GDEV 3390

Modeling People and the Environment

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2024-2025 Catalog. Courses of Study 2024-2025 is scheduled to publish mid-June.

This course will provide an introduction to the process of building and using models of environmental systems using a systems dynamics (stock & flow) modeling platform called STELLA. Key concepts include causal modeling and the representation of systems as a set of processes, basic numerical methods, model development in STELLA, and analytical approaches to make inferences from model results. No prior coding experience is necessary, but students should expect to make significant use of algebra and basic statistics.

Fees Course fee: Six-month student user license for STELLA ($59) or perpetual student license ($129).

Last 4 Terms Offered 2025SP

Outcomes

• Develop a specific research question and specify an appropriate conceptual model to inform it.
• Develop an operational model using the systems dynamics platform Stella.
• Design and implement computational experiments in systems dynamics models.
• Communicate the assumptions underlying a model to a lay audience.

Distribution Category (SBA-AG)

When Offered Spring.

View Enrollment Information