Geography

Units: 1

Overview of contemporary sustainability issues, including systems thinking, justice, integration, acting for positive change, and sustainability knowledge (species extinction, resource depletion, pollution, and climate change among others). Students examine challenges and opportunities of pursuing sustainable behavior in a changing world. (Same as Environmental Studies 201.)

Units: 1

Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSSA)

Introduction to our earth as home to people and place through geographic approaches that analyze cultural, societal, economic, political, and environmental change. Topics include: human dimensions of climate change; sustainability; spatial analysis techniques and theories; population distributions and migration; cultural geographies; global economic development and its distribution; urbanization; political geography; and human-environment relations. (Same as Global Studies 210.)

Units: 1

Study of the local environments and protected areas within the James River watershed. Explores the natural and human connections that define the resource challenges and opportunities within this urban watershed. (Same as Environmental Studies 215)

Units: 1

Ecotourism integrates environmental protection, education, empowerment, local livelihoods, and responsible travel. The study of ecotourism allows students to document and analyze complex interactions between society and nature. (Same as Environmental Studies 220)

Units: 1

Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSNB)

Basic concepts of earth systems science and physical geography. Topics include: introduction to mapping, GIS and remote sensing; weather and climate; drought, floods, and environmental hydrology; earthquakes, volcanos, landforms and geomorphology; and the interactions of all of the above with humans and the earth¿s biota. Climate change and the spatial inequalities in environmental pollution and resources are emphasized. (Same as Environmental Studies 250.)

Units: 1

Introduces the data and technology underlying quantitative spatial analysis. Covers foundational concepts of geospatial data (raster, vector, coordinate systems, map projections, scale, symbology and metadata) and introduces students to geospatial technology (GIS, GPS, remote sensing, web and mobile mapping). Uses spatial data from multiple national and international data platforms (e.g. USGS, Census Bureau, CDC, UN) to create maps and perform basic spatial analysis. Use the ESRI Suite of products as well as open-source programs to create and manipulate spatial data. Introduction to concepts of map reading and design.

Units: .25-1

May be repeated when topics vary.

Units: 1

Applied science that focuses on the development, consequences, and management of environmental patterns. These patterns include the spatial distributions of species and the environment resources upon which they depend. Attention is paid to the importance of scale in natural resource management. Landscape ecology also emphasizes the role of humans in the environment. (Same as Environmental Studies 315 and Biology 315.)

GEOG/ENVR 250, ENVR/GEOG 201, BIOL 207, or permission of instructor

Units: 1

Analyses of and explorations into the spatial dimensions and geographic characteristics of global, regional, and local political change; and the political economy and ecology of globalization. Topics include: imperialism; world systems theory; nationalism; regionalism; electoral geography; race, class and gender; political economy of trade and foreign aid; and political ecology.

GEOG 210 or PLSC 240 or 250 or GS 210 or permission of instructor.

Units: 1

Latin America is a culturally and ecologically diverse region with historical and contemporary connections to locations around the world, including Richmond, Virginia. Documenting the movement of people and flows of ideas, goods, and services, this course analyzes the political economy and ecology of transnational networks in areas such as immigration, security, transportation, communication, energy, and commerce while examining place-based consequences in local communities.

GEOG/GS 210 or GS 290

Units: 1

Explores the contradictions and connections of Amazonia. Considers the region's importance and relevance to the rest of the world through a study of the ecologies, histories, and geographies of Amazonia. Looks at the Amazon basin as much more than the world's greatest rainforest, richest reserve of biological and cultural diversity, and largest source of fresh water flow. Same as ENVR 333.

GS/GEOG 210 or GS 290 or ENVR/GEOG 201 or permission of instructor.

Units: 1

Applies geography's human-environment tradition to examine environmental, social, cultural, and economic dimensions of sustainability and sustainable development. Examinations into foundations and theories behind the concept of sustainable development, discussions and debates about its real-world applicability, and explorations into case studies addressing relationships and contradictions between human desires for material well-being, environmental protection, and maintenance of cultural and/or social traditions.

ENVR/GEOG 201, GEOG 210, GS 210, or GS290 or permission of instructor.

Units: 1

Concepts of image acquisition, image interpretation, and satellite remote sensing. Includes electromagnetic spectrum concepts, acquisition of image data, visual characteristics of vegetation and landforms, image interpretation, classification and transformation, and integration of remotely sensed imagery into other spatial analysis systems. Student research projects. (Same as Environmental Studies 360.)

ENVR/GEOG 260 or permission of instructor.

Units: 1

Advanced topics in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) theory, application, and analysis. Topics include use of Model Builder, analysis of aerial imagery and LiDAR data, use of 3D Analyst and ArcScene, and use of Network Analyst and topologies. Emphasis on practical and real-world applications of GIS for biological, environmental, and social science issues, culminating in student projects. This course may be repeated as specific course material frequently changes. (Same as Environmental Studies 365).

ENVR/GEOG 260.

Units: 1

Geographic perspectives on economic development and spatial analysis of trends in the global economy. Topics include: natural resource location and distribution; commodity flows and chains; technological change and diffusion; international trade; entrepreneurship and innovation; industrial location theory; social and cultural dimensions of development; geographies of labor; and regional development theories and trends.

GEOG 210 or ECON 101 and 102 or GS 210 or permission of instructor.

Units: .25-1

May be repeated when topics vary.

Units: .25-1

Supervised independent work. No more than 1.5 units of internship in any one department and 3.5 units of internship overall may be counted toward required degree units.

Permission of supervising instructor.

Units: .5-1

Topics independently pursued under supervision of a faculty member. May be repeated twice for a total of up to two units.

Permission of instructor.

Units: 1

Capstone course is the culmination of the Geography major. The primary objective is to further develop students' ability to conduct geographic research through the practical application of geographic methods and theory. Students will synthesize their knowledge of geography with an individual thesis or group project.

GEOG/ENVR 201, GEOG/GS 210, GEOG/ENVR 250, GEOG/ENVR 260, and two 300-level GEOG courses or permission of instructor

Units: 0

Documentation of the work of students who receive summer fellowships to conduct research [or produce a creative arts project] in the summer. The work must take place over a minimum of 8 weeks, the student must engage in the project full-time (at least 40 hours per week) during this period, and the student must be the recipient of a fellowship through the university. Graded S/U.

Approval for summer Arts and Sciences fellowship by faculty mentor