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Geography (GEOG) Courses

Academic Unit: Geography, Environmnt, Society

GEOG 1301W - Our Globalizing World [SOCS WI GP]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 1301 until 05-SEP-00, GEOG 1301V (inactive, starting 06-SEP-11)
Introduction to geographical understandings of globalization and of connections/differences between places.
GEOG 1372 - Geography of Global Cities [SOCS GP]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: GLOS 1672 (inactive)
Urban forms/processes. Uses key global cities as examples. Political, historical, and economic contexts of cities. Planning ideologies. Globalization. Race/segregation. Population growth. Environmental problems. Current issues in global urbanization.
GEOG 1403 - Biogeography of the Global Garden [ENV BIOL]
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 1403W until 07-SEP-04, GEOG 1403H (starting 18-JAN-11, was GEOG 1403V until 07-SEP-04)
The geography of biodiversity and productivity, from conspicuous species to those that cause human disease and economic hardship. The roles played by evolution and extinction, fluxes of energy, water, biochemicals, and dispersal. Experiments demonstrating interactions of managed and unmanaged biotic with the hydrologic cycle, energy budgets, nutrient cycles, the carbon budget, and soil processes.
GEOG 1403H - Honors: Biogeography of the Global Garden [ENV BIOL]
(4 cr; Prereq-Honors; A-F only; offered Every Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 1403V until 07-SEP-04, GEOG 1403 (starting 04-SEP-12, was GEOG 1403W until 07-SEP-04)
The geography of biodiversity and productivity, from conspicuous species to those that cause human disease and economic hardship. The roles played by evolution and extinction, fluxes of energy, water, biochemicals, and dispersal. Experiments demonstrating interactions of managed and unmanaged biotic with the hydrologic cycle, energy budgets, nutrient cycles, the carbon budget, and soil processes.
GEOG 1425 - Introduction to Weather and Climate [ENV PHYS]
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: ESPM 1425 (starting 05-SEP-00, was ES 1425 until 05-SEP-06, was GEOG 1425 until 21-JAN-03, was SOIL 1425 until 03-SEP-02, was GEOG 1425 until 03-SEP-02, was SOIL 1425 until 05-SEP-00, was GEOG 1425 until 05-SEP-00, was SOIL 1425 until 07-SEP-99)
A pre-calculus introduction to the nature of the atmosphere and its behavior. Topics covered include atmospheric composition, structure, stability, and motion; precipitation processes, air masses, fronts, cyclones, and anticyclones; general weather patterns; meteorological instruments and observation; weather map analysis; and weather forecasting.
GEOG 1502 - Mapping Our World [SOCS TS]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring)
Learn how maps and other spatial technologies like phones, drones, and GPS work. Use web-based tools to make maps for class, jobs, and fun. Explore how mapping is a useful lens through which to view interactions between technology and society, and see how mapping technology saves lives, rigs elections, and spies on people.
GEOG 1973 - Geography of the Twin Cities [SOCS]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 1973W until 02-SEP-03, GEOG 3973, GEO 1009 (inactive, ending 07-SEP-99)
The University of Minnesota sits in the middle of a fascinating city, and in this class you will explore parts of that city in-depth. You will learn about the human geography of the Twin Cities, how they have developed in the past, and how they are changing. You will examine the settlement, economic change, social practices, and political events that have shaped the Twin Cities, learning how to look at this place through multiple and contesting perspectives. Through a combination of in-depth field work, applied research, readings, and discussion, you will learn about urban concepts like immigration, Native populations, poverty, homelessness, segregation, redlining, suburbanization, shifts in retail and jobs, zoning, transit, metropolitan governance, urban renewal, and more. The goal is to foster your critical reflection on important, contemporary challenges facing our metropolitan region, and develop a new way to look at your present home.
GEOG 3101 - Geography of the United States [SOCS TS]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Periodic Spring)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 3102 (inactive)
How do we understand the United States? Who are we as a nation? How did we get that way? This course takes a distinctly geographic approach to these questions, one that is interested in how socio-cultural, political-economic, and biophysical forces intersect in the shaping of America as a place. In this class, we will explore the kind of social and technological innovations and transformations that have made the American present. We will look at how the decisions of the past have shaped both the possibilities and problems of the present in order to help us grapple with the complexities of building the kinds of futures we want to live in. Rather than approaching this as an inevitable story of triumphant progress, we will pay attention to the erasures, exploitation, and violence that were part of these transformations. It is only through grappling with these complexities that we can work towards a future that works. This course is designed for any student who is interested in making sense of the country we live in and feels invested in its future. Through the use of case studies, we will explore some of the essential issues facing modern America including immigration and sense of place, agriculture, and water in the Great Plains and the American West, and the intertwined future of American urbanism and the automobile industry as well as a few others. Students can expect to build skills in integrative thinking as they explore problems at the intersection of a variety of human and natural systems as well as an appreciation for how complexity shapes the production of and solution for contemporary socio-environmental problems.
GEOG 3111 - Geography of Minnesota
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring & Summer)
The evolution of Minnesota and its current geographical characteristics. The state is a unique political entity that possesses similarities with other states because of the homogenizing influence of the federal government.
GEOG 3121 - Geography of Latin America
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
This course will look at historical and contemporary Latin America to give students an idea about the varied political, economic, and cultural practices in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Readings will focus mostly on the experiences and struggles of Afro-Latin, indigenous, and working-class populations in Latin America, in order that we might learn about the region from otherwise marginalized viewpoints. Course assignments will ask students to critically reflect on the power relations that shaped and continue to shape the region. Course topics include colonialism, state formation, present-day territorial contestation, and the current political shifts that dominate the news headlines across the region. At the end of the semester students will have a solid understanding of the forces responsible for conditions in present-day Latin America.
GEOG 3145 - The Islamic World: A Global Introduction [SOCS GP]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: GLOS 3645 (inactive), RELS 3711
The Islamic World provides a comprehensive introduction on Islam from its inception to today. The course?s journey begins with Islam?s dawn in the small desert oasis of Mecca in the Arabian peninsula over 14 centuries ago to today when it is a worldwide faith. One hundred years from its inception, Islam spread to what is today Syria, Iraq, the Horn of Africa, North Africa, and across the Mediterranean Sea. Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Anatolia (Turkey) came under the sway of Islam leading to the emergence of three major Islamic civilization that dominated and enlightened the old world for several centuries. This era came to an end with the rise of Capitalist Europe and its colonization of much of the world including Muslim societies. Like many colonized peoples, Muslims threw the yoke of colonialism and joined the postcolonial World. Beyond this historical geographic survey, the course examines the Muslim World?s relationships with the West, democracy, and development. It will also explore how Muslim and Islam engage the seemingly contemporary topics such as human rights, gender relations, the monumental environmental crisis of our time, the war on terror and the terror of war, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Soo Dhawoow (Welcome).
