Geography Department Courses

100 Level Courses
100 Human Geography. (CT) 3 hrs.	This critical thinking course provides a systematic survey of contemporary concepts and processes of human geography in global perspective, including economics, geopolitics, culture, nationalism, urbanization, governance, agriculture, population, and migration.
101  Physical Geography. (CT) 4 hrs.	Systematic survey of earth-sun relationships, land-surface form, climate, soils, water, natural vegetation, and other natural content as a background for human geography. Lab included.
110 Basic GIS 1 hr.	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems concepts including GIS components, spatial and tabular data, database elements, data formats, and map design; hands-on experience with a GIS.
111 Air Photos and Satellite Imagery 1 hr.	Introduction to photogrammetry and remote sensing through the hands-on investigation of aerial photographs and satellite imagery using the latest technology.
200 Level Courses
201 Intro. to Global Positioning Systems 1 hr.	History and principles of GPS; use of GPS in the field; application of GPS to academic or professional fields.
203  Economic Geography.  3 hrs.	A Systematic examination of world economic geography with a focus on population, agriculture, transportation, land use, urbanization, industry, energy, and the environment.
206  Geography of West Virginia.  3 hrs.	Transportation, population, mining, industry, and agriculture as related to climate, soils, land forms, and other natural environmental items.
222  Global Environmental Issues (CT) 3 hrs.	Environmental issues have great emotional, political, and economic significance. The dynamics of global environmental problems, their complex interactions, and effects on potential stakeholders will be examined at the international scale.
230  Intro Meteorology (CT) 4 hrs.	Introduction to the composition of the atmosphere and weather phenomena, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
280-283  Special Topics.  1-4 hrs.
300 Level Courses
305  Geography of the United States and Canada. 3 hrs.	Survey of physical, historical, population, economic, political, cultural, and regional geographies of Canada and the United States. International issues involving Mexico also considered.
317  World Regional Geography. 3 hrs.	World regions examined using a synthesis of physical and human geographical themes including environment, culture, landscape, climate, landforms, globalization, population patterns, urbanization, economies, and political geography.
350 Severe Local Storms and Natural Hazards 4 hrs.	Basics of earth and atmospheric hazards including flooding, hurricanes, droughts, blizzards, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions, and how to mitigate the impacts.
360 Weather Analysis 3 hrs.	Introduction to reading weather maps and meteorological analysis techniques including satellite and radar image interpretation and numerical weather prediction. (PR: GEO230)
400 level courses
401  Historical Geography 3 hrs.	An examination of the spatial aspects of prominent historical patterns and processes, including demographic patterns, economic development, cultural diffusion, