Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

GEOG - Geography

GEOG 0001 First Year Academic Seminar

This course is designed to introduce the student to the GCSU environment and provide them with the skills necessary for succeeding as a student. Required of all first year students to be taken in their first semester on campus, this seminar provides an overview of academic requirements for graduation and helps establish meaningful career goals and objectives. The seminar includes discussion of policies, standards, procedures, expectations, and resources that will contribute to student success throughout the student's academic career. This course does not count toward the total hours required for graduation.

1

GEOG 1101 Intro to Human Geography

A spatial perspective on several aspects of human society including population, culture, economic, urban, and political issues.

3

GEOG 1102 World Regional Geography

Introduction to the world as an interdependent community built from unique and independent regions and countries.

3

GEOG 1112 Intro to Weather & Climate

Introduction to the spatial processes governing weather and climate. Additional topics shall include regional climatology, climatic anomalies, and global climate change.

3

GEOG 1112L Intro to Weather & Climate Lab

Laboratory course to accompany GEOG 1112. Additional laboratory fee required; see semester course schedule for amount.

1

GEOG 1113 Intro to Landforms

Introduction to solid earth processes and classification of major types of land surfaces, their origin, development, and spatial distribution. This course will include discussion of biogeography and soils.

3

GEOG 1113L Intro to Landforms Lab

Laboratory course to accompany GEOG 1113. Additional laboratory fee required; see semester course schedule for amount.

1

GEOG 2100 Intro to Geospatial Science

This course is an introduction to geospatial science and its application to human, physical, and environmental analyses. Students will gain first-hand experience reading and creating maps, collecting and processing spatial data, and applying geospatial technologies to local issues.

1

GEOG 2920 Honors Seminar

Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing and admission to University Honors Program. A general interdepartmental seminar.

1 - 4

GEOG 2990 Geographic Research Seminar

Prerequisites: GEOG 1101 or GEOG 1102 and GEOG 1112 or GEOG 1113. This course is repeatable for credit.

1 - 4

GEOG 3100 Intro Geographic Information

An introduction to the basic types of geographic data and their analysis. Emphasis on the acquisition, display, and query of digital data using Geographic Information Systems in real-world applications.

3

GEOG 3500 Regional Geography:Spec Topics

Region-specific survey course dealing with physical, cultural, political, and social geographies of a given region. The region will change from term to term.

3

Cross Listed Courses

AFST 3500, BLST 3500

GEOG 3505 Geography of North America

This is an advanced regional geography course addressing the physical, cultural, political, and social geographies of North America, especially the United States and Canada.

3

GEOG 3510 Geography of the Southern US

This is an advanced regional geography course focusing on the physical and human geography of the South and its environs. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:1) locate Southern U.S. regions, physical features, and cities on maps;2) interpret map symbols and map scales; 3) identify spatial processes that produce spatial patterns of human population, culture, geopolitics, econimic activity, and urbanization within the South and its surroundings; 4)analyze an discuss the root causes of conflicts with the realm; and 5) employ geographic concepts in the analysis of human-emvironment relations within the South.

3

GEOG 3515 Geography of Latin America

This is an advanced regional geography course addressing the physical, cultural, political, and social geographies of Latin America and the Caribbean.

3

GEOG 3520 Geography of Europe

This is an advanced regional geography course focusing on the physical and human geography of Europe and its environs. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to :1)locate European countries, regions, physical features, and cities on maps;2)interpret map symbols and map scales; 3)identify spacial processes that produce spatial patterns of human population, culture, geopolitics, econimic activityo, and urbanization within Europe and its surroundings; 4)analyze and discuss the root causes of conflicts within the realm; and 5)employ georgraphic concepts in the analysis of human-environment relations within the European realm.

3

GEOG 3525 Geography of the Middle East

This is an advanced regional geography course focusing on the physical and human geography of the Middle East and North Africa. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to: 1) locate Middle East countries, regions, physical features, and cities on maps; 2) interpret map symbols and map scales; 3) identify spatial processes that produce spatial patterns of population, culture, geopolitics, economic activity, and urbanization in the Middle East; 4) analyze and discuss the root causes of armed conflicts within the realm; and 5) employ geographic concepts in the analysis of human-environment relations within the Middle East.

3

GEOG 3530 Geography of Africa

This is an advanced regional geography course addressing the physical, cultural, political, and social geographies of Africa, primarily focused on Sub-Saharan Africa.

3

GEOG 3535 Geography of Southern World

This is an advanced regional geography course addressing the physical, cultural, political, and social geographies of the Southern Hemisphere, including South America, southern Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.

3

GEOG 3540 Geography of Asia

This is an advanced regional geography course addressing the physical, cultural, political, and social geographies of Asia.

3

GEOG 4080 Environmental History

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. Cross-listed as HIST 4080.

