GEOG 103
4 credits
The Physical Environment
Prerequisite(s): None.
This course explores, through a scientific and quantitative framework, how physical processes shape the natural environment. It focuses on the interconnected processes of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. Impacts of human activities on the natural environment are also discussed.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
Note: Students with credit for GEOG 101 or GEOG 102 cannot take this course for further credit.
GEOG 105
3 credits
Natural Hazards and Hollywood
Prerequisite(s): None
This course will consider the science, evolution, human preparedness, and the management of recovery from natural hazards (hurricanes, earthquakes, and diseases). In part this information will be used to assess how accurately film and television portray the science, preparedness, and response to these events.
GEOG 109
3 credits
A World of Development
Prerequisite(s): None.
An introduction to the processes and practices of development in global and local contexts. Examples from around the world are used to illustrate both “natural” and planned development activities and their consequences. Students will learn to critically assess and apply various development approaches and methods.
Note: Field trips outside of class time may be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
Note: This course is offered as GDS 100 and GEOG 109. Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 111
3 credits
Environmental Issues and Strategies
Prerequisite(s): None.
Contemporary environmental challenges in a global and local context. Students use citizen science and geographic methods to design a local environmental research project and identify strategies for adaptation. Please refer to the Department of Geography website for out-of-class field trip scheduling information.
Note: Field trips outside of class time may be required. Please refer to department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 116
4 credits
Earth Rocks
Prerequisite(s): None.
An introduction to physical geology that explores the materials that compose the Earth and the processes that operate to form the Earth and its surface. Topics include minerals, rocks, earth resources, plate tectonics, geophysical hazards, and surficial features.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 130
3 credits
Geography of Canada
Prerequisite(s): None
This introduction to Canadian geography examines Canada as a set of distinct physical and political regions and as a multicultural and colonized space. The course combines knowledge of physical and human patterns and processes with analysis of current Canadian issues.
GEOG 140
3 credits
Human Geography
Prerequisite(s): None
This is a broad survey course of human geography applying the concepts and tools of the discipline to the regions, societies, and landscapes that result from the interaction between humans and their environment and cultural, economic, social, and political landscapes. Field trips outside of class time are required
GEOG 201
4 credits
Climate and People
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: GEOG 101, GEOG 102, GEOG 103, or GEOG 116.
An exploration of the physical processes responsible for determining Earth’s weather and climate. This exploration will include the human dimension of weather and climate phenomena.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 202
4 credits
Understanding Your Earth: Landforms and Processes
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 102 or GEOG 103 or GEOG 116.
This course will describe and explain the geomorphic processes that result in the origin, evolution, morphology, and distribution of landforms in British Columbia and elsewhere. Practical geographic skills will be developed in field and laboratory settings.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 219
4 credits
Biogeography
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: AGRI 163, BIO 105, BIO 106, BIO 111, CHEM 105, CHEM 110, CHEM 113, CHEM 150, GEOG 101, GEOG 102, GEOG 103, GEOG 116, PHYS 100, PHYS 101, PHYS 105, or PHYS 111.
Biogeography integrates geography, biology, geology, paleontology, and ecology. Learn how biogeographers study species distribution, track continental drift, and use fossils to help understand evolutionary changes in flora and fauna through geologic time.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 219 (formerly GEOG 317) and BIO 219 (formerly BIO 317). Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 233
3 credits
Geography of Selected Regions
Prerequisite(s): None
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the regional geography of a major world region. Subject matter will be drawn from physical and human geography, with an emphasis placed on human-environment interactions, and the development of distinct cultural, economic, and social landscapes. Field trips outside of class time may be required.
GEOG 240
3 credits
World Regional Geography
Prerequisite(s): None.
This course provides students with a broad overview of the physical and cultural characteristics of different regions of the world, using the concepts and tools of geography. In light of debates over the merits of globalization, this course also considers how human/environment relationships and cultural and economic landscapes are changing due to increasing technological and economic interconnections between the world’s peoples and cultures.
GEOG 241
3 credits
Social Geography: The Urban Experience
Prerequisite(s): None.
