Section Info: COLL-321-01

Course Title: Fundamentals of Microscopy
Start Date: 01/27/2026 End Date: 05/12/2026
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Description: Microscopes are important tools used by technicians, medical professionals, and scientists to investigate interesting scientific questions and solve real-world problems. This course covers important microscopy basics including scale, the relationship between reality and the image, and the kind of information that can be captured with different types of microscopes. This course combines lecture and hands-on laboratory activities allowing students the opportunity to explore the basic principles of visible light, fluorescence, and electron microscopy. We will gain practical hands-on experience with the many forms of microscopy and learn the procedures and tools of the trade necessary to become a proficient microscopist. All students will be trained on at least one research-grade microscope during the semester and the major assignment for this course will be a final portfolio of micrographs created by each student.
Distribution(s): II - Math & Sciences , WI - Writing-Intensive
Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate     Credits:4.00    

Faculty         Phone         Email address        
Heather Chenoweth             hchenoweth@mtholyoke.edu  

Meeting Dates         Method         Meeting days         Meeting times         Building name         Room     Frequency    
01/27/2026 - 05/12/2026   Lecture   Monday   01:30PM - 04:20PM   CLAP - Clapp Laboratory   015   Weekly

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Requisite Courses        
Prereq: 8 credits in STEM subjects. Take previously   Required  

Comments        
Additional Comments        
Course Tags        
GEOL0001   GEOL-1: Geology major and minor   This course counts toward the Geology major and minor.  

Cross-listed Sections        
None  

Course Availability
Section status: Waitlisted     Capacity: 12     Enrollment: 13     Available: 0     Waitlist: 2
Please note: The "Available" count will equal 0 in a Waitlisted course where spaces in the course have recently opened and students have not yet been moved into them from the waitlist.

BOOK INFORMATION

Book List         Required         Publisher Full Price        
To be determined.                    

Additional Book Comments        
This is NOT the complete book list for this class.