Course Descriptions

Note: Not all courses listed below are taught at the NMSU Alamogordo Campus.


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New Mexico State University is currently undergoing a renumbering initiative to align with a State regulatory change. While this process is occurring courses will appear in two ways, a four-digit number or a three-digit number.

Course Numbering:

Four-digit Course

ASTR 1120G The Planets Lecture & Laboratory (4 credits (3+3P))

  • Course Prefix- the four letter code that represents the subject of the course and where the course can be located in the Courses A-Z list below.
  • Course number- (1120 ) indicates the course is a freshman course.
  • Course Title- will appear after the prefix and number
  • Suffix- will appear at the end of the number
    • Suffix (G)- indicates a New Mexico statewide General Education course.
    • Suffix (V)- indicates a Viewing a Wider World course.
    • Suffix (H)- indicates a Honors courses outside of the Honors prefix.
    • Suffix (L)- indicates a Laboratory course.
    • Suffix (M)- indicates a Multicultural course.
  • Credits - The unit of university credit is the semester hour. In the example the course can be taken and will be charged for 4 credits. The numbers that appear in the parenthesis indicate the number of credits for lecture hours (3) and the number of credits for practicum/laboratory hours (3).

Three-digit Course

AERT 105 Aerospace Engineering PLTW (4 credits (2+4P))

  • Course Prefix- the four letter code that represents the subject of the course and where the course can be located in the Courses A-Z list below.
  • Course number- (105 ) indicates the course is a freshman course.
  • Course Title- will appear after the prefix and number
  • Suffix- will appear at the end of the number
    • Suffix (G)- indicates a New Mexico statewide General Education course.
    • Suffix (V)- indicates a Viewing a Wider World course.
    • Suffix (H)- indicates a Honors courses outside of the Honors prefix.
    • Suffix (L)- indicates a Laboratory course.
    • Suffix (M)- indicates a Multicultural course.
    • Suffix (N) - indicates when the course credits are not applicable to the baccalaureate and specified associate degrees and is only added to developmental coursework.
  • Credits - The unit of university credit is the semester hour. In the example the course can be taken and will be charged for 4 credits. The numbers that appear in the parenthesis indicate the number of credits for lecture hours (2) and the number of credits for practicum/laboratory hours (4).

 Designation

  • 100-299/1000-2999 – Lower Division (Las Cruces and Community College Campuses)
  • 300-499/3000-4999 – Upper Division (Las Cruces Campus)
    • 450-499/4500-4999 – Senior and graduate courses (Las Cruces Campus)
  • 500-799/5000-7999 – Graduate courses (Las Cruces Campus)

All undergraduate students must demonstrate Basic Academic Skills in both English and mathematics before enrolling in any upper-division course (numbered 300/3000 or higher).  These requirements ensure that each student in the upper-division courses has the ability to succeed without compromising the learning experience of other students.

Course Descriptions:

The course description will follow the prefix, number and credit hours. The description will explain what the course entails and will display any restrictions that the course may have that will be enforced during the registration process.

ASTR 1115G. Introduction Astro (lec+lab)

4 Credits (3+2P)

This course surveys observations, theories, and methods of modern astronomy. The course is predominantly for non-science majors, aiming to provide a conceptual understanding of the universe and the basic physics that governs it. Due to the broad coverage of this course, the specific topics and concepts treated may vary. Commonly presented subjects include the general movements of the sky and history of astronomy, followed by an introduction to basic physics concepts like Newton’s and Kepler’s laws of motion. The course may also provide modern details and facts about celestial bodies in our solar system, as well as differentiation between them – Terrestrial and Jovian planets, exoplanets, the practical meaning of “dwarf planets”, asteroids, comets, and Kuiper Belt and Trans-Neptunian Objects. Beyond this we may study stars and galaxies, star clusters, nebulae, black holes, and clusters of galaxies. Finally, we may study cosmology--the structure and history of the universe. The lab component of this course includes hands-on exercises that work to reinforce concepts covered in the lecture, and may include additional components that introduce students to the night sky.