM 6C. General Chemistry III (4)
Third quarter of a three-quarter sequence intended for science and engineering majors. Topics include thermodynamics, kinetics, electrochemistry, coordination chemistry, and introductions to nuclear, main group organic, and biochemistry. May not be taken for credit after CHEM 6CH. Prerequisites: CHEM 6B or 6BH. Recommended: Completion of MATH 10B or 20B.
CHEM 7L. General Chemistry Laboratory (4)
Condenses a year of introductory training in analytical, inorganic, physical, and synthetic techniques into one intensive quarter. A materials fee is required. A mandatory safety exam must be passed. Students may not receive credit for both CHEM 7L and CHEM 7LM. Prerequisites: CHEM 6B or CHEM 6BH.
Computer Programming (LD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering Courses
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Courses
CSE 8A. Introduction to Computer Science: Java I (4)
Introductory course for students interested in computer science. Fundamental concepts of applied computer science using media computation. Exercises in the theory and practice of computer science. Hands-on experience with designing, editing, compiling, and executing programming constructs and applications. CSE 8A is part of a two-course sequence (CSE 8A and CSE 8B) that is equivalent to CSE 11. Students should take CSE 8B to complete this track. Formerly offered as corequisite courses CSE 8A plus 8AL. Students who have taken CSE 8B or CSE 11 may not take CSE 8A. Recommended preparation: No prior programming experience is assumed, but comfort using computers is helpful. Students should consult the “CSE Course Placement Advice” web page for assistance in choosing which CSE course to take first. Prerequisites: Restricted to undergraduates.
CSE 8B. Introduction to Computer Science: Java II (4)
Continuation of the Java language. Continuation of programming techniques. More on inheritance. Exception handling. CSE 8B is part of a two-course sequence (CSE 8A and CSE 8B) that is equivalent to CSE 11. Students should consult the “CSE Course Placement Advice” web page for assistance in choosing which CSE course to take first. Students may not receive credit for CSE 8B and CSE 11. Prerequisites: CSE 8A; restricted to undergraduates.
CSE 11. Introduction to Computer Science and Object-Oriented Programming: Java (4)
An accelerated introduction to computer science and programming using the Java language. Basic UNIX. Modularity and abstraction. Documentation, testing and verification techniques. Basic object-oriented programming, including inheritance and dynamic binding. Exception handling. Event-driven programming. Experience with AWT library or another similar library. Students who have completed CSE 8B may not take CSE 11. Students should consult the “CSE Course Placement Advice” web page for assistance in choosing which CSE course to take first. Recommended preparation: high school algebra and familiarity with computing concepts and a course in a compiled language. Prerequisites: Restricted to undergraduates.
CSE 180. Biology Meets Computing (4)
Topics include an overview of various aspects of bioinformatics and will simultaneously introduce students to programming in Python. The assessments in the course represent various programming challenges and include solving diverse biological problems using popular bioinformatics tools. Students may not receive credit for CSE 180 and CSE 180R. Prerequisites: BILD 1.
CSE 180R. Biology Meets Computing (4)
Topics include an overview of various aspects of bioinformatics and will simultaneously introduce students to programming in Python. The assessments in the course represent various programming challenges and include solving diverse biological problems using popular bioinformatics tools. This will be a fully online class based on extensive educational materials and online educational platform Stepik developed with HHMI, NIH, and ILTI support. Students may not receive credit for CSE 180 and CSE 180R. Prerequisites: BILD 1 or BILD 4 or CSE 3 or CSE 7 or CSE 8A or CSE 8B or CSE 11.
ECE 15. Engineering Computation (4)
Students learn the C programming language with an emphasis on high-performance numerical computation. The commonality across programming languages of control structures, data structures, and I/O is also covered. Techniques for using Matlab to graph the results of C computations are developed. Prerequisites: A familiarity with basic mathematics such as trigonometry functions and graphing is expected but this course assumes no prior programming knowledge.
Formal Skills and Quantitative Methods (LD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
- Department of Cognitive Science Courses
- Department of Mathematics Courses
- Department of Psychology Courses
COGS 14B. Introduction to Statistical Analysis (4)
Introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics. Tables, graphs, measures of central tendency and variability. Distributions, Z-scores, correlation, regression. Probability, sampling, logic of inferential statistics, hypothesis testing, decision theory. T-test, one and two-way Anova, nonparametric tests (Chi-square). Prerequisites: COGS 14A.
HDS 60. Introduction to Statistical Analysis (4)
This course provides an introduction to both descriptive and inferential statistics, core tools in the process of scientific discovery, and the interpretation of research. Emphasis on a conceptual understanding of statistics, numerical results of real data, and techniques of data analysis.
MATH 10A. Calculus I (4)
Differential calculus of functions of one variable, with applications. Functions, graphs, continuity, limits, derivatives, tangent lines, optimization problems. (No credit given if taken after or concurrent with MATH 20A.) Prerequisites: Math Placement Exam qualifying score, or AP Calculus AB score of 2, or SAT II Math Level 2 score of 600 or higher, or MATH 3C, or MATH 4C.
MATH 10B. Calculus II (4)
Integral calculus of functions of one variable, with applications. Antiderivatives, definite integrals, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, methods of integration, areas and volumes, separable differential equations. (No credit given if taken after or concurrent with MATH 20B.) Prerequisites: AP Calculus AB score of 3, 4, or 5 (or equivalent AB subscore on BC exam), or MATH 10A, or MATH 20A.
MATH 11. Calculus-Based Introductory Probability and Statistics (5)
Events and probabilities, conditional probability, Bayes’ formula. Discrete random variables: mean, variance; binomial, Poisson distributions. Continuous random variables: densities, mean, variance; normal, uniform, exponential distributions, central limit theorem. Sample statistics, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression. Applications. Intended for biology and social science majors. Prerequisites: AP Calculus BC score of 3, 4, or 5, or MATH 10B or MATH 20B.
MATH 18. Linear Algebra (4)
Matrix algebra, Gaussian elimination, determinants. Linear and affine subspaces, bases of Euclidean spaces. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, quadratic forms, orthogonal matrices, diagonalization of symmetric matrices. Applications. Computing symbolic and graphical solutions using Matlab. Students may not receive credit for both MATH 18 and 31AH. Prerequisites: Math Placement Exam qualifying score, or AP Calculus AB score of 2, or SAT II Math Level 2 score of 600 or higher, or MATH 3C, or MATH 4C, or MATH 10A, or MATH 20A.
MATH 20A. Calculus for Science and Engineering (4)
Foundations of differential and integral calculus of one variable. Functions, graphs, continuity, limits, derivative, tangent line. Applications with algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. Introduction to the integral. (Two credits given if taken after MATH 1A/10A and no credit given if taken after MATH 1B/10B or MATH 1C/10C. Formerly numbered MATH 2A.) Prerequisites: Math Placement Exam qualifying score, or AP Calculus AB score of 3 (or equivalent AB subscore on BC exam), or SAT II MATH 2C score of 650 or higher, or MATH 4C or MATH 10A.
MATH 20B. Calculus for Science and Engineering (4)
Integral calculus of one variable and its applications, with exponential, logarithmic, hyperbolic, and trigonometric functions. Methods of integration. Infinite series. Polar coordinates in the plane and complex exponentials. (Two units of credits given if taken after MATH 1B/10B or MATH 1C/10C.) Prerequisites: AP Calculus AB score of 4 or 5, or AP Calculus BC score of 3, or MATH 20A with a grade of C– or better, or MATH 10B with a grade of C– or better, or MATH 10C with a grade of C– or better.
MATH 20C. Calculus and Analytic Geometry for Science and Engineering (4)
Vector geometry, vector functions and their derivatives. Partial differentiation. Maxima and minima. Double integration. (Two units of credit given if taken after MATH 10C. Credit not offered for both MATH 20C and 31BH. Formerly numbered MATH 21C.) Prerequisites: AP Calculus BC score of 4 or 5, or MATH 20B with a grade of C– or better.
PSYC 60. Introduction to Statistics (4)
This course provides an introduction to both descriptive and inferential statistics, core tools in the process of scientific discovery and the interpretation of research.
Natural Science (LD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
- Department of Biology Courses
- Department of Chemistry Courses
- Department of Mathematics Courses
- Department of Physics Courses
BILD 20. Human Genetics in Modern Society (4)
Fundamentals of human genetics and introduction to modern genetic technology such as gene cloning and DNA finger printing. Applications of these techniques, such as forensic genetics, genetic screening, and genetic engineering. Social impacts and ethical implications of these applications. This course is designed for nonbiology students and does not satisfy a lower-division requirement for any biology major. Open to nonbiology majors only. Note: Students may not receive credit for BILD 20 after receiving credit for BICD 100.
BILD 22. Human Nutrition (4)
A survey of our understanding of the basic chemistry and biology of human nutrition; discussions of all aspects of food: nutritional value, diet, nutritional diseases, public health, and public policy. This course is designed for nonbiology students and does not satisfy a lower-division requirement for any biology major. Open to nonbiology majors only. Note: Students may not receive credit for BILD 22 after receiving credit for BIBC 120.
BILD 26. Human Physiology (4)
Introduction to the elements of human physiology and the functioning of the various organ systems. The course presents a broad, yet detailed, analysis of human physiology, with particular emphasis towards understanding disease processes. This course is designed for nonbiology students and does not satisfy a lower-division requirement for any biology major. Open to nonbiology majors only. Note: Students may not receive credit for BILD 26 after receiving credit for BIPN 100.
CHEM 40A. Organic Chemistry I (4)
Renumbered from CHEM 140A. Introduction to organic chemistry with applications to biochemistry. Bonding theory, isomerism, stereochemistry, chemical and physical properties. Introduction to substitution, addition, and elimination reactions. Students may only receive credit for one of the following: CHEM 40A, 40AH, 140A, or 140AH. Prerequisites: CHEM 6B or CHEM 6BH.
CHEM 40B. Organic Chemistry II (4)
Renumbered from CHEM 140B. Continuation of CHEM 40A, Organic Chemistry I. Methods of analysis, chemistry of hydrocarbons, chemistry of the carbonyl group. Introduction to the reactions of biologically important molecules. Students may only receive credit for one of the following: CHEM 40B, 40BH, 140B, or 140BH. Prerequisites: CHEM 40A or 140A (a grade of C or higher in CHEM 140A or 40A is strongly recommended).
