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Course Descriptions - Spring 2009 Semester
Course levels: Undergraduates may take 100- through 500-level courses. Graduate students will only receive credit for courses numbered at the 500-level and above. Some class materials may be available on-line.
GEOGRAPHY 103-001-- INTRO TO GEOGRAPHY This course introduces students to the breadth and excitement of the field of geography and illustrates the earth science, culture-environment, locational, and area analysis traditions of geographic research and writing. It also explores the various subfields of geographic inquiry and shows how geographic expertise can be used in important decision-making and problem solving contexts. Syllabus GEOGRAPHY 103-002 -- INTRO TO GEOGRAPHY This course introduces students to the breadth and excitement of the field of geography and illustrates the earth science, culture-environment, locational, and area analysis traditions of geographic research and writing. It also explores the various subfields of geographic inquiry and shows how geographic expertise can be used in important decision-making and problem solving contexts. This course also shows how geographic knowledge is relevant to current issues of globalization. GEOGRAPHY 103-003-- INTRO TO GEOGRAPHY This course introduces students to the breadth and excitement of the field of geography and illustrates the earth science, culture-environment, locational, and area analysis traditions of geographic research and writing. It also explores the various subfields of geographic inquiry and shows how geographic expertise can be used in important decision-making and problem solving contexts. This course also shows how geographic knowledge is relevant to current issues of globalization.
GEOGRAPHY E103-300 -- INTRO TO GEOGRAPHY This course introduces students to the breadth and excitement of the field of geography and illustrates the earth science, culture-environment, locational, and area analysis traditions of geographic research and writing. It also explores the various subfields of geographic inquiry and shows how geographic expertise can be used in important decision-making and problem solving contexts
GEOGRAPHY 104-001 -- INTRO TO PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY Physical geography is an area of study that synthesizes and connects elements of our physical environment as they relate to human beings. GEOG 104 is an introductory level course that explores the processes and forms of Earth's surface system, including climate, hydrology, soils, biogeography, water resources, and landforms. The objective of this course is to provide a systematic introduction to physical geography, emphasizing the basic principles that explain the processes and forms of the atmosphere (including climates and meteorology), hydrosphere (including rivers and oceans), biosphere (with emphasis on the distribution and diversity of organisms), and the geosphere (with emphasis on the surface forms and processes). Dominant themes of the course include the spatial distribution of basic physical, chemical, and biological processes, as well as the interactions of human societies with the natural systems that support them. GEOGRAPHY 105-001 -- THE DIGITAL EARTH An iPhone provides a great analogy to this course’s content. Is it just a phone? It also surfs the internet, is a GPS receiver, a camera and an email client and our clock. The categorization of mapping technologies is also blurred when it comes to specific applications. The Digital Earth is an introductory survey course about how the earth is represented in digital formats (e.g. maps) and how it is visualized and analyzed: from global positioning systems, aerial photography and remote sensing as means of capturing earth images, to geographic information systems (GIS) and cartographic visualization as means of analyzing and displaying spatial information. Students will discover through a balance of lecture and computer lab exercises the basic of creating and exploring our digital earth. Only basic Windows operating system experience is assumed.
GEOGRAPHY 121- 001 – LANDS & PEOPLES OF THE WORLD This introductory class examines the world through geographic regions - bounded parts of the world considered as one because they possess some sort of organizing principal. To frame this course around this concept, however, is not to take it for granted. In the course of the semester, we will examine not only how the organizing principals that give us regions like "Latin America" came about, but also the various benefits and drawbacks to the continued use of such regions to understand our increasingly interconnected world.
