Science
The Core science requirement aims to develop critical awareness of the methods and limits of scientific inquiry, while fostering observational and analytical skills, particularly in reference to the natural and physical world. It offers students the opportunity to learn the foundations of scientific knowledge and the fundamentals of scientific inquiry. Students learn how scientific hypotheses are formulated and evaluated against the findings of empirical and theoretical research. An overarching theme is for students to appreciate how scientific research informs our understanding of the natural world, from the history of our Universe to the continued survival of our own species.
Science Requirement Learning Outcomes
The Committee on Science Instruction, which is responsible for all matters related to the science requirement and for providing leadership on matters related to undergraduate science education, further articulated five broad categories of learning objectives, organized by the following guiding questions:
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What knowledge has fundamentally shaped our understanding of the workings of the natural world? (scientific knowledge base)
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Understand and compare key concepts, theories, and perspectives across multiple disciplines within the natural sciences.
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Identify contemporary and enduring questions in science. Explain the importance of equity, inclusion, and ethics in investigating these questions.
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Describe the iterative, often non-linear nature of the scientific process.
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Describe current theories, models, and empirical methods across multiple disciplines that are the bases for accumulating scientific knowledge.
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What are the core elements of fundamental and applied scientific research? (scientific research and application)
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Identify and develop testable scientific hypotheses, recognizing and being able to explain the interplay among observations, experiments, and hypothesis foundation.
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Test scientific hypotheses using theoretical, simulation, and both observational and experimental empirical methods.
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Explain the importance of units, scale, and quantitative approaches in analyzing empirical data and hypothesis testing.
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Describe the importance of uncertainties in interpreting findings.
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How does one understand science? (scientific reasoning)
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Recognize what qualifies as scientific evidence that supports or refutes scientific hypotheses.
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Evaluate different types of evidence, e.g., discriminating between causal and correlational evidence.
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Describe what constitutes strengths and weaknesses in research design.
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How does one use data and evidence to draw conclusions about the natural world? (data literacy)
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Describe how data-driven descriptive and inferential statistics are important to scientific reasoning.
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Apply basic statistical methods to analyze data.
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Develop an understanding of probability and how concepts of probability can be used in scientific research.
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Assess the plausibility of results or claims by making estimates using back-of-the-envelope calculations, clarifying assumptions, and comparing values by orders of magnitude.
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Describe the importance and utility of incorporating computing into scientific learning/research.
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How does one communicate science and use it for decision-making? (science communication and public policy)
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Analyze one or more articles from the scientific literature and be able to explain the motivation, objectives, and conclusions of the study.
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Analyze the importance of equations, tables, figures, or other material in supporting authors’ claims in scientific articles.
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Evaluating the accuracy of science coverage in popular media using primary scientific literature.
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Critique the use of scientific information in scientific development and in public-policy decision-making, describing appropriate and ethical uses of scientific evidence.
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Generate an oral or written communication about a scientific study or body of scientific knowledge for an audience without that disciplinary expertise.
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Science Requirement
To fulfill the science requirement, students must successfully complete three courses selected from the following Columbia departments or from the list of approved courses below, no more than two of which should be from the same department:
- Astronomy
- Biological Sciences
- Chemistry
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology
- Physics
- Psychology (Columbia department only, excluding courses numbered at the 2600, 3600, or 4600 level)
When choosing a science course, students should make sure they have reviewed and met the specified prerequisites for the course prior to enrollment.
Students who are considering careers in science-related fields, including health-related professions, are urged to begin their study of science within the first two semesters after matriculation at GS.
Students who matriculated in spring 2023 or earlier may also use international high school leaving exams for which they received at least three transfer credits on the Entrance Credit Report (ECR) in one of the disciplines listed above to fulfill one of the three science requirement courses. Students who matriculate in fall 2023 and later will not be able to receive science credit for international leaving exams.
List of Approved Science Courses
The list of approved courses that fulfill the science requirement includes recommended sequences, science courses for non-science majors, and approved courses from departments not listed above and Barnard.
The following two courses may satisfy both the quantitative reasoning (QR) requirement and one science requirement when passed with a letter-grade of C or above. The P/D/F grading option is not available for either of these two courses.
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Foundations of Science (SCNC UN1212)
Using modern, student-centered, active and collaborative learning techniques, students will engage — through field observations, in-class experiments, computer simulations, and selected readings — with a range of ideas and techniques designed to integrate and anchor scientific habits of mind. Topics covered will include statistics, basic probability, a variety of calculations skills, graph reading and estimation, all aimed at elucidating such concepts as energy, matter, cells, and genes in the context of astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, neuroscience, and physics. - FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE (SCNC CC1000)
The principal objectives of Frontiers of Science are to engage students in the process of discovery by exploring topics at the forefront of science and to inculcate or reinforce the specific habits of mind that inform a scientific perspective on the world. Sample topics include the evolution of human language, brain dynamics, global climate change, the nanoworld, and biodiversity, among others. On Mondays throughout the semester, some of Columbia’s leading scientists present a mini-series of lectures. During the rest of the week, senior faculty and Columbia postdoctoral science fellows lead seminar sections to discuss the lecture and its associated readings, and to debate the implications of the most recent scientific discoveries.
GS students interested in taking Frontiers of Science should have earned a minimum score of 16 on the GS Quantitative Reasoning Exam and/or meet the specific criteria listed in the Quantitative Reasoning section of the website by the specified timelines.
Courses Designed For Nonscience Majors
| Code | Title | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Astronomy | ||
| ASTR UN1234 | UNIVERSAL TIMEKEEPER | |
| ASTR UN1403 | EARTH, MOON, AND PLANETS | |
| ASTR UN1404 | STARS, GALAXIES ＆ COSMOLOGY | |
| ASTR UN1420 | Galaxies and Cosmology | |
| ASTR UN1453 | ANOTHER EARTH | |
| ASTR UN1610 | THEOR-UNIVERS:BABYLON-BIG BANG | |
| ASTR UN1836 | STARS AND ATOMS | |
| ASTR BC1753 | LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE | |
| ASTR BC1754 | Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology | |
Recommended Sequences: | ||
| ASTR UN1403 - ASTR UN1404 | EARTH, MOON, AND PLANETS and STARS, GALAXIES ＆ COSMOLOGY | |
| ASTR UN1403 - ASTR UN1420 | EARTH, MOON, AND PLANETS and Galaxies and Cosmology | |
| ASTR UN1403 - ASTR UN1836 | EARTH, MOON, AND PLANETS and STARS AND ATOMS | |
| ASTR UN1403 - ASTR BC1754 | EARTH, MOON, AND PLANETS and Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology | |
| ASTR BC1753 - ASTR UN1404 | LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE and STARS, GALAXIES ＆ COSMOLOGY | |
| ASTR BC1753 - ASTR BC1754 | LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE and Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology | |
| Biology | ||
| BIOL UN1002 | Theory and Practice of Science: Biology | |
| BIOL UN1130 | GENES AND DEVELOPMENT | |
| BIOL UN2300 | Interpreting Scientific Evidence | |
| Computer Science | ||
| COMS W1001 | Introduction to Information Science | |
| COMS W1002 | COMPUTING IN CONTEXT | |
| Earth and Environmental Engineering | ||
| EAEE E2100 | A BETTER PLANET BY DESIGN | |
| Earth and Environmental Sciences | ||
| EESC UN1001 | DINOSAURS AND HISTORY OF LIFE | |
| EESC UN1003 | Climate and Society: Case Studies | |
| EESC UN1011 | Earth: Origin, Evolution, Processes, Future | |
| EESC UN1030 | OCEANOGRAPHY | |
| EESC UN1053 | Planet Earth | |
| EESC UN1201 | Environmental Risks and Disasters | |
| EESC UN1401 | DINOSAUR ＆ HISTORY OF LIFE-LEC | |
| EESC UN1411 | Earth: Origin, Evolution, Processes, Future: Lectures | |
| EESC UN2330 | SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVPT | |
| Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology | ||
| EEEB W1001 | Biodiversity | |
| EEEB UN1010 | HUMAN ORIGINS ＆ EVOLUTION | |
| EEEB UN1011 | BEHAVIOR BIOL-LIVING PRIMATES | |
| EEEB S1115S | The Life Aquatic | |
| Recommended Sequences: | ||
| EEEB UN1001 - EEEB UN3087 | Biodiversity and CONSERVATION BIOLOGY | |
| EEEB UN1010 - EEEB UN1011 | HUMAN ORIGINS ＆ EVOLUTION and BEHAVIOR BIOL-LIVING PRIMATES | |
| Electrical Engineering | ||
| ELEN E1101 | THE DIGITAL INFORMATION AGE | |
| Food Studies | ||
| FSEB UN1020 | Food and the Body | |
| FSPH UN1100 | FOOD, PUBLIC HEALTH ＆ PUBLIC POLICY | |
| Philosophy | ||
| PHIL UN3411 | SYMBOLIC LOGIC | |
| PHIL GU4424 | MODAL LOGIC | |
| Physics | ||
| PHYS UN1001 | PHYSICS FOR POETS | |
| PHYS UN1018 | WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION | |
Recommended Sequences: | ||
| PHYS UN1001 - PHYS C1002 | PHYSICS FOR POETS and Physics for Poets | |
| Psychology** | ||
| Columbia Department only: | ||
| PSYC UN1001 | THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY | |
| PSYC UN1010 | Mind, Brain and Behavior (Effective Fall 2018, this course is no longer offered. For students who took this course before Fall 2018, it may be used to partially satisfy the Science Requirement.) | |
| PSYC UN1021 | Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications | |
| Science | ||
| SCNC UN1212 | Foundations of Science | |
| SCNC UN1800 | ENERGY ＆ ENERGY CONSERVATION | |
| Statistics | ||
| STAT UN1001 | INTRO TO STATISTICAL REASONING | |
| STAT UN1010 | Statistical Thinking For Data Science | |
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Note: Students electing to take Human Origins and Evolution (EEEB UN1010) and Behavioral Biology of the Living Primates (EEEB UN1011) as a sequence are recommended, but not required, to take EEEB UN1010 before EEEB UN1011.