CHEM 40C. Organic Chemistry III (4)
Renumbered from CHEM 140C. Continuation of CHEM 40A, Organic Chemistry I and CHEM 40B, Organic Chemistry II. Organic chemistry of biologically important molecules: carboxylic acids, carbohydrates, proteins, fatty acids, biopolymers, natural products. Students may only receive credit for one of the following: CHEM 40C, 40CH, 140C, or 140CH. Prerequisites: CHEM 40B or 140B (a grade of C or higher in CHEM 40B or 140B is strongly recommended).
CHEM 43A. Organic Chemistry Laboratory (4)
Renumbered from CHEM 143A. Introduction to organic laboratory techniques. Separation, purification, spectroscopy, product analysis, and effects of reaction conditions. A materials fee is required. Students must pass a safety exam. Students may only receive credit for one of the following: CHEM 43A, 43AM, 143A, or 143AM. Prerequisites: CHEM 7L or 7LM and 40A, 40AH, 140A, or 140AH.
MATH 10A. Calculus I (4)
Differential calculus of functions of one variable, with applications. Functions, graphs, continuity, limits, derivatives, tangent lines, optimization problems. (No credit given if taken after or concurrent with MATH 20A.) Prerequisites: Math Placement Exam qualifying score, or AP Calculus AB score of 2, or SAT II Math Level 2 score of 600 or higher, or MATH 3C, or MATH 4C.
MATH 10B. Calculus II (4)
Integral calculus of functions of one variable, with applications. Antiderivatives, definite integrals, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, methods of integration, areas and volumes, separable differential equations. (No credit given if taken after or concurrent with MATH 20B.) Prerequisites: AP Calculus AB score of 3, 4, or 5 (or equivalent AB subscore on BC exam), or MATH 10A, or MATH 20A.
MATH 20A. Calculus for Science and Engineering (4)
Foundations of differential and integral calculus of one variable. Functions, graphs, continuity, limits, derivative, tangent line. Applications with algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. Introduction to the integral. (Two credits given if taken after MATH 1A/10A and no credit given if taken after MATH 1B/10B or MATH 1C/10C. Formerly numbered MATH 2A.) Prerequisites: Math Placement Exam qualifying score, or AP Calculus AB score of 3 (or equivalent AB subscore on BC exam), or SAT II MATH 2C score of 650 or higher, or MATH 4C or MATH 10A.
MATH 20B. Calculus for Science and Engineering (4)
Integral calculus of one variable and its applications, with exponential, logarithmic, hyperbolic, and trigonometric functions. Methods of integration. Infinite series. Polar coordinates in the plane and complex exponentials. (Two units of credits given if taken after MATH 1B/10B or MATH 1C/10C.) Prerequisites: AP Calculus AB score of 4 or 5, or AP Calculus BC score of 3, or MATH 20A with a grade of C– or better, or MATH 10B with a grade of C– or better, or MATH 10C with a grade of C– or better.
PHYS 1A. Mechanics (3)
First quarter of a three-quarter introductory physics course, geared toward life-science majors. Equilibrium and motion of particles in one and two dimensions in the framework of Newtonian mechanics, force laws (including gravity), energy, momentum, rotational motion, conservation laws, and fluids. Examples will be drawn from astronomy, biology, sports, and current events. PHYS 1A and 1AL are designed to be taken concurrently but may be taken in separate terms; taking the lecture before the lab is the best alternative to enrolling in both. Students continuing to PHYS 1B/1BL will also need MATH 10B or 20B. Prerequisites: MATH 10A or 20A. Recommended preparation: Concurrent or prior enrollment in MATH 10B or 20B.
PHYS 1AL. Mechanics Laboratory (2)
Physics laboratory course to accompany PHYS 1A. Experiments in Mechanics. PHYS 1A and 1AL are designed to be taken concurrently but may be taken in separate terms; taking the lecture before the lab is the best alternative to enrolling in both. Students continuing to PHYS 1B/1BL will also need MATH 10B or 20B. Prerequisites: MATH 10A or 20A. Recommended preparation: concurrent or prior enrollment in PHYS 1A and MATH 10B or 20B.
PHYS 1B. Electricity and Magnetism (3)
Second quarter of a three-quarter introductory physics course geared toward life-science majors. Electric fields, magnetic fields, DC and AC circuitry. PHYS 1B and 1BL are designed to be taken concurrently but may be taken in separate terms; taking the lecture before the lab is the best alternative to enrolling in both. Prerequisites: PHYS 1A or 2A, and MATH 10B or 20B.
PHYS 1BL. Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory (2)
Physics laboratory course to accompany PHYS 1B. Experiments in electricity and magnetism. Program or materials fee may apply. PHYS 1B and 1BL are designed to be taken concurrently but may be taken in separate terms; taking the lecture before the lab is the best alternative to enrolling in both. Prerequisites: PHYS 1A or 2A, 1AL or 2BL, and MATH 10B or 20B. Recommended preparation: Concurrent or prior enrollment in PHYS 1B.
PHYS 1C. Waves, Optics, and Modern Physics (3)
Third quarter of a three-quarter introductory physics course geared toward life-science majors. The physics of oscillations and waves, vibrating strings and sound, and the interaction of light with matter as illustrated through optics and quantum mechanics. Examples from biology, sports, medicine, and current events. PHYS 1C and 1CL are designed to be taken concurrently but may be taken in separate terms; taking the lecture before the lab is the best alternative to enrolling in both. Prerequisites: PHYS 1B or 2B, and MATH 10B or 20B.
PHYS 1CL. Waves, Optics, and Modern Physics Laboratory (2)
Physics laboratory course to accompany PHYS 1C. Experiments in waves, optics, and modern physics. Program or materials fee may apply. PHYS 1C and 1CL are designed to be taken concurrently but may be taken in separate terms; taking the lecture before the lab is the best alternative to enrolling in both. Prerequisites: PHYS 1B or 2B, 1BL or 2CL, and MATH 10B or 20B. Recommended preparation: Concurrent or prior enrollment in PHYS 1C.
Social and Behavioral Science Electives (LD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
- Department of Anthropology Courses
- Critical Gender Studies Program Courses
- Department of Cognitive Science Courses
- Department of Communication Courses
- Department of Economics Courses
- Enviromental Studies Program Courses
- Environmental Systems Program Courses
- Global Health Program Courses
- Human Developmental Sciences Program Courses
- Department of History Courses
- Department of Literature Courses
- Department of Political Science Courses
- Department of Psychology Courses
- Department of Sociology Courses
- Urban Studies and Planning Program Courses
ANTH 1. Introduction to Culture (4)
An introduction to the anthropological approach to understanding human behavior, with an examination of data from a selection of societies and cultures.
ANTH 2. Human Origins (4)
An introduction to human evolution from the perspective of physical anthropology, including evolutionary theory and the evolution of the primates, hominids, and modern humans. Emphasis is placed on evidence from fossil remains and behavioral studies of living primates. Prerequisite for upper-division biological anthropology courses.
ANTH 23. Debating Multiculturalism: Race, Ethnicity, and Class in American Societies (4)
This course focuses on the debate about multiculturalism in American society. It examines the interaction of race, ethnicity, and class, historically and comparatively, and considers the problem of citizenship in relation to the growing polarization of multiple social identities.
CGS 2B. Introduction to Critical Gender Studies: Social Formations (4)
An introduction to the social relations of power that are shaped by and that shape gender and sexuality.
COGS 14A. Introduction to Research Methods (4)
Introduction to the scientific method. Methods of knowledge acquisition, research questions, hypotheses, operational definitions, variables, control. Observation, levels of measurement, reliability, validity. Experimentation and design: between-groups, within-subjects, quasi-experimental, factorial, single-subject. Correlational and observational studies. Ethics in research.
COMM 10. Introduction to Communication (4)
Introduction to the history, theory, and practice of communication, including language and literacy, representation and semiotics, mediated technologies and institutional formations, and social interaction. Integrates the study of communication with a range of media production (for example, writing, electronic media, film, performance).
ECON 1. Principles of Microeconomics (4)
Introduction to the study of the economic system. Course will introduce the standard economic models used to examine how individuals and firms make decisions in perfectly competitive markets, and how these decisions affect supply and demand in output markets.
ECON 2. Market Imperfections and Policy (4)
Analysis of monopoly and imperfectly competitive markets, market imperfections and the role of government. Prerequisites: ECON 1.
ECON 3. Principles of Macroeconomics (4)
Introductory macroeconomics: unemployment, inflation, business cycles, monetary and fiscal policy. Prerequisites: ECON 1.
ENVR 30. Environmental Issues: Natural Sciences (4)
Examines global and regional environmental issues. The approach is to consider the scientific basis for policy options. Simple principles of chemistry and biology are introduced. The scope of problems includes: air and water pollution, climate modification, solid waste disposal, hazardous waste treatment, and environmental impact assessment. Prerequisites: none.
ESYS 10. Introduction to Environmental Systems (4)
This course explores the interdisciplinary character of environmental issues through an examination of a particular topic (climate change, for example) from numerous disciplinary perspectives (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics, political science, and economics).
GLBH 20. Introduction to Global Health (4)
Provides a foundational interdisciplinary understanding of complex global health issues and introduces major concepts and principles in global health. The course surveys the range of problems contributing to the global burden of disease and disability including infectious disease, mental illness, refugee and immigrant health, natural disasters, climate change, and food insecurity.
HDS 1. Introduction to Human Development (4)
This course introduces students to the central issues in the basic areas in human development. The course will explain relationships between biological, cognitive, social, and cultural aspects of development across the life span.
HILD 30. History of Public Health (4)
Explores the history of public health, from the plague hospitals of Renaissance Italy to the current and future prospects for global health initiatives, emphasizing the complex biological, cultural, and social dimensions of health, sickness, and medicine across time and space.
LTCS 50. Introduction to Cultural Studies (4)
An introduction to cultural studies with a focus on the following areas: literary and historical studies, popular culture, women’s studies, ethnic studies, science studies, and gay/lesbian studies. Particular emphasis on the question of “cultural practices” and their social and political conditions and effects.