GEOGRAPHY 121- 002 – LANDS & PEOPLES OF THE WORLD This introductory class examines the world through geographic regions - bounded parts of the world considered as one because they possess some sort of organizing principal. To frame this course around this concept, however, is not to take it for granted. In the course of the semester, we will examine not only how the organizing principals that give us regions like "Latin America" came about, but also the various benefits and drawbacks to the continued use of such regions to understand our increasingly interconnected world. GEOGRAPHY 202-001 & 002 WEATHER AND CLIMATE This course provides students with a general understanding of the processes which influence weather and climate patterns on the earth. It first examines the sources of energy driving atmospheric processes, the importance of atmospheric moisture, and the forces creating the winds. The second part of the course focuses on storm systems, including mid-latitude cyclones and severe weather. The last third of the class is devoted to the study of climate, climate variability and change, and the impact of such change on human activity. The laboratory sections will include experiments, workbook exercises, and analysis of real-time computer weather graphics. The final grade will be based on three lecture exams, three lab exams, take-home exercises, a weather journal, and regular lecture and lab quizzes. *4 credit hour course, includes a 2 hour laboratory each week GEOGRAPHY 210-001 PEOPLES, PLACES and ENVIRONMENTS This course provides a thematic introduction to contemporary human geography, a broad geographic subfield directly concerned with human beings and their interaction with their natural and cultural environment. The course explores themes of urbanization, population growth, rural to urban and international migrations, international development, territorial sovereignties, statehood and terrorism, and the cultural geographies of place and landscapes, just to name a few, to illustrate how these different concerns are linked through geographic perspectives and methods of investigation. GEOGRAPHY 221-001 GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Geography of South Carolina. An intensive regional analysis of South Carolina. Selected phenomena such as urbanization, industrialization, land use, the physical environment, and their interrelationships. GEOGRAPHY 223-001 GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA/LASP 331 An introduction to the physical and human geography of Latin America. Lectures are structured in 5 major areas: (i) physical geography (different ecosystems, climate, vegetation, and land patterns), (ii) historical geography (the impact that colonization had on indigenous peoples, on the social and political organization of the region, and on the behavioral aspects of its individuals), (iii) population geography (racial and ethnic composition; population growth and demographic transition; patterns of mortality, fertility and migration; settlement patterns; religious practices; and urbanization), (iv) economic geography (patterns of economic activity, and the potential influences of international economic cycles and organizations), and (v) political geography (political changes, including national governments and international policies). GEOGRAPHY 226-001 GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST This course approaches the region of the Middle East from a human geography perspective and does not attempt to cover the entire region. Rather, students in this course will use geographic concepts to: 1) develop an understanding of historic and contemporary cultures and environments in the Middle East and; 2) examine current topics and debates in the Middle East as local expressions of geographic connections to the region and to global processes. The course begins with a historical geographic overview of the region and then focuses on specific country examples and special topics in social, cultural, economic, and political geography. Among the topics to be covered are: expansion of Islam, Islamic cities, and medieval Islamic geography; colonial and national boundaries; urbanization and poverty; environmental resources in culture and politics; gender, veiling, and Islamic feminism; and current debates in society and culture. GEOGRAPHY 228-001 GEOGRAPHY SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Building upon a historical understanding of economic and political relationships both within Sub-Saharan Africa and between Sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world, this course examines contemporary patterns of social, economic and environmental change in this highly challenged world region. To better understand the problems and potentials of this world region, this course examines particular local issues (deforestation, desertification, etc.) as complex interactions of local situations with regional and global factors.
GEOGRAPHY 310-001 TOPICS IN GEOGRAPHY Special Topic: Migration and Globalization. Migration has been one of the most significant forces shaping the political, economic and social landscapes of the contemporary world system. Today, no region or country is isolated from the changes wrought by population movement. The increasing scale and diversity of migration can be linked to changing patterns of development associated with ‘globalization’. But migration is not simply an outcome of globalization; instead migration actively creates ‘the global’ by forging expansive networks of people, commodities, cultures, and political action. In this course, we will explore historical and contemporary migration flows and the processes driving these flows, the impacts of migration on places of origin and destinations, and the multiple linkages that exist between migrants and their places of origin. We will also give special attention to border politics, citizenship and integration policies, gender and migration, and new urban spaces of ‘superdiversity’.
GEOGRAPHY 313-001 ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY This course introduces students to the local and global dimensions of economic activity in the contemporary world economy. The course material, which includes: texts, films, newspaper articles, and lectures, will help students to develop both an understanding of economic processes and the skills to analyze economic processes within complex social and political contexts. The subjects covered in this course are very topical and contemporary; They include: Economic Globalization, The World Bank, The International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, International Debt Crises, Export Processing Zones, International Labor Migrations, Transnational Corporations, and Offshore Outsourcing.
