EPS SCI 264Order of Magnitude Earth and Planetary Sciences
Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences · 4 units · Graduate courses (200-299)
Limited to departmental graduate students. Many graduate students have had little practice in making rough estimates or order of magnitude (OOM) assessments of physical problems, and even less practice at talking through problems with others. One key problem is tendency for rote memorization to take precedence over understanding. Discussion of basic problems from OOM perspective, with focus on problems appropriate to Earth, planetary, and space sciences, to inculcate physically based reasoning and promote effective on-your-feet communication. Attendance at departmental colloquium required each week.
S/U or letter grading.
When it runs
- Winter 2026
Scheduled, not typical — from UCLA’s Schedule of Classes, which publishes Fall 2025 through Spring 2027 and nothing before it.
Requisites
UCLA lists no requisites for this course.
Requires
Everything that has to come before this course, not just the courses named in the requisite above.
Nothing — this is an entry point.
Unlocks
What this course is a requisite for, and what those courses lead to in turn.
No course in the catalog lists this as a requisite.