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Note: 2600-, 3600-, or 4600-level psychology courses may not be used to fulfill the science requirement.
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Note: The Science of Psychology (PSYC UN1001) or an equivalent introductory course approved by the Psychology Department must be taken as a prerequisite to any psychology course numbered 22xx or 24xx.
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Students may not receive credit for both PSYC BC 1101 and PSYC UN 1001. Psychology majors should consult the Psychology department for additional restrictions on overlapping courses.
Additional Courses Approved for the Science Requirement
Most of the following courses have required prerequisites and/or require instructor approval. Prerequisite and instructor approval requirements can be found in the course descriptions for each course or on the department website.
| Code | Title | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Astronomy | ||
| Any 3-point course numbered 2000 or higher | ||
| Biology | ||
| Any 3-point course numbered 2000 or higher | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| CHEM UN1403 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY I-LECTURES | |
| CHEM UN1404 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY II-LECTURES | |
| CHEM UN1500 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY | |
| CHEM UN1604 | 2ND TERM GEN CHEM (INTENSIVE) | |
| CHEM UN2507 | Intensive General Chemistry Laboratory | |
| Any 3-point course numbered 3000 or higher | ||
| Computer Science | ||
| COMS W1004 | Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Java | |
| COMS W1005 | Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in MATLAB | |
| ENGI E1006 | INTRO TO COMP FOR ENG/APP SCI | |
| COMS W1007 | ||
| Any 3-point course numbered 3000 or higher | ||
| Computing Science - Philosophy (CSPH) | ||
| CSPH G4801 | Mathematical Logic I | |
| CSPH G4802 | Math Logic II: Incompletness | |
| Earth and Environmental Sciences | ||
| EESC UN2100 | EARTH'S ENVIRO SYST: CLIM SYST | |
| EESC UN2200 | EARTH'S ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS: THE SOLID EARTH | |
| EESC UN2300 | EARTH'S ENVIRO SYST: LIFE SYST | |
| Any 3-point course numbered 3000 or higher | ||
| Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology | ||
| EEEB UN2001 | ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY I | |
| EEEB UN2002 | ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY II | |
| EEEB UN3087 | CONSERVATION BIOLOGY (Any 3-point course numbered 3000 or higher except EEEB GU4321 or EEEB GU4700) | |
| History-Applied Math | ||
| HSAM UN2901 | DATA:PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE | |
| Mathematics | ||
| Any 3-point course numbered 1100 or higher | ||
| Physics | ||
| PHYS UN1201 | GENERAL PHYSICS I | |
| PHYS UN1202 | GENERAL PHYSICS II | |
| PHYS UN1401 | INTRO TO MECHANICS ＆ THERMO | |
| PHYS UN1402 | INTRO ELEC/MAGNETSM ＆ OPTCS | |
| PHYS UN1403 | INTRO-CLASSCL ＆ QUANTUM WAVES | |
| PHYS UN1601 | PHYSICS I:MECHANICS/RELATIVITY | |
| PHYS UN1602 | PHYSICS II: THERMO, ELEC ＆ MAG | |
| Any 3-point course numbered 2000 or higher | ||
| Psychology* | ||
| Any 3-point course numbered 22xx, 24xx, 32xx, 34xx, 42xx, or 44xx ** | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Any 3-point course except STAT W3997 | ||
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Note: 2600-, 3600-, or 4600-level psychology courses may not be used to fulfill the science requirement.
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Note: These courses may serve as a second term of a recommended sequence starting with The Science of Psychology (PSYC UN1001).