GEOG 3161 - How the World Made Europe [GP]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Fall Even Year)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 3161W until 03-SEP-02, GLOS 3921 (inactive)
It is impossible to think about the contemporary world without the lasting impact Europe has had on it. But what are the deeper reasons for Europe to emerge as a dominant region from the late Middle Ages onwards? Why has Europe recently found itself in profound economic and political, even existential crisis? Historical geography provides answers. Divided by landscape, language, religion, and war, European empires imposed the state-form, capitalism, and their cultures on the rest of the world. European societies even became the supposed standard for how all humanity is meant to live. But there have always been cracks in this success story. The project of the European Union promised peace and prosperity for half a billion people but faces unprecedented challenges, from Brexit, the Ukraine war, and the return of state racism to climate change and covid. This course will guide you through Europe?s general historical characteristics to understand how it shaped globalization.
GEOG 3331 - Geography of the World Economy [SOCS GP]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: GLOS 3231
An invisible, not-quite-dead, not-quite-alive entity?the coronavirus?forced us, rudely and tragically, to reckon with space. As we try and maintain social distance from other bodies, wear masks to disrupt the virus? pathways of diffusion, confront shortages in grocery stores, home supply outlets, and car dealerships, adjust to interruptions in many services, and either choose to, or are forced to stay at home, in our cities, in our countries, we are thinking and acting spatially. And we are reminded that ?stuff??food, medicines, toilet paper?reaches us often through geographically extensive and logistically intricate webs of economic production and distribution. We will learn what it means to think geographically about the capitalist economy as a spatial, relational formation. In doing so, we will challenge dominant ways of understanding and analyzing the economy, and of what counts as economic. We will also examine two simultaneous aspects of the world economy?fixity and flow. On the one hand, the economy propels and is propelled by flows?of goods, of services, of people, of labor, and of finance. On the other hand, physical infrastructures are rooted in place on the earth. After all, even the digital worlds of Facebook, Google, and Amazon are enabled by vast server farms. The course will also highlight the production and proliferation of inequalities?between social groups, states, countries, and regions?in and by the world economy. In fact, we will ask: Is economic unevenness a mere byproduct of capitalist economic growth, or the condition of possibility for it? Finally, we will discuss the relationships between global phenomena and local events. Crises like global climate change, overflows of waste matter, COVID19, and the 2008 financial meltdown make it clear that the global and the local are intimately entangled. Not only do global events impact individual livelihoods, including yours and mine, but economic jitters in one place can escalate, sending shockwaves
GEOG 3341 - Black Geographies
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: AFRO 3341
This course will engage the sub-discipline of Black Geographies by looking at Geographical literature on the question of Blackness as well as case studies on the ways in which Afro-descendant populations make place. Course readings and films will attend to Blackness as it manifests across the African Diaspora, with specific focus on the Americas. We will discuss the experiences and struggles of enslaved Africans in the Americas, struggles against slavery, the ways in which we can understand histories of Blackness, and different forms of struggle employed by Afro-descendant populations today. At the end of the semester students will have a solid grounding in the literature around Black Geographies, as well as a nuanced understanding of the different ways in which Black populations analyze and create space.
GEOG 3371W - Cities, Citizens, and Communities [WI DSJ]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 4 credits)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 3371 until 05-SEP-00
Introduction to cities and suburbs as unique crossroads of cultural, social, and political processes. Competing/conflicting visions of city life, cultural diversity, and justice. Focuses on the American city.
GEOG 3373 - Changing Form of the City [GP HIS]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 3373W until 02-SEP-03
Urban origins, ancient cultures/cities, the medieval city, rediscovery of planning, colonial cities. Industrialization and urban expansion. Speculative cities, utopian cities, planning triumphs/disasters. Cities as reflections of society, culture, the past.
GEOG 3374W - The City in Film [AH WI]
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 3374 until 05-SEP-00, GEOG 3374V (inactive, starting 25-JAN-00), GEOG 5374 (inactive, was GEOG 5374W until 26-MAY-15)
Cinematic portrayal of changes in 20th-century cities worldwide including social and cultural conflict, political and economic processes, changing gender relationships, rural versus urban areas, and population and development issues (especially as they affect women and children).
GEOG 3376 - Political Ecology [ENV]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Environmental problems and political economic processes are intimately connected. The latter shape where and how people encounter nature, who has access to resources, and which communities are exposed to or protected from environmental harms. In this course, you will join others in examining how environmental problems are produced and how people organize to address them. Through readings, video, film, and lectures you will learn to identify the racial and class dimensions of environmental change. You will also understand the goals and principles of the environmental justice movement and explore inspiring struggles to build socially just ecological relations. Over the course of the semester you will acquire robust analytical and theoretical tools for understanding the political and ecological dimensions of racial capitalism and settler colonialism and learn how alternative social and ecological worlds might be generated and sustained.
GEOG 3377 - Music in the City [AH DSJ]
(3 cr; A-F or Audit; offered Every Spring)
Why is music so central to the life of the city? Throughout the ages, throughout the world, music seems to have a special power to fill urban space with meaning. This is mostly why the music industry is always desperately trying to chase the new ways music is produced and consumed. Much about the rapid changes in the industry can be linked to changes taking place in the geography of cities and globalization. Through music, people feel connected to landscapes, neighborhoods, buildings, and identities. Music gives value to places, so helps cement us/them divisions, a process easily seen (heard) in national anthems. This course tries to understand how the interplay exactly occurs between sounds, places, and differences through case studies from many genres. The course makes use of a large range of media and learning styles. Themes include the transnational circuits of reggae, the class backgrounds of punk, Motown and civil rights, psychedelic counterculture, underground electronic music, and the ambivalent identities of Minneapolis's very own Prince.
