College Catalog: 2014-2015

The School of Theoretical and Applied Science (TAS) offers programs in the sciences and mathematics which emphasize integrative study.  While each major is distinctive in rigor and depth, faculty and students interact creatively across the disciplines without traditional departmental boundaries.  Computer scientists have worked with the molecular biologists to develop the new curriculum in Bioinformatics.  The chemists and biologists have collaborated to establish a Biochemistry major, as have the physicists, mathematicians, and all other faculty to provide foundational curricula in all of the majors.  Such multi-disciplinary effort is the norm in the School, not the exception.

The School of TAS offers thirteen majors, ten independently and two jointly with the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences:  Medical Imaging Science (jointly with Rutgers), Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biology, Chemistry, Clinical Laboratory Science (jointly with Rutgers), Computer Science, Environmental Science, Integrative Science Studies, Mathematics, Nursing, and Physics/Engineering Physics.  Minors are available in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Engineering Physics, and Science, Technology and Society.  The School sponsors one graduate program, a Master of Science in Nursing/Nursing Education (MSN-Nursing Education).  The School of TAS also maintains several articulation agreements with area graduate and professional schools.  Further descriptions of those agreements appear in the Majors section of this Catalog.

The School of TAS’s richest resources lie in the experience and commitment of its faculty.  Students in the sciences and mathematics have the opportunity to work with sponsoring faculty on continuing research projects in the TAS Research Honors Program, a curriculum designed for juniors and seniors who wish to include the experience of undergraduate research as an incorporate part of their education.  That research is carried out in well-equipped teaching laboratories, included in which are state of the art computers, allowing students to develop laboratory based computer skills throughout their college careers.  The School also has several dedicated computer laboratories designed for specific study—in Bioinformatics, in Computer Science, in Nursing, and others for specialized student research projects.  A new greenhouse with modern systems for teaching and research and an innovative classroom within it have been recently completed and occupied.

Faculty members in the School of TAS excel at teaching and are internationally recognized for their scholarship and active participation in scientific organizations.  Many have received awards, fellowships, and grants from private, international, and government agencies including the American Chemical Society, the Fulbright Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Department of Education.  Faculty engage students in distinctive collaborative research, and have fostered and encouraged the presentations of students’ work at regional and national professional meetings and in publications.  The School is a leader in sponsoring activities for Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, and in involving students both in research and in lectures by national and international authorities.

The College’s Cooperative Education Program also provides opportunities for science and mathematics students to work in real life environments.  Under the joint supervision of a scientist at the work-place and a TAS faculty member, co-op students earn degree credits while earning money.  A strong internship program (where students can earn degree credits for work done on a volunteer basis) is also available.

Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the School’s student organizations:  the Bioinformatics Club, the Biology Club, the Chemistry Club, the Computer Science Club, the Math Club, the Nursing Student Organization, the Physics/Engineering Physics Club, and the Pre-Med/Pre-Health Club. Please see the School of TAS website under “Clubs/Students” for more information about the clubs’ meetings, lectures, trips, and other activities.

The School of TAS also requires that all students meet a core curriculum in mathematics and Science in Cultural Perspective (SCP), a program of courses designed to foster an appreciation and understanding of the historical, philosophical, ethical, and social contexts of scientific and technological development.  Students must complete at least two SCP courses or one SCP course and a college level mathematics course with prerequisites to graduate from the School.