This is an one-semester, introductory graduate course aiming at beginning graduate students and
advanced undergraduate students. We will provide an extensive and self-contained overview of observational aspects of galaxy formation and evolution, incorporating the latest results. The course is broadly organized into 3 parts: "basic properties and observational techniques", "evolution and environments", and "galaxy formation and baryons in the universe", taught by Drs. Wei-Hao
Wang, Yen-Ting Lin, and Tzu-Ching Chang, respectively. Some basic knowledge of cosmology is preferred, although not required. We will not have exams, although active classroom participation is highly desired; the grading is based on homework and a final report. The final report will be a proposal requesting either telescope time for an observational project or support for conducting theoretical studies. The proposals will be reviewed and graded based on the scientific merit. The lectures will be delivered in English, and both homework and the final report should be written in English.