GEOG 3379 - Environment and Livelihoods in the Global South [ENV SOCS]
(3 cr; Prereq-Soph or jr or sr; A-F or Audit; offered Every Spring)
Equivalent courses: GLOS 3303 (inactive)
Environmental destruction of our planet over the last three centuries has been a product of radical political and economic shifts in the world. This course examines how our world?s economic and political systems, and the livelihoods they engender in the Global South, have produced catastrophic local and global environmental conditions. What we produce, sell, buy, how we consume goods, and how we dispose of the waste are at the heart of the world?s deteriorating environmental conditions. The current global world order has produced a world in which overconsumption and poverty have led to an environmental disaster that is endangering all species. Example of the topics we will explore include the state of global fisheries and forests, the struggle over scarce water resources, and the responsibility each of us has as an individual and a citizen in reversing the lone planet?s ability to support the lives of all humans and other species.
GEOG 3381W - Population in an Interacting World [SOCS WI GP]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 4 credits)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 3381 until 05-SEP-00, GLOS 3701W (inactive)
Comparative analysis and explanation of trends in fertility, mortality, internal and international migration in different parts of the world; world population problems; population policies; theories of population growth; impact of population growth on food supply and the environment.
GEOG 3388 - Going Places: Geographies of Travel and Tourism [CIV]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Are you wondering whether you will be able to travel as you did a few years ago? One of the largest industries, tourism, is in a profound crisis. This course understands tourism in relation to other kinds of mobility, like shopping, colonialism, trafficking, migration, and pilgrimage. As the negative environmental and health impacts of tourism have become obvious, significant demands have emerged on its practices and policies. Investigating the landscapes and economies of cars, planes, beaches, parks, malls, and museums, we come to appreciate the unique challenges tourism poses for global citizenship and the planet. To gain a critical geographical understanding of mobility, we engage a range of ethical frameworks such as human rights, feminism, social justice, and utilitarianism. Our final destination is an informed and critical ethics of travel in the age of pandemics and climate change.
GEOG 3401W - Geography of Environmental Systems and Global Change [ENV WI]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring; may be repeated for 4 credits)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 3401 until 18-JAN-22, was GEOG 3401 until 05-SEP-00, GEOG 5401W
This course provides a basic foundation in environmental science and global change. Conceptualizing the environment as composed of ?systems? (as in the course name) is a common framework in the environmental sciences because it puts the focus on interactions and connections. The ?systems? we focus on in this class are the atmosphere (climate), the hydrosphere (water), the biosphere (plants), and the geosphere (land), along with their connections with human activities and decision making. We approach the study of environmental systems through the lens of global climate change, which has the potential for far-reaching consequences that extend across environmental systems. You'll recognize how climate processes lead to the spatial patterns of climate that influence human activity (e.g., agriculture, recreation) and infrastructure (e.g., levees, building codes). You'll also learn how soils, landforms, and ecosystems affect and are affected by changes in climate and by decisions humans make about how to live on, and use, the land. Achieving consensus among us as to what should be done in response to environmental change (whether or not those changes are caused by humans) is not a goal of this course; rather, the goal is for you to feel equipped to critically evaluate the range of potential solutions, trade offs, and ethical questions that surround environmental issues. You?ll practice what you learn in this course by writing a ?consultant report? on the likely impacts of climate change on the human and environmental systems of a location of your choosing. You?ll draw on scholarly research, government documents, and your own analyses to create your report, which is written for a non-expert audience. This kind of writing is a common expectation of environmental scientists, consultants, or policymakers. A series of focused ?writing workshops? will support the research and writing process and the development of your final consultant report.
GEOG 3411W - Geography of Health and Health Care [WI]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 3411 until 05-SEP-00
Application of human ecology, spatial analysis, political economy, and other geographical approaches to analyze problems of health and health care. Topics include distribution and diffusion of disease; impact of environmental, demographic, and social change on health; distribution, accessibility, and utilization of health practitioners and facilities.
GEOG 3421 - Climatology
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
This is a course on general climatology and the physical fundamentals of climate change that are most relevant to biophysical and socio-environmental processes. It is geared towards students in geography, environmental science, and the liberal arts and humanities who need a foundational understanding of climatology to grapple with social and biophysical dimensions of climate change. In a conceptual but not heavily quantitative framework, course activities (readings, discussion, lectures, computer labs), the course provides a broad-level overview of the physical processes that underlie Earth's climate system and lead to climate variations at global, regional, and local scales, as well as a survey of contemporary topics in climate change science. Course themes include: Earth's atmosphere and ocean; global energy and water balances; general and secondary circulation; controls on regional climate; climate data collection and interpretation; coupled modes of climate variability and related teleconnections; paleoclimatology; climate change; extreme events; climate modeling frameworks; observed and anticipated climate change impacts.
GEOG 3423 - Urban Climatology
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Most of us live in cities and thus in urban-modified climates. In this course you?ll learn how and why cities can affect their immediate ? and possibly regional and global ? environments. You?ll also get experience with urban climate research via a project we will develop together as a class. You?ll draw on public documents and research papers, collect and analyze data, and collaborate with your colleagues (and your instructor) to bring the project to completion. The research and problem-solving skills you develop or refine in this course are ones you can draw on in your other courses and in your post-graduate career.
GEOG 3431 - Plant and Animal Geography
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 5431 (inactive)
The landscape is shaped by complex interactions among plants, animals, and the physical environment. Where, when, and why different organisms live and interact where they do is influenced by myriad interacting forces. This course aims to provide an opportunity to investigate some specific patterns on the landscape by examining changes over time and space, and among communities comprised of multiple species assemblages. In this course, we will explore a variety of topics, depending on student interests and skills, that relate to biogeography and interactions among the landscape and people. We will examine the different factors that influence population change and examine species interactions, including concepts of keystone species, disturbance/landscape ecology, and species conservation approaches. Principally, we will complete readings and activities that touch on emerging issues in biogeography such as pathways to improving public land management, the incorporation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into ecological restoration plans, wilderness and federal lands policy, and the increasing challenge of invasive species.
GEOG 3511 - Principles of Cartography
(4 cr; Prereq-3 cr in geog or instr consent; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 5511 (starting 20-JAN-15)
GEOG 3511/5511 is a basic introduction to cartography?the art, science, and technology of maps and map making. Our primary emphasis will be on map making, with lesser emphasis on cartographic research and the history of cartography. Lectures will focus on modern cartographic design principles, how they were developed, and how they might be changing. Lab assignments help develop skills using digital tools for producing effective maps. The course has several specific learning objectives: ? use software to create maps that communicate their subjects appropriately and effectively using sound cartographic design principles ? acquire or produce a base map that is appropriate in scale, projection, and generalization ? select and aggregate data appropriately to represent on a map using a suitable symbolization strategy ? gain an understanding of how current changes in technology impact maps and map making ? understand how fundamental design decisions might differ for printed maps and web/mobile maps ? understand how contemporary GIS and cartography are interrelated, including the use of GIS becoming ubiquitous and map making becoming increasingly available to anyone ? gain an appreciation for the 3,500+ year history of maps!
