Geography (GEOG)
An appreciation of spatial patterns in the distribution of physical and human characteristics of the major regions of the world.
An examination of the spatial patterns in human society and their impact on the evolution of past and present landscapes.
Foundational concepts of physical geography. Concentration on weather, climate, and world vegetation regions. Laboratory.
Survey of the processes, both tectonic and climatic, that shape the earth's surface. Laboratory.
Lecture class dealing with a pre-selected topic of current interest. May include laboratory. (May be repeated for credit with change of topic)
Regional geography of the eastern United States and Canada, stressing similarities and differences in land, life, and livelihood.
Regional geography of the western United States and Canada, stressing similarities and differences in land, life, and livelihood.
A survey of basic concepts, laws, and methods used in city and regional planning, illustrated with case studies.
A geographic analysis of the history and current conditions of the world-economy focusing on location theory, globalization, and community economic development.
An exploration of the complexities and contradictions of city life and urban processes. Includes an introduction to theories and debates about the economic, political, environmental, and cultural roles and meanings of cities and instruction in basic research methods used by urban researchers.
Prerequisite: GEOG 110 or permission of instructor. The study of natural hazards from a geographic perspective. An examination of the physical processes that cause hazards and disasters, as well as community vulnerability and risk, mitigation and resilience. Case studies and examples will be used.
Prerequisite: GEOG 110 or permission of instructor. This course introduces biogeography, the study of the distribution of organisms through space and time, the patterns created by those distributions, and the reasons for them.
A geographic survey of environmental changes caused by human activities, with emphasis given to resource exploitation, conservation, pollution, and interactions of humans with plant and animal communities.
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.
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.
Regional geography of the European region, with particular emphasis on cultural, political, economic, and historical forces of unification and disintegration within the region.
Regional geography of the arid-land countries of the Middle East, focusing on the evolution of economic, political, and cultural landscapes.
Prerequisite: GEOG 110 or permission of instructor. A study of the atmospheric dynamics that control earth’s climates. Dynamic Climatology is designed for those students who seek a more thorough understanding of the atmospheric dynamics that control earth's climates. This course offers a more in-depth treatment of atmospheric circulation and thermodynamics that can be given in an introductory course, yet because GEOG 110 is the only pre-requisite, the treatment will be done in a more qualitative, rather than quantitative, way. Topics will begin with an overall model of the atmosphere, moving then to a more detailed look at aspects of circulation such as midlatitude circulations and cyclogenesis. We will continue the course with a discussion of major aspects of the climate dynamics of the continents, and conclude with a discussion of oscillating pressure systems and teleconnections.
An analysis of how place and space have shaped our understandings and experiences of race in the United States. Topics include how law has interpreted racialized geographies, segregation, white supremacy groups, and immigration.
This course examines the politics of movement and mobility in international migration through historical, theoretical, and comparative perspectives. We will analyze why people migrate, how different governments and publics respond to their migration, and the kinds of new social, cultural, and political spaces that their interactions create. We will discuss the contemporary debates about migration from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
An examination of the intersection of geography and religion with an emphasis on sacred spaces. The course explores how religions understand, create, and give meaning to sacred space, and includes a review of major theories and methods in the geographic study of religion. Cross-listed as RELG 335.
Prerequisite: Junior or Senior status. An analysis of power, ideology and identity in and across space. The class focuses on how geopolitical theories have changed over time and vary across places and introduces students to critical geopolitics.
An examination of development geographies at global, state, and regional scales, assessment of theoretical approaches, and studies of development issues, including health, education, microfinance, urbanization, energy, food security, and resource access.
Prerequisite: 6 hours of GEOG or permission of instructor. An overview of the quantitative methods used by geographers to analyze and interpret geographic data and solve geographic problems. Includes descriptive and inferential statistics, and an exploration of how quantitative research questions and techniques are situated within the broader discipline of geography.
Travel to a foreign region where students will attend lectures, observe geographic phenomena, and participate in group discussions.
This course examines issues of sustainability and development in the central highlands of Guatemala. It includes a 9 day trip over Spring Break and focuses on how efforts to develop ecological understanding, revive traditional Maya ecological practices, and experiment with innovative agroecological techniques can address social needs and enhance food security.
An examination of the philosophies and techniques of doing qualitative research in geography. Includes data collection and analysis using interviewing, observation, participatory research, visual techniques, cognitive mapping, archival research, and content analysis.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. This class focuses on the field methods used in different subfields of Geography, including systematic observation, keeping field notes, survey design, mapping, coding, and analysis. Substantial time in the field required.
Advanced seminar dealing with a pre-selected topic of current interest. May include laboratory. (May be repeated for credit with change of topic)
Directed readings on a selected topic in geography under the guidance of a member of the geography faculty.
Prerequisite: Senior majors only. An intensive study of one of the subfields of geography, with emphasis on critical reading of the literature and group discussion.
Intensive individual study of some geographic issue under the guidance of a member of the geography faculty.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Intensive individual research of some geographic issue that includes community engagement, under the guidance of a member of the geography faculty.
Prerequisite: Senior status and Geography major. This class provides students with an opportunity to reflect on their work as undergraduate geography students and to assemble samples of their work for graduate school and job applications.
Supervised off-campus experience. Pass/fail only. Does not count toward geography major.