An introduction to geographical interrelationships between society, spatial change, and intercultural processes within urban environments. Selected themes may include experiences of refugees, vulnerable children, racial minorities, and immigrants and their experiences in the urban realm.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 242
3 credits
Economic Geography
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: AGRI 142, BUS 100, ECON 100, ECON 101, GDS 100, GEOG 111, or GEOG 140.
Concepts and methods of economic geography. Focus on the spatial distribution of and interactions between natural resources and energy, manufacturing, and services in the capitalist economy. Additional consideration of geographies of innovations, competition, and inequality, and of firm location decisions.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 242 and ECON 242. Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 252
4 credits
Explanation in Geography: Quantitative Methods
Prerequisite(s): None.
A numerical approach to problem-solving in geography. Methods in the collection, description, analysis, and presentation of quantitative data will be addressed.
GEOG 253
4 credits
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Prerequisite(s): None.
This course explores how to manage, map, and analyze information related to our world using a geographic information system (GIS). Emphasis is on concepts and software techniques used to manipulate data and examine problems from a variety of subject areas.
GEOG 257
3 credits
Environment: Science and Communications
Prerequisite(s): One of: CMNS 125, CMNS 155, CMNS 175, or ENGL 105; plus GEOG 103 or any first-year lab science course.
Environmental science and communications, while different fields, are both essential for addressing contemporary environmental problems. This course, team-taught by faculty in Geography and Communications, introduces the student to the methods of scientific inquiry, and the principles of effective communication in environmental science. Application of the scientific method to case studies of environmental issues will highlight challenges and possible solutions at local, regional, and national scales, while exploring the interface between science, politics, and popular perceptions. Specific consideration will be given to developing strategies for communicating with various audiences, including stakeholder groups, other scientists, policy makers, and the general public. A field trip outside of class time may be required. Please refer to the Department of Geography website for scheduling information.
Note: Students with credit for GEOG 211 may not take GEOG 257/CMNS 257 for further credit.
GEOG 300
4 credits
Special Topics in Geography
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
An opportunity to explore a topic or subfield in a new and significant area of geographical research and scholarship. Topics will be chosen from a wide range of physical, human, regional, and technical areas in geography.
Note: Field trips outside of class time may be required. Please refer to department website for field trip scheduling information.
Note: This course will be offered under different letter designations (e.g. C-Z) representing different topics. This course may be repeated for credit provided the letter designation differs.
GEOG 302
4 credits
River Geomorphology
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 201 or GEOG 202.
Provides a comprehensive understanding of the processes responsible for shaping the river environment and the landforms that result from them. Emphasis is placed on understanding the theoretical basis of river geomorphology and the identification and formative processes of these landforms.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 303
4 credits
Environmental Hydrology
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: GEOG 201, GEOG 202, or GEOG 219/BIO 219.
This course will investigate hydrological processes, the impact of climate change on the hydrological cycle, water resource management and concerns of water quality. The impact of human use on the hydrology of a region will be addressed.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 304
4 credits
Coasts and Climate Change
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: GEOG 201, GEOG 202, or GEOG 219/BIO 219.
The coastal zone represents one of the most dynamic and complex environments on the earth’s surface. This course will investigate the complex interactions between people, coastal processes and landform zones in times of environmental change and sea-level rise.
Note: Field trips outside of regular class times may be required. Please refer to the department website for scheduling information.
GEOG 307
4 credits
Climates of Cities
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
An exploration of the climatic effects of urbanization with a focus on the collection and analysis of urban climate data. Human-weather interaction in the urban setting including the degradation of the urban atmosphere and potential mitigation techniques are investigated.
GEOG 308
4 credits
Climate Change and Variability
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
This course investigates the causes and characteristics of regional and global climate change and variability. The significance of understanding past climates and their reconstruction is addressed. Environmental and socio-economic impacts of climate change, policy responses to climate change, and mitigation and adaptation strategies are examined.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
Note: Students with credit for GEOG 401 cannot take this course for further credit.
GEOG 311
4 credits
Global Resources and the Environment
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: AGRI 204, AGRI 247, AGRI 272, AGRI 371, GEOG 211, GEOG 219, GEOG 240, GEOG 242, GEOG 257/CMNS 257, BIO 210, BIO 219, ECON 100, ECON 101, IPK 331, IPK 344, IPK 386, PACS 210, or PACS 310.