GEOG 3531 - Numerical Spatial Analysis
(4 cr; Prereq-high-school algebra; Basic stats and linear algebra recommended; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Summer)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 5531
"Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things." The First Law of Geography proposed by Waldo Tobler implies the complex yet fascinating nature of the geospatial world. Spatial analysis in order to understand geographic numbers is becoming increasingly necessary to support knowledge discovery and decision-making. The objective of this course is to teach the fundamental theory and quantitative methods within the scope of geospatial analysis. The course starts with basic statistics, matrix, the background of spatial analysis, and exploratory spatial data analysis. Then, we will dive into the special nature of our spatial world, with fundamental geographic ideas and theories being introduced. The focus will be on numerical methods and models including descriptive statistics, pattern analysis, interpolation, and regression models. Finally, some advanced topics regarding spatial complexities and spatial networks will be introduced to arouse further interest in this realm. To sum, this is an introductory course that makes use of quantitative analytics such as linear algebra, statistics, and econometrics for spatial data analysis. By taking this course you will: -quantitatively understand critical concepts behind geospatial processes, such as scale, spatial weights, spatial autocorrelation, spatial dependence, spatial pattern. -learn key methods of analyzing spatial data: e.g., point pattern analysis, spatial autocorrelation statistics, spatial prediction, and spatial regression. -examine the lectured methods/models with data from geographic scenarios using Python and related programming packages.
GEOG 3541 - Principles of Geocomputing
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 5541
The availability of computing infrastructures such as high-performance and cloud computing, high-speed networks, and rich data has led to a new scientific paradigm using computational approaches, termed computational science. Geocomputation is the "application of a computational science paradigm to study a wide range of problems in geographical and earth systems (the geo) contexts" (Openshaw, 2014). This course will introduce students to geocomputation as well as related areas including big spatial data, and cyberinfrastructure. Students will engage in hands-on exercises learning principles and best-practices in geocomputing. The ability to program is an essential skill for GIScientists. Learning to program takes time and a lot of practice, and in this course students will learn how to develop programs in the Python programming language to solve geospatial problems.
GEOG 3561 - Principles of Geographic Information Science
(4 cr; Prereq-soph., jr. sr.; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 5561 (starting 20-JAN-15)
Introduction to study of geographic information systems (GIS) for geography and non-geography students. Topics include GIS application domains, data models and sources, analysis methods, and output techniques. Lectures, readings, and hands-on experience with GIS software.
GEOG 3573 - Introduction to Digital Mapping: ArcGIS Basis
(2 cr; A-F only; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: GIS 5573 (starting 20-JAN-15)
Desktop mapping functions using ArcGIS software. Application of systems to display/analysis of geographical data.
GEOG 3581 - Field GIS
(3 cr; A-F only; offered Every Fall)
In this field-based course, students will be directly exploring principles of field scientific inquiry (circle of scientific logic) starting with exploring the landscape through field observations and converting those field observations into environmental geographic field research questions. What is it? What is significant about this location? Where is it located in relation to biophysical features? Why is it located here not in another location? How is this location related to other locations and its surrounding environments? Through these observations and research questions the process will guide students in building not only curiosity and better focused exploration and investigation of the landscape, but it will lead into the skill of building a hypothesis and answering a research question. Students carry out a variety of field measurements, identification, and analysis of environmental/geographic information to demonstrate how to solve environmental problems and make reasoned decisions. This hands-on course, through the circle of scientific logic process, introduces and implements field research techniques used in environmental and geographical sciences. Emphasis is placed on both theoretical and practical application of fundamental field methods. This course supports the integration of geospatial technologies for field research measurements. Geospatial technologies are a range of modern tools supporting geographic research, mapping, and analysis. Geospatial technologies are comprised of techniques such as Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), and Global Positioning System (GPS). This outdoor course will provide fundamental information on geospatial technologies and other environmental measurement tools and introduce students to resources that geospatial/environmental scientists use to collect spatial data and non-spatial in the field. Students will be transferring field data to and from desktop systems and will develop skills integrating fi
GEOG 3582 - Geographic Information Systems for Public Health (Topics course)
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
This course teaches the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) and its applications to public health. Through lectures, student-led discussions, and laboratory exercises, students will explore how GIS can be used to understand the relationships between people, their changing physical and social environments, and their health. Throughout the course, students will engage commonly used geospatial methods applied in public health for mapping and analyzing geographic variation.In particular, we will cover the following topics: health-related events, identifying disease clusters, investigating environmental health problems, and understanding the spread of communicable and infectious diseases such as West Nile and Lyme disease. Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to have sufficient background to become expert users of GIS applications in health-related fields.
GEOG 3605 - Geographic Perspectives on Planning
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall; may be repeated for 4 credits)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 3605W until 04-SEP-18
?We shape our buildings. Thereafter, our buildings shape us.? Winston Churchill. Plans and planning have been at the center of a struggle over our cities. The discipline evolved around critical urban problems and challenges ? poverty, disease, art, democracy, mobility ? and has continued to change along with our understanding of justice, value, and social good. This course is going to dive into the history and present debates in urban planning, and will include two fieldwork activities that contrast planning and practice in Minneapolis. We will look at why the discipline of urban planning was created, how it has evolved, what tools planners use, how it works legally (e.g. zoning) and politically (e.g. public meetings). At the end of the semester, you will have a good grasp of the history of planning in cities, why most plans fail, and the central importance of planning to capitalism, democracy, and combating larger social problems.
