Courses
Geography professors offer exciting courses on 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 connections.
Students will learn advanced geospatial techniques, including Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and the Global Positioning System (GPS), to prepare them for exciting employment and research opportunities in many different fields across the globe.
Geography, Environment, and Sustainability
GEOG 210 Planet Earth: People and Place
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSSA)
Description
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.)
GEOG 215 Geography of the James River Watershed
Units: 1
Description
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.
GEOG 220 Ecotourism
Units: 1
Description
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.
GEOG 250 Planet Earth: Wind, Water, Fire
Units: 1
Fulfills General Education Requirement (FSNB)
Description
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 earths biota. Climate change and the spatial inequalities in environmental pollution and resources are emphasized. (Same as Environmental Studies 250.)
GEOG 260 Foundations of Geospatial Analysis
Units: 1
Description
Concepts of mapping and spatial analysis using the ArcView GIS software package. Includes map analysis, data presentation, analysis of spatial relationships, the creation of spatial and tabular data, and the introduction of ArcView software extensions.
GEOG 315 Landscape Ecology
Units: 1
Description
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.
GEOG 320 Power, Space, and Territory: Geographies of Political Change
Units: 1
Description
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 325 Latin American Geographies: Transnational and Local Connections
Units: 1
Description
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. (Same as International Studies 325)
GEOG 333 Geographies of Amazonia
Units: 1
Description
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.
GEOG 345 Global Sustainability: Society, Economy, Nature
Units: 1
Description
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. Prerequisite
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GEOG 360 Environmental Remote Sensing
Units: 1
Description
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.
GEOG 365 Advanced Spatial Analysis
Units: 1
Description
Advanced topics in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) theory and application. Topics include use of the Spatial Analyst, 3-D Analyst, raster data sets, the Idrisi Software System, projects in environmental location analysis, retail site location, and application of GIS techniques to biological, environmental, and social science issues. (Same as Environmental Studies 365.)
GEOG 370 Geographics of Economic Development and Globalization
Units: 1
Description
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 388 Individual Internship
Units: 0.25-1
Description
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.
GEOG 390 Independent Study
Units: 0.5-1
Description
Topics independently pursued under supervision of a faculty member. May be repeated twice for a total of up to two units.
GEOG 401 Geography Capstone
Units: 1
Description
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 406 Summer Undergraduate Research
Units: 0
Description
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
SUST 101 Introduction to Sustainability
Units: 1
Description
Provides a foundation for sustainability knowledge and problem solving. Explores the relationships between people and natural systems, examines pressing global challenges, and outlines leadership solutions to wicked challenges. Consideration of the most urgent concerns tied to living out of balance with the planet that sustains life.
SUST 345 Global Sustainability: Society, Economy, Nature
Units: 1
Description
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. Prerequisite
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