Investigation of relationships between communities, markets, and the environment in the management of natural resources. Consideration of how global markets influence spatial patterns of energy and resource development, the use of common pool resources, environmental assessment, and sustainable planning principles.
GEOG 312
4 credits
Nature, Power, and Place
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
Through a political ecology lens, this course examines the ways social, cultural, political, and economic processes influence human-environment relations, unequal distribution of natural resource wealth, and various understandings of nature. Case studies explore co-production of Indigenous and scientific knowledge, livelihood and environmental change, marginalization, environmental conflict, social movements, conservation and development.
Note: Field trips outside of class time may be required.
GEOG 313
4 credits
Agriculture and Rural Life
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits to include one of: SOC/ANTH/MACS 255, GEOG 252,CRIM 220 or equivalent.
Agriculture is essential to our well-being, and yet for the majority it is easy to separate this fact from our day to day lives. For those who live in rural areas, however, the features of agriculture and rural life are often inseparable. Fertilizer in the ground water, agricultural noise pollution, housing development, seasonal workers—these are just a few of the issues for exploration under the topic of agriculture and rural life. This course is an applied introduction to agriculture and rural life in the North America context, with students conducting their own primary research on a subject of relevance to the course and under guidance of the instructor. Class time will be spent learning about a specific case study or studies related to agriculture and rural life, and discussing practical and theoretical aspects of conducting a research project.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 313 and GEOG 313. Students may take only one of these for credit. Students who have taken SOC 358C cannot take SOC 313 and GEOG 313 for further credit.
GEOG 314
4 credits
Geography of Food
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
Food is used as a lens through which global relationships between nature and culture are explored. Topics include the geography of food production and food security. Characteristics of diverse culinary cultures are explored and culinary cultural norms and biases identified.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
Note: Students with credit for GEOG 443 cannot take this course for further credit.
GEOG 315
4 credits
Soilscapes
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: AGRI 204, AGRI 220, BIO 201, BIO 202, BIO 203, BIO 210, BIO 220, CHEM 213, CHEM 214, CHEM 221, CHEM 241, GEOG 201, GEOG 202, GEOG 211, GEOG 219/BIO 219, GEOG 252, GEOG 253 or GEOG 257/CMNS 257.
Soils result from the interface of bedrock and biota regulated by climate. In this course students will learn how soils vary along environmental gradients across the landscape according to physical, chemical, and ecological processes that define key soil horizons.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 316
4 credits
Geography of Food II: Fermentation
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
Covers the role of fermentation processes in the global food system, introducing students to historic and current uses of fermentation in
culinary applications, and exploring fermented foods and beverages and their culinary geographies. Fermentation as an element of
culinary knowledge, cultural geography, and economic geography will be discussed, with applications in food processing and tourism.
Note: Students with credit for GEOG 300K cannot take this course for further credit.
GEOG 318
4 credits
Water Resources Management
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: GEOG 201, GEOG 202, GEOG 211, GEOG 219/BIO 219, GEOG 257/CMNS 257, or GEOG 311.
This course examines the issues surrounding water as a global resource and the scientific principles involved in water resources management. Emphasis is placed on the understanding of the role that water as a resource has within our societies, including our perception of water as a resource, contamination of water, treatment of water, and possible impacts on water supply resulting from climate change. Field trips outside of class time may be required. Please refer to department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 319
4 credits
Swamps and Bogs
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: AGRI 204, AGRI 220, BIO 201, BIO 202, BIO 203, BIO 210, BIO 220, CHEM 213, CHEM 214, CHEM 221, CHEM 241, GEOG 201, GEOG 202, GEOG 211, GEOG 219/BIO 219, GEOG 252, GEOG 253, or GEOG 257/CMNS 257.