GEOG 3839 - Introduction to Dendrochronology
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 5839
Examination of past landscape histories are critical for assessing how environments change and identifying causal mechanisms. Tree-rings, the annual growth rings formed by trees growing in temperate regions, are an instrumental tool for elucidating changes over time. As biological entities, tree-rings are recorders of changes in their surroundings. The application of tree-rings to understand environmental change is called dendrochronology. Dendrochronology has played an important role in understanding past climates, disturbance regimes, and the history of Indigenous peoples (to name just a few applications). Its use has been critical to understanding pressing environmental issues such as 20th century global warming, the impacts of fire suppression on forested landscapes, the loss of the Black Forest in Europe (pollution), and the use/abandonment of archaeological sites (the Anasazi and Ojibwe). It is an exceedingly interesting analytical tool that has unique applications, but it isn?t as simple as counting the rings of trees to determine an age. In this course we will focus on the biology, theoretical principles, and operational techniques of dendrochronology and apply this knowledge toward understanding forest change. By the end of the course students will be able to conduct basic dendrochronological research and appreciate the advantages and limitations of this important tool. My aim is to expose you to the foundational science behind the field, provide you with some simple tools, and introduce you to the variety of applications to which tree-ring analysis can be applied by doing some dendrochronological research. We will apply the tools of dendrochronology toward understanding forest dynamics in a specific landscape to examine fire and tree growth patterns and the influence of climate and people on the forested environment. This course will be a mixture of lecture and hands-on data analysis. The primary approach for this course is the development of a group resea
GEOG 3900 - Topics in Geography (Topics course)
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring; may be repeated for 9 credits; may be repeated 3 times)
Special topics/regions covered by visiting professors in their research fields.
GEOG 3973 - Geography of the Twin Cities [SOCS]
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 3973W until 02-SEP-03, GEOG 1973, GEO 1009 (inactive, ending 07-SEP-99)
The University of Minnesota sits in the middle of a fascinating city, and in this class you will explore parts of that city in-depth. You will learn about the human geography of the Twin Cities, how they have developed in the past, and how they are changing. You will examine the settlement, economic change, social practices, and political events that have shaped the Twin Cities, learning how to look at this place through multiple and contesting perspectives. Through a combination of in-depth field work, applied research, readings, and discussion, you will learn about urban concepts like immigration, Native populations, poverty, homelessness, segregation, redlining, suburbanization, shifts in retail and jobs, zoning, transit, metropolitan governance, urban renewal, and more. The goal is to foster your critical reflection on important, contemporary challenges facing our metropolitan region, and develop a new way to look at your present home.
GEOG 3991 - Geography Capstone
(1 cr; S-N only; offered Every Fall & Spring)
The goals of this course are to help you reflect on your path through your Geography BA or BS major, assess the knowledge and skills you developed during your degree program, recognize how your knowledge and skills support your personal and professional interests and goals, and articulate the value of a geographic perspective for tackling complex social and environmental issues. The course is only open to students in their senior year.
GEOG 3992 - Directed Reading
(1 cr [max 8]; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring; may be repeated for 12 credits; may be repeated 12 times)
Guided individual reading. Prereq-instr consent, dept consent, college consent.
GEOG 3993 - Directed Studies
(1 cr [max 8]; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring; may be repeated for 12 credits; may be repeated 12 times)
Guided individual study. Prereq-instr consent, dept consent, college consent.
GEOG 3994 - Directed Research
(1 cr [max 8]; Student Option; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 12 credits; may be repeated 12 times)
Individual guided research. Prereq instr consent, dept consent, college consent.
GEOG 4001 - Modes of Geographic Inquiry
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring)
Examination of competing approaches to the study of geography. Environmental determinism; regional tradition; scientific revolution; behavioral geography; modeling and quantitative geography; radical geography; interpretive and qualitative approaches; feminist and postmodern geography; ecological thinking and complexity; geographic ethics.
GEOG 4002W - Environmental Thought and Practice [WI]
(3 cr; Prereq-Jr or sr; Student Option; offered Periodic Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 4002 until 05-SEP-00
Changing conceptions of nature, culture, and environment in Western social/political thought. How our understanding of humans/nonhumans has been transformed by scientific and technological practices. Interdisciplinary, reading intensive.
GEOG 5385 - Globalization and Development: Political Economy
(4 cr; Prereq-Sr or grad or instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Nature/scope of modern world system (capitalism), its impact on regional development processes. Roles of state and of international financial institutions.
GEOG 5401 - Introduction to Atmospheric Science
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: was ES 5421 until 24-MAY-04, was SOIL 5421 until 21-JAN-03, was SOIL 5401 until 07-SEP-99
Calculus-based, introductory description of the atmosphere including atmospheric dynamics, radiation, thermodynamics, chemical composition, and cloud processes. Discuss applications to climate, meteorology, the hydrologic cycle, air quality, and biogeochemical cycles.
GEOG 5401W - Geography of Environmental Systems and Global Change [ENV WI]
(3 cr; Prereq-grad student or instr c; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall; may be repeated for 4 credits)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 5401 until 18-JAN-22, GEOG 3401W (starting 02-SEP-03, was GEOG 3401 until 18-JAN-22, was GEOG 3401 until 05-SEP-00)
This course provides a basic foundation in environmental science and global change. Conceptualizing the environment as composed of ?systems? (as in the course name) is a common framework in the environmental sciences because it puts the focus on interactions and connections. The ?systems? we focus on in this class are the atmosphere (climate), the hydrosphere (water), the biosphere (plants), and the geosphere (land), along with their connections with human activities and decision-making. We approach the study of environmental systems through the lens of global climate change, which has the potential for far-reaching consequences that extend across environmental systems. You'll recognize how climate processes lead to the spatial patterns of climate that influence human activity (e.g., agriculture, recreation) and infrastructure (e.g., levees, building codes). You'll also learn how soils, landforms, and ecosystems affect and are affected by changes in climate and by decisions humans make about how to live on, and use, the land. Achieving consensus among us as to what should be done in response to environmental change (whether or not those changes are caused by humans) is not a goal of this course; rather, the goal is for you to feel equipped to critically evaluate the range of potential solutions, trade offs, and ethical questions that surround environmental issues. You?ll practice what you learn in this course by writing a ?consultant report? on the likely impacts of climate change on the human and environmental systems of a location of your choosing. You?ll draw on scholarly research, government documents, and your own analyses to create your report, which is written for a non-expert audience. This kind of writing is a common expectation of environmental scientists, consultants, or policymakers. A series of focused ?writing workshops? will support the research and writing process and the development of your final consultant report.
GEOG 5426 - Climatic Variations
(3 cr; Prereq-1425 or 3401 or instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall)
Theories of climatic fluctuations and change at decadal to centuries time scales; analysis of temporal and spatial fluctuations especially during the period of instrumental record.