GEOGRAPHY 330-001 THE GEOGRAPHY OF DISASTERS The study of disasters, their triggering mechanisms (natural, human, technological), their spatial distributions from local to global scales, and associated human responses. GEOGRAPHY 333-001 GEOGRAPHY OF POPULAR MUSIC This course examines the role of popular music in society focusing on the unique geographic nature of US/American music forms (e.g., country, blues, jazz, rock n' roll, etc.). Basic geographic processes and concepts (e.g., diffusion, migration, cultural landscape, economic multipliers, etc.) are introduced and discussed within the contextual framework of popular music. Topics include the diffusion of the Delta Blues, Folk and Protest music, the British Invasion, Punks and Rastas, Rap, World Music, etc. The student is introduced to elements of cultural, economic, urban, environmental and political geography while discussing important topics of US history such as the Civil Rights movement, the Cold War, and the impact of the music industry on society. Teaching methods include lectures, music, videos, and guest speakers/performers. GEOGRAPHY 341-001 - CARTOGRAPHY This course is an introduction to the principles and practice of map design. It provides the student with an understanding of the most appropriate ways of symbolizing geographic data on maps. Students develop cartographic skills through the completion of map projects using the latest Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Students learn how to design effective and attractive maps through lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and creating their own maps. In the latter half of the course, each student completes a final mapping project, based on a topic he or she selects. GEOGRAPHY 343-001 HUMAN INPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT Human actions have transformed the Earth. To understand "nature" today requires examining the interactions between humans, our social systems, and the biochemical processes that generate particular patterns of environmental damage across the globe - degradation of rich coastal systems, heavy losses of tropical biodiversity, alterations in the global climate, desertification of marginal arid lands, and concentrations of municipal and industrial wastes associated with increasing urbanization. The class addresses these impacts and strategies for reducing or responding to them. Evaluation in the course will be based upon a series of exams and short papers/assignments. GEOGRAPHY 345-001 INTERPRETATION OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS This course introduces the basics of aerial photography including radiant energy, properties of the photographic image, photo geometry, photogrammetric measurement, photo acquisition, and interpretation of aerial photographs. Emphasis is placed on practical training in an effort to make the student a competent user of air photos for a variety of geographic and multidisciplinary applications.
GEOGRAPHY 346-001 CLIMATE AND SOCIETY This course examines the interrelationship between climate and human activities. We will study the physical nature of the climate system, climate variability and change; and their climatic impacts on society, including the social, economic, and political factors involved with these impacts. The approach will be based mostly from the examination of selected case studies. Specific topics that will be covered include past climatic change and society during the presettlement era, perceptions and impacts of climate during the historical period in North America, climate determinism, severe drought, climatic hazards which include hurricanes, climate and health, future global warming, and stratospheric ozone. Class sessions will vary between lecture, discussion, debates, and in-class exercises. Evaluation will be based on short writing assignments and exams. There are no course prerequisites. GEOGRAPHY 363-001 & 002-GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS Geographic Information Systems represent a major advancement in computer handling of geographical data. These systems are used extensively throughout all levels of government, private industry, and academia to provide support for spatial decision making and problem solving. Principles and methods of Geographic Information Systems are presented with an emphasis on modeling the Earth and abstracting geographical data, collection of geographical data using modern techniques such as GPS, and analysing patterns and spatial relationships. Practical experience with GIS is provided during the lab exercises using a state-of-the-art GI System. Students are expected to be confortable with the Microsoft windows interface. GEOGRAPHY 363-003 - GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS Geographic Information Systems represent a major advancement in computer handling of geographical data. These systems are used extensively throughout all levels of government, private industry, and academia to provide support for spatial decision making and problem solving. GEOGRAPHY 370-001 AMERICA’S NAITONAL PARKS This course introduces students to the major resource, managerial and recreational components of America’s National Park system. To