Geography (GEOG)
Geography
101 Major World Regions (3:3:0). Patterns, problems,
and prospects of the world's principal human-geographic
regions. Emphasis on areal differentiation and the role
geographic differences play in the interpretation of the current
worldscene.
102 Physical Geography (3:3:0). Interrelated
processes affecting the global distribution and character of
climate, soils, vegetation, hydrology, and landforms; elements
of mapping (natural science credit).
103 Human Geography (3:3:0). Overview of major
ideas and approaches to the study of the spatial aspects of
human social and behavioral systems. Survey of
distribution and movement of human populations, characteristics
and distribution of cultural mosaics, patterns of economic
interdependence, and the study of forces of cooperation
and conflict among people from a global perspective.
110 Maps and Mapping (3:3:0). Introduction to the
use of maps and spatial analytic tools and methods,
including geographic information systems. Familiarizes students
with key geographic concepts and skills through integrating
information technology with map-making technology.
In
cludes introduction to computer and web-based
geographic applications, databases, and graphics.
300 Quantitative Methods for Geographical
Analysis (3:3:0). Prerequisites: 30 credits, including GEOG 102
and 103, or permission of instructor, and permission of
department. A comprehensive introduction to quantitative
methods employed in spatial analysis with emphasis on
solving geographical research problems. Topics include the
nature of spatial data; collection of spatial data; preparation
of spatial data for mapping, geographic information
systems, and statistical analysis; descriptive spatial statistics;
areal sampling theory and methods; probability theory and
distributions; hypothesis testing; correlation and
regression; and areal and point pattern spatial statistics.
301 Political Geography (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 30
credits. Distribution and effects of power on the
landscape, particularly on national and global scales.
303 Conservation of Resources and Environment
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: 30 credits. Analysis of spatial aspects of
world resources and problems resulting from their unequal
distribution or unwise use. Population growth, its
implications for resource use, and pollution problems are stressed.
304 Geography of Population (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
30 credits. Spatial distribution of population, its causes
and effects, and the changing patterns resulting from
population mobility. Emphasis on spatial characteristics of
variables such as age, sex, race, education, and income.
305 Economic Geography (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 30
credits. Analysis of the pattern of distribution of world
economic activity, the spatial economics behind this pattern, and
the influence of this distribution on other spatial systems.
306 Urban Geography (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 30
credits. Structure and internal differentiation of cities. Variety
of perspectives on the nature of cities and opportunities
for intensive use of space. Urban problems and alternatives
in their spatial context.
308 Field Mapping Techniques (3:0:6).
Prerequisites: MATH 105, GEOG 102 or GEOL 101, and 30
credits. Basic techniques for collecting and recording spatial field
data, including the use of topographic maps, compass,
transit, alidade, and geographic positioning systems. Includes
field work.
309 Introduction to Meteorology and Climate
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOG 102 or equivalent or permission
of instructor. Elements of meteorology; analysis of world
distribution of meteorological controls as the bases of
regional climatic variations (natural science credit).
310 Introduction to Digital Cartography
(4:3:2). Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in GEOG 300 or
permission of department. Origins, principles, and methods
of thematic map design and production. Principles of
graphic design, data compilation, analysis, and display.
311 Introduction to Geographic Information
Systems (3:3:0). Fundamental concepts and theories for
appropriate use of geographic information systems (GIS).
Discusses basic GIS functionality and GIS applications in various fields.
315 Geography of the United States
(3:3:0). Prerequisite:6 credits of geography and/or American studies
or permission of instructor. Diversity of physical and
cultural landscapes in the United States.
316 Geography of Latin America (3:3:0).
Prerequisite: 6 credits of geography and/or Latin American studies
or permission of instructor. Regional survey of physical
resources, populations, cultural characteristics, and
economic activities in Latin America.
320 Geography of Europe (3:3:0). Prerequisite:6
credits of geography and/or European studies or permission
of instructor. Environmental, economic, social, and
political factors influencing the regional structure of Europe.