GEOG 5511 - Principles of Cartography
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 3511 (starting 20-JAN-15)
GEOG 3511/5511 is a basic introduction to cartography?the art, science, and technology of maps and map making. Our primary emphasis will be on map making, with lesser emphasis on cartographic research and the history of cartography. Lectures will focus on modern cartographic design principles, how they were developed, and how they might be changing. Lab assignments help develop skills using digital tools for producing effective maps. The course has several specific learning objectives: ? use software to create maps that communicate their subjects appropriately and effectively using sound cartographic design principles ? acquire or produce a base map that is appropriate in scale, projection, and generalization ? select and aggregate data appropriately to represent on a map using a suitable symbolization strategy ? gain an understanding of how current changes in technology impact maps and map making ? understand how fundamental design decisions might differ for printed maps and web/mobile maps ? understand how contemporary GIS and cartography are interrelated, including the use of GIS becoming ubiquitous and map making becoming increasingly available to anyone ? gain an appreciation for the 3,500+ year history of maps!
GEOG 5531 - Numerical Spatial Analysis
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 3531 (starting 07-SEP-99)
Applied/theoretical aspects of geographical quantitative methods for spatial analysis. Emphasizes analysis of geographical data for spatial problem solving in human/physical areas.
GEOG 5533 - Advanced Spatial Analysis
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
What happens north, south, east, or west is very likely to be dependent on what is happening here. The uniqueness of geospatial information coming from both physical and human geography requires specialized theories and methods to tackle. Spatial analysis provides ways to approach complex spatial effects and to support geographic knowledge discovery. In this course, we will dive into several major topics in the field of quantitative spatial analysis, ranging from spatial statistics, point patterns, clustering, and spatial interpolation, to spatial regression analysis. Through in-person modules (lectures, reading activities, and labs) and a case study project, students will develop an in-depth understanding of spatial principles such as autocorrelation, scale, distance, and spatial associations. This is an advanced course for spatial analysis and geospatial data science that makes use of specialized linear algebra, statistical modeling, and computational skills.Students need a basic background in statistics to succeed in the course. If you have this background but have not taken one of the listed prerequisite courses, please contact the instructor for a permission number.
GEOG 5541 - Principles of Geocomputing
(3 cr; A-F or Audit; offered Every Spring)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 3541
The availability of computing infrastructures such as high-performance and cloud computing, high-speed networks, and rich data has led to a new scientific paradigm using computational science. Geocomputation is the "application of a computational science paradigm to study a wide range of problems in geographical and earth systems (the geo) contexts" (Openshaw, 2014). This course will introduce students to geocomputation as well as related areas including big spatial data, and cyberinfrastructure. Students will engage in hands-on-exercises learning principles and best-practices in geocomputing. The ability to program is an essential skill for GIScientists. Learning to program takes time and a lost of practice, and in this course students will learn how to develop programs in the Python programming language to solve geospatial problems.
GEOG 5543 - Advanced Geocomputing
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
The availability of computing infrastructures such as high-performance and cloud computing, highspeed networks, and rich data has led to a new scientific paradigm using computational approaches, termed computational science. Geocomputation is the "application of a computational science paradigm to study a wide range of problems in geographical and earth systems (the geo) contexts" (Openshaw, 2014). This course will delve into advanced topics in geocomputation as well as related areas ranging from geographic information and spatial big data to cyberinfrastructure and parallel computation. Students will engage in hands-on exercises learning principles and best practices in geocomputing while using cutting-edge computational infrastructures.
GEOG 5561 - Principles of Geographic Information Science
(4 cr; Prereq-grad; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 3561 (starting 20-JAN-15)
Introduction to the study of geographic information systems (GIS) for geography and non-geography students. Topics include GIS application domains, data models and sources, analysis methods and output techniques. Lectures, reading, and hands-on experience with GIS software.
GEOG 5562 - GIS Development Practicum
(3 cr; Prereq-GIS 5571 or instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall)
Algorithms/data structures for digital cartographic data, topological relationships, surface modeling, and interpolation. Map projections, geometric transformations, numerical generalization, raster/vector processing. Hands-on experience with software packages.
GEOG 5563 - Advanced Geographic Information Science
(3 cr; Prereq-B or better in 3561 or 5561 or instr consent; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring)
Advanced study of geographic information systems (GIS). Topics include spatial data models, topology, data encoding, data quality, database management, spatial analysis tools and visualization techniques. Hands-on experience using an advanced vector GIS package.
GEOG 5564 - Urban Geographic Information Science and Analysis
(3 cr; Prereq-3561 or 5561; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall)
Core concepts in urban geographic information science including sources for urban geographical and attribute data (including census data), urban data structures (focusing on the TIGER data structure), urban spatial analyses (including location-allocation models), geodemographic analysis, network analysis, and the display of urban data.
GEOG 5588 - Advanced Geovisualization
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
The generation and use of geographic information has become an integral part of our daily life, science, and technology. This has led to increasing interest in the design and development of interactive maps and dynamic geographic visualizations in 2D, 3D, and Web environments. The Advanced Geovisualization course intends to equip students with the knowledge and advanced technical skills needed to design and implement effective maps and create dynamic and interactive visualizations using geospatial data sets.
GEOG 5839 - Introduction to Dendrochronology
(4 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: GEOG 3839 (starting 20-JAN-15)
Examination of past landscape histories are critical for assessing how environments change and identifying causal mechanisms. Tree-rings, the annual growth rings formed by trees growing in temperate regions, are an instrumental tool for elucidating changes over time. As biological entities, tree-rings are recorders of changes in their surroundings. The application of tree-rings to understand environmental change is called dendrochronology. Dendrochronology has played an important role in understanding past climates, disturbance regimes, and the history of Indigenous peoples (to name just a few applications). Its use has been critical to understanding pressing environmental issues such as 20th century global warming, the impacts of fire suppression on forested landscapes, the loss of the Black Forest in Europe (pollution), and the use/abandonment of archaeological sites (the Anasazi and Ojibwe). It is an exceedingly interesting analytical tool that has unique applications, but it isn?t as simple as counting the rings of trees to determine an age. In this course we will focus on the biology, theoretical principles, and operational techniques of dendrochronology and apply this knowledge toward understanding forest change. By the end of the course students will be able to conduct basic dendrochronological research and appreciate the advantages and limitations of this important tool. My aim is to expose you to the foundational science behind the field, provide you with some simple tools, and introduce you to the variety of applications to which tree-ring analysis can be applied by doing some dendrochronological research. We will apply the tools of dendrochronology toward understanding forest dynamics in a specific landscape to examine fire and tree growth patterns and the influence of climate and people on the forested environment. This course will be a mixture of lecture and hands-on data analysis. The primary approach for this course is the development of a group resea
GEOG 5900 - Topics in Geography (Topics course)
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring; may be repeated for 9 credits; may be repeated 3 times)
Special topics and regions. Course offered by visiting professors in their research fields.