POLI 10 or 10D. Introduction to Political Science: American Politics (4)
This course surveys the processes and institutions of American politics. Among the topics discussed are individual political attitudes and values, political participation, voting, parties, interest groups, Congress, presidency, Supreme Court, the federal bureaucracy, and domestic and foreign policy making. Poli Sci 10 is Lecture only, and Poli Sci 10D is Lecture plus Discussion section. These courses are equivalents of each other in regards to major requirements, and students may not receive credit for both 10 and 10D.
POLI 11 or 11D. Introduction to Political Science: Comparative Politics (4)
The nature of political authority, the experience of a social revolution, and the achievement of an economic transformation will be explored in the context of politics and government in a number of different countries. Poli Sci 11 is Lecture only, and Poli Sci 11D is Lecture plus Discussion section. These courses are equivalents of each other in regards to major requirements, and students may not receive credit for both 11 and 11D.
POLI 30 or 30D. Political Inquiry (4)
Introduction to the logic of inference in social science and to quantitative analysis in political science and public policy including research design, data collection, data description and computer graphics, and the logic of statistical inference (including linear regression). POLI 30 is Lecture only, and POLI 30D is Lecture plus Discussion section. These courses are equivalents of each other in regards to major requirements, and students may not receive credit for both 30 and 30D.
PSYC 1. Psychology (4)
This course provides an overview of the basic concepts in psychology. Topics may include human information processing, learning and memory, motivation, development, language acquisition, social psychology, and personality.
PSYC 2. General Psychology: Biological Foundations (4)
This course provides an introductory survey of the relationship between human behavior and brain function. Specific areas of emphasis include vision and other sensory processes, memory, motivation, attention, and cognition.
PSYC 3. General Psychology: Cognitive Foundations (4)
This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of cognitive psychology. Topics include perception, attention, memory, language, and thought. The relation of cognitive psychology to cognitive science and to neuropsychology is also covered.
PSYC 4. General Psychology: Behavioral Foundations (4)
This course provides an introduction to behavioral psychology. Topics include classical conditioning, operant conditioning, animal learning, and motivation and behavior modification.
PSYC 6. General Psychology: Social Foundations (4)
This course provides an introduction to social psychology. Topics may include emotion, aesthetics, behavioral medicine, person perception, attitudes and attitude change, and behavior in social organizations.
PSYC 7. General Psychology: Developmental Foundations (4)
This course provides an introduction to theories and research results in developmental psychology, covering infancy through adulthood.
PSYC 70. Research Methods in Psychology (4)
This course provides an overview of how to choose appropriate research methods for experimental and non-experimental studies. Topics may include classic experimental design and counterbalancing, statistical power, and causal inference in experimental and non-experimental settings. Prerequisites: PSYC 60 or equivalent.
SOCI 1. Introduction to Sociology (4)
An introduction to the organizing themes and ideas, empirical concerns, and analytical approaches of the discipline of sociology. The course focuses on both classical and contemporary views of modern society, on the nature of community, and on inequality, with special attention to class, race, and gender. Materials include both theoretical statements and case studies. Will not receive credit for SOCI 1 and SOCL 1A.
SOCI 2. The Study of Society (4)
A continuation of Sociology/L 1A. The focus here is on socialization processes, culture, social reproduction and social control, and collective action. As in 1A, materials include both theoretical statements and case studies. While 1B may be taken as an independent course, it is recommended that students take 1A and 1B in sequence, as the latter builds on the former. Will not receive credit for SOCI 2 and SOCL 1B.
SOCI 10. American Society: Social Structure and Culture in the U.S. (4)
An introduction to American society in historical, comparative, and contemporary perspectives. Topics will include American cultural traditions; industrialization; class structure; the welfare state; ethnic, racial, and gender relations; the changing position of religion; social movements; and political trends. Will not receive credit for SOCI 10 and SOCL 10.
SOCI 30. Science, Technology, and Society (4)
A series of case studies of the relations between society and modern science, technology, and medicine. Global warming, reproductive medicine, AIDS, and other topical cases prompt students to view science-society interactions as problematic and complex. Will not receive credit for SOCI 30 and SOCL 30.
SOCI 40. Sociology of Health-Care Issues (4)
Designed as a broad introduction to medicine as a social institution and its relationship to other institutions as well as its relation to society. It will make use of both micro and macro sociological work in this area and introduce students to sociological perspectives of contemporary health-care issues. Will not receive credit for SOCI 40 and SOCL 40.
SOCI 60. The Practice of Social Research (4)
This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of the design of social research. It examines the key varieties of evidence, sampling methods, logic of comparison, and causal reasoning researchers use in their study of social issues. Will not receive credit for SOCI 60 and SOCL 60.
SOCI 70. General Sociology for Premedical Students (4)
This introductory course is specifically designed for premedical students and will provide them with a broad introduction to sociological concepts and research, particularly as applied to medicine.
USP 2. Urban World System (4)
Examines cities and the environment in a global context. Emphasizes how the world’s economy and the earth’s ecology are increasingly interdependent. Focuses on biophysical and ethicosocial concerns rooted in the contemporary division of labor among cities, Third World industrialization, and the post-industrial transformation of US cities.
Public Health Core Disciplines (UD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
FMPH 101. Epidemiology (4)
This course covers the basic principles of epidemiology, with applications to investigations of noninfectious (“chronic”) and infectious diseases. Explores various study designs appropriate for disease surveillance and studies of etiology and prevention. Prerequisites: FMPH 40, PSYC 60, COGS 14B, HDS 60, or MATH 11, and upper-division standing.
FMPH 102. Biostatistics in Public Health (4)
Fundamentals of biostatistics and basic methods for analysis of continuous and binary outcomes for one, two, or several groups. Includes: summarizing and displaying data; probability; statistical distributions; central limit theorem, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing; comparing means of continuous variables between two groups; comparing proportions between two groups; simple and multiple linear regression. Hands-on data analysis using software and statistical applications in public health. Prerequisites: FMPH 40, PSYC 60, COGS 14B, HDS 60, or MATH 11, and upper-division standing.
FMPH 110. Health Behavior and Chronic Diseases (4)
This course introduces health behavior concepts through applications to chronic disease prevention. The focus is on smoking, dietary behaviors, and physical activity and is organized around relationships to health, measurement, influencing factors, interventions, and translation to public health practice. Prerequisites: FMPH 40 and sophomore standing.
FMPH 120. Health Policies for Healthy Lifestyles (4)
This course covers the rationale for and effectiveness of policies to influence nutrition, physical activity, and substance use behavior. Policies include legalization, taxation, labeling, produce manufacturing, warning labels, licensing, marketing, and counter-marketing practices and restrictions on use. Prerequisites: FMPH 40 and upper-division standing.
FMPH 130. Environmental and Occupational Health (4)
This core public health course addresses the fundamentals of environmental and occupational health, including identification of hazards, basic toxicology, risk assessment, prevention/protection, and regulatory/control policies. Specific environmental and occupational hazards and relevant case studies will be presented. Prerequisites: FMPH 40, FMPH 101, and upper-division standing.
USP 143. The US Health-Care System (4)
This course will provide an overview of the organization of health care within the context of the community with emphasis on the political, social, and cultural influences. It is concerned with the structure, objectives, and trends of major health and health-related programs in the United States to include sponsorship, financing, training and utilization of health personnel. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
Public Health Electives within Department (UD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
FMPH 155: "Qualitative Research for Global Public Health"
Qualitative Research for Global Public Health provides an overview of the role of qualitative research methods in public health, with an emphasis on global research, policy, and practice. The course will focus on qualitative research as it relates to formative program design, community-based participatory approaches, and as a tool for amplifying voices and elucidating both complex social-ecological processes and internal individual experiences. Throughout the term students will work in teams to design, conduct, analyze, and report a full qualitative study on a public health topic of their choosing. This course will offer a foundation for all Public Health Majors and will show the role of research as a tool for social justice in global public health. Prerequisites: FMPH 40. Renumbered from FMPH 191 - students can't receive credit for FMPH 155 if already completed FMPH 191 "Qualitative Research for Global Public Health"
FMPH 161: "Clinical Nutrition in Public Health"
FMPH 171: "Field Epidemiology and Outbreak Investigations"
- Highlight of FMPH 171 Student Work: SP21 Zombie Outbreak Final Posters
FMPH 191 Topics in Public Health (4)
Selected topics in the field of Public Health. Prerequisites: FMPH 40; Instructor and department approval. Additional prerequisites may be required at instructor’s discretion.
FMPH 191: "Clinical Nutrition in Public Health"
Clinical Nutrition for Public Health is an introductory course in clinical nutrition that combines lectures, discussion and classroom interaction that allow the students to identify applications and translation of nutritional guidelines and recommendations into behavior. Clinical nutrition is the study of nutrition and diet as related to the prevention and treatment of human disease. The practical and psychosocial aspects of diet modification and food or food product availability are key aspects of clinical nutrition practice, whether individual or community-based, and irrespective of whether the goal is primary prevention or disease treatment. Prerequisites: FMPH 40 and department approval. Renumbered to FMPH 161 effective FA20
FMPH 191: "Digital Consumer Health"
Digital Consumer Health aims to empower students to build a lens to critically evaluate digital consumer technologies used in the context of health, such as self-tracking devices, telehealth, social media, and online communities, by exploring the contexts in which they are designed and used, including their social, cultural, and political underpinnings. While there is much potential for technologies to improve individuals' health and well-being as well as promote population health, technologies can also trigger or exacerbate harms. This course will help to balance positive views of digital health with critical analyses through the investigation of digital health's unintended consequences and the ways it can reinforce marginalization. Prerequisites: FMPH 40 and department approval.
FMPH 191: "Health Economics and Health Policy"
Health Economics and Health Policy introduces key concepts in health economics and applies these concepts to better understand and evaluate policy issues in the U.S. healthcare system and health and medical care production and demand. The course is divided into three modules. Module 1 gives an overview of the U.S. healthcare system and introduces core Microeconomic tools as applied in Health Economics. Module 2 examines key players in the U.S. healthcare system, including private and public insurers and various health care providers. Module 3 synthesizes the content of previous modules and studies health policy issues including government intervention, externalities, medical malpractice, comparative healthcare systems, health insurance reform as well as health and development. Prerequisites: FMPH 40 and department approval.