provide a context for understanding current management issues, we will begin with an examination of the National Park Service’s history, development, explicit mission, and decision-making framework. These will be followed by broad-brush treatments and case studies of current issues facing park system units, including wildfire management, invasive species, species reintroductions, pollution, recreation pressure, and other significant environmental changes. GEOGRAPHY 399 -- INDEPENDENT STUDY GEOGRAPHY 495-001 SEMINAR IN GEOGRAPHY COURSE SYNOPSISGEOGRAPHY 495, Seminar in Geography, is a capstone course for undergraduate majors in geography. This course is a group-based research activity designed to integrate geographic knowledge and apply it to a real-world problem. Students will be evaluated on short papers, presentations, and one larger group project. GEOGRAPHY 498 -- UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH GEOGRAPHY 499 -- UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH GEOGRAPHY 511-001 PLANNING AND LOCATIONAL ANALYSIS Through lectures, slides, discussions and classroom simulations students learn the rudiments of land use planning as well as the potentials and realizations of planning to date. The U.S. is the focus of attention, but comparisons are made with the United Kingdom where planning has had a stronger role. Students review land use, transportation and neighborhood plans focused on Columbia but placed within the broader context of U.S. planning efforts. They learn about land use controls, growth controls, and population, employment and land use forecasting methods and models. Practicing planners address the class as guest speakers and at least one local field trip is included in the course. Evaluation consists of take-home exercises, two examinations and a short paper focusing on a local planning issue. GEOGRAPHY 516-001 COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT Students will learn about coastal management practices and policies at the state, federal, and international scale. Physical, social, and economic principles underpinning historical to contemporary management practices will be taught. Case studies, with emphasis on South Carolina, will be presented. GEOGRAPHY 541-001 ADVANCED CARTOGRAPHY This course examines current issues and approaches in cartography and geographic visualization, focusing on the uses of interactivity and animation in cartography in order to facilitate thinking, problem solving, and decision making. Through a series of mini-projects during the first part of the course, the student will gain experience in the use of computers and graphics software to develop interactive cartographic visualizations. Students will complete a fully interactive or animated, web-publishable map as a final project. GEOGRAPHY E562-300 SATELLITE MAPPING & GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEMS Technology and use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for mapping applications. Discussion of the GPS space segment, receiver technologies, range observable and positioning accuracy. In depth discussion of geodetic datums, coordinate systems and projections. Applications to large/medium scale mapping applications, remote sensing, and aerial photographic missions. The student is advised that the course provides an In depth explanation of the physics, measurement concepts, accuracy estimation and error analysis. A fundamental understanding of trigonometry and analytical calculus is required. Other Campus Units with Interest? Geology, Engineering, Marine Science. Additional Resources needed? University provided PC=s running Windows 3.1 or higher. GPS equipment to be provided by SC Geodetic Survey. Justification. The global positioning system (GPS) technology is a dual-use satellite-based positioning technology that became fully operational in 1993. GPS is a key data collection methodology for geographic mapping applications, remote sensing imagery collections, and the construction of geographic information system (GIS) databases. The purpose of this course is to provide the fundamental material of satellite-based positioning, variations in the positioning methods, and the application to design/ construction of geographic databases. The material in this course is complimentary with the content geographic information processing (GIP) courses in the Geography Department and is an essential part of the evolutionary nature of the GIP curriculum. GEOGRAPHY 563-001 This course covers the technical and conceptual bases of Geographic Information Systems. This includes how GIS is used to perform spatial analysis, analysis of networks, incorporation of remote sensing data, and three-dimensional surfaces. An integral part of this course is the extensive experience students gain using an operational geographic information system. This experience allows the exploration of theoretical topics presented as well as examination and formulation of real-world applications areas as diverse as real estate, crime analysis, environmental protection, GEOG 569-001 ENVIRONMENT & DEVELOPMENT/ANTH 569-001 This course explores the intersection of international development and environmental change, considering