Swamps, bogs, and other types of wetlands provide essential ecosystem functions to watersheds that support them. Using hydrology, soils, and vegetation, students will learn how to delineate wetland boundaries and assess biogeochemical cycling along environmental gradients.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 319 (formerly GEOG 417) and BIO 319 (formerly BIO 417). Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 323
4 credits
Geography of War, Terrorism, and Peace
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits, or one of: GEOG 240, GEOG 242, CRIM 214C, POSC 230, or POSC 260 (formerly POSC 190).
This course in geopolitics focuses on how space and place shapes, and is shaped by, terrorism and war. The focus is on conflict emerging from and after the Cold War, and in particular on geographies of conflict between 1991 and today. Topics include the diffusion and globalization of war and terrorism; gendered, ethnic, and religious spaces of conflict; the surveillance of and conflict in urban settings; the role of natural resources (oil, minerals, and drugs) in war; the ecological impacts of war; and landscapes of peace, remembrance, and post-war recovery. Field trips outside of class time may be required. Refer to the Department of Geography website for field trip information.
Note: Students with credit for GEOG 300C may not take GEOG 323 for further credit.
GEOG 331
4 credits
Environmental Assessment and Management
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits, including at least 6 credits of AGRI, ANTH, BIO, CHEM, GDS, GEOG, IPK, POSC, and/or SOC.
Examination of environmental assessment and ecosystem management frameworks utilized in natural resource management. Specific investigation of processes, policies, and procedures used in B.C. and Canada, the U.S., and selected global contexts.
Note: Field trips outside of class time are required. Please refer to Geography website for scheduling information.
GEOG 335
4 credits
Methods in Freshwater Ecology
Prerequisite(s): BIO 210 or GEOG 202
This course explores the biological, chemical, and physical features of lakes, rivers, and streams. These features are related to general ecological concepts and environmental concerns. The course focuses on the invertebrate and fish communities, but includes the origin and nature of lake and stream systems and the fundamentals of surface water chemistry and physics. Theoretical approaches and practical techniques will be addressed. This course includes considerable field work using local rivers and streams as well as outside fieldtrips. The laboratory introduces you to a variety of aquatic ecosystems and species and relevant sampling procedures and equipment. After completion of the course students will be competent to utilize various methods to critically evaluate freshwater systems and to conduct research in freshwater ecology.
Note: This course is offered as BIO 335 and GEOG 335. Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 340
4 credits
Geographies of Poverty and Development
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
This course uses an interdisciplinary framework to critically examine diverse approaches to implementing socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable development initiatives, in Canada and internationally, with emphases on the environment, food security, natural resources, climate change, and community participation.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 340 and GDS 340. Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 344
4 credits
Geography of Urban Development
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: GEOG 240, GEOG 241, or GEOG 242.
This course applies the principles of urban geographical analysis to the study of urbanization as exemplified in the development of North American cities in a global context.
GEOG 346
4 credits
Geography of Religion and Peacebuilding
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
The influence of religion on intercultural practices, built and natural environments, territory, conflict, and peace is examined. Consideration is given to deconstructing belief systems to understand their role in the nexus of human rights, migration, identity, development, and peacebuilding.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 353
4 credits
GIS Applications
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 253. Recommended: a 100-level COMP course and GEOG 252.
This course focuses on the use of Geographic Information Science in problem-solving and decision-making in real world settings. Designed to complement GEOG 253, Introduction to GIS, students will be introduced to additional GIScience techniques and how to use them in a variety of applications.
GEOG 354
4 credits
Approaches in Human Geography
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 241 or GEOG 242
Human geography has a long intellectual history and is consequently characterized by a wide variety of philosophical and methodological approaches, each a reflection of both wider societal currents and the choices geographers make in doing applied and theoretical work. This course introduces the critical conceptual elements in each of these approaches and situates, evaluates, and tests them in the context of concrete geographical research.
GEOG 357
4 credits
Conservation GIS
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
Concepts in conservation planning and management will be investigated through the application of spatial analysis techniques and Geography Information Systems (GIS).
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 357 and BIO 357. Students may take only one of these for credit.
Note: Students with credit for GEOG 300J cannot take this course for further credit.
Note: Field trips outside of class time may be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 360
4 credits
Introduction to Regional and Community Planning
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
Concepts in the field of planning and current policy issues and debates are addressed. Partnering with a local agency, students work on addressing a planning challenge that introduces them to careers in development policy, local government, and registered professional planning.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 361
3 credits
Environmental Economics
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits, including ECON 100.