FMPH 191: "Immunizations and Public Health"
Immunizations and Public Health will address fundamentals of vaccine-preventable diseases, with an emphasis on resources to maintain expertise in a continually evolving field. The course will cover principles of immunology, clinical vaccination practice, adverse events following immunization, risk communication, and vaccine policy, with focus on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles. Important vaccine stories, historic and contemporary, will highlight the course objectives. Prerequisites: FMPH 40 and department approval.
FMPH 191: "Integrative Health and Public Health"
Integrative Health and Public Health examines the historical origins, scientific research, and common practices used in complementary and alternative medicine, which is now broadly defined as “Integrative Health.” The course features numerous guest lectures by healthcare providers of Integrative Health services in UCSD Health clinics as well as by healthcare providers from diverse clinics in the San Diego region. All course content is examined in terms of how Integrative Health supports Public Health. Prerequisites: FMPH 40 and department approval.
FMPH 191: "Field Epidemiology and Outbreak Investigations"
Field Epidemiology and Outbreak Investigations consist of a series of practical epidemiological exercises developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others, and will provide the opportunity for students to apply their epidemiological and biostatistical skills to real-world situations. These exercises, which involve the investigation of emerging infectious and non-infectious health problems and are based on actual investigations done in the US and elsewhere, are highly interactive and involve the synthesis of information from diverse sources, testing the students’ knowledge base as well as critical thinking capacities. Prerequisites: FMPH 101 and department approval; completion of FMPH 102 is recommended but not required. Renumbered to FMPH 171 effective FA20
FMPH 191: "Planning, Conducting and Reporting Responsible and Ethical Research"
Planning, Conducting and Reporting Responsible and Ethical Research is designed to encourage inquiry of and discussion about regulations, ethical principles and organizational practices that support the responsible and ethical conduct of research. These concepts will be conveyed using select readings, current events, student-led presentations and invited guest speakers. Prerequisites: FMPH 40 and department approval.
FMPH 191: "Qualitative Research for Global Public Health"
Qualitative Research for Global Public Health provides an overview of the role of qualitative research methods in public health, with an emphasis on global research, policy, and practice. The course will focus on qualitative research as it relates to formative program design, community-based participatory approaches, and as a tool for amplifying voices and elucidating both complex social-ecological processes and internal individual experiences. Throughout the term students will work in teams to design, conduct, analyze, and report a full qualitative study on a public health topic of their choosing. This course will offer a foundation for all Public Health Majors and will show the role of research as a tool for social justice in global public health. Prerequisites: FMPH 40 and department approval. Renumbered to FMPH 155 effective FA20
FMPH 191: "Racism as a Public Health Crisis"
The broad topic of Racism as a Public Health Crisis is the declaration by multiple municipalities around the country formally declaring racism as a public health crisis. We will address questions such as: What is structural racism? What is public health? Why are there disparities in health outcomes between races? What are the moral questions raised by the effects of racism on health? What are the moral obligations of medical health and public health professionals? The goal of this course is two-fold: to introduce the main issues and to practice argumentative writing about the moral issues raised by these declarations. Prerequisites: FMPH 40 and department approval.
FMPH 195. Instruction in Public Health (4)
Introduction to teaching in a public health course. As an Undergraduate Instructional Apprentice, students will attend the lectures of the course, weekly meetings with students of the course; weekly meetings with course instructor. Responsibilities may include class presentations, designing and leading weekly discussion sections, assisting with homework and exam grading, and monitoring and responding to online discussion posts. Prerequisites: A minimum of A- in the course in which the student plans to assist, a 3.0 cumulative UC GPA, instructor and department approval.
FMPH 196A. Public Health Honors Practicum I (4)
This is the first of a three-part honors series that serves as the culminating experience for BSPH majors. Students review, reinforce and complement skills and knowledge gained throughout the BSPH program, and prepare a proposal integrating critical elements of public health research and practice. Prerequisites: FMPH 40, FMPH 50, FMPH 101 or FMPH 102, and FMPH 110 or FMPH 120. Department approval required. Restricted to upper-division public health majors only (FP25).
FMPH 198. Directed Group Study (1–4)
Investigation of Public Health topics through directed reading and discussion by a small group of students under supervision of a faculty member. P/NP grades only. FMPH 198 may be taken for credit for a combined total of four times. Prerequisites: FMPH 40, upper-division standing, completion of ninety units of UC San Diego undergraduate study, a minimum UC San Diego GPA of 2.5, consent of instructor, and a completed and approved Special Studies form.
FMPH 199 Independent Study (2-4)
Individual undergraduate study or research not covered by the present course offerings. Study or research must be under the direction of a faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health and approval must be secured from the faculty member prior to registering. P/NP grades only. May be taken for credit six times. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing, completion of ninety units of UCSD undergraduate study, a minimum UCSD GPA of 2.5, consent of instructor, and a completed and approved Special Studies form.
Additional Public Health Electives (UD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
- Academic Internship Program Courses
- Department of Anthropology Courses
- Department of Biology Courses
- Climate Change Studies Courses
- Department of Cognitive Science Courses
- Department of Communication Courses
- Critical Gender Studies Courses
- Department of Economics Courses
- Environmental Studies Program Courses
- Environmental Systems Program Courses
- Department of Ethnic Studies Courses
- Global Health Program Courses
- Department of History Courses
- Department of Literature Courses
- Department of Mathematics Courses
- Department of Philosophy Courses
- Department of Political Science Courses
- Department of Psychology Courses
- Department of Scripps Institution of Oceanography Courses
- Department of Sociology Courses
- Urban Studies and Planning Program Courses
AIP 197 Academic Internship Program (4)
AIP 197 is an upper-division, special studies course. AIP offers students of all majors the opportunity to intern and conduct research in diverse professional and community settings while earning 2, 4, 8 or 12 units of P/NP academic credit over the course of the quarter. Through the academic internship experience students enhance their research, critical thinking, problem-solving, and writing skills by bringing an academic lens to a question or issue related to the internship experience. Research paper and internship hour requirements correspond with the number of units elected. Prerequisites: ninety units completed; 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA; AIP department approval. Note: Internship must be preapproved by the Public Health Department and be a Public Health related internship to be applied towards the Public Health Major.
ANBI 130. Biology of Inequality (4)
Biological and health consequences of racial and social inequalities. Psychosocial stress and measurement of health impact. Effects on disease and precursors to disease, including measures of molecular biology (e.g., epigenetics, gene expression), and biomarkers of inflammation, cardiometabolic health, and immune function. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 101. Aging: Culture and Health in Late Life Human Development (4)
Examines aging as process of human development, from local and global perspectives. Focuses on the interrelationships of social, cultural, psychological, and health factors that shape the experience and well-being of aging populations. Students explore the challenges and wisdom of aging. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 105. Global Health and Inequality (4)
Why is there variation of health outcomes across the world? We will discuss health and illness in context of culture and address concerns in cross-national health variations by comparing healthcare systems in developed, underdeveloped, and developing countries. In addition, we’ll study the role of socioeconomic and political change in determining health outcomes and examine social health determinants in contemporary global health problems: multidrug resistance to antibiotics, gender violence, human trafficking, etc. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 105GS. Global Health and Inequality (4)
Why is there variation of health outcomes across the world? We will discuss health and illness in context of culture and address concerns in cross-national health variations by comparing healthcare systems in developed, underdeveloped, and developing countries. In addition, we’ll study the role of socioeconomic and political change in determining health outcomes and examine social health determinants in contemporary global health problems: multidrug resistance to antibiotics, gender violence, human trafficking, etc. Prerequisites: Students must apply for and be accepted to the Global Seminars Program.
ANSC 106. Global Health: Indigenous Medicines in Latin America (4)
Drawing on medical anthropology ethnography, students will explore a variety of forms of healing among rural and urban indigenous communities. A particular focus on intercultural health will allow the students to analyze contemporary medical landscapes where patients encounter indigenous and Western medicine. Students will learn about the complexities of urban and rural indigenous healing settings and their sociopolitical significance in contexts of state biomedical interventions. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 106S. Global Health: Indigenous Medicines in Latin America (4)
Drawing on medical anthropology ethnography, students will explore a variety of forms of healing among rural and urban indigenous communities. A particular focus on intercultural health will allow the students to analyze contemporary medical landscapes where patients encounter indigenous and Western medicine. Students will learn about the complexities of urban and rural indigenous healing settings and their sociopolitical significance in contexts of state biomedical interventions. Students may not receive credit for ANSC 106 and ANSC 106S. Prerequisites: Students must apply for and be accepted to the Global Seminars Program.
ANSC 143. Mental Health as Global Health Priority (4)
Why is mental health a global concern? This anthropological course reviews globalization, culture, and mental health. We examine issues of social suffering, stigma, and economic burden associated with mental illness, gender inequality, political violence, "global security," pharmaceutical and illegal drugs. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 144. Immigrant and Refugee Health (4)
Examines physical and mental health sequaelae of internal and transnational movement of individuals and populations due to warfare, political violence, natural disaster, religious persecution, poverty and struggle for economic survival, and social suffering of communities abandoned by migrants and refugees. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 146. A Global Health Perspective on HIV (4)
An introductory course on HIV taught through a medical student format, with emphasis on research and experiential learning, including observation of physicians providing care for patients from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, some of whom may be underinsured/uninsured, homeless, and/or immigrants. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 147. Global Health and the Environment (4)
Examines interactions of culture, health, and environment. Rural and urban human ecologies, their energy foundations, sociocultural systems, and characteristic health and environmental problems are explored. The role of culture and human values in designing solutions will be investigated. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 148. Global Health and Cultural Diversity (4)
Introduction to global health from the perspective of medical anthropology on disease and illness, cultural conceptions of health, doctor-patient interaction, illness experience, medical science and technology, mental health, infectious disease, and health-care inequalities by ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 150. Culture and Mental Health (4)
This course reviews mental health cross-culturally and transnationally. Issues examined are cultural shaping of the interpretation, experience, symptoms, treatment, course, and recovery of mental illness. World Health Organization findings of better outcome in non-European and North American countries are explored. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 164. Introduction to Medical Anthropology (4)
Basic concepts and theory of medical anthropology are introduced and applied to comparison of medical systems including indigenous and biomedical, taking into account cross-cultural variation in causal explanation, diagnosis, perception, management, and treatment of illness and disease. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANSC 190GS. Medicine and Healing in South Asia (4)
This course introduces students to the medical anthropology of South Asia. This course will be divided into two parts. First, we will analyze how religious, cultural, political, and economic structures impact health and well-being. Second, we will look at ethnomedicine, that is, how local systems of healing provide alternative ideas of illness and health. Prerequisites: Students must apply for and be accepted to the Global Seminars Program.
ANTH 128A. Climate Action Scholars: Community Engagement and Research (6)
This course series will examine the historical, structural, and cultural roots of the climate crisis, its effects across diverse communities and ecologies, and the creative ways local people respond and build collective resilience. In this first quarter, students will engage in hands-on research, mapping, and documentation of climate change and associated social, environmental, and health impacts. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
ANTH 128B. Climate Action Scholars: Capstone Project (6)
In the second course of this series, students will deepen and apply their knowledge of the diverse ways the climate crisis manifests and interacts with local conditions and histories of inequity and injustice. Students will continue to participate in collaborative learning and community-based research. In addition, they will develop and implement a capstone, “climate action project,” in collaboration with local community partners. Prerequisites: ANTH 128A or USP 128A.
BIBC 100. Structural Biochemistry (4)
The structure and function of biomolecules. Includes protein conformation, dynamics, and function; enzymatic catalysis, enzyme kinetics, and allosteric regulation; lipids and membranes; sugars and polysaccharides; and nucleic acids. Prerequisites: CHEM 40A or CHEM 140A or BENG 120 and CHEM 40B or CHEM 140B or BENG 120. Note: Students may not receive credit for both BIBC 100 and CHEM 114A.
BIBC 102. Metabolic Biochemistry (4)
Energy-producing pathways–glycolysis, the TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis, and fatty acid oxidation; and biosynthetic pathways–gluconeogenesis, glycogen synthesis, and fatty acid biosynthesis. Nitrogen metabolism, urea cycle, amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and metabolism of macromolecules. Prerequisites: CHEM 40A or CHEM 140A or BENG 120 and CHEM 40B or CHEM 140B or BENG 120. Note: Students may not receive credit for both BIBC 102 and CHEM 114B.
BIBC 120. Nutrition (4)
Elaborates the relationship between diet and human metabolism, physiology, health, and disease. Covers the functions of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and discusses dietary influences on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Prerequisites: BIBC 102.
BICD 100. Genetics (4)
An introduction to the principles of heredity emphasizing diploid organisms. Topics include Mendelian inheritance and deviations from classical Mendelian ratios, pedigree analysis, gene interactions, gene mutation, linkage and gene mapping, reverse genetics, population genetics, and quantitative genetics. Prerequisites: BILD 1 and BILD 3.
BICD 110. Cell Biology (4)
The structure and function of cells and cell organelles, cell growth and division, motility, cell differentiation and specialization. Prerequisites: BIBC 100 or BIBC 102 or CHEM 114A or CHEM 114B.
BICD 136. AIDS Science and Society (4)
An introduction to all aspects of the AIDS epidemic. Topics will include the epidemiology, biology, and clinical aspects of HIV infection, HIV testing, education and approaches to therapy, and the social, political, and legal impacts of AIDS on the individual and society. Prerequisites: BILD 1, BILD 2 recommended.
BICD 140. Immunology (4)
Formation and function of the mammalian immune system, molecular and cellular basis of the immune response, infectious diseases and autoimmunity. Prerequisites: BICD 100, BIMM 100. BIBC 100 recommended.
BIEB 152. Evolution of Infectious Diseases (4)
Treating infectious diseases is a uniquely difficult problem since pathogens often evolve, rendering today's therapies useless tomorrow. This course will provide a review of concepts and methods in evolutionary medicine, with an emphasis on microbial genomics and molecular evolution. Prerequisites: BILD 3.
BIMM 100. Molecular Biology (4)
Molecular mechanisms and applications of the central dogma. Genome structure and function. Transcription and translation. Regulation of gene expression. Use of DNA technology in basic and applied biology. Prerequisites: BILD 1 and BIBC 103 or BILD 4 or BILD 70 or BIMM 101 and BENG 120 or CHEM 40A or CHEM 40AH and BENG 120 or CHEM 40B or CHEM 40BH. Note: Students will not receive credit for both BIMM 100 and CHEM 114C.
BIMM 110. Molecular Basis of Human Disease (4)
An examination of the molecular basis of human diseases. Course emphasizes inherited human disorders, and some important diseases caused by viruses. Focus on the application of genetic, biochemical, and molecular biological principles to an understanding of the diseases. Course restricted to upper-division biology majors. Prerequisites: BICD 100; BIBC 100 or BIBC 102; BIMM 100.
BIMM 120. Microbiology (4)
A discussion of the structure, growth, physiology, molecular genetics, genomics, and ecology of prokaryotic microorganisms, with emphasis on the genetic and metabolic diversity of bacteria and Archaea and their interactions with hosts and the environment. Prerequisites: BILD 3 and BIBC 100 or BIBC 102 or CHEM 114A or CHEM 114B and BIMM 100.
BIMM 124. Medical Microbiology (4)
Encompasses the increasingly important areas of viral, bacterial, and parasitic diseases and understanding the complex interaction between humans and infectious agents. Covers human-pathogen interactions, mechanisms and molecular principles of infectious diseases, immune responses, countermeasures by pathogens and hosts, epidemiology, and cutting-edge approaches to therapy. Prerequisites: BIBC 100 or BIBC 102.
BIMM 134. Biology of Cancer (4)
This course covers basic processes of transformation and tumor formation in a two-part format. The first section is focused on molecular and cellular mechanisms of carcinogenesis. The second section discusses tumor pathology and metastasis. Open to upper-division students only. Prerequisites: BILD 1.
BIPN 100. Human Physiology I (4)
Course introduces the concepts of physiological regulation, controlled and integrated by the nervous and endocrine systems. Course then examines the muscular, cardiovascular, and renal systems in detail and considers their control through the interaction of nervous activity and hormones. Note: Students may not receive credit for both BIPN 100 and BENG 140A. Prerequisites: BILD 1 and BILD 2.
BIPN 105. Human Physiology Lab (6)
The focus of this course is to study human physiology. Experimental animals and human demonstrations are used to study membrane physiology, nerve and muscle function, hormone actions, cardiovascular physiology, and renal function. Students will also perform a research project and present their results in a symposium at the end of the quarter. Material lab fees will apply. Attendance at the first lecture/lab is required. Nonattendance may result in the student being dropped from the course roster. Prerequisites: BIPN 100.
BIPN 108. Physiology of Exercise (4)
Course addresses the human body’s response to exercise, addressing energy metabolism and the effects of both acute and chronic exercise on function in several important organ systems. Designing training regimes and the role of exercise in health will be considered. Prerequisites: BIBC 102 and BIPN 100.
BIPN 134. Human Reproduction (4)
Course focuses on physiological aspects of the human reproductive systems. Emphasis will be on cellular and systems physiology. Topics will include: reproductive endocrinology, gametogenesis, fertilization and implantation, pregnancy and parturition, development of reproductive systems, and reproductive pathologies. Students may not receive credit for both BIPN 134 and BICD 134. Prerequisites: BIPN 100.
CCS 101. Carbon Neutrality Initiative at University of California (2)
The University of California-wide goals of the Carbon Neutrality Initiative are introduced through a series of modules where students learn basic principles of carbon neutrality, participate in seminars with campus operations staff, and tour relevant campus infrastructure including the UC San Diego microgrid, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings, and sustainable transportation efforts. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
CCS 102. Research Perspectives on Climate Change (2)
This course introduces students to exciting and current research topics related to climate change as presented by faculty and researchers across UC San Diego. The course is offered as a series of reading topics followed by seminars on original research presented by faculty and researchers. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
CCS 123. Policy and Politics of Climate Change (4)
Climate change has forced decision makers in the public and private sectors to develop and adopt policies to help facilitate a transition to a clean energy economy and avoid some of the worst consequences of climate change. In this course we will discuss state, federal, and international policies related to climate change. The political context in which these policy responses have developed, and in which they will continue to evolve, will be emphasized throughout. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
CGS 123. Gender and Reproductive Politics (4)
Legal treatment of gender, reproductive rights, and the family, particularly as evolving law, primarily in the U.S., has created conflicting rights, roles, and responsibilities. Topics include abortion, fetal rights, surrogacy, marriage, and child custody issues. Students will not receive credit for both CGS 107 and 123. Prerequisites: CGS 2A-B, at least one CGS upper-division course, or permission of the instructor.
COGS 174. Drugs: Brain, Mind, and Culture (4)
This course explores how drugs interact with the brain/mind and culture. It covers evolutionary and historical perspectives, brain chemistry, pharmacology, expectancies and placebo effects, and models of addiction. It also provides a biopsychosocial survey of commonly used and abused substances. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
COGS 174GS. Drugs: Brain, Mind, and Culture (4)
This course explores how drugs interact with the brain/mind and culture. It covers evolutionary and historical perspectives, brain chemistry, pharmacology, expectancies and placebo effects, and models of addiction. It also provides a biopsychosocial survey of commonly used and abused substances. Prerequisites: Students must apply for and be accepted to the Global Seminars Program.
COMM 102C. MMPP: Practicum in New Media and Community Life (6)
A combined lecture/lab in a specially designed after-school setting in southeastern San Diego working with children and adults. Students design new media and produce special projects, and explore issues related to human development, social justice, and community life. May be taken for credit three times. Students will not receive credit for COMT 115 and COMM 102C.
ECON 125. Demographic Analysis and Forecasting (4)
Interaction between economic forces and demographic changes are considered, as are demographic composition and analysis; fertility, mortality, and migration processes and trends. Course emphasizes the creation, evaluation, and interpretation of forecasts for states, regions, and subcounty areas. Econ 178 is recommended. Prerequisites: ECON 120B or MATH 181B.
ECON 130. Public Policy (4)
Course uses basic microeconomic tools to discuss a wide variety of public issues, including the war on drugs, global warming, natural resources, health care and safety regulation. Appropriate for majors who have not completed Econ 100A-B-C and students from other departments. Prerequisites: ECON 2 or ECON 100A.
