Sample Courses
- The natural environment focuses on the earth’s physical landscapes, vegetation patterns, weather, and climate, with an emphasis on the dynamic interactions among climate, landforms, vegetation, and soils.
- Cartographic methods involves theory and laboratory production of thematic maps. Students study the nature of map data, symbols, design, layout, and the history of cartography.
- Population and environment examines the patterns of population growth over history and place, current policies and programs, and impacts and trends in United States and throughout the world.
- Biogeography looks at the relation of plants and animals to the environment, the distribution of individual species, and historical changes in plant distribution.
- Introductory geographic information systems covers fundamental topics in data management including sources, input, manipulation, analysis, output, and product generation.
- Climatology examines energy and moisture in the atmosphere, atmospheric circulation, controls of regional and microclimates, applied climatology, climatic variations, and past and future climates.
- Global environmental change is an exploration of the natural and human-induced
environmental changes and their effects on different environmental systems.
Hands On Learning
Undergraduates have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills while earning academic credit in internship positions set up through the department. Interns use geographic techniques in the service of government, private industry, or non-governmental organizations.
Cartography and GIScience students gain hands-on learning experience in the InfoGraphics Lab. Faculty and students work on projects for cam-pus offices and government agencies such as atlas design and production, agency reporting and mapping support, multimedia and dynamic presentation design, and campus publications. The integration of GIS and graphic design tools with carto-graphic design is a focus of the lab’s work.
Interdisciplinary Opportunities
"Geography is a very interdisciplinary subject by its nature. There's the human side and the physical side and a wide array of geographical techniques for studying both aspects," explains Whitlock. Geography can easily be incorporated into other areas of study. You could use it to convey cultural or physical concepts in anthropology and sociology. You could combine it with history to show the effects of war, migration, and political changes.
If you’re interested in physical applications, you can integrate geography with architecture; landscape architecture; or planning, public policy, and management.