EOAS QES course dependencies

Prerequisite and co-requisite dependencies among EOAS quantitative courses (ATSC, EOSC, ENVR) are mapped in the interactive pages linked here. Information available is explained on that home page. Briefly, the course name, outline, credits, discipline area, and links to UBC calendar as well as the https://ubcexplorer.io site which links dependent courses to determine both pre-requisits and courses dependent upon any course at UBC.

EOAS course dependencies

Click the image to explore this curriculum map in a new window.

A few observations based on reviewing these maps

  1. General observations
    1. Is it true that some prerequisite abilities can be NOT specified if they are either implied by course sequencing, or if the prerequisite is part of a degree’s requirements?
    2. “Corequisites” are only mentioned twice, once for EOSC250 and once for ATSC404.
    3. After collapsing “one-of” lists, all courses have 3 or fewer prerequisites EXCEPT eosc410 and 471.
  2. EOSC 2xx:
    1. Only four EOAS courses taken by BSc EOAS students require EOSC211: ATSC303 and 313, EOSC 410, 471. EOSC 213 is engineers only, 442  is not taken by EOAS students, and several CPSC, PHYS and ASTR courses can “depend” on EOSC 211.
    2. EOSC213 is not required by any other course in EOAS, and only as “one of” 3, for CIVL417. See “dependent courses” near end of this page.
    3. For any course requiring EOSC211, should DSCI100 count too? Currently, ATSC313 is the only EOAS course with DSCI100 as a “one-of” prerequisite.
  3. EOSC 3xx
    1. At 3rd year level, only ATSC303 and 313 require any computing. Not even EOSC211 or DSCI100 are required.
    2. Why is EOSC354 not prerequisite for EOSC353? (More on eosc353 in Questions below.)
  4. EOSC 4xx
    1. Two ATSC and two geophysics 4xx courses require no EOAS prerequisites. This possibly helps attract students from other disciplines, but means there is no certainty about student capabilities coming into the course.
    2. EOSC410 seems quite restrictive to undergrads (and taken by only ~4-8). See Questions below.
    3. The “any programming language” for ATSC405, 409 is vague. Is that OK?
    4. Do EOSC 45x really need no computing, or are capabilities assumed owing to 4th yr status in science?

Update dependencies

Reasons for reviewing dependencies include clarifying what is actually needed going forward (eg. computing skills), and improving access for non-EOAS students, eg by adding SCIE001 or alternative MATH or PHYS courses, where possible.

  1. Consider having 4xx “specialist” courses include at least some “either or” prerequisites from EOAS, eg ATSC405, 406 and EOSC450, 453.
  2. Could ATSC303 have more options for computing prereqs? Currently EOSC211 alone is required.
  3. EOSC354:
    1. Could Calc1 be swapped out in favour of EOSC211 or equivalent? EOSC211 requires Calc1.
    2. Augment physics requirements by adding PHYS153 & PHYS106 to the either/or.
  4. Add SCIE001 to any requirements for Calc1 (three 3rd yr courses) or Physics101 (eg EOSC250).
  5. ATSC313: augment physics requirement by allowing PHYS153 & 106?
  6. ATSC405: augment Diff Eqns requirement by allowing MATH255 or 256?
  7. ATSC404: augment Applied Des requirement by allowing MATH257?
  8. EOSC410:
    1. augment stats requirement to include STAT201 or 251?
    2. augment cmpsc requirement to include five courses in “pink” box?
  9. EOSC471: augment requirement to include five courses in “pink” box?

Questions

  1. EOSC211
    1. Student feedback from Dawson club members, reported March 11, 2022: “significant proportion of the class gets lost very soon and never really gets it. Peers attempt to support but often without seeing any breakthrough in understanding”. Details not conveyed, but dissatisfaction seems fairly widespread.
    2. Geophysics has included DSCI 100 in required courses. Other programs have not. This will give geophysics students a leg-up when they take 211, yet they are likely the students least in need of it. Will this increase the bimodal nature of student success in EOSC 211?
  2. EOSC353: Adjust to attract more than 3-11 students: Offer alternate years? Rename to have broader appeal? “Advertise” in Phas/Astron or Civil Eng (eg grads)?
  3. Are ATSC212, ATSC405, 406 “redundant”?
  4. EOSC250:
    1. What in MATH200 as coreq is important?
    2. Or – why not make it a prerequisite (or MATH253) like EOSC213?
  5. EOSC410 seems quite restrictive to undergrads (and taken by only ~4-8 students).
    1. Is EOSC212 or ENVR300 necessary if “3rd yr in EOAS is included?
    2. Is that requirement even necessary? (Probably – but worth discussing because students outside EOAS might be attracted).
    3. Could single requirement of eosc211 be loosened? Especially if CPSC203 and 210 are required.
    4. In fact, are CPSC203 and 210 really required?
  6. What to do about lack of applied geophysics for QES students (grad/ugrad)? EOSC350 is at a lower level, but “should” be required for a geophysics degree if there is no replacement for the old EOSC451/2.