ECON 131. Economics of the Environment (4)
Environmental issues from an economic perspective. Relation of the environment to economic growth. Management of natural resources, such as forest and fresh water. Policies on air, water, and toxic waste pollution. International issues such as ozone depletion and sustainable development. Prerequisites: ECON 2 or ECON 100A.
ECON 138. Economics of Discrimination (4)
This course will investigate differences in economic outcomes on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. We will study economic theories of discrimination, empirical work testing those theories, and policies aimed at alleviating group-level differences in economic outcomes. Prerequisites: ECON 1.
ECON 140. Economics of Health Producers (4)
Provides an overview of the physician, hospital, and pharmaceutical segments of the health sector. Uses models of physician behavior, for-profit and nonprofit institutions to understand the trade-offs facing health-sector regulators and the administrators of public and private insurance arrangements. Prerequisites: ECON 2 or ECON 100B.
ECON 141. Economics of Health Consumers (4)
Demand for health care and health insurance, employer-provision of health insurance and impact on wages and job changes. Cross-country comparisons of health systems. Prerequisites: ECON 100C.
ENVR 110. Environmental Law (4)
Explores environmental policy in the United States and the ways in which it is reflected in law. The social and political issues addressed include environmental justice and environmental racism, as well as the role of government in implementing environmental law. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
ESYS 101. Environmental Biology (4)
This course surveys biochemical and physiological processes governing the relationship between organisms and their environments, such as those involved in element cycling and cellular homeostasis. The course introduces biological perspectives on human activities ranging from antibiotic use to genetic engineering. Prerequisites: BILD 1 or 2 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.
ESYS 103. Environmental Challenges: Science and Solutions (4)
This course explores the impacts of human, social, economic, and industrial activity on the environment. It highlights the central roles in ensuring sustainable development played by market forces, technological innovation, and government regulation on local, national, and global scales. Prerequisites: Math 10A-C or Math 20B or consent of instructor.
ETHN 103. Environmental Racism (4)
This course will examine the concept of environmental racism, the empirical evidence of its widespread existence, and the efforts by government, residents, workers, and activists to combat it. We will examine those forces that create environmental injustices in order to understand its causes as well as its consequences. Students are expected to learn and apply several concepts and social scientific theories to the course material.
ETHN 142. Medicine, Race, and the Global Politics of Inequality (4)
Globalization fosters both the transmission of AIDS, cholera, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases and gross inequalities in the resources available to prevent and cure them. This course focuses on how race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and nation both shape and are shaped by the social construction of health and disease worldwide.
ETHN 157. Madness and Urbanization (4)
(Cross-listed with USP 149.) This course will provide a historical and theoretical orientation for contemporary studies of the experience of mental illness and mental health-care policy in the American city, with critical attention to racial and ethnic disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.
ETHN 190. Research Methods: Studying Racial and Ethnic Communities (4)
(Cross-listed with USP 129.) The course offers students the basic research methods with which to study ethnic and racial communities. The various topics to be explored include human and physical geography, transportation, employment, economic structure, cultural values, housing, health, education, and intergroup relations.
GLBH 100. Special Topics in Global Health (4)
Selected topics in Global Health. Content will vary from quarter to quarter. May be taken for credit up to four times. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 101. Aging: Culture and Health in Late Life Human Development (4)
Examines aging as process of human development, from local and global perspectives. Focuses on the interrelationships of social, cultural, psychological, and health factors that shape the experience and well-being of aging populations. Students explore the challenges and wisdom of aging. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 105. Global Health and Inequality (4)
Why is there variation of health outcomes across the world? We will discuss health and illness in context of culture and address concerns in cross-national health variations by comparing healthcare systems in developed, underdeveloped, and developing countries. In addition, we’ll study the role of socioeconomic and political change in determining health outcomes and examine social health determinants in contemporary global health problems: multidrug resistance to antibiotics, gender violence, human trafficking, etc. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 110. Demography and Social Networks in Global Health (4)
This course will provide an overview of demographic principles, and their associations with maternal and child health outcomes. We will focus on demographic trends in developing countries, using research from the DHS to discuss inequalities in fertility, mortality, and morbidity. The remainder of the class will question why we see such spatial variation in many maternal and child health outcomes, with a focus on theories of social norms, and social network methods for uncovering those trends. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 111. Clinic on the Border: Health Frontiers in Tijuana (4)
Introduces students to the physical and mental health needs of vulnerable migrants and socially marginalized communities, including substance users, LGBTQ, deportees, and the homeless and medically indigent. Students will become integrated into a free clinic in Tijuana where they will obtain community-based field experiences in interacting with these populations; learn about delivering evidence-based health care in underserved settings and be introduced to issues regarding cultural appropriation. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing. Note: No more than 4 units of GLBH 111 may be used to meet UD Public Health Major Requirements.
GLBH 113. Women's Health in Global Perspective (4)
The course examines women's and girls' health throughout the world, focusing on the main health problems experienced primarily in low resource settings. This course presents issues in the context of a woman's life from childhood, through adolescence, reproductive years, and aging. The course will have a strong emphasis on social, economic, environmental, behavioral, and political factors that affect health behaviors, reproductive health, maternal morbidity/mortality, and STIs/HIV. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 141. Clinical Perspectives in Global Health (4)
This course aims to understand the salient aspects of global health from the point of view of the clinician who translates epidemiological knowledge into treatment approaches for their patients. The perspective of the clinician illuminates that of the patient and allows us to understand public health on the front line. The course will examine many aspects of global health from the point of view of the clinicians involved, whose perspectives will help illuminate those of their patients. May be coscheduled with GLBH 241. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 142. “When the field is a ward”: Ethnographies of the Clinic (4)
The purpose of this course is to introduce ethnography as a strategy to conduct research on clinical contexts. During the first part of the course, students will learn about the ethnographic method, and how both qualitative research and ethnography may be utilized in healthcare and medical education. The course will also examine some key limitations to these methods.
GLBH 143. Mental Health as Global Health Priority (4)
(Cross-listed with ANSC 143.) Why is mental health a global concern? This anthropological course reviews globalization, culture, and mental health. We examine issues of social suffering, stigma, and economic burden associated with mental illness, gender inequality, political violence, “global security,” and pharmaceutical and illegal drugs. May be coscheduled with ANTH 243. Students may not receive credit for both ANSC 143 and GLBH 143.
GLBH 146. A Global Health Perspective on HIV (4)
An introductory course on HIV taught through a medical student format, with emphasis on research and experiential learning, including observation of physicians providing care for patients from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, some of whom may be underinsured/uninsured, homeless, and/or immigrants. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 147. Global Health and the Environment (4)
Examines interactions of culture, health, and environment. Rural and urban human ecologies, their energy foundations, sociocultural systems, and characteristic health and environmental problems are explored. The role of culture and human values in designing solutions will be investigated. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 148. Global Health and Cultural Diversity (4)
Introduction to global health from the perspective of medical anthropology on disease and illness, cultural conceptions of health, doctor-patient interaction, illness experience, medical science and technology, mental health, infectious disease, and health-care inequalities by ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 150. Culture and Mental Health (4)
This course reviews mental health cross-culturally and transnationally. Issues examined are cultural shaping of the interpretation, experience, symptoms, treatment, course, and recovery of mental illness. World Health Organization findings of better outcome in non-European and North American countries are explored. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 160. Global Health Policy (4)
Students will learn fundamental principles and concepts of global health policy, law, and governance. The course will focus on identifying critical global health policy challenges and solving them using a multidisciplinary approach that takes into account the perspectives of various stakeholders. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
GLBH 181. Essentials of Global Health (4)
Illustrates and explores ecologic settings and frameworks for study and understanding of global health and international health policy. Students acquire understanding of diverse determinants and trends of disease in various settings and interrelationships between socio-cultural-economic development and health. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
HISC 115. History of Modern Medicine (4)
Explores the origin of clinical method, the hospital, internal surgery, and the medical laboratory, as well as the historical roots of debates over health-care reform, genetic determinism, and the medicalization of society. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
HISC 116. History of Bioethics (4)
The story behind the postwar rise of bioethics—medical scandals breaking in the mass media, the development of novel technologies for saving and prolonging life, the emergence of new diseases, the unprecedented scope for manipulation opened up by biology.
HISC 180. Science and Public Policy (4)
This course will explore the evolution of the institutions, ideologies, procedures, standards, and expertise that modern democratic societies have used in applying science to generate and legitimate public policy. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
LTCS 165. Special Topics: The Politics of Food
This course will examine the representation and politics of food in literary and other cultural texts. Topics may include: food and poverty, the fast food industry, controversies about seed, sustainable food production, myths about hunger, eating and epistemology, aesthetics, etc. Repeatable for credit up to three times when topics vary.
MATH 102. Applied Linear Algebra (4)
Second course in linear algebra from a computational yet geometric point of view. Elementary Hermitian matrices, Schur’s theorem, normal matrices, and quadratic forms. Moore-Penrose generalized inverse and least square problems. Vector and matrix norms. Characteristic and singular values. Canonical forms. Determinants and multilinear algebra. Prerequisites: MATH 18 or MATH 20F or MATH 31AH and MATH 20C. Students who have not completed listed prerequisites may enroll with consent of instructor.
MATH 109. Mathematical Reasoning (4)
This course uses a variety of topics in mathematics to introduce the students to rigorous mathematical proof, emphasizing quantifiers, induction, negation, proof by contradiction, naive set theory, equivalence relations and epsilon-delta proofs. Required of all departmental majors. Prerequisites: MATH 18 or MATH 20F or MATH 31AH, and MATH 20C.
MATH 111A. Mathematical Modeling I (4)
An introduction to mathematical modeling in the physical and social sciences. Topics vary, but have included mathematical models for epidemics, chemical reactions, political organizations, magnets, economic mobility, and geographical distributions of species. May be taken for credit two times when topics change. Prerequisites: MATH 20D and either MATH 18, MATH 20F or MATH 31AH, and MATH 109, or consent of instructor.
MATH 111B. Mathematical Modeling II (4)
Continued study on mathematical modeling in the physical and social sciences, using advanced techniques that will expand upon the topics selected and further the mathematical theory presented in MATH 111A. Prerequisites: MATH 111A or consent of instructor.
MATH 140A. Foundations of Real Analysis I (4)
First course in a rigorous three-quarter sequence on real analysis. Topics include the real number system, basic topology, numerical sequences and series, continuity. (Students may not receive credit for both MATH 140A and MATH 142A.) Prerequisites: MATH 31CH or MATH 109.