3

GEOG 4100 Adv Geographic Information

Prerequisite: GEOG 3100 or permission of instructor. Advanced topics in geographic analysis, including types of spatial data and their acquisition, field methods, spatial database design, geospatial modeling, automated scripting, spatial analysis, geostatistics, and cartographic design. Students will be expected to complete a course project that applies modern geographic techniques to a local problem. Additional laboratory fee required; see semester course schedule for amount.

3

GEOG 4105 Geospatial Data Management

Prerequisite: GEOG 3100 or permission of instructor. Development of spatial database design, workload programming, and enterprise solutions for geographic information systems. The successful student will be able to create and manipulate spatial databases, integrate real world digital geographic data with a variety of computer software programs and applications, and program rudimentary scripts in Python and Visual Basic to automate processes for enterprise solutions.

3

GEOG 4110 Remote Sensing

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

3

GEOG 4112 Advanced Weather & Climate

Prerequisite: GEOG 3100 or permission of instructor. A study of atmospheric composition and structure, clouds, precipitation, and atmospheric motion and winds. Also examines organized weather systems, including air masses, fronts, and severe weather. A discussion of global climates includes circulation, wind systems, climate classification, and climate changes.

3

GEOG 4115 Computer Cartography

Prerequisite: GEOG 3100 or permission of instructor. Applications of computer technologies to cartographic design. Students will explore cartographic history, mapping design, and symbology theory to create a variety of reference and thematic maps for both analog and digital applications.

3

GEOG 4120 Natural Hazards

A survey of the human geography of natural hazards, with emphasis on the U.S. Examines the fundamental concepts and issues regarding natural hazard risk and how environmental risk arises from the complex interaction between the physical environment and human society.

3

GEOG 4130 Wetland Environments

A study of wetlands environments including an examination of physical properties, functions and values, and geographic variety and distribution. (Equivalent to ENSC 4130).

3

GEOG 4205 Political Geography

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

3

GEOG 4210 Geography of War

This course examines the impact of physical and cultural geographic factors on military and humanitarian relief operations in a variety of physiographic and cultural regions through the world from ancient times to present.

3

GEOG 4215 Insurgency and Terrorism

This course examines the spatial patterns and processes of insurgencies on a global scale; their varying use of conventional warfare, guerrilla warfare, and terrorism; rural vs. urban-based strategies; and the combined political and territorial objectives of insurgents.

3

GEOG 4220 Economic Geography

Prerequisites: GEOG 1101, GEOG 1102, or permission of the instructor.

3

GEOG 4230 Geography of Cities

Prerequisites: GEOG 1101, GEOG 1102, or permission of the instructor.

3

GEOG 4250 Geography of Health

This course examines the impact of physical and cultural geographic factors on military and humanitarian relief operations in a variety of physiographic and cultural regions throughout the world from ancient times to the present.

3

GEOG 4305 Cultural Geography

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.

3

GEOG 4310 Geography of Race & Ethnicity

This course examines the spatial patterns of racial and ethnic identities at the global, regional, and local scales; the legal and social foundations for racial and ethnic identity, and role of spatial processes in social, political, and economic outcomes for different racial and ethnic groups.

3

GEOG 4400 Resource Use

A study of the nature of natural resources, their distribution, usage, and renewal. Addresses concepts that define resources and their allocation, the geographic dimensions of natural resources, as well as the effects 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.

3

GEOG 4450 Environment & Society

A 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.

3

GEOG 4500 Comparative Regional Geography

Prerequisites: GEOG 1101, GEOG 1102, or permission of the instructor. An advanced regional geography course focusing on comparisons of the general and unique characteristics of selected realms and regions. It explores the spatial patterns and processes that contribute to the formation of diverse culture regions around the world.

3

GEOG 4710 Biogeography

Theories and principles concerning regional patterns of plant and animal distributions. Cross-listed as BIOL 4080.

4

Cross Listed Courses

BIOL 4710

GEOG 4740 Environmental Conservation

Prerequisite: BIOL 2800. A consideration of major environmental questions of today's world and the ecological aspects relating to the conservation of man's renewable and non-renewable resources. This course has a laboratory fee.

3

GEOG 4940 Independent Study

Prerequisite: Approval of chairperson of department. Investigation of a topic or period of special interest, with reports to the instructor.

1 - 4

GEOG 4950 Special Topics

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

1 - 5

Cross Listed Courses

ANTH 4950

GEOG 4960 Internship

Prerequisite: Selection for participation in a University-approved Internship. An individually designed off-campus course involving study, research and/or work in a government agency or business organization.

1 - 15

GEOG 4970 Senior Thesis

Prerequisites: At least 15 hours of GEOG and approval from the department Chair.

1 - 3

GEOG 4980 Study Abroad

See the International Studies section of the catalog for details.

1 - 15