Undergraduate Continuing Education Courses

The following Continuing education courses are not within the JPU’s scope of accredited programs.  These courses are not vocational in nature and do not lead to initial employment.  Continuing Education courses are designed to satisfy degree or certificate program prerequisites, assist in providing foundational knowledge relating to degree or certificate programs, or to assist individuals in achieving eligibility for licensures they may seek.  An official transcript is provided upon completion.

MATH201
Calculus I

Course Description
This course is the first in a series of two designed to familiarize the student with the calculus. This particular course covers the fundamentals of calculus: the derivative and integral. It also covers a selection of topics to prepare the student for the second course in the series.

MATH202
Calculus II

Course Description
This course is the second in a series of two designed to familiarize the student with the calculus. Satisfactory completion of Calculus I is required prior to taking Calculus II. This course starts with a brief introduction of the concepts of vectors, in order to build a discussion of vector-valued functions. This discussion contributes to the development of concepts of three-space necessary to the rest of the course. Partial derivatives, multiple integrals, and line and surface integrals make up the remainder of the course. The latter part of this course is specifically applicable to the understanding of physics concepts, and it is the ultimate object of this course to prepare students to use those concepts in their further work in physics.

PHY201
General Physics I (Calculus Based)

Course Description
This is an introductory course designed specifically for the person who has not taken a calculus based general physics course, but is preparing for a career in Medical Physics. The combination of General Physics I and II will be adequate preparation for the 300 and 400 level physics courses offered by JPU. 

The course is designed to develop the ability to think as a physicist, rather than to survey physical science. To this end the course will deal with the mechanics of particles and rigid bodies, the mechanics of fluids, and thermodynamics. These topics represent an increasing complexity.

PHY202
General Physics II (Calculus Based)

Course Description
This is the sequel to General Physics I. A student prepared in the calculus and vector analysis can take this course before General Physics I, but both courses must be taken. The course includes a historical introduction to electromagnetic fields followed a detailed treatment of the concepts and laws. Gauss’, Oersted’s, and Ampère’s Laws, and Maxwell’s displacement current are central. Energy of the fields and storage elements in circuit theory and practical circuit analysis are treated. Electromagnetic radio and light waves are introduced.

PHY301
Modern Physics

Course Description
This course serves as a transition from the general, historical physics principles covered in a general physics course and the more modern concepts of quantum mechanics, solid state physics, and relativity that are pertinent to the study of modern-day physics. A range of topics are covered in an introductory fashion so that students are familiarized with the background material they will need to succeed in upper-level physics courses.

PHY401
Electricity and Magnetism

Course Description
This is an advanced treatment of the material in General Physics II. There is a mathematical introduction to the vector calculus and the solution of differential equations. The student, however, should be familiar with the calculus and vector analysis. The course is designed to develop first Maxwell’s electromagnetic field equations from the classic experiments that led to them. The motion of charges, waves, and wave energies and momenta are then developed.  Einstein’s special theory of relativity ties fields and particle motion together.

PHY403
Fundamentals of Nuclear Physics

Course Description
A strong foundation in nuclear physics is a fundamental component of any physicist’s tool chest. This is especially true of the medical physicist whose bread and butter is radiation science. In this course, the student is introduced to a broad swath of topics in nuclear physics. First, quantum mechanics are treated briefly to the depth necessary for the rest of the material. Nuclear properties essential to understanding the rest of the course are covered. General principles of radioactive decay are discussed, followed by in-depth discussions of alpha, beta, and gamma decays. The last planned topic is neutron physics, although the chapter on nuclear reactions will be covered if there is time.

PHY405
Thermodynamics

Course Description
This course introduces the student to the basic concepts and laws of thermodynamics. A mathematical introduction is included in the course, although the student must be familiar with the calculus. With the aim of making the approach as simple as possible the thermodynamic potentials (internal energy, enthalpy, Helmholtz energy, and Gibbs energy) are introduced as soon as possible and the remainder of the course built upon them. The molecular picture of matter, statistical mechanics, irreversibility, entropy production, chemical thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and transition state theory are treated. The course ends with a treatment of phase transitions.

