Undergraduate Catalog 14-16 : School of Arts & Sciences

Geography

Geography

GEO 100 Principles of World Geography 3 SH
This course acquaints the student with the extent to which humans are creatures of environment and with the extent to which humans in turn are able to control the forces of nature. A study is made of the influence of climate, topography, soils and other natural resources. Certain cultural areas are analyzed in order to illustrate the influence which geography exerts upon both the material and the non-material aspects of human life. Listed as behavioral and social sciences general education elective. Every semester. General Education: Social Sciences.

GEO 215 Introduction to Geographical Information Systems 3 SH
This course will introduce students to the subject of GIS, which concerns the storage, analysis and representation of spatial data. The class will be taught using a combination of lectures and hands-on tutorials. Hence, students will need to possess basic computer skills including word processing, Excel and the Internet. The lectures will provide students with the concepts and theories that inform GIS capabilities and applications. The tutorials will guide students through the techniques of GIS software. This combined approach will teach students how to master ArcGIS software such that they can access and manipulate data which can be used to construct maps of various forms. The course will also introduce students to spatial analytical tools which can be used to interrogate databases. The final part of the course will involve students working on their own GIS projects. Prerequisites: GEO 100.

GEO 270 The Geography of Environment and Development 3 SH
The Geography of Environment and Development will provide students with an insight into how different people utilize and conserve their natural environments. Students will consider the meaning and importance of both development and environmental management/conservation. They will explore different models of environmental management and development as they have been applied in the West, South America, Africa, the former USSR, Southern Asia and the East. This will include consideration of the role of different economic and political systems in land management and development strategies, as well as the role of science and technology. The course will also examine recent changes to the theory and practice of conservation and development including sustainable development and the growing importance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Prerequisites: GEO 100.

GEO/PS 290 Geopolitics in the 21st Century 3 SH
See PS/GEO 290

GEO 298 Faculty Developed Study 1–6 SH

GEO 299 Student Developed Study 1–6 SH

The following courses also have been approved and are offered periodically:
GEO/ENV 150 Urban Environment as a Human Ecological Problem
GEO 250 U.S.A. and Canada: A Regional Study
GEO/AAS 251 Africa: A Regional Study
GEO 252 Latin America: A Regional Study
GEO 253 Russia and Euro-Asia: A Regional Study