Explores the relationship between economic activity, government regulation, and environmental outcomes. Students will study the economic framework used to estimate the costs and benefits of environmental regulations in order to evaluate various applied policy questions.
Note: This course is offered as ECON 361 and GEOG 361. Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 362
4 credits
Geography of Tourism and Recreation
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
Introduction to tourism and recreation systems from a geographic perspective. Use of applied and critical approaches to study of spatial patterns of and impacts resulting from tourism and recreation activities, both locally and globally.
Note: Field trips outside of class time may be required. Please refer to department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 364
4 credits
International Planning and Development Policy: Adapting to Climate Change
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
nternational development strategies within the context of climate change are discussed. Focus on consequences of policy on societal systems and marginalized groups, including transportation and housing, agriculture and energy production, and ecological systems in which humans interact.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 396
6 credits
Canada Internship
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits, instructor’s permission, and department head’s permission.
This course provides a Canadian experiential learning opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning in a workplace setting under the supervision of a vetted business, government agency, or NGO.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 396, SOC 396 and GDS 310. Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 398
6 credits
International Internship
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits, instructor’s permission, and department head’s permission.
This course provides an international experiential learning opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning in a workplace setting under the supervision of a vetted business, government agency, or NGO.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 398, GDS 311, and SOC 398 Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 400
4 credits
Advanced Topics in Geography
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, including four credits of 300- or 400-level geography courses
This course provides students with an opportunity to conduct advanced field research in a subfield in a significant area of geographical scholarship. Topics will be chosen from a wide range of physical, human, regional, and technical areas in geography, and will build on programming and learning at the 300-level. The course often runs as an Independent Studies. Topics include Dendrochronology, Luminescence Dating, and Sustainable Development, among others.
Note: The special topic is denoted with a letter designation (e.g. GEOG 400J). Students may take GEOG 400 as many times as they wish, but will not receive credit for the same letter designation more than once.
GEOG 402
4 credits
Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: GEOG 302, GEOG 304, or (GEOG 202 with a grade of B or better).
This course will examine selected aspects of stratigraphy, geomorphology, glacial geology, and long-term climate history of the Quaternary Period. Glacial and fluvial sedimentary models introduced in GEOG 202 and GEOG 302 will be reviewed. Regional emphasis will be placed on southwestern British Columbia and adjacent regions.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 410
4 credits
Plant Ecology
Prerequisite(s): BIO 210 or GEOG 219/BIO 219 (formerly GEOG 317/BIO 317).
This course provides students with an understanding of factors, biotic and abiotic, responsible for vegetation distribution patterns across landscapes. In particular, lectures will address plants at the individual, population, and community levels and demonstrate how plants interact with their physical environment – soils, water, and climate. Field trips and laboratory exercises will introduce methodologies of vegetation sampling, analysis, and interpretation. Field trips outside of class time are required.
Note: This course is offered as both BIO 410 and GEOG 410. Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 412
4 credits
Environmental Geography Practicum
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 252, GEOG 253, 8 credits of 300/400-level Geography, and permission of instructor and department head.
This course enables students to integrate applied practical experience and training into their academic studies in environmental geography. Students will participate in up to a semester-long practicum that will provide them with the opportunity to build upon their skills in a supervised and usually unpaid work experience in environmental practice with an employer or institution.
Note: Before initiating practicum placements, students must sign a practicum agreement.
GEOG 419
4 credits
Paleoecology
Prerequisite(s): One of the following: GEOG 302, GEOG 303, GEOG 304, GEOG 307, GEOG 308, GEOG 315, GEOG 319/BIO 319, GEOG 335, BIO 301, BIO 305, BIO 306, BIO 307, BIO 308, BIO 310, BIO 330, BIO 335, BIO 340, BIO 360, or BIO 370.
Paleoecology is the study of past environments through the use of fossils, geochemistry, and radiometric dating. During this course students will learn how to reconstruct past environmental change driven by climate, sea-level change, earthquakes, floods, and fire.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 419 and BIO 419. Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 433
4 credits
Advanced Geography of a Selected Region
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, including four credits of 300/400-level Geography.