325 Geography of North Africa and the Middle
East (3:3:0). Prerequisite:6 credits of geography and/or
courses related to Middle East or permission of instructor.
Environmental, economic, and social factors of
differentiation of the regional structure and distribution of resources
in the North African and Middle Eastern countries.
330 Geography of the Soviet Succession States
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: 6 credits of geography and/or Russian
studies or permission of instructor. Analysis of the
geographic factors involved in the history, economic development,
and geopolitical situation of the former Soviet Union.
333 Issues in Regional Geography
(1-6:0:0). Prerequisite: 30 credits.Geographical study of a particular
region or relevant regional issue. Content varies. May be repeated.
357 Structures in Urban Governance and
Planning (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 30
credits. Review of the spatial, policy, and administration principles that guide
planning activity in the United States. Outlines differences
between theory and practice and provides a set of tools,
methods, and perspectives that are commonly incorporated into
the practice of urban and regional policy analysis. Provides
an orientation to the public-sector economy in general and
to urban administration, planning, and policy in particular.
380 Geography of Virginia (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 30
credits. Natural and cultural forces of Virginia. Study of
regional makeup and analysis of human and
environmental characteristics.
399 Selected Topics in Geography
(3:0:0). Prerequisite: 30 credits. Content varies; determined by instructor.
406 Suburban Geography (3:3:0). Prerequisite: 60
credits. Analysis of the spatial aspect of social, economic,
and political activities in suburbia. Suburbanization viewed
as both an independent force and a component of the
larger urbanization process. Northern Virginia is used as a lab
for suburban geographical study and student-initiated
field work projects.
411 Advanced Digital Cartography
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in GEOG
310. Design and production of full-color digital maps and information graphics,
map cognition and use, and principles of desktop mapping.
412 Aerial Photography Interpretation
(3:3:0). Prerequisites: 60 credits and GEOG 102 or 103 or permission
of instructor. Methods and techniques of interpreting and
using information contained in aerial photography,
including applications to various aspects of the physical and
cultural landscape.
415 Seminar in Geography (3:3:0). Prerequisites:
GEOG 300 and 310. Capstone seminar for geography majors,
integrating previous course work into a disciplinary
framework. Students produce and present original research papers.
416 Satellite Image Analysis (3:3:0).
Prerequisites: 60 credits and GEOG 412 or permission of
instructor. Examination of the methods and techniques of
interpreting and using information obtained by nonphotographic
remote sensing systems, with particular emphasis on
space-borne platforms. Includes analysis of imagery for both
physical and cultural environments.
420 Physiography of North America
(1-3:0:0). Prerequisite: 60 credits, GEOG 102, 3 additional credits of
geography or geology, or permission of
instructor. Physiographic features of the North American continent, their spatial
distribution, and their influence on the cultural,
demographic, and economic development of the United States and Canada.
463 Applied Geographic Information Systems
(3:3:0). Prerequisites: 2.000 or better in GEOG 300 and
GEOG 311. Selected applications in geographic information
systems (GIS). Topics include automated data capturing
and processing, spatial data models and structure, including
the object-oriented approach, advanced spatial analytical
techniques including raster modeling and network
analysis, programming, and algorithm development in GIS.
Major purpose of this course is to extend the fundamental
theories and concepts in GIS so students are able to
conduct research with GIS and on GIS.
480 Internship in Geography (1-3:0:0).
Prerequisite: Open only to majors with 90 credits and GPA of 2.500 in
geography course work. Internships are approved study
programs with specific employers. Credit is determined by
department. Contact department one semester before enrollment.
490 Practicum in Geographical Applications
(1-6:0:0). Prerequisite: Open only to authorized majors with 90
credits. Application of geographical research tools and
techniques in conjunction with faculty instruction and
research. Individualized sections taught by arrangement with
full-time faculty.
499 Independent Study in Geography
(1-3:0:0). Prerequisite: Open only to geography majors with 90 credits
and permission of department and instructor. Individual
study of a selected area of geography. Directed research paper
is required.
503 Problems in Environmental Management
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: 6 credits of geography, including GEOG
102. Case studies of the effects of human activities on
atmospheric, hydrologic, geomorphic, and biotic processes.
