Geography (GEOG)
Global survey of human environment interactions focusing on people’s use of natural resources and major related issues, including scarcity and environmental impacts. Comparisons between developing and developed countries and across cultures.
Cultural geography of race, ethnicity, gender and political systems. Emphasis on processes that create and maintain cultures and the geographies that these processes produce. Offered in spring.
Introduction to humanistic geography through an examination of the foundational geographical concepts of place and human identity. ‘Place’, and its close corollary ‘identity’, are explored chronologically beginning with the philosopher-geographers of ancient Greece and Rome, through to modern social and political philosophies of the 19th and 20th centuries. Cross cultural examples are used to illustrate the nature of place as a fundamental element of everyday human experience of the world.
Introduction to the scientific concepts, principles, and methodologies that underlie environmental change and environmental sustainability. Emphasis on the spatial scale and interconnection of multiple environmental processes, the effects of human activities on environmental processes, and the technical and scientific methods for their assessment and analysis.
Spatial patterns of environmental, cultural, social, economic and political developments in selected regions of the world. Emphasis on developed and less developed parts of the world.
Investigation of problems that have arisen through human use of earth’s resources, and the technical, economic, policy, and social options available to us. Offered in fall, spring.
Location of economic activities in different environmental settings. The growth of global economic interdependence. Economic growth and development strategies in a regional framework. Economic versus environmental trade-offs. Offered in summer.
Introduction to the geographical distribution of select contemporary diseases and their relationships to other health care issues. Distribution of, and access to, scarce health care resources along with impacts of gender, race, and class on human life chances at global (especially developed versus developing countries), regional and local (such as urban versus rural) scales are evaluated.
Political boundaries of the world map. Covers violent conflicts from which countries were formed. Colonization (1400-1900), decolonization (1800- 1970) and the Cold War are discussed. Offered in fall, spring. Prereq: ENGL 110.
Hnrs:Political Geography. Offered in fall.
City development is described and explained in a global context. The US city system is explained and compared to European, Asian and African urban systems. Contemporary city problems (gentrification, urban decline, segregation, etc.) are discussed.
Using a geographical basis, the course will examine a variety of topics, including landscapes of modern sport; place and space in sport; institutions and spatial organization of sport; and sport, politics and development. Offered periodically.
An investigation of the areal distribution of recreation and tourist activities and their positive and negative impacts; emphasis on environmental and economic aspects of leisure within a locational framework. Planning methodology to alleviate problems and create higher-quality recreational experiences. Offered infrequently.
Study of the Earth’s physical environment, including atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere. Viewing the Earth as an integrated system, global patterns and processes are analyzed. Offered annually.
Using London as the core of the class, students will be introduced to basic geographic concepts and methods of analysis. Despite the focus on one city, London, the course will take a thematic approach towards geographical inquiry (map interpretation, urban planning, migration, segregation, industrial development, political geography and empire building) London's twentieth century industrial decline will be used to illustrate broader themes of global economic competition.
Introduction to the geography of Pennsylvania, using the tools and concepts of regional geography. Physical, cultural and economic landscapes and resulting social and environmental issues are examined.
The course uses a thematic approach to examine many of the subfields of geography as they pertain to Africa. Topics include the physical landscape, climate, vegetation, environmental issues, precolonial and colonial history, politics, culture, population, urbanization, agricultural and economic development, and medical gender issues. Offered periodically.
Transportation is defined as the movement of goods and people from place to place. This course introduces the principles underlying these movements, with discussion of the economic, social and environmental impacts. Offered periodically.
Experimental Course in Geography
Thorough examination of maps as tools for representing Earth dimensions, depicting landscapes and displaying data. Use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping software to make a variety of effective maps.
Introduction to the theory, process, and methodology used to collect and analyze data, and conduct and communicate research within the multidisciplinary context of geographic inquiry.
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer technology, theory, and methodology focusing on vector data models. Combines understanding of geographic data and research with experience in digital mapping, geographic databases, and spatial analysis. Offered in fall, spring. Prereq: GEOG 281.
Introduce students to the fundamental concepts of Raster GIS. Topics will include: the physical basis for remote sensing, the extraction of information contained within energy, remote sensing instrumentation, aerial photography, photogrammetry, digital image processing, data structure, database design, and spatial data analysis. Land-based environmental resources and sustainability applications.