both how development creates environmental change, and how environmental change (such as global climate change) affects development efforts. Students will become familiar with theories of development, issues of environmental change and degradation, and how they come together in particular places through both conceptual and case-study readings. GEOGRAPHY 573-001 CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY Course Objectives: Today, climate variability and change receive media attention, foster scientific debate, and even become issues of political campaigns. This course will examine climate variations from the recent past and those projected to occur in the next century. We will explore potential causes of climate variability and change from the theoretical perspective of climate modeling and from empirical evidence preserved in direct observations. We will examine a range of spatial (global, continental, and regional scales) and temporal scales (interannual variability as well as longer-term changes). Specific topics will include: the climate system, radiative forcing, climate sensitivity, the recently observed temperature record, El Niño/Southern Oscillation, and the North Atlantic and Pacific decadal oscillations. The course will involve a combination of lectures, student presentations, and interactive computer exercises. Readings: GEOG 581-001 GLOBALIZATION & CULTURAL QUESTIONS/ANTH 581 GEOGRAPHY 595-001 -- INTERNSHIP IN GEOGRAPHY The internship in geography helps students acquire valuable "on the job" experience and develop marketable job skills as well as learn about employment opportunities and requirements. Students serve as interns with cooperating government agencies, or commercial and nonprofit businesses. A special effort is made to assign each intern to a position compatible with his/her interests, abilities, and career aspirations. The course is graded on a pass/not pass basis. Grades are determined by the Internship Director in consultation with supervisory personnel in cooperating agencies. Grades are based on the performance of internship duties and the preparation of an internship summary report. GEOGRAPHY 705 -- DIRECTED INDIVIDUAL STUDIES IN GEOGRAPHY GEOGRAPHY 706 -- SELECTED TOPICS IN CART/RS GEOGRAPHY 730-001 SEMINAR IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY (Prereq: GEOG 530 or GEOG 568) Review of recent geographic literature on nature-society interactions with an emphasis on identifying research themes and methodologies employed by contemporary geographers. GEOGRAPHY 731-001 SEMINAR IN QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS IN GEOG GEOGRAPHY 735-001 SEMINAR IN POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY The topic of this seminar is Spaces of Citizenship. This seminar will explore cutting-edge, interdisciplinary scholarship on citizenship and the spatiality of citizenship. We will explore the historical development of ideas of citizenship, current theoretical and normative perspectives on citizenship, and empirical research on how people experience citizenship. We will pay particular attention to the growing geographical literature on citizenship, which emphasizes both the territorial boundedness of modern citizenship and the ways in which people experience different elements of citizenship (e.g. rights and sense of belonging) in and through particular places. We will also examine the ways in which scholars in a variety of disciplines are theorizing shifts in citizenship ideals and practices in a context of global economic integration, mass migration, and neo-liberal ideological hegemony. Our discussions will cover, among other topics, ‘post-national’ and ‘flexible’ citizenship, public space, multiculturalism, and cosmopolitanism. GEOGRAPHY 740-001 RESEARCH TRENDS IN GEOGRAPHY Seminar in research in geography, focusing on refining research questions and writing research proposals. The final product of the course will be a draft proposal for each student. GEOGRAPHY 751-001 DIGITAL TECHNIQUES OF REMOTE SENSING This course investigates the principles of digital image processing which can be applied to remotely sensed imagery to extract meaningful thematic (e.g., crop type, land cover) and biophysical (e.g., biomass, temperature, color) information. Emphasis is placed on understanding the logic and appropriate application of image restoration, enhancement, analysis, classification, and change detection algorithms, and accuracy assessment. Several interactive digital image processing system (e.g., ERDAS, ENVI, Image Analyst) are used by the students to analyze satellite and airborne-acquired remotely sensed images. Evaluation will be based on approximately 10 exercises (20%), a mid-term examination (30%), a final examination (30%), and a term project (20%). GEOGRAPHY 763-001 SEMINAR IN GEOGRAPHIC INFO SYSTEMS Topic: Web-Based GIS GEOGRAPHY 799 -- THESIS PREPARATION GEOGRAPHY 805 -- DIRECTED INDIVIDUAL STUDIES IN Directed research topics in geographical information processing processing to be individually supervised by graduate faculty.
GEOGRAPHY 847-001 ADVANCED SEMINAR IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
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