505 Transportation Geography (3:3:0).
Prerequisite: 6 credits of geography. Structure, principles, location,
and development of world transportation. Critical role of
transportation in moving people, goods, and ideas at the
international, national, regional, and urban levels.
520 Geography for Teachers (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Graduate standing or permission of department. Emphasis
on problems and techniques in teaching geography and
current developments in research, methodology, and
philosophy in the discipline.
533 Issues in Regional Geography
(1-6:0:0). Geographical study of a particular region or relevant regional
issue. Content varies. May be repeated.
540 Medical Geography (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Course
in statistics. Spatial approaches to the study of health and
disease. Topics include disease ecology, disease diffusion,
and geographic perspectives on improving health care delivery.
550 Introduction to Geographic Information
Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Introduces students to topics in geographic information science,
emphasizing the concepts and theories of cartography
and geographic information systems. Lectures accompanied
by hands-on lab exercises to familiarize students with
current technology.
551 Thematic Cartography (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
GEOG 310 or 550. Analysis of the nature of perceptual
organization and visual systems in thematic map
communication portrayal, graphic handling, and data analysis.
553 Advanced Geographic Information Science
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOG 550 or a course in geographic
information systems. Discussion of advanced geographic
information science concepts in great detail, including
spatial data structure, spatial analysis, and programming.
Hands-on exercises demonstrate these concepts. Address
selected issues related to data fusion, geographic information
systems on the Internet, and database management.
554 History of Cartography (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Graduate standing. History of cartographic portrayal of the earth
from ancient times through the 19th century, with emphasis
on the interrelation of human culture, technological
development, and geographical knowledge as reflected in maps.
562 Photogrammetry (3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOG
412 or permission of instructor. Treatment of
photogrammetric problems, including least squares adjustments, image
coordination refinements, colinearity equation, resection,
relative orientation, and analytic aerotriangulation.
563 Geographic Information Systems
Applications (3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOG 553 or permission of
department. Concentrates on use of geographic information
systems (GIS) software and hardware and requires
considerable laboratory time to understand the functionality of GIS,
its use for various applications, and available digital spatial data.
570 The Hydrosphere (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Two
semesters of calculus (partial differential equation
recommended), or permission of the instructor. The components and
transfer processes within the hydrosphere. The
hydrosphere consists of the aqueous envelope of the Earth included
the oceans, lakes, rivers, and snow, ice, glaciers, soil
moisture, ground water, and atmospheric water vapor.
575 Reconstructing Past Environments: Seminar
in Geoarchaeology (3:3:0). Prerequisites: Permission of
instructor and course work in geography,biology, geology,
or archaeology. Research seminar examining the
intersection of geoarchaeology and paleoecology with cultural
ecology. Addresses methods common to these research areas, and
the ranges of scales and reliability of evidences used to
reconstruct past environments, both natural and cultural.
Applied examples cover selected geoarchaeological and
paleoecological projects from a variety of geographical regions.
579 Remote Sensing (3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOG 412
or permission of instructor. Examines use of various
types and combinations of electromagnetic energy to obtain
spatial information. Concentrates on nonphotographic
and space-borne remote sensing platforms and sensors.
Examines essential operational parameters for existing and
future systems and strategies for visual extraction of features.
580 Digital Remote Sensing (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
GEOG 416 or 579.Examination of the theory and techniques
of
using digital remotely sensed data for obtaining
geographic information of the Earth's surface, including both
image enhancement methods and classification strategies for
a variety of physical and cultural features.
581 World Food and Population (3:3:0).
Prerequisite: Graduate standing.Topics include maldistribution of
population, regional disparities in growth rates and income
distribution, food production, and world hunger.
Discussion of population policies with emphasis on Third
World countries.
585 Quantitative Methods (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Previous course work in statistics, GEOG 310 or
550. Survey of quantitative methods commonly used in geographic
research. Emphasis on spatial analysis techniques.
