Geography
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Department Information
Geography
Todd Lookingbill, Chair
Associate Professors Finley-Brook, Lookingbill, Salisbury
Assistant Professor Spera
Director of Spatial Analysis Laboratory HuangIn the Department of Geography and the Environment, we seek to explore and understand cultural, biophysical, and geospatial environments, and their interactions and transformations, thereby empowering our students to shape a just and sustainable world.
Geography courses address a range of important issues like global climate change, industrialization, globalization, resource management, agricultural change, urbanization, land use, deforestation and hydrology. Geographers emphasize the study of space, place, pattern and scale within these interconnected topics.
Geographers encourage students to explore the Earth’s human and natural processes through critical thinking, spatial theory and geospatial technology. Our classes stress active learning. Natural science courses feature laboratory components that clarify the complexities of the Earth. Participatory social science classes focus on how humans interact with their surroundings and each other. Theories of space, place, pattern and scale deconstruct processes at the macro, meso and micro levels, helping students understand global-local connections.
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Major
The Geography Major
Note: No grade below a C- (1.70) will be allowed for credit within the major.
10 units, including:
Introduction to Sustainability
Planet Earth: People and Place
Planet Earth: Wind, Water, Fire
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Introduction to Statistical Modeling (or equivalent research methods course, with approval of department)
Geography Capstone
Four units in electives, which must include an approved experiential learning component (internship, field work, study abroad). Three of the electives must be at the 300 level or higher.
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Minor
The Geography Minor
Note: No grade below a C- (1.70) will be allowed for credit within the minor.
Six units, including:
Planet Earth: People and Place
Planet Earth: Wind, Water, Fire
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Three units of electives in geography, to include no more than one unit of
nor more than a half unit of .
Courses
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GEOG 201 Introduction to Sustainability
Units: 1
DescriptionOverview 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.)
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GEOG 210 Planet Earth: People and Place
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSSA)
DescriptionIntroduction 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.)
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GEOG 215 Geography of the James River Watershed
Units: 1
DescriptionStudy 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)
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GEOG 220 Ecotourism
Units: 1
DescriptionEcotourism 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)
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GEOG 250 Planet Earth: Wind, Water, Fire
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSNB)
DescriptionBasic 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.)
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GEOG 260 Foundations of Geospatial Analysis
Units: 1
DescriptionIntroduces 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.
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GEOG 280 Selected Topics
Units: .25-1
DescriptionMay be repeated when topics vary.
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GEOG 315 Landscape Ecology
Units: 1
DescriptionApplied 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.)
PrerequisitesGEOG/ENVR 250, ENVR/GEOG 201, BIOL 207, or permission of instructor
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GEOG 320 Power, Space, and Territory: Geographies of Political Change
Units: 1
DescriptionAnalyses 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.
PrerequisitesGEOG 210 or PLSC 240 or 250 or GS 210 or permission of instructor.
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GEOG 325 Latin American Geographies: Transnational and Local Connections
Units: 1
DescriptionLatin 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.
PrerequisitesGEOG/GS 210 or GS 290
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GEOG 333 Geographies of Amazonia
Units: 1
DescriptionExplores 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.
PrerequisitesGS/GEOG 210 or GS 290 or ENVR/GEOG 201 or permission of instructor.
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GEOG 345 Global Sustainability: Society, Economy, Nature
Units: 1
DescriptionApplies 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.
PrerequisitesENVR/GEOG 201, GEOG 210, GS 210, or GS290 or permission of instructor.
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GEOG 360 Environmental Remote Sensing
Units: 1
DescriptionConcepts 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.)
PrerequisitesENVR/GEOG 260 or permission of instructor.
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GEOG 365 Advanced Spatial Analysis
Units: 1
DescriptionAdvanced 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).
PrerequisitesENVR/GEOG 260.
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GEOG 370 Geographies of Economic Development and Globalization
Units: 1
DescriptionGeographic 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.
PrerequisitesGEOG 210 or ECON 101 and 102 or GS 210 or permission of instructor.
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GEOG 380 Selected Topics
Units: .25-1
DescriptionMay be repeated when topics vary.
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GEOG 388 Individual Internship
Units: .25-1
DescriptionSupervised 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.
PrerequisitesPermission of supervising instructor.
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GEOG 390 Independent Study
Units: .5-1
DescriptionTopics independently pursued under supervision of a faculty member. May be repeated twice for a total of up to two units.
PrerequisitesPermission of instructor.
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GEOG 401 Geography Capstone
Units: 1
DescriptionCapstone 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.
PrerequisitesGEOG/ENVR 201, GEOG/GS 210, GEOG/ENVR 250, GEOG/ENVR 260, and two 300-level GEOG courses or permission of instructor
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GEOG 406 Summer Undergraduate Research
Units: 0
DescriptionDocumentation 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.
PrerequisitesApproval for summer Arts and Sciences fellowship by faculty mentor