GEOG 8001 - Problems in Geographic Thought
(3 cr; A-F or Audit; offered Periodic Fall)
Currents of geographic thought in biophysical, GIS, human, cultural, and human-environment subfields. Focuses on concepts/paradigms through which geographers have attempted to unify/codify the discipline, around which debate has flourished, and about which interdisciplinary histories can be traced.
GEOG 8002 - Research Methods in Geography
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Seminar. Overview of research designs/methods in geography. Relationships between different research paradigms (modes of inquiry), research designs, and methods. Critical readings. Analyses of research projects.
GEOG 8005 - Proseminar: Population Geography
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Conceptual literature and empirical studies on fertility, mortality, and migrations in different parts of the world.
GEOG 8006 - Proseminar: Research Methods in Geography
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Introduction to research design, strategies, methods of data collection, analysis, interpretation, and representation in contemporary geographic research.
GEOG 8007 - Proseminar: Theories of Development and Change
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Recent research themes and questions in geography and related social sciences on Third World development; development theories, conceptually grounded case studies, and grassroots-based research.
GEOG 8020 - Research Seminar: Economic Geography
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Contemporary research. Advanced topics, which vary with interests of faculty offering course.
GEOG 8101 - Proseminar: Nature and Society
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8001 until 03-SEP-02
Interconnectedness of environment and people, nature and society. Conceptual literature and empirical studies in human/cultural/political ecology.
GEOG 8102 - Proseminar: The State, the Economy, and Spatial Development
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8002 until 21-JAN-03
Introduction to research in economic, political, and urban geography: conceptual research addressing interrelationship between political and economic processes and spatial dynamics of urban and regional development; empirical research documenting nature and extent of this interrelationship at different spatial scales.
GEOG 8103 - Proseminar: Physical Geography
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8004 until 21-JAN-03
Historical development of research in physical geography, current research trends, and transfer of current research to undergraduate education.
GEOG 8105 - Proseminar: Historical Geography
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8003 until 21-JAN-03
Introduction to conceptual research and empirical studies.
GEOG 8106 - Seminar: Social and Cultural Geography
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8310 until 21-JAN-03
Role of space and place in constitution of social and cultural life, social relations, and social identities; class, space, and place; geography of race and racism; environmental racism; geography of gender and sexuality; nationalism, national identity, and territory.
GEOG 8107 - Geographic Writing
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; S-N or Audit; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8300 until 21-JAN-03
Analysis of organization and presentation of geographic research. Critiques of selected examples of geographic writing.
GEOG 8200 - Seminar: Urban Geography
(2 cr [max 3]; A-F or Audit; offered Periodic Spring; may be repeated for 3 credits)
Contemporary research. Topics vary with the interests of faculty.
GEOG 8201 - Explorations in the Geography of Minnesota
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; S-N or Audit; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Physical environment, agriculture, forestry, mining, land survey, population, recreation, cities/towns, transportation. Sources of information about the state. Students make short oral/written reports. Might provide springboard for a Plan B paper, thesis, or dissertation. Two or three Saturday field trips.
GEOG 8211 - Federal Policy Research
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Every Fall)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8344 until 21-JAN-03
U.S. environmental policies at federal/state level. Policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. This seminar provides students with the necessary information to carry out independent research into public policy and will add unfamiliar sources to their research bibliographies. Descriptive and analytical rather than theoretical, and illustrative rather than comprehensive, it gives both social scientists and biophysical scientists additional perspective to their personal research and adds an important dimension to their analysis. It will allow them to find, describe, critically review, and communicate those aspects of federal policy of concern. Students are encouraged to choose areas of policy coinciding with their areas of research.
GEOG 8212 - Africa
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8140 until 21-JAN-03
Advanced topics. Topics vary with interests of faculty offering course.
GEOG 8213 - East Asia and China
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8200 until 21-JAN-03
Contemporary research, advanced topics. Topics vary with interests of faculty offering course.
GEOG 8214 - South Asia
(3 cr; Student Option)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8210 until 21-JAN-03
Advanced topics. Topics vary with interests of faculty offering course.
GEOG 8220 - Agrarian Change and Rural Development
(3 cr; A-F or Audit; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8335 until 21-JAN-03
Contours of agricultural/rural development in Third World. Theories of agrarian transformation and of rural development. Role of agriculture in economic development. Peasant economy. Nature/role of state intervention in rural sector.
GEOG 8230 - Theoretical Geography
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8010 until 21-JAN-03
Advanced topics. Topics vary with interests of faculty offering course. Contemporary theoretical/philosophical themes transcending subdisciplines of human/physical geography.
GEOG 8240 - Medical Geography
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8380 until 21-JAN-03
Geographic inquiry concerning selected problems of health and health care.
GEOG 8260 - Seminar: Physical Geography
(2 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring; may be repeated for 3 credits)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8400 until 21-JAN-03
Topics of contemporary research. Topics vary with interests of faculty offering course.
GEOG 8270 - Seminar: Climatology
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option No Audit; offered Fall Odd Year)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8420 until 21-JAN-03
Sample topics: climate modeling; climatic variability; climate change and predictability; severe local storms; drought; energy balance; urban climate; statistical climatology.
GEOG 8280 - Biogeography (Topics course)
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Every Fall; may be repeated for 9 credits; may be repeated 3 times)
Forest dynamics, dendrochronology, tree rings and climate, environmental disturbance, paleobiogeography, field/lab methods in biogeography.
GEOG 8290 - Seminar in GIS and Cartography
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8510 until 21-JAN-03
Selected concepts/methods. Topics, which vary yearly, include spatial analysis methods in GIS; advanced visualization methods; data quality and error propagation in GIS; generalization methods in GIS and cartography; role of time in GIS; interactive/animated cartography; incorporation of uncertainty.
GEOG 8291 - Seminar in GIS, Technology, and Society
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Equivalent courses: was GEOG 8520 until 21-JAN-03
Relationships between practice of GIS and political, economic, legal, institutional structures of society. Effects of GIS on society. Nontraditional spaces in GIS. GIS and local decision making. Privacy issues.
