Sciences and Mathematics Division (SAM)

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Majors

Minors and Certificates

Science & Mathematics SIAS at UW Tacoma

About SAM - Sciences and Mathematics Division

The division of Sciences and Mathematics offers degrees in Mathematics, Environmental Sustainability, Environmental Sciences and Biomedical Sciences.

Our curriculum, internship opportunities and research maintain local community ties while exploring global perspectives, leading to excellent career opportunities for graduating students.

Our Environmental Sciences and Sustainability program takes advantage of the Puget Sound being in our own front yard.

Our new Biomedical Sciences degree began Autumn 2016. We currently have over 100 confirmed newly admitted students planning to be biomedical sciences majors, making biomed the 5th largest major in terms of entering students, in our first year of the degree!

IMPORTANT UPDATES:

NEW Prefixes for SAM - Effective Autumn 2017

Courses associated with the Sciences and Mathematics Division within the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences are changing course prefixes effective Autumn quarter of 2017. Many courses with the “TESC” and “TBIOMD” prefixes have been changed to several subject specific prefixes (ie. TCHEM for Chemistry courses, TBIOL for Biology) to aid in course identification. Please refer below for the complete list of prefix conversions.

New Prefix List

Old Prefix	Name	new prefix	new #
TESC110	General Biology	TBIOL	110
TESC155	Biology Collaborative Learning Seminar	TBIOL	119
TESC120	Introductory Biology I	TBIOL	120
TESC130	Introductory Biology II	TBIOL	130
TESC140	Introductory Biology III	TBIOL	140
TESC202	Plant Biology and Ecology	TBIOL	202
TESC402	History and Ecology of Biological Invasions	TBIOL	203
TESC304	Tropical Ecology and Sustainability	TBIOL	204
TESC232	Issues in Biological Conservation	TBIOL	232
TESC234	Biology,History & Politics of Salmon in the Pacific Northwest	TBIOL	234
TESC236	Sustainable Agriculture	TBIOL	236
TESC238	Human Interactions with Marine Invertebrates	TBIOL	238
TESC240	Human Biology and Environmental Interactions	TBIOL	240
TESC242	Aging and Biology	TBIOL	242
TESC370	Genetics and Society	TBIOL	270
TBIOMD301	General Microbiology	TBIOL	301
TBIOMD302	Human Physiology	TBIOL	302
TBIOMD303	Cell Biology	TBIOL	303
TESC380	Molecular Biology	TBIOL	304
TBIOMD307	Genetics and Genomics	TBIOL	305
TESC306	Animal Behavior	TBIOL	306
TESC318	Biogeography	TBIOL	318
TESC302	Ecology of Mt. St. Helens	TBIOL	324
TESC332	Conservation Biology in Practice	TBIOL	434
TESC340	Ecology and Its Applications	TBIOL	340
TBIOMD350	Introduction to Epidemiology	TBIOL	350
TESC362	Introduction to Restoration Ecology	TBIOL	362
TESC404	Neotropical Field Studies Abroad: Ecology and Community	TBIOL	404
TESC408	Marine Plankton	TBIOL	408
TESC422	Evolution	TBIOL	422
TESC432	Forest Ecology Field Studies	TBIOL	432
TESC436	Systems Biology	TBIOL	436
TESC438	Environmental Biology: Marine Invertebrates	TBIOL	438
TESC440	Applied Entomology	TBIOL	307
TESC442	Marine Ecology	TBIOL	442
TESC452	Plants, Insects and their Interactions	TBIOL	452
TESC462	Restoration Ecology Capstone: Intoduction	TBIOL	462
TESC463	Restoration Ecology Capstone: Proposal and Plan	TBIOL	463
TESC464	Restoration Ecology Capstone: Restoration Project Implementation	TBIOL	464
TESC378	Environmental Microbiology	TBIOL	478
TESC199	Preparation for Careers in Biomedical Sciences Seminar	TBIOMD	199
TESC131	Chemistry and Society	TCHEM	131
TESC139	Preparation for General Chemistry	TCHEM	139
TESC156	Chemistry Collaborative Learning Seminar	TCHEM	164
TESC141	General Chemistry I	TCHEM	141
TESC151	General Chemistry II	TCHEM	151
TESC161	General Chemistry III	TCHEM	161
TESC 141, TESC 151 & TESC 161	New General Chemisty series (General Chemistry I, II & III). Individual courses not equivalent, entire series equivalent.	TCHEM	142, 152 & 162
TESC245	Chemistry through History	TCHEM	245
TESC251	Organic Chemistry I	TCHEM	251
TESC261	Organic Chemistry II	TCHEM	261
TESC271	Organic Chemistry III	TCHEM	271
TESC333	Environmental Chemistry	TCHEM	333
TESC405	Biochemistry I	TCHEM	405
TESC406	Biochemistry II	TCHEM	406
TESC439	Analytical Chemistry with Environmental Applications	TCHEM	439
TESC510	Environmental Health and Toxicology	TCHEM	510
TESC107	Geohazards and Natural Disasters	TGEOS	107
TESC117	Physical Geology	TGEOS	117
TESC215	Meteorology	TGEOS	215
TESC316	Pacific Northwest Geology	TGEOS	216
TESC326	Pacific Northwest Geology Field Trip	TGEOS	226
TESC227	Earth History	TGEOS	227
TESC241	Oceanography	TGEOS	241
TESC243	Geography of the Physical Environment	TGEOS	243
TESC247	Maritime History and Science in the Pacific Northwest	TGEOS	247
TESC317	Geology, Landscape and Culture	TGEOS	317
TESC321	Soils and Environmental Applications	TGEOS	321
TESC329	Geomorphology and Soils	TGEOS	329
TESC335	Introduction to Geomorphology	TGEOS	335
TESC337	Environmental Geology	TGEOS	337
TESC341	Climate Change	TGEOS	341
TESC343	The Atmosphere and Air Pollution	TGEOS	343
TESC347	Environmental Earth Materials	TGEOS	347
TESC349	Research at Sea	TGEOS	349
TESC415	Sedimentology	TGEOS	415
TESC417	Field Geology	TGEOS	417
TESC419	Environmental Field Geophysics	TGEOS	419
TESC445	Estuarine Field Studies	TGEOS	445
TESC111	Introduction to Astronomy	TPHYS	111
TESC157	Physics for Collaborative Learning Seminar	TPHYS	120
TESC121	Physics - Mechanics	TPHYS	121
TESC122	Physics - Electromagnetism and Oscillatory Motion	TPHYS	122
TESC123	Physics - Waves	TPHYS	123
TESC213	Physical Forces in the Natural World	TPHYS	213
TEST213	History and Science of Space Exploration	TPHYS	215
TESC315	Applied Physics with Environmental Applications	TPHYS	315
TEST211	Women in Science	TWOMN	211