MATH 180A. Introduction to Probability (4)
Probability spaces, random variables, independence, conditional probability, distribution, expectation, variance, joint distributions, central limit theorem. (Two units of credit offered for MATH 180A if ECON 120A previously, no credit offered if ECON 120A concurrently. Two units of credit offered for MATH 180A if MATH 183 or 186 taken previously or concurrently.) Prior or concurrent enrollment in MATH 109 is highly recommended. Prerequisites: Math 20C or MATH 31BH, or consent of instructor.
MATH 180B. Introduction to Stochastic Processes I (4)
Random vectors, multivariate densities, covariance matrix, multivariate normal distribution. Random walk, Poisson process. Other topics if time permits. Prerequisites: MATH 20D and either MATH 18 or MATH 20F or MATH 31AH, and MATH 109 or MATH 31CH, and MATH 180A.
MATH 180C. Introduction to Stochastic Processes II (4)
Markov chains in discrete and continuous time, random walk, recurrent events. If time permits, topics chosen from stationary normal processes, branching processes, queuing theory. Prerequisites: MATH 180B or consent of instructor.
MATH 181A. Introduction to Mathematical Statistics I (4)
Multivariate distribution, functions of random variables, distributions related to normal. Parameter estimation, method of moments, maximum likelihood. Estimator accuracy and confidence intervals. Students completing ECON 120A instead of MATH 180A must obtain consent of instructor to enroll. Prior or concurrent enrollment in MATH 109 is highly recommended. Prerequisites: MATH 180A and MATH 20F or MATH 31AH, or consent of instructor.
MATH 181B. Introduction to Mathematical Statistics II (4)
Hypothesis testing. Linear models, regression, and analysis of variance. Goodness of fit tests. Nonparametric statistics. Two units of credit offered for MATH 181B if ECON 120B previously; no credit offered if ECON 120B concurrently. Prior enrollment in MATH 109 is highly recommended. Prerequisites: MATH 181A or consent of instructor.
MATH 181C. Mathematical Statistics—Nonparametric Statistics (4)
Topics covered may include the following: classical rank test, rank correlations, permutation tests, distribution free testing, efficiency, confidence intervals, nonparametric regression and density estimation, resampling techniques (bootstrap, jackknife, etc.) and cross validations. Prior enrollment in MATH 109 is highly recommended. Prerequisites: MATH 181B or consent of instructor.
MATH 181E. Mathematical Statistics—Time Series (4)
Analysis of trends and seasonal effects, autoregressive and moving averages models, forecasting, informal introduction to spectral analysis. Prerequisites: MATH 181B or consent of instructor.
MATH 183. Statistical Methods (4)
Introduction to probability. Discrete and continuous random variables–binomial, Poisson and Gaussian distributions. Central limit theorem. Data analysis and inferential statistics: graphical techniques, confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, curve fitting. (Credit not offered for Math 183 if ECON 120A, ECE 109, MATH 180A, MATH 181A, or MATH 186 previously or concurrently taken.) Prerequisites: MATH 20C (21C) with a grade of C– or better, or consent of instructor.
MGT 108R. Applied Market Research (4)
The business world revolves around managerial decisions, and those ought to be data driven. In this course we will learn about planning, implementing, and analyzing market research; synthesizing multi-methods research; and presenting market research results by actually doing it. We will learn how to plan and conduct interviews; how to design, execute, and analyze surveys; and how to employ cutting-edge tools such as adaptive conjoint analysis to quantify attribute levels and trade-offs. This course is a distance education course. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
MGT 173. Project Management: Health Services (4)
This course covers efficient techniques for managing health services projects, including both the technical aspects of project management as well as the human-capital management issues associated with blending administrative and technical staff with health-care professionals. Topics include scheduling methods, milestone setting, governmental regulations, resource allocation, interpersonal skills, and performing research and development projects—all with a health services focus. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
PHIL 163. Biomedical Ethics (4)
Moral issues in medicine and the biological sciences, such as patient’s rights and physician’s responsibilities, abortion and euthanasia, the distribution of health care, experimentation, and genetic intervention. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
POLI 117. Bending the Curve: Solutions to Climate Change (4)
(Same as SIO 109.) Climate change is an urgent global problem affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of people, now and for the foreseeable future. This course will empower students to confront climate change as critical actors to innovate creative cross-disciplinary solutions. Students may not receive credit for POLI 117 and SIO 109. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
POLI 117R. Bending the Curve (Online): Solutions to Climate Change (4)
(Cross-listed with SIO 109R.) This online course focuses on developing urgent climate change solutions that integrate technology, policy and governance, finance, land use, and social/educational dimensions. Students may only receive credit for one of the following: POLI 117, POLI 117R, SIO 109, or SIO 109R. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
POLI 125B. The Politics of Food in a Global Economy (4)
This course explores emerging issues in production and consumption of food in a global economy. On production side, we discuss issues such as famine, overproduction of commercial crops, and sustainability. On consumption side, we explore issues such as fair trade, ethical consumption, and public health consequences (such as obesity). Then we discuss the roles of governments, international organizations, and communities to address these issues.
POLI 160AA. Introduction to Policy Analysis (4)
(Same as USP 101) This course will explore the process by which the preferences of individuals are converted into public policy. Also included will be an examination of the complexity of policy problems, methods for designing better policies, and a review of tools used by analysts and policy makers. Prerequisites: POLI 10 or POLI 11.
POLI 168. Policy Assessment (4)
The use of real data to assess policy alternatives. Introduction to benefit/cost analysis, decision theory, and the valuation of public goods. Applications to health, environmental, and regulatory economic policy making.
PSYC 101. Developmental Psychology (4)
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the field of developmental psychology, including topics in cognitive, language, and social development. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
PSYC 104. Social Psychology (4)
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the field of social psychology, covering a review of the field’s founding principles, classic findings, and a survey of recent findings. Topics will include social perception, attributions and attitudes, stereotypies, social influence, group dynamics, and aggressive and prosocial tendencies. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
PSYC 134. Eating Disorders (4)
This course provides an overview of the biology and psychology of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Abnormal, as well as normal, eating will be discussed from various perspectives including endocrinological, neurobiological, psychological, sociological, and evolutionary. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
PSYC 155. Social Psychology and Medicine (4)
This course provides an exploration of health, illness, treatment, and delivery of treatment as they relate to psychological concepts and research and considers how the social psychological perspective might be extended into medical fields. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
PSYC 168. Psychological Disorders of Childhood (4)
This course provides an overview of psychological disorders in children. Topics may include anxiety disorders, depressive and bipolar disorders, communication and learning disorders, conduct problems, autism, and other conditions. Emphasis is placed on symptomatology, assessment, etiological factors, epidemiology, and treatment. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
PSYC 179. Drugs, Addiction, and Mental Disorders (4)
This course provides an overview of the use, abuse, liability, and psychotherapeutic effects of drugs on humans. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
PSYC 181. Drugs and Behavior (4)
Develops basic principles in psychopharmacology while exploring the behavioral effects of psychoactive drugs and mechanisms of action of drugs. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
PSYC 181GS. Drugs and Behavior (4)
Develops basic principles in psychopharmacology while exploring the behavioral effects of psychoactive drugs and mechanisms of action of drugs. Prerequisites: Students must apply for and be accepted to the Global Seminars Program.
PSYC 188. Impulse Control Disorders (4)
This course provides an overview of problems of impulse control, which are important features of major psychiatric disorders and also of atypical patterns of behavior including pathological gambling, compulsive sex, eating, exercise, and shopping. Topics include development, major common features, treatment, and neurobiological basis of impulse control disorders. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
REV 160GS. Public Health and Epidemiology I (4)
Introduction to public health concepts and methodologies, including epidemiology, nutrition, health behavior, and public health ethics. Prerequisites: Students must apply for and be accepted to the Global Seminars Program.
REV 165GS. Public Health and Epidemiology II (4)
Focuses on epidemiology as the backbone of public health. Covers data collection and study design. Includes field work collecting data in collaboration with local agencies and health clinics. Prerequisites: Students must apply for and be accepted to the Global Seminars Program.
SIO 109. Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions (4)
(Cross-listed with POLI 117). This course will focus on scalable solutions for carbon neutrality and climate stability. The course adopts climate change mitigation policies, technologies, governance, and actions that California, the UC system, and cities around the world have adopted as living laboratories and challenges students to identify locally and globally scalable solutions. Students may only receive credit for one of the following: POLI 117, POLI 117R, SIO 109, or SIO 109R.
SIO 109R. Bending the Curve Online: Climate Change Solutions (4)
(Cross-listed with POLI 117R). This online course focuses on developing urgent climate change solutions that integrate technology, policy and governance, finance, land-use, and social/educational dimensions. Students may only receive credit for one of the following: POLI 117, POLI 117R, SIO 109, or SIO 109R.
SIO 116. Climate Change and Global Health: Understanding the Mechanisms (4)
This course will introduce students to the public health effects of global climate change. The course will begin by understanding the climate change phenomena and explaining the direct and indirect links between climate change and human health, including the public health impacts of infectious diseases, atmospheric air pollution, and extreme weather events. The second part of the course will be dedicated to adaption and mitigation solutions with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
SIO 116GS. Climate Change and Global Health: Understanding the Mechanisms (4)
This course will introduce students to the public health effects of global climate change. The course will begin by understanding the climate change phenomena and explaining the direct and indirect links between climate change and human health, including the public health impacts of infectious diseases, atmospheric air pollution, and extreme weather events. The second part of the course will be dedicated to adaption and mitigation solutions with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. Prerequisites: Students must apply for and be accepted to the Global Seminars Program.
SIO 118GS. Responding to Climate Change: Possible Solutions (4)
This course will be taught in Dharamsala, India, and explores societal solutions to climate change. Course topics include mitigation and adaptation policies, including a guide to design, implement, and evaluate an adaptation policy, and the public health co-benefits of addressing climate change. Prerequisites: Students must apply for and be accepted to the Global Seminars Program.
SIO 187. Statistical Methods in Marine Biology (4)
Introduction to statistical inference. Emphasis on constructing statistics for specific problems in marine biology. Topics include probability, distributions, sampling, replication, and experimental design. Students may not receive credit for both SIO 187 and BIEB 100. Prerequisites: BILD 3 or consent of instructor.
