Natural and Physical Science

We are committed to promoting scientific thinking, emphasizing the process, content, and interdisciplinary nature of these disciplines. We offer majors in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. In addition, we are also committed to providing you with the necessary courses for meeting the requirements of the general studies curriculum in the sciences. Our goal is to support scientific literacy in all students and to prepare our majors for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Objectives

Graduates in this program will:

1. Understand and appreciate their environment;
2. Have an appreciation for the scientific method and demonstrate its applicability in solving practical problems of life;
3. Understand how to teach science and mathematics in elementary and high schools;
4. Pursue graduate and professional education; and,
5. Understand how to make informed decisions about increasingly complex scientific and technological issues affecting their communities.

We strive to develop your critical thinking skills; to enhance your verbal and written communication abilities; to encourage reasoned debate on scientific and technical issues; and to instill civic responsibilities. We pursue these efforts in a vital, collaborative learning community of students, faculty, and staff, centered on student-active, investigative curricula in the classroom, field, and laboratory. In this active, collaborative learning environment, you have the opportunity to develop your skills and abilities through intensive study, hands-on work, one-on-one interaction with faculty, and group interactions with other students. You will develop skills to make informed decisions on increasingly complex scientific and technological issues affecting your community. We are organized into the following areas: (1) biology; (2) chemistry; (3) mathematics; (4) physics; and (5) computer science. Majors and minors are offered in all of these areas.