The list below includes all courses recently taught at Blakely Island Field Station. Not all courses are offered every year; many are offered in alternating years. For a list of courses offered this year, click the link to the right.

BIO 1100 Bioscience (5) Intended for non-biology majors.  Emphasis varies quarterly:  human nutrition, human biology, environmental biology, biological diversity, or marine biology.  Basic concepts include the chemistry of living things, their structure and function, and their interactions with the environment.  Applications to current issues are considered from a Christian perspective.  No credit will be given for students who have taken BIO 2101, 2102, 2103, 2129, 2130 or who have advanced placement biology credit.  This course meets the Natural Science A distribution requirement at SPU.  When taught on Blakely Island, this course emphasizes biological diversity.

BIO 4117 Birds of the Pacific Northwest (5) Prerequisite: BIO 2102. Study of birds of the San Juan Islands and surrounding waters. Class activities include field observations, lectures, library research and laboratory study. Offered alternate years at the Blakely campus.

BIO 4256 Environmental Physiology (5) Prerequisites: BIO 2102 and CHM 2372. Studies organisms in relation to the physical factors of the environment. Examines physiological and biochemical aspects of adaptation.

BIO 4735 Marine Biology (5) Prerequisites: BIO 2102, 2103. Study of the marine environment, and the identification, unique features, and natural history of the organisms inhabiting it.

BIO 4740 Marine Invertebrate Zoology (5) Prerequisite: BIO 2102. Provides a field and laboratory course emphasizing identification, life histories, habitats and interrelationships of marine invertebrates from Puget Sound. Includes laboratory. Offered in summer at Blakely Island.

BIO 4744 Marine Botany (5) Prerequisite: BIO 2103. Provides a field and laboratory course emphasizing identification, life histories, habitats and interrelationships of marine plants with emphasis on local flora and Blakely Island. Includes laboratory. Normally taught in summer at Blakely Island.

BIO 4810 Marine Ecology (5) Prerequisites: BIO 2102, 2103. Provides a field study of the interrelationships of marine plants and animals within their environment. Laboratory and field work will include the application of ecological techniques to a specific problem and will include the writing of a report describing the results.

BIO 4815 Aquatic Ecology (5) Prerequisite: BIO 2102. Introduces students to the biology of freshwater organisms. The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of flowing and standing water habitats will be studied. The field and laboratory work will focus on lakes, streams and marshes found on Blakely Island.

BIO 4820 Ecomorphology (5) Prerequisite: BIO 2103. A field course providing an introduction to the study of ecological morphology. Relationships between the environment and the structure, functional design, and behavior of organisms are examined through a combination of lectures, laboratory work, and field observations at Blakely Island Field Station.

BIO 4825 Forest Ecology (5) Prerequisite: BIO 2103. Examines the organisms that comprise the forest ecosystem and their interaction with the physical environment. Emphasis will be placed on field study of population dynamics, composition and function of the forest community, and the forest as biologically modified habitat.

BIO 4835 Conservation Biology (5) Prerequisite: BIO 2103. Conservation Biology is the science concerned with the conservation of biological diversity. The course will consider values of, threats to, and strategies for conserving biodiversity. We will apply theories of conservation biology to local biodiversity concerns in the region. Field exercises, while teaching techniques for assessing biodiversity of distinct taxa, will also hone skills for identifying the diversity of plants and animals near the field station.

BIO 4880 Blakely Field Studies: Freshwater Biology (1) Provides a brief (e.g., weekend) field learning experience focusing on a single aspect of the Blakely Island environment, such as fresh water, marine or terrestrial habitats. Offered at Blakely Island Field Station.

BIO 4900 Independent Study in Biology (1-3) Registration Approval: Independent Study Agreement. Directed readings and/or investigation on special topics. May be repeated for credit up to 3 credits.

BIO 4930 Biology Practicum (1-3) Registration Approval: Instructor. Provides opportunity for applied biology. Selected students are assigned teaching, grading, lab preparation and/or tutoring responsibilities. May be repeated for credit up to 6 credits.

BIO 4950 Special Studies in Biology (1-5) Prerequisite: Usually BIO 2102 and 2103, although consultation with the instructor is encouraged. Provides selected field study topics offered at Biology Department's discretion. Course topics can change to focus on current topics. May be repeated up to 6 credits.

BIO 4979 Biological Research (1-3) Registration Approval: Instructor. Conduct research at Blakely Island Field Station.

ART 1102 Drawing Studio (5)   Emphasizes sighting techniques for observational drawing of still life, interiors/exteriors, and the human figure. Covers techniques in class such as contour line, schematic systems and sighting techniques for accuracy in scale and proportion, perspective by eye, value and light logic, schematic approaches for drawing the human form.

ENG 4953  Writing Workshop:  Special Topics (3)  Registration Approval:  Instructor.  Offers an intensive writing experience in a small workshop setting.  Genres, themes and location vary.  May be repeated for credit up to 10 credits. Currently, when this course is taught on Blakely Island it is called "Rapture of the Deep:  Explorations in Writing, Nature and Spirituality".

PHY 1135 Astronomy (5) An integrative general introduction to astronomy, including astronomical  observation and measurement, the solar system, extragalactic phenomena and cosmology.  Includes the scientific method and worldview implications.  This course meets the Natural Science B distribution requirement at SPU.

PHY 1142 Earth Systems Science (5) An interdisciplinary introduction to the processes, interactions and development of the earth's biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. Special emphasis will be given to current environmental issues and environmental stewardship.  This course meets the Natural Science B distribution requirement at SPU.

PHY 1145 Oceanography (5) An integrative introductory course surveying physical, geological, chemical, and biological oceanography.  Includes consideration of epistemology and current research methods.  This course meets the Natural Science B distribution requirement at SPU.