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Students Taking General Chemistry!

We are revising the General Chemistry sequence starting Autumn 2017. As a result, you MUST complete the whole sequence this year (2016/2017). You will not be able to start the current sequence this year and then finish it in academic year 2017/2018, since we are only offering the new sequence starting Autumn 2017. Please plan accordingly!

SAM News

A House in the Garden

October 7, 2020

A new greenhouse in UW Tacoma’s Giving Garden will yield more fruits, vegetables and learning opportunities.

Full Article »

Kathryn Davidson: Launching into Space

September 17, 2020

As one of the first to serve in the newly-created U.S. Space Force, Kathryn Davidson, ’20 B.S. Math, is honoring her mother’s legacy by ensuring a...

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A Giant Leap

September 16, 2020

Every student's journey to a degree is unique, and the great leap they take into the world beyond. Read about four 2020 grads: from psychology to cybe...

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New Science Paper: Racism Affects All Life in Cities

Side-by-side aerial images of tree-cover in two South Sound communities.

August 13, 2020

Chris Schell is lead author and Danica Miller is co-author on a review paper in Science that analyzes the influence of systemic inequalities on ecolog...

Full Article »

Ken Burkart: Learning the Ropes

Kenneth Burkart, '20, B.S. Environmental Science

August 6, 2020

Ken Burkart, '20, applied the discipline and determination of rock-climbing to his academic career and his research into aquatic chemistry.

Full Article »

Phone: 253-692-5657
Building: Science (SCI)
Office Mailbox: 358436
Building Hours:
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Email: Michelle Miller,
SAM Divisional Manager