Science in the 21st century is no longer easily compartmentalized: the physical sciences of chemistry and physics and the life sciences of biology and ecology have merged. Foundations of Science at NYU Abu Dhabi provides a fundamental yet rigorous overview of science, focusing on the interrelationships among physics, chemistry, and biology. Students in any majors that do not require Foundations of Science (FoS) can minor in the Natural Sciences which introduces students to energy, forces, and matter, the essentials of atomic structure and basic chemical reactions, and the applications of these concepts to cell biology and biodiversity.
Program Requirements
This minor requires a minimum of 26 credits (22 credits for students who place out of MATH-UH 1012 Calculus with Applications to Science and Engineering).
Course List
Course
Title
Credits
Foundations of Science 1-2: Energy & Matter / Forces & Interactions
Multivariable Calculus with Applications to Science and Engineering
4
Total Credits
26
Note: Students who place out of MATH-UH 1012 Calculus with Applications to Science and Engineering do not need to make up those math credits for the Natural Sciences minor.
Policies
Program Policies
Foundations of Science Grading Policy
While each level of Foundations of Science is an integrated course, separate grades are provided for various components as a means to allow students to document their completion of the specific disciplinary and laboratory content that makes up these courses. Consistent with this integrated approach, students must earn an average grade of C for the components of each level of Foundations of Science to continue into the next level or to use the course to satisfy the prerequisites for other courses outside of Foundations of Science. Additionally, students majoring in biology, chemistry, or physics, must have grades of at least C in all Foundations of Science components in their specific, respective major fields. Finally, although continuation into other courses is based on the average performance in each level of Foundations of Science, students earn academic credits only for those graded components they pass or, for students subject to the transcript policy (see Academic Policies), only for those components with grades of at least C−. The number of earned credits for Foundations of Science components is particularly important for all engineering majors who must earn at least 16 credits in science.