590 Selected Topics in Geography and
Cartography (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Permission of
department. Students analyze topics of immediate interest. Content varies.
Graduate standing is prerequisite to all 600-level courses.
653 Geographic Information Analysis
(3:3:0). Prerequisites: GEOG 553 and
585. Exploration of existing and potential capabilities of geographic information
systems in conducting spatial analysis and spatial modeling.
655 Map Design (3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOG 310 or
550. Advanced examination of principles of map design,
including discussions of map design research.
656 Terrain Mapping (3:3:0). Prerequisites: GEOG
550 and permission of instructor. Advanced methods of
relief and landform portrayal, slope mapping, digital
terrain models, and other forms of terrain representation.
661 Map Projections and Coordinate Systems
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOG 310 or 550. Development of
various map projections and coordinate systems; analysis of
their properties, distortions, and applications.
664 Spatial Data Structures (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
GEOG 310 or 550. The study of spatial data structures and
their application in digital cartography, geographic
information systems, and image-processing systems. Raster and
vector data structures are examined, as well as attribution
schemes and topological models. Data transformation,
information loss, data quality, and the role of metadata are included.
670 Applied Climatology (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Course in weather and climate or permission of
instructor. Application of climatic concepts to natural and
human-modified environments. Analysis of climatic change.
671 The Lithosphere (3:3:0). Prerequisite:
Graduate standing. A global-scale overview of the lithosphere,
the solid non-living earth, its materials, cycles, plate
tectonic and geomorphic processes, and history, including
interactions with and history of the hydrosphere, atmosphere
and biosphere, and methods of analysis.
674 Environmental Impact Analysis
(3:3:0). Scientific and administrative processes involved in
environmental impact analysis and environmental impact statements.
680 Seminar in Thought and Methodology
(3:3:0). Prerequisite: GEOG 585. Historical development of
geographic thought and the current philosophy of geography.
Analysis of the rationale for the discipline's various subfields.
Geographic research techniques and methods of analysis.
690 Advanced Practicum in Geographical
Applications (1-6:0:0). Prerequisite: Permission of
department. Application of spatial technologies in conjunction with
faculty instruction and research. Individualized sections taught
by arrangement with full-time faculty.
695 Internship (1-6:0:0). Prerequisite: Permission of
department. Internships are approved study programs
with specific employers. Students and employer supervisors
must demonstrate relevancy of study program to
degree requirements.
698 Directed Readings and Research
(1-3:0:0). Prerequisite: Permission of instructor and
department. Reading and research on a specific topic under the direction of
a faculty member. Written report is required; oral exam
and report may be required. May be repeated.
750 Advanced Geographical Research Applications
(1-6:0:0). Prerequisite: Permission of
instructor. Advanced research employing geographical tools and research
techniques. Content varies. May be repeated.
785 Geographic Field Work (3:3:0). Introduction to
the nature, scope, and objectives of geographic field
methods and techniques, including use of base maps, acquisition
of data, and field research design. Taught as much as
possible in field situations with students required to develop
and carry out relevant field research projects pertaining to
both physical and cultural geography.
791 Colloquium in Earth Systems Science (1:1:0).
Introduction in a colloquium format covering the various
parts of the Earth systems. Invited talks by Mason faculty
and primarily Earth Science experts in the Washington,
D.C. area. Students will be graded on written reports
demonstrating an understanding of the wide topics covered.
792 Seminar in Earth Systems Science (2:2:0).
Prerequisites: 15 graduate credits and courses on the
atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. A seminar for Earth
Systems Science graduate students who have background in
the earth's major systems. Intended to be a capstone
experience. Seminars will be presented by faculty and
students. Topics will vary from semester to semester.
795 Seminar in Regional Analysis
(3:3:0). Analysis and synthesis of physical and cultural elements of
geography in a selected region. Should be taken near the end of
the master's degree program and should provide an
opportunity for the student to apply selective knowledge gained
in previous systematic courses to a specific region.
799 Thesis (1-6:0:0). Prerequisites: Degree candidacy
and departmental approval of thesis proposal. Graded S/NC.
|