Regional study is one of the foundational approaches in the discipline of geography. This course allows for the advanced study of the physical, demographic, cultural, economic, and political geography of a selected region. This course is also intended to serve as a capstone course for geography students, integrating concepts introduced in foundational human and physical geography courses. Individual regions are denoted with a letter designation (e.g. GEOF 433I: South Asia). Students cannot repeat the same version of GEOG 433 (e.g. two GEOG 433I offerings) for credit. Field trips outside of class time may be required. Please refer to department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 440
4 credits
Advanced Research Topics in Urban Geography
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits, including at least 6 credits in Geography, Anthropology, Business, History, Sociology, or Political Science.
Advanced research and analysis on a specific topic in urban geography. The topic selected by the course instructor will be publicized in the semester prior to the start of the course.
GEOG 447
4 credits
Aboriginal Geography
Prerequisite(s): 60 credit hours including 4 credits of upper-level Geography or instructor’s permission
Using geographical models and methods of analysis, this course will explore the different human geographies created by, and the various geographical imaginations of, aboriginal, indigenous, and/or non-western peoples and cultures before, during, and after contact with Europe. Field trips outside of class time are required.
GEOG 452
4 credits
Advanced Field Methods and Techniques
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 252; GEOG 250 or GEOG 253; and a minimum of 60 university-level credits.
In this course, students apply concepts and techniques acquired in previous human and physical geography courses to research problems in the field. Working both in the classroom and in field sites in Southwest B.C., students will define and formulate research questions, collect and analyze appropriate data, and design and write formal research reports on their findings. The course is offered in multiple versions, with each version addressing a specific issue area, e.g. natural hazards risk along the Sea-to-Sky corridor; environmental history and landscape change in the Fraser Valley; etc. Multiple field trips outside of classroom time will be required. Please refer to department website for field trip scheduling information.
GEOG 453
4 credits
Remote Sensing of the Environment
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 353.
Remote sensing is the art and science of studying Earth features from a distance. Students will learn the principles of remote sensing science and the characteristics of imagery collected from aircraft and satellite sensors. Students will use remote sensing to interpret and map geologic, hydrologic, vegetative, and urban features.
GEOG 454
4 credits
Geospatial Data Analysis Modeling
Prerequisite(s): (One of the following: STAT 104 [formerly MATH 104] or STAT 106 [formerly MATH 106]) and (one of the following: COMP 120, COMP 150, COMP 152, or COMP 155) and GEOG 353. Note: GEOG 453 is recommended.
Advanced course focusing on the theory and method of using geospatial data to model, analyze, and solve real-world problems. Introduction to methods of enhancing and classifying remotely sensed data, using advanced spatial analysis techniques, model building, and scripting in GIS.
GEOG 458
4 credits
GIS Project
Prerequisite(s): A minimum of 23 credits of the GIS certificate completed, and permission of the instructor.
In this capstone course of the GIS certificate program, a student will initiate, design, implement, and manage a GIS project in consultation with the instructor. The project can either be done independently or as a part of a cooperative project. Course emphasis is on consolidating and demonstrating the skills the student has acquired during the certificate program and on preparing the student for professional employment in GIS.
GEOG 460
4 credits
Practicum in Planning
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 252, GEOG 253, and (one of GEOG 360, GEOG 364, or GEOG 464), and permission of instructor and department head.
Practicum students will work under the supervision of a professional planner. This practicum presents students with the opportunity to apply techniques and methods as well as create contacts with practicing planners useful for future employment and/or graduate school applications.
Note: Before initiating practicum placements, students must sign a practicum agreement. UFV reserves the right not to place a student into a practicum if, in the opinion of the faculty, the student is not ready to be placed.
GEOG 464
4 credits
Community Planning and Development: Local Applied Studio
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
Introduction to planning practice, from problem definition to data collection, analysis, drafting of a design concept, and participating in a client presentation. Through the application of planning theory and design techniques, students will study urban precedents and critically consider alternatives for a local planning challenge.
