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Geography Courses

100-Level Courses

101 - World Regional Geography (3)
An appreciation of spatial patterns in the distribution of physical and human characteristics of the major regions of the world (This course counts toard the Global Awareness Across-the-Curriculum requirement).

200-Level Courses

201 – Introduction to Human Geography (3)
An examination of the spatial patterns in human society and their impact on the evolution of past and present landscapes. (This course counts toward the Global Awareness Across-the-Curriculum requirement, as well as counting toward Goal 6 of the General Education requirements). .

205 – Geography and Civilization (3)
An exploration of the interaction of space and time across the course of human history, using geographic concepts to analyze civilizations. (This course counts toward the Global Awareness Across-the-Curriculum requirement, as well as counting toward Goal 5 of the General Education requirements*). .

210 – Physical Geography I (4)
Foundational concepts of physical geography. Concentration on weather, climate, and world vegetation regions. Laboratory (This course counts toward Goal 3 of the General Education requirement).

211 – Physical Geography II (4)
Survey of the processes, both tectonic and climatic, that shape the earth’s surface. Laboratory (This course counts toward Goal 3 of the General Education requirement).

221 – Geography of Eastern North America (3)
Regional geography of the eastern United States and Canada, stressing similarities and differences in land, life, and livelihood.

222 – Geography of Western North America (3)
Regional geography of the western United States and Canada, stressing similarities and differences in land, life, and livelihood (This coures counts toward the Environmental Awareness Across-the-Curriculum requirement.) See course syllabus here.

250 – Elements of Cartography (4)
An introduction to the principles of cartography and the use of maps as research tools, with emphasis on the creation of maps using a variety of techniques. Laboratory.

299 – Geographic Methods (3)
Prerequisite: Geography 201 or 205. An introduction to the use of geographic methods, including geographic inquiry, data gathering, and the use of qualitative, statistical, and cartographic techniques (This course counts toward the Writing Intensive and Speaking Intensive Across-the-Curriculum requirements).

300-Level Courses

300– Geography of Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific (3)
A study of Australia, New Zealand, and the islands of the South Pacific, focusing on the political, economic and social development of the region.

301 – Geography of Latin America and the Caribbean (3)
Regional geography of the lands and peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, with particular emphasis on the cultural, political, economic and historical bonds that unify the region (This course counts toard the Global Awareness Across-the-Curriculum requirement). See course syllabus here.

303 – Geography of Europe (3)
A geography of the European region, with particular emphasis on cultural, political, economic, and historical forces of unification and disintegration within the region.

304 – Geography of the Middle East (3)
Regional geography of the arid-land countries of the Middle East, focusing on the evolution of economic, political, and cultural landscapes (This course counts toward the Race and Gender Across-the-Curriculum requirement).

305 – Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa (3)
A study of Africa south of the Sahara, focusing on the political, economic and social development of the region (This course counts toard the Global Awareness Across-the-Curriculum requirement, and may count toward the Writing Intensive Across-the-Curriculum requirement*).

307 – Geography of Asia (3)
A survey of the human and physical geography of Asia with emphasis on the cultural, economic, and political conditions within Asia and the region’s relationships with the rest of the world. The course will often focus on one of Asia’s subregions.

310 – Human Environment: Perception and Utilization (3)
An examination of the dynamic relationship between humans and the natural environment, with emphasis on natural processes (This course counts toward the Environmental Awareness Across-the-Curriculum requirement).

330 – Introduction to Planning (3)
A survey of basic concepts, laws, and methods used in city and regional planning, illustrated with case studies.

336 – Economic Geography (3)
A geographic analysis of the history and current conditions of the world-economy focusing on globalization, industrial location, and local economic development (This course counts toward the Global Awareness Across-the-Curriculum requirement).

337 – Urban Geography (3)
Examination of the spatial structure of urban places, with particular emphasis on the internal structure of modern cities and the geography of urban cultures (This course may count toward the Writing Intensive Across-the-Curriculum requirement*).

338 – Political Geography (3)
The spatial analysis of political phenomena at the world, state, and local scales. Specific topics include territoriality, geopolitics, ethnic and nationalist movements, and the geography of voting and representation (This course may count toward the Writing Intensive Across-the-Curriculum requirement*).

339 – Geography and Development (3)
An examination of the global geography of development and underdevelopment, including a review of theoretical approaches and a spatial approach to cultural, economic, political, and environmental problems of uneven development (This course may count toward the Writing Intensive Across-the-Curriculum requirement*).

340 – Remote Sensing and Air Photo Interpretation (4)
Prerequisite: Geography 250. Analysis of remotely-sensed images with emphasis on the interpretation of aerial photographs and the use of imagery in geographical research. Laboratory.

351 – GIS and Automated Cartography (4)
Prerequisites: Geography 250 and 299. Concepts and applications of geographic information systems (GIS) and automated cartography. Emphasis on the use of GIS as a method for analyzing and solving geographic problems. Laboratory.

360 – Geographic Study Abroad (variable 1-6)
Travel to a foreign region where students will attend lectures, observe geographic phenomena, and participate in group discussions (Some study abroad offerings count toward Across-the-Curriculum requirements. See specific course offering for more information).

365 – Field Methods in Geography (4)
Prerequisite: 24 hours in Geography. Methods of obtaining information, mapping, and preparing reports based on field research experience (This course may count toward the Writing Intensive Across-the-Curriculum requirement*).

400-Level Courses

410 – Selected Topics in Geography (variable 1-3)
Lecture or seminar class dealing with a preselected topic of current interest. (May be repeated for credit with change of topic)

485 – Readings in Geography (variable 1-3)
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Directed readings on a selected topic in geography under the guidance of a member of the geography faculty.

490 – Seminar in Geography (3)
Prerequisite: Senior majors only. An intensive study of one of the subfields of geography, with emphasis on critical reading of the literature, group discussion, and the preparation of a major research paper (This course counts toward the Writing Intensive and Speaking Intensive Across-the-Curriculum requirements). See a sample syllabus here.

491 – Individual Study in Geography (variable 1-6)
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Intensive individual study of some geographic issue under the guidance of a member of the geography faculty.

499 – Internship (variable 1-6)
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Supervised off-campus experience. Pass/fail only. Does not count toward geography major.

This Page Last Modified on: July 1, 2005