Assignment with a public agency or private organization. Requirements include design of an approved job description relevant to employer’s functions and student’s program, and a planned program of contact with the faculty supervisor. Performance evaluation by sponsor used in assigning satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade.
Examines the attendant economic, social and environmental impacts of our food system. Key areas of policy influence on our food system and sustainable interventions for transforming our food system will also be addressed. Offered periodically. Prereq: ENGL 110; GEOG 101 or GEOG 130 or GEOG 202 or permission of instructor.
Explores energy production and consumption from geographic and sustainability perspectives. The social, economic and environmental impacts of traditional and alternative energy resources will be examined. Options for a sustainable energy future in different geographic locations will be addressed. Offered periodically. Prereq: ENGL 110; GEOG 101 or GEOG 202 or permission of instructor.
Federal environmental legislation; the relationship between local, state and federal agencies in policy formation and implementation; industry responsibilities and options under existing law; the role of interest groups and the public in environmental decision making and U.S. engagement in emerging international environmental policy debates. Offered in fall of odd years. Prereq: junior or senior status; GEOG 101 or 202 or GOVT 205 or ECON 102 or permission of instructor.
Introduction to Western Europe as a region. Emphasis on its delimitation and cultural, economic and political spatial patterns relating to the desire to form a European community. Europe within a global framework also considered. Offered in winter, spring, summer. Prereq: ENGL 110.
A thematic study of the physiographic and cultural regions of Latin America and the Caribbean. Historical, economic, political, social, and environmental geography approaches to studying regional characteristics. Select topics include population change, land use change, urban development, economic development, environmental sustainability, and human rights. Offered periodically. Prereq: COMM100; ENGL110; and junior or senior status.
Geography of the U.S. and Canada using the tools and concepts of regional geography. Physical, population and economic patterns are merged in developing an understanding of regional characteristics and issues.
Issues related to urban, cultural and resource problems are analyzed globally. Emphasis on spatial nature of these problems and emerging global interdependence. Focus on a single current issue, which will be identified in advertised course title. Offered periodically.
Introduction to land use and other types of planning in urban and rural areas. Assessment of development suitability and environmental impact. Techniques for implementing different types of plans. Offered annually.
Experimental
Integrate GIS and Web development technologies. Implement data compilation and map design decisions to support an organization's internal and public information flows. Incorporate interactive maps and information retrieval to enhance Web content. Prerequisites: GEOG 295 or ESCI 281, and DESN 247 or CSCI 121.
Analyze and construct GIS-based models of various geographical scenarios. Strategize spatial and temporal problem solving in environmental, transportation, emergency management and other contexts. Adapt some models to computer algorithms used within GIS software. Prerequisites: GEOG 295 or ESCI 281, and GEOG 296, and CSCI 161 or ESCI 282, or permission. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
Fully explore the GIS geodatabase model and related data structures, and how they encapsulate all data types, characteristics and capabilities. Assess data quality and long-term data management issues.
Assignment with a public agency or private organization. Requirements include design of an approved job description relevant to employer’s functions and student’s program, and a planned program of contact with the faculty supervisor. Performance evaluation by sponsor used in assigning satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade.
Global political and economic forces and environmental change. Emphasis on spatial patterns and processes of transboundary environmental problems, the major pieces of international environmental policy, the negotiations process between states and nonstate actors in policy formation and implemention, and the dynamics of North-South relations on the changing physical landscape. Offered in spring of even years. Prereq: junior or senior status; ENGL 110, GEOG 307 or permission of instructor.
Experimental
Investigation of selected topic with individual research assignment; focus varies but related to geographical analysis. For senior Geography majors only. Prereq: senior standing and completion of basic courses. Offered as needed.
Investigation of selected topic with individual research assignment; focus varies but related to geographical analysis. Prereq: senior standing and completion of basic courses and eligibility for departmental honors. See Special Academic Opportunities, Departmental Honors section of this catalog.
Investigation of selected topic with individual research assignment; focus varies.
Investigation of selected topic with individual research assignment; focus varies but related to geographical analysis. Prereq: senior standing and completion of basic courses and eligibility for departmental honors. See Special Academic Opportunities, Departmental Honors section of this catalog.
Co-Op Ed Experience in Geog
Experimental