PHY407
Quantum Mechanics

This is an introduction to quantum mechanics and teh language of the Dirac vectors, on which modern treatments are based. The course begins with an introduction to Direac vectors and transformations based on the requirements of what experiements tells us. Familiarity will develop as we encounter momentum, angular momentum, and atoms. The course ends with a treatment of atoms and spectra.
Prerequisite: Modern Physics (PHY301) concurrent or completed

PHY409
Analytical Mechanics

This is an introduction to modern mechanical treatment of the motion of particles and rigid bodies. The course is based on Lagrange and Hamiltonian mechanics, which are the basic principles developed at the beginning of the course. The student should have an understanding of calculus. The courseis desinged for learning by application. Each topic is introduced as briefly as possible and then the student will engage in application.
Prerequisite: Modern Physics (PHY301) concurrent or completed.

*SCI302
Biology

This course reviews the foundations of biology science to provide learning techniques to apply conjecture, logical reasoning, and critical thinking to support understanding and application of theory. Coursework will review: The Process of Science, Body Organization and Homeostasis, The Skeletal System, The Muscular System, The Nervous System, Sensory Systems, The Endocrine System, The Cardiovascular and Lymphatic System, The Respiratory System, The Digestive System, The Urinary & Reproductive Systems, Chromosomes and Cell Division, Genetics and Human Inheritance, and DNA and Biotechnology

*SCI303
Biochemistry

This course builds quantitative reasoning skills and provides the learner with a chemical perspective on biological processes. The course emphasizes fundamental concepts and connections, showing how biochemistry relates to practical applications in medicine, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, and forensics. Coursework will review: Biochemistry and the Language of Chemistry, The Energetics of Life, Nucleic Acids, Enzymes: Biological Catalysts, Chemical Logic of Metabolism, The Citric Acid Cycle, Electron Transport, Oxidative Phosphorylation, and Oxygen Metabolism, Mechanisms of Signal Transduction, Genes, Genomes, and Chromosomes, DNA Repair, Recombination, and Rearrangement, Transcription and Post-transcriptional Processing, and Information Decoding: Translation and Post-translational Protein Processing

*SCI304
Microbiology

This course covers principles of microbiology and the impact these organisms have on humans and the environment. Coursework will review: Chemical Principles, Functional Anatomy and Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells, Microbial Metabolism, Classification of Microorganisms, Principles of Disease and Epidemiology, Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity, Practical Applications of Immunology, Microorganisms and Human Disease, Environmental Microbiology, and Applied and Industrial Microbiology.

*SCI305
Cannabis Therapy

This course presents an overview of the medical use of cannabis and CBD. The history of cannabis use, factors that contributed to its legal status, plant botany (including the various cannabinoids and terpenes found in hemp and cannabis plants), cannabis pharmacology, contraindications, and drug interactions will be explored. There will be an examination of the endocannabinoid system (including receptors, endocannabinoids, and enzymes) and its impact on homeostasis. Discussions and research will review the therapeutic use of cannabis and CBD for pain, anxiety, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues, opioid addiction, seizure disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, concussion, autism, and other conditions. Considerations for cooking with cannabis and CBD will be presented

*SCI306
Cannabis & CBD Product Formulations

This course presents dosing strategies of various cannabinoids, routes of administration, and timing for effective use. Literature will present potential interactions with pharmaceuticals and how to maximize safe use, and how to analyze and interpret certificates of analysis of various formulations. Expanded research will showcase how to read a dispensary menu to guide patient care, culminating with spectrums of industrial hemp extraction used in CBD formulations

*These courses are included in JPU’s scope of institutional accreditation.  These courses are not vocational in nature and does not lead to initial employment.  An official transcript is provided upon completion.