GEOG 8292 - Seminar in GIS: Spatial Analysis and Modeling
(3 cr; Prereq-3511 [or equiv statistics course], [3561 or 5561 or equiv intro GIS course] or instr consent; Student Option; offered Spring Even Year)
Overview of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis/modeling of human/environmental systems. Spatial statistics, modeling spatiotemporal processes, simulation techniques, visualization, complex systems/complexity. Guidance in thesis/dissertation research.
GEOG 8293 - CyberGIS
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Every Spring)
Just as physical infrastructure provides services such as electricity, plumbing, and road networks to communities across the world, cyberinfrastructure has emerged to provide computational services and capabilities to scientific communities. Cyberinfrastructure integrates high-performance computing, digital sensors, virtual organizations, and software tools and services to facilitate computationally-intensive and collaborative scientific research. CyberGIS, broadly defined as cyberinfrastructure-based geographic information systems, integrates cyberinfrastructure, geographic information systems (GIS), and spatial analysis to enable collaborative geographic problem solving. This course will delve into advanced topics within the context of cyberGIS and related technologies. Particular emphasis will be placed on raster data processing including a broad introduction to raster data, cartographic modeling, and raster data manipulation. We will situate raster data processing in the broader context of geographic information science and cyberGIS focusing on the how synthesizing computational thinking and spatial thinking influence methodological approaches. Students will be expected to draw on their own experiences and backgrounds to enhance discussions, labs, and research projects. Students will gain hands-on experience developing methods to analyze and manipulate raster data.
GEOG 8294 - Spatiotemporal Modeling and Simulation
(3 cr; Student Option; offered Periodic Spring)
Many geographic, societal, and environmental phenomena as well as biological and ecological systems involve dynamic processes that are changing in space and time. Examples include hurricanes, animal migrations, spread of diseases, human mobility and population dynamics. Movement is a key to understanding the underlying mechanisms of these dynamic processes. Today, the availability of an unprecedented amount of movement observations at ne spatial and temporal granularities has resulted in substantial advances in GISciences approaches for the analysis, modeling, and simulation of movement and its patterns. Spatiotemporal models and simulation techniques are often used to analyze and better understand the patterns of spatiotemporal processes, and to assess their behavioral responses in varying environmental conditions. This seminar introduces students to the concepts of spatiotemporal processes and patterns. We review existing methods for modeling and simulation of spatiotemporal phenomena, especially movement. Students will develop computational skills to model a phenomena of their choice and create simulations.
GEOG 8301 - Advanced Qualitative Methods
(3 cr; A-F or Audit; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Techniques available to scholars who use qualitative methods. Participant observation. Formal/informal interviews: life/oral histories, focus interviews. Documentary and material culture analysis. Practical experience, theoretical/ethical questions.
GEOG 8302 - Research Development
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; S-N or Audit; offered Periodic Fall)
Students in geography and related social sciences are guided in key steps to effective research proposal writing.
GEOG 8333 - FTE: Masters
(1 cr; Prereq-Master's student, adviser and DGS consent; No Grade Associated; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; 6 academic progress units; 6 financial aid progress units)
(No description)
GEOG 8336 - Development Theory and the State
(3 cr; A-F or Audit; offered Every Spring)
Why certain interventionist states in third world countries have been able to guide their economies to overcome legacy of underdevelopment while most have failed to induce development. Internal/external conditions that facilitated such departure from underdevelopment. Comparative national/provincial case studies: Taiwan, South Korea, Botswana, Brazil, India. Applying theoretical approaches to policy issues.
GEOG 8350 - Seminar: World Population
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Contemporary research in world population development and problems. Topics vary with interests of faculty offering course.
GEOG 8405 - Seminar: Graduate Student Professional Development
(1 cr; Prereq-Geography grad student; S-N or Audit; offered Periodic Fall & Spring; may be repeated for 2 credits; may be repeated 2 times)
Strategies for success in graduate program. Preparation for a career as a geographer. Completing/defending the dissertation. Publishing, job search, tenure process, oral presentations, non-academic career paths.
GEOG 8420 - Teaching Practicum
(1 cr; Prereq-[Geog or MGIS] grad student or instr consent; S-N or Audit; offered Every Fall & Spring; may be repeated for 3 credits; may be repeated 3 times)
Teaching methodologies, learning objectives, course content, classroom techniques, student/course evaluation. Specific application to instruction in Geography.
GEOG 8444 - FTE: Doctoral
(1 cr; Prereq-Doctoral student, adviser and DGS consent; No Grade Associated; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; 6 academic progress units; 6 financial aid progress units)
(No description)
GEOG 8666 - Doctoral Pre-Thesis Credits
(1 cr [max 6]; Prereq-Doctoral student who has not passed prelim oral; no required consent for 1st/2nd registrations, up to 12 combined cr; dept consent for 3rd/4th registrations, up to 24 combined cr; doctoral student admitted before summer 2007 may register up to four times, up to 60 combined cr; No Grade Associated; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 12 credits; may be repeated 2 times)
tbd
GEOG 8777 - Thesis Credits: Master's
(1 cr [max 18]; Prereq-Max 18 cr per semester or summer; 10 cr total required [Plan A only]; No Grade Associated; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 50 credits; may be repeated 10 times)
(No description)
GEOG 8800 - Seminar: Development of Geographic Thought
(3 cr; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Periodic Fall & Spring)
Topics vary with interests of faculty offering course.
GEOG 8888 - Thesis Credit: Doctoral
(1 cr [max 24]; Prereq-Max 18 cr per semester or summer; 24 cr required; No Grade Associated; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 100 credits; may be repeated 10 times)
(No description)
GEOG 8970 - Directed Readings
(1 cr [max 5]; Prereq-dept consent; Student Option; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 10 credits; may be repeated 2 times)
tbd
GEOG 8980 - Topics: Geography (Topics course)
(1 cr [max 3]; Prereq-instr consent; Student Option; offered Every Fall & Spring; may be repeated for 30 credits; may be repeated 10 times)
Seminar offered by visiting or regular faculty. Topics vary with interests of faculty.
GEOG 8990 - Research Problems in Geography
(1 cr [max 5]; Prereq-dept consent; Student Option; offered Every Fall, Spring & Summer; may be repeated for 10 credits; may be repeated 2 times)
Individual research projects.

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