Course Descriptions

The Course Descriptions catalog describes all undergraduate and graduate courses offered by Michigan State University. The searches below only return course versions Fall 2000 and forward. Please refer to the Archived Course Descriptions for additional information.

Course Numbers Policy
Definitions of Course Characteristics (pdf)

Course Descriptions: Search Results

ISP 203A  Understanding Earth: Global Change

Semester:
Fall of every year, Spring of every year, Summer of every year
Credits:
Total Credits: 3   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 3
Prerequisite:
(MTH 101 or MTH 103 or MTH 103B or (MTH 116 or concurrently) or (MTH 124 or concurrently) or (MTH 132 or concurrently) or (MTH 201 or concurrently) or (LB 118 or concurrently) or (STT 200 or concurrently) or (STT 201 or concurrently)) or designated score on Mathematics Placement test
Description:
Science as a way of knowing about natural and anthropogenic global change. Implications for societies.
Effective Dates:
FS19 - Open


ISP 203B  Understanding Earth: Natural Hazards and the Environment

Semester:
Fall of every year, Spring of every year, Summer of every year
Credits:
Total Credits: 3   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 3
Prerequisite:
(MTH 101 or MTH 103 or MTH 103B or (MTH 116 or concurrently) or (MTH 124 or concurrently) or (MTH 132 or concurrently) or (MTH 201 or concurrently) or (LB 118 or concurrently) or (STT 200 or concurrently) or (STT 201 or concurrently)) or designated score on Mathematics Placement test
Description:
Science as a way of knowing about natural hazards, as well as natural and anthropogenic environmental change. Implications for societies.
Effective Dates:
FS19 - Open


ISP 203L  Geology of the Human Environment Laboratory

Semester:
Fall of every year, Spring of every year, Summer of every year
Credits:
Total Credits: 2   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 1   Lab Hours: 2
Prerequisite:
(ISP 203A or concurrently) or (ISP 203B or concurrently)
Description:
Exercises in the scientific method applied to earth materials and their impact on society.
Effective Dates:
FS14 - Open


ISP 205  Visions of the Universe

Semester:
Fall of every year, Spring of every year, Summer of every year
Credits:
Total Credits: 3   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 3
Prerequisite:
(MTH 101 or MTH 103 or MTH 103B or (MTH 116 or concurrently) or (MTH 124 or concurrently) or (MTH 132 or concurrently) or (MTH 201 or concurrently) or (LB 118 or concurrently) or (STT 200 or concurrently) or (STT 201 or concurrently)) or designated score on Mathematics Placement test
Description:
Role of observation, theory, philosophy, and technology in the development of the modern conception of the universe. The Copernican Revolution. Birth and death of stars. Spaceship Earth. Cosmology and time.
Effective Dates:
FS19 - Open


ISP 205L  Visions of the Universe Laboratory

Semester:
Fall of every year, Spring of every year, Summer of every year
Credits:
Total Credits: 2   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 1   Lab Hours: 2
Prerequisite:
ISP 205 or concurrently
Description:
Observations of the sky, laboratory experiments, and computer simulations exploring the development of the modern conception of the universe.
Effective Dates:
FS14 - Open


ISP 209  The Mystery of the Physical World

Semester:
Fall of every year, Spring of every year, Summer of every year
Credits:
Total Credits: 3   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 3
Prerequisite:
(MTH 101 or MTH 103 or MTH 103B or (MTH 116 or concurrently) or (MTH 124 or concurrently) or (MTH 132 or concurrently) or (MTH 201 or concurrently) or (LB 118 or concurrently) or (STT 200 or concurrently) or (STT 201 or concurrently)) or designated score on Mathematics Placement test
Description:
Laws of physics through demonstrations and analyses of every day phenomena. Optics, mechanical systems and electromagnetic phenomena.
Effective Dates:
FS19 - Open


ISP 209L  The Mystery of the Physical World Laboratory

Semester:
Fall of every year, Spring of every year, Summer of every year
Credits:
Total Credits: 2   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 1   Lab Hours: 2
Prerequisite:
ISP 209 or concurrently
Description:
Physical phenomena: optics, mechanical systems and electromagnetics.
Effective Dates:
FS14 - Open


ISP 215  The Science of Sound

Semester:
Fall of every year, Spring of every year
Credits:
Total Credits: 3   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 3
Prerequisite:
(MTH 101 or MTH 103 or MTH 103B or (MTH 116 or concurrently) or (MTH 124 or concurrently) or (MTH 132 or concurrently) or (MTH 201 or concurrently) or (LB 118 or concurrently) or (STT 200 or concurrently) or (STT 201 or concurrently)) or designated score on Mathematics Placement test
Description:
The science of speech, communication, musical instruments, room acoustics, and analogue and digital audio. Integrating the physical, physiological, and psychological principles involved.
Effective Dates:
FS19 - Open


ISP 217  Water and the Environment

Semester:
Fall of every year, Spring of every year
Credits:
Total Credits: 3   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 3
Prerequisite:
MTH 101 or MTH 103 or MTH 103B or (MTH 116 or concurrently) or (MTH 124 or concurrently) or (MTH 132 or concurrently) or (MTH 201 or concurrently) or (LB 118 or concurrently) or (STT 200 or concurrently) or (STT 201 or concurrently)
Description:
Application of the scientific method to identification and solution of environmental problems related to water.
Effective Dates:
FS19 - Open


ISP 220  Quarks, Spacetime, and the Big Bang

Semester:
Spring of odd years
Credits:
Total Credits: 3   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 3
Prerequisite:
(MTH 101 or MTH 103 or MTH 103B or (MTH 116 or concurrently) or (MTH 124 or concurrently) or (MTH 132 or concurrently) or (MTH 201 or concurrently) or (LB 118 or concurrently) or (STT 200 or concurrently) or (STT 201 or concurrently)) or designated score on Mathematics Placement test
Description:
Elementary particle physics and the Big Bang for non-scientists. A survey of particles and forces in the early universe as it is recreated at high energy particle colliders in laboratories around the world.
Effective Dates:
FS19 - Open


ISP 231  Foundations of Physical Science for Teacher Education

Semester:
Fall of every year, Spring of every year
Credits:
Total Credits: 3   Lecture/Recitation/Discussion Hours: 3
Prerequisite:
MTH 101 or MTH 103 or MTH 103B
Restrictions:
Open to undergraduate students in the Department of Teacher Education.
Description:
Using science practices to explore core ideas in physical systems by focusing on crosscutting concepts.
Effective Dates:
FS24 - Open