SIO 189. Pollution, Environment and Health (4)
The goal is to understand the scope of the pollution problem facing the planet. Students will learn the properties of chemicals in the environment and survey the biological mechanisms that determine their accumulation and toxicity. Prerequisites: CHEM 6C and BILD 1 or BILD 3 or consent of instructor. (S)
SOCI 102. Network Data and Methods (4)
Social network analysts view society as a web of relationships rather than a mere aggregation of individuals. In this course, students will learn how to collect, analyze, and visualize social network data, as well as utilize these techniques to answer an original sociological research question. Prerequisites: SOCI 60, upper-division standing.
SOCI 104Q. Qualitative Interviewing (4)
This course provides students with tools to conduct original research using qualitative interviews. Students will learn how to prepare, conduct, and analyze qualitative interviews. Special emphasis will be placed on the presentation of research in written form. Will not receive credit for SOCI 104Q and SOCA 104Q. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
SOCI 107. Epidemiological Methods: Statistical Study of Disease (4)
Epidemiology is the statistical study of disease, and epidemiological methods are a powerful tool for understanding the causes of certain diseases, e.g., AIDS, scurvy, cholera, and lung cancer. These fundamental epidemiological methods will be taught. Will not receive credit for SOCI 107 and SOCA 107. Prerequisites: SOCI 60, upper-division standing.
SOCI 108. Survey Research Design (4)
Translation of research goals into a research design, including probability sampling, questionnaire construction, data collection (including interviewing techniques), data processing, coding, and preliminary tabulation of data. Statistical methods of analysis will be limited primarily to percent aging. Will not receive credit for SOCI 108 and SOCA 108. Prerequisites: SOCI 60, upper-division standing.
SOCI 113. Sociology of the AIDS Epidemic (4)
This course considers the social, cultural, political, and economic aspects of HIV/AIDS. Topics include the social context of transmission; the experiences of women living with HIV; AIDS activism; representations of AIDS; and the impact of race and class differences. Will not receive credit for SOCI 113 and SOCB 113. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
SOCI 134. The Making of Modern Medicine (4)
A study of the social, intellectual, and institutional aspects of the nineteenth-century transformation of clinical medicine, examining both the changing content of medical knowledge and therapeutics, and the organization of the medical profession. Will not receive credit for SOCI 134 and SOCC 134A. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
SOCI 135. Medical Sociology (4)
An inquiry into the roles of culture and social structure in mediating the health and illness experiences of individuals and groups. Topics include the social construction of illness, the relationships between patients and health professionals, and the organization of medical work. Will not receive credit for SOCI 135 and SOCC 135. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
SOCI 136F. Sociology of Mental Illness in Contemporary Society (4)
This course will focus on recent developments in the mental illness sector and on the contemporary sociological literature on mental illness. Developments in England as well as the United States will be examined. Will not receive credit for SOCI 136F and SOCC 136B. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
SOCI 137. Sociology of Food (4)
Topics include food as a marker of social differences (e.g., gender, class, ethnicity); the changing character of food production and distribution; food as an object of political conflict; and the symbolic meanings and rituals of food preparation and consumption. Will not receive credit for SOCI 137 and SOCB 137. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
SOCI 138. Genetics and Society (4)
The class will first examine the direct social effects of the “genetic revolution”: eugenics, genetic discrimination, and stratification. Second, the implications of thinking of society in terms of genetics, specifically—sociobiology, social Darwinism, evolutionary psychology, and biology. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 138 and SOCC 138.
SOCI 152. Social Inequality and Public Policy (4)
(Same as USP 133.) Primary focus on understanding and analyzing poverty and public policy. Analysis of how current debates and public policy initiatives mesh with alternative social scientific explorations of poverty. Will not receive credit for SOCI 152 and SOCC 152. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
SOCI 173. Sociology of Health, Illness, and Medicine (4)
This course will explore the social forces that shape our health and the way we understand illness. Themes will include American public health and health care, inequality and biomedicine, as well as special topics like suicide, lead, autism, and HIV/AIDS. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
USP 101. Introduction to Policy Analysis (4)
(Same as Political Science 160AA.) This course will explore the process by which the preferences of individuals are converted into public policy. Also included will be an examination of the complexity of policy problems, methods for designing better policies, and a review of tools used by analysts and policy makers. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
USP 128A. Climate Action Scholars: Community Engagement and Research (6)
(Same as ANTH 128B.) In the second course of this series, students will deepen and apply their knowledge of the diverse ways the climate crisis manifests and interacts with local conditions and histories of inequity and injustice. Students will continue to participate in collaborative learning and community-based research. In addition, they will develop and implement a capstone “climate action project” in collaboration with local community partners. Students will not receive credit for both USP 128B and ANTH 128B. Prerequisites: ANTH 128A or USP 128A.
USP 129. Research Methods: Studying Racial and Ethnic Communities (4)
(Same as ETHN 190.) The course offers students the basic research methods with which to study ethnic and racial communities. The various topics to be explored include human and physical geography, transportation, employment, economic structure, cultural values, housing, health, education, and intergroup relations. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
USP 133. Social Inequality and Public Policy (4)
(Same as SOC 152.) Primary focus on understanding and analyzing poverty and public policy. Analysis of how current debates and public policy initiatives mesh with alternative social scientific explanations of poverty. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
USP 136. Collaborative Community Leadership (4)
Provides an overview of collaborative leadership and considers consensus organizing as both a tactical and strategic approach to effective community building and development. Examines how various communities have approached collaborative leadership, consensus organizing, and community building. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
USP 141A. Life Course Scholars Research and Core Fundamentals (6)
This course introduces students to major concepts, demographic trends, and the diversity of the aging experience. Through site visits, community-based research, and interactions with elders, students will understand the social and structural determinants of health and well-being across the life course. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing and department approval.
USP 141B. Life Course Scholars Capstone Project (6)
In this course, students deepen and apply their knowledge of policy, research, practice, and diverse perspectives on aging. Students participate in collaborative learning and research with local elders, and develop and implement a capstone "healthy aging project" in the community. Prerequisites: successful completion of USP 141A.
USP 142A. Urban Challenges: Homelessness in San Diego Core Fundamentals (4)
This course introduces students to the complexity of homelessness from multiple perspectives including the homeless population itself, service providers, policymakers, community members, and researchers. In addition to classroom learning, students will have the unique opportunity for experiential, place-based learning off campus. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing and department approval.
USP 142B. Urban Challenges: Homelessness in San Diego Fieldwork (6)
In this course, students will deepen and apply their knowledge of policy, research, practice, and diverse perspectives on homelessness. Students will learn and apply different research methodologies as they conduct faculty-supervised fieldwork on different dimensions of the homelessness crisis. Prerequisites: USP 142A and upper-division standing.
USP 144. Environmental and Preventive Health Issues (4)
This course will analyze needs of populations, highlighting current major public health problems such as chronic and communicable diseases, environmental hazards of diseases, psychiatric problems and additional diseases, new social mores affecting health maintenance, consumer health awareness and health practices, special needs of economically and socially disadvantaged populations. The focus is on selected areas of public and environmental health, namely: epidemiology, preventive services in family health, communicable and chronic disease control, and occupational health. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
USP 145. Aging—Social and Health Policy Issues (4)
This course will provide a brief introduction to the nature and problems of aging, with emphasis on socioeconomic and health status; determinants of priorities of social and health policies will be examined through analysis of the structure and organization of selected programs for the elderly. Field visits will constitute part of the course. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
USP 146. Research Methods for Built Environment and Active Living (4)
This course examines urban design's effects on physical activity. In field experience settings, students will learn about survey, accelerometer, observation, and GIS methods. Quality control, use of protocols, relevance to all ages, and international applications will also be emphasized. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
USP 147. Case Studies in Health-Care Programs/Poor and Underserved Population (4)
The purpose of this course is to identify the special health needs of low income and underserved populations and to review their status of care, factors influencing the incidence of disease and health problems, and political and legislative measures related to access and the provision of care. Selected current programs and policies that address the health-care needs of selected underserved populations such as working poor, inner city populations, recent immigrants, and persons with severe disabling mental illnesses will be studied. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
USP 149. Madness and Urbanization (4)
This course will provide a historical and theoretical orientation for contemporary studies of the experience of mental illness and mental health-care policy in the American city, with critical attention to racial and ethnic disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Prerequisites: Upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
USP 171. Sustainable Development (4)
Sustainable development is a concept invoked by an increasingly wide range of scholars, activists, and organizations dedicated to promoting environmentally sound approaches to economic development. This course critically examines the diverse, often contradictory, interests in sustainability. It provides a transdisciplinary overview of emergent theories and practices. Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Public Health Capstone / Honors Practicum (UD)
For a complete list of course descriptions please see UCSD's General Catalog.
FMPH 193. Public Health Capstone I (4)
This is the first of a two-part capstone series that serves as the culminating experience for BSPH majors. Students will integrate the skills and knowledge gained throughout the BSPH program and learn critical elements of public health research and practice. Prerequisites: FMPH 40, FMPH 50, FMPH 101, FMPH 102, and FMPH 110.
FMPH 194. Public Health Capstone II (4)
This is the second of a two-part capstone series that serves as the culminating experience for BSPH majors. Students will interpret and contextualize findings from their projects completed in the first part of the series. Oral and written presentations will focus on disseminating public health information in diverse formats. Prerequisites: FMPH 40, FMPH 50, FMPH 101, FMPH 102, FMPH 110, FMPH 120, and FMPH 193.
FMPH 196B. Public Health Honors Practicum II (4)
This is the second of a three-part honors series that serves as the culminating experience for BSPH majors. This course represents an experiential learning opportunity at a pre-approved community site. Under supervision of public health faculty and pertinent site representatives, students will refine and implement the public health proposal developed in the first part of the honors series. Prerequisites: FMPH 196A; Instructor and department approval.
FMPH 196C. Public Health Honors Practicum III (4)
This is the third of a three-part honors series that serves as the culminating experience for BSPH majors. Students will analyze, interpret, and contextualize findings from their projects completed in the series. Oral and written communication will focus on disseminating public health information in diverse formats, and will include a presentation and an honors thesis. Prerequisites: FMPH 196B.