Fall 2023 Undergraduate Course Listing

From big problems like global warming to focused needs in your home or community, engineering is all about solving problems. The Department of Applied Physical Sciences offers courses that make engineering and making concepts accessible to all UNC students. Check out our Minor in Applied Sciences and Engineering to see how you can learn to use technology to make a difference in the world.

APPL 89 – Tree, Timber & Totems
3 Credits. Sample Syllabus.
Trees, through their biology, meaning and uses, create an arc of understanding that spans what it means to be human. Ultimately, we will explore the meaning of trees and wood and why we seek happiness in nature, cherish wood and the creation of objects of wood. Tree: What is a tree from a biological perspective? How do they represent a complex community and play a vital role in life on the planet? Timber: What is the economy of wood internationally and in the state of NC? What are biophysical and material properties of trees that allow them to grow so large and be so useful to human society? Totem: Why do we respond emotionally to wood and choose it as a material in our lives and surroundings? How do we design and create objects of meaning from wood? We will walk in the woods, meet “wood people” from across the state and country and learn woodworking with projects of the students’ design and creation.
Prerequisites: None.
Instruction: T/Th 12:30PM-1:45PM.

APPL 101 – Exploring Engineering
3 Credits. Sample Syllabus.
Engineers help to design and build solutions to the world’s problems. This course will explore some of the fundamental skills and tools in engineering. You will get experience using engineering tools, and you will also develop a mindset so that you can “learn how to learn” because technology changes rapidly and the tools that you use today may be obsolete in 20 years. There will be an emphasis on developing strong professional skills, including work in a group setting and effectively communicating your efforts.

In addition, a goal of this class is to help you develop an entrepreneurial mindset so that you will understand the bigger picture. For example, while it may be easy to develop an engineering solution to a problem, what are the economic and ethical considerations of various solutions? These concepts are important to help engineers build a better world.

This will be an “”active learning”” class in which we spend much of our class time working. For example, we will write computer programs to model and simulate real world systems. We will debate the ethical issues that are associated with engineering innovations. Students should be prepared to come to class and participate in these activities!
Prerequisites: None.
Instruction:
Section 001: T/Th 11:00 AM – 12:15 AM

Section 002: T/Th 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM

APPL 110 — Intro to Design and Making: Developing Your Personal Design Potential
3 Credits. Sample Syllabus.
Students work in flexible, interdisciplinary teams to assess opportunities, brainstorm, and prototype solutions. Design thinking and physical prototyping skills are developed through fast-paced, iterative exercises in a variety of contexts and environments.
Prerequisites: None.
Instruction:
Section 001: T/Th 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM

Section 002: T/Th 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM

Section 02F: T/Th 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM

APPL 385 — Flow of Force, Matter and Energy Through the Biosphere
4 Credits. Sample Syllabus
Flow and movement of matter, force and energy are ubiquitous in every aspect of life on our biosphere, from our motile cells that transfer chemical energy to motion to the flow and mixing of air and water in the atmosphere and the oceans. Underpinning all these transport processes are three fundamental laws of nature: conservation of mass, momentum and energy. Although these processes can occur over vastly different length scales, the equations and physical principles that describe them are in fact very similar. By studying different examples, we will see throughout the course that the flow of mass, momentum and energy can be analyzed in a single framework known as Transport Phenomena in science and engineering.
Note: For fall 2023, if you have declared the APSE minor, you can count this course as an engineering fundamentals class OR an engineering topics class. Please contact Dr. Goldberg if you want to count this as an engineering fundamentals class so he can make this adjustment to your Tar Heel Tracker.
Requisites: MATH 233, Calculus of Functions of Several Variables
Section 001: T/Th 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM

APPL462 — Engineering Materials: Properties, Selection, and Design
3 Credits. Sample Syllabus.
This course will cover both fundamental and applied aspects of modern materials science. We will discuss how to select materials based on their properties and how they can be processed into products that you encounter in everyday life. A strong focus will be on the relationship between processing, structure (development), and properties of solid materials, such as metals, ceramics and polymers. Topics include crystal structures, imperfections, diffusion, mechanical properties, deformation mechanisms, phase diagram, phase transformations, material characterization techniques, and electrical, magnetic, optical and thermal properties of materials. In-class demonstrations and class projects will be a critical part of this course and involve the use of the UNC makerspace (BeAM) and the Chapel Hill Analytical and Nanofabrication Laboratory (CHANL). One of the goals of this class is to bridge materials science and engineering disciplines and to make connections to real-world applications.
Instruction:
Section 001: T/Th 12:30 PM – 1:45 AM

APPL 465 – Sponge Bob Square Pants and Other Soft Materials
3 Credits. Sample Syllabus.
What kind of material is Sponge Bob made of? What about the slime of his pet snail, Gary? We are taught that there are three states of matter: solid, gas, and liquid. However, in our daily lives we encounter materials that challenge this simple description such as foams, pastes, gels, soap, and rubber, as well as our skin, hair, nails, and cells. These are Soft Materials and in this course we will learn about their special properties and how to describe them mathematically. This class is an active one, everyone participates and everyone learns from and helps one another. We will use various in-class activities to make the class more engaging. We will discuss, take quizzes, and do presentations. We will also evaluate each other’s homework. Be prepared to come to class and participate in these activities! The technical material that you will learn will provide you with a valuable skillset. In addition, a goal of this class is to help you develop an entrepreneurial mindset so that you will understand the bigger picture; draw connections between the material in this class and what you have learned in other classes; recognize opportunities; and learn from mistakes to create value for yourself and others.
Instruction:
Section 001: M/W/F 11:00 AM – 12:15 AM