GEOG - Geography

The study of how humans and nature have interacted over time. Examines the ways that the natural landscape has shaped human societies and has been transformed by developing human civilizations. Global, regional, and local histories detail environmental changes due to shifting socio-economic forces. Also presents the development of the American conservation movement and its modern expressions

Prerequisite: GEOG 3100 or permission of instructor. Advanced topics in geographic analysis, including types of spatial data and their acquisition, field methods, Geographic Information Systems, spatial analysis, geostatistics, and cartographic design. Students will be expected to complete a course project that applies modern geographic techniques to a local problem.

Prerequisite: GEOG 3100 or permission of instructor. Survey of remote sensing methods, including aerial photography, satellite imagery, and digital image processing.

An examination of atmospheric composition and structure, clouds, precipitation, and atmospheric motion and winds, organized weather systems, including air masses, fronts, and severe weather. Discussion of global climates includes circulation, wind systems, climate classification, and climate change.

A survey of the human geography of natural hazards, with emphasis on the U.S. Includes foundation concepts and issues regarding natural hazard risk; the rise of environment risk from the complex interaction between the physical environment and humans society.

A survey of physical properties, functions, and values, and geographic variety and distributions of wetlands environments.

An examination at local, national, and international levels, of the organization of political space and its impact on political processes and patterns of control and conflict within society.

A study of human culture from a geographic perspective, examining the distribution of humans and human activities across space and how social groups and actors use and attach meaning to places and spaces.

An examination of the nature of natural resources, their distribution, usage, and renewal, and concepts that define resources and their allocation, the geographic dimensions of natural resources, as well as the impact of their exploitation. Topics may include forests, fisheries, minerals, natural amenities, tourism, water resources, human-environmental interaction, resource evaluation, and institutional influences on resource use and management.

Study of the basic principles of ecology, resource economics, and environmental history as they relate to environmental management and resource conservation issues around the world. Addresses the social impacts of air, water, and soil pollution, human population growth, food production, deforestation, and many other environmental issues.

Prerequisite: Approval of department chairperson. Independent reading and reports arranged by the instructor according to the individual student’s preparation, background, and needs.

Consideration of topics in which courses are not offered otherwise, but for which there is current need.

A time-concentrated study of a special topic.

Prerequisite: Approval of department chairperson. Independent reading and reports arranged by the instructor according to the individual student's preparation, background, and needs. Open to graduate students only.