Note: Field trips outside of class time will be required. Please refer to the department website for field trip scheduling information.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 464 and GD 464. Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 466
5 credits
Community Planning and Development: International Studio
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
Introduction to planning practice, from problem definition to data collection, analysis, drafting of a design concept, and participating in a client presentation. Through the application of planning theory and design techniques, students will study urban precedents and critically consider alternatives for an international planning challenge.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 466 and GD 466. Students may take only one of these for credit.
GEOG 470
5 credits
Advanced Field Studies in Geography
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits including GEOG 250 or 253, and at least 4 credits of upper-level Geography; application to an acceptance in study tour or field school.
In this capstone course of intensive field study, students will apply concepts and techniques attained in their previous human and physical geography courses to the study of a region outside of Southwest British Columbia. Students will define and formulate research questions, collect and analyze appropriate data from primary and secondary sources, and communicate their findings for both academic and general audiences. Classroom meetings and independent research completed before and after field study are required. GEOG 470 is offered in multiple versions as part of study tours and Adventures in Geography (AIG) field excursions. Please refer to department website for dates and locations of study tours and AIGs.
GEOG 480
4 credits
Directed Readings
Prerequisite(s): Written consent of supervising faculty member and department head
This directed readings course is designed for upper-level Geography students who wish to advance their knowledge and research skills using secondary materials in a subject area of their choosing. It can be used to further study of interests developed through earlier coursework or to satisfy a specialization in a study tour or Adventure in Geography field school. Course content and approach is determined in consultation with the guiding instructor.
GEOG 481
1 credit
Directed Readings
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including 9 credits of GEOG, and permission of the instructor
and department head.
A directed research course designed for upper-level Geography students who wish to advance their knowledge and skills using secondary materials in a subject area of their choosing.
GEOG 482
2 credits
Directed Readings
Prerequisite(s): Written consent of supervising faculty member and department head.
This directed research course is designed for upper-level Geography students who wish to advance their knowledge and skills using secondary materials in a subject area of their choosing. It can be used to further the development of interests acquired in earlier coursework or to satisfy a specialization in a study tour or Adventure in Geography field school. Course content and approach is determined in consultation with the guiding instructor.
GEOG 483
3 credits
Directed Readings
Prerequisite(s): Written consent of supervising faculty member and department head.
This directed research course is designed for upper-level Geography students who wish to advance their knowledge and skills using secondary materials in a subject area of their choosing. It can be used to further the development of interests acquired in earlier coursework or to satisfy a specialization in a study tour or Adventure in Geography field school. Course content and approach is determined in consultation with the guiding instructor.
GEOG 484
4 credits
Directed Studies
Prerequisite(s): Written consent of supervising faculty member and department head
This directed research course is designed for upper-level Geography students who wish to advance their knowledge and skills in a subject area of their choosing. It can be used to further development of interests acquired in earlier coursework or to satisfy a specialization in a study tour or Adventure in Geography field school. Course content and approach is determined in consultation with the guiding instructor.
GEOG 491
4 credits
Honours Research Design and Data Collection
Prerequisite(s): Enrolment in the Geography Honours or Physical Geography Honours program, completion of at least 12 upper-level Geography credits, and instructor’s permission.
This course is designed for students completing a two-semester research project for the Geography Honours program. Each student will work with a faculty supervisor to identify the topic and scope of this research. GEOG 491 will consist of instruction in primary and secondary research techniques, research design, and the collection of data required to complete this project. Compilation, analysis, and presentation of this research will be completed in GEOG 492 (BA students) or GEOG 493 (BSc students).
GEOG 492
4 credits
Honours Research Project
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Geography Honours program, GEOG 491, and instructor’s permission.
In this course, an Honours student will demonstrate advanced library and field data collection and interpretation skills and conduct a written and visual analysis in a particular geographic subject area.
GEOG 493
4 credits
Honours Research Project (Physical Geography)
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Physical Geography Honours program, GEOG 491, and instructor’s permission.
In this course, Honours students will develop advanced library and field data interpretation skills and conduct a written and visual analysis in physical geography.
Note: Students with credit for GEOG 492 cannot take this course for further credit.
