BSU Catalog Home | Geography Program | All-University Courses and Descriptions

Geography (GEOG)

Check with department for semester when these courses are offered. Read each course description for prerequisites.

1400 WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY (3 credits) A survey of physical, cultural, and economic aspects of world regions. An introduction to how constituent parts of the world differ from one another in their associated resources, cultures and economics. Attention is given to the interrelationships, interdependencies, and associations that bind together the diverse communities of the world. Liberal Education Categories 7 & 8

2100 INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY (3 credits) A systematic survey of land forms, weather and climate, soils and vegetation. Liberal Education Category 3

2200 INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (3 credits) Emphasizes the study of geographical relationships and interactions of cultural, social, economic, ethnic, and political phenomena. Topical approach to population subgroups, religions, languages, urban and rural settlements, and other attributes of the cultural landscape. Liberal Education Categories 7 & 8

2225 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND REMOTE SENSING (3 credits) Development of understanding and skills necessary for interpreting air photos and remotely sensed images. Prerequisite: GEOG 1224.

2231 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (3 credits) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) enable data that traditionally exist in maps or tables to be used in a computerized environment. This allows faster, more accurate, and more complex uses to be made of the information. The course addresses functional aspects of such systems and social and policy oriented implications of this approach to geographical analysis. Practical experience provided. Prerequisite: GEOG 1224 or consent of instructor.

2232 TECHNIQUES IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (3 credits) A "hands on" approach to understanding both raster and vector based Geographic Information Systems. Prerequisites: GEOG 1224, and GEOG 2231, or consent of instructor.

2300 ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY (3 credits) Spatial structure of world economic activities; agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, industry and trade. Liberal Education Category 5

2400 INTRODUCTION TO PLANNING (3 credits) Background and fundamentals of the community planning process. Includes discussion of contemporary issues in physical, environmental and social planning. Emphasis is on the local and subregional levels. Liberal Education Categories 5 & 9

2500 POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY (3 credits) This course utilizes “World Systems Theory” to investigate 1) theories of State formation and organization; 2) historical processes of imperialism, colonialism, and decolonization; 3) major issues of the emerging political economy; 4) historical and contemporary geopolitics; and 5) the political geography of everyday life.

2925 PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT: GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE (3 credits) An integrative study of the natural, social, value-based, and citizen-action contexts for environmental awareness. The disciplinary component surveys geographic approaches to and institutional settings for environmental problems and decision making, including our spatial behaviors as either sources or recipients of environmental impacts. Interdisciplinary perspectives are evaluated in light of different geographic concepts of spatial distributions, physical geography, and regional planning. Liberal Education Category 10

3100 WEATHER AND CLIMATE (3 credits) Weather elements and world climatic patterns.

3226 CARTOGRAPHY (3 credits) Construction and production of maps with an emphasis on computer-generated thematic maps and graphs. Lecture 3 hours, laboratory 2 hours. Prerequisite: GEOG 1224 or consent of instructor.

3300 GEOGRAPHY AND PLANNING OF OUTDOOR RECREATION (3 credits) An analysis of the use, perception, and planning of recreational resources and landscape amenities, with emphasis on geographical relationships and environmental stewardship. Includes some study out-of-doors. Prerequisite: GEOG 2400 or consent of instructor.

3310 LAND USE ANALYSIS AND PLANNING (3 credits) An examination of the identification and inventory methods of land use analysis including the designing of land use models which are compatible with environmental, social, and economic goals. Prerequisites: GEOG 2100, and GEOG 2400, or consent of instructor.

3320 REGIONAL PLANNING METHODS (3 credits) An examination of the basic planning process, including the development of strategic and comprehensive plans, plan implementation, pertinent legislation, and sources and techniques of funding. Prerequisite: GEOG 2200 or GEOG 2225 or GEOG 2300 or consent of instructor.

3410 GEOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICA (3 credits) A regional analysis of the physical, demographic, economic and cultural characteristics of the nations in North America.

3460 TEACHING OF MIDDLE AND SECONDARY SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES (4 credits) Objectives, activities, methods, and materials in teaching social studies in grades 5-12. Additional laboratory time is required. Prerequisite: ED 3110.

3520 SITE AND RESOURCE ANALYSIS IN OUTDOOR RECREATION PLANNING (3 credits) Techniques and methods in the location, analysis, evaluation, and design of sites. Emphasizes techniques and methods for planning and management of outdoor recreation. Focuses on identifying use potentials and impact limitations for outdoor recreation planning and management. Extensive out-of-doors study. Prerequisites: ENGL 2101, GEOG 3226, and GEOG 3300 or consent of instructor. (Might not be offered every year)

3630/BIOL 3630 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY (3 credits) Methods and theory of conservation biology; species diversity, extinction rates, management of endangered species, and the economics of conservation strategies. Factors of resource exploitation. Methods of wise use of soils, forests, waters, minerals, wildlife and recreational areas.

3800 REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY (1-3 credits) A regional and topical analysis of the cultural and physical features of a continent or major region of the earth. May be repeated provided different regions are involved. Note: Recommended for students in international studies, foreign languages, and for prospective teachers in the humanities or social studies.

3810 GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (3 credits) A regional analysis of the cultural, economic, physical and landscape patterns of the European cultural region. NOTE: Recommended for students in Euro-Spring, International Studies, foreign languages, and prospective teachers. Liberal Education Categories 5 & 6

3820 GEOGRAPHY OF ASIA (3 credits) A geographic analysis of the physical, economic and cultural aspects of Asia. NOTE: Recommended for students in international studies, foreign languages, and prospective teachers. Liberal Education Category 8

3840 GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (3 credits) Despite persistent bias about it, Africa’s cultural complexity, social dynamism, and political/economic struggle have tremendous relevance for the study of global trends at the start of the twenty-first century. The central purpose of this course is to demonstrate that relevance by investigating the cultural, historical, economic, and political dimensions of change in Africa.

4110 ADVANCED PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY (3 credits) Study of the origin and distribution of land-form assemblages with emphasis on the effects of weather and climate on morphology and hydrology. Systematic. Prerequisite: GEOG 2100 or consent of instructor.

4120 URBAN GEOGRAPHY (3 credits) Functions and distribution of cities. Urban sizes, hierarchies, and external relations with the countryside. The central place and other theories of the spacing of cities. Internal structures and functions of cities, the growth of cities, urban slums, urban sprawl, and city planning. Systematic. Prerequisite: GEOG 2200 or consent of instructor.

4190 FIELD GEOGRAPHY (3 credits) Field studies of selected geographic problems. Prerequisite: GEOG 3226 or consent of instructor.

4200 QUANTITATIVE PROCEDURES IN GEOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION (3 credits) Techniques of computer-aided analysis and quantitative methods related to spatial problems. Introduction to geographic source materials. Systematic. Prerequisites: GEOG 3226 or consent of instructor.

4210 THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF GEOGRAPHIC THOUGHT (3 credits) Development of the discipline of Geography with emphasis on both the historical and recent developments in the field. Includes a critical analysis of writing of representative geographers. Note: Capstone course in the B.A. and B.S., option A. Prerequisite: Senior status geography major or minor.

4233 ADVANCED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) (3 credits) Intermediate and advanced topics in geographic information science and spatial analysis using GIS software. Greater understanding of GIS theory, technology, and applications. Emphasizes software applications in producing various quantitative and thematic maps. Exercises focus on development, management, and analysis of GIS data. (Lecture/Lab) Prerequisites: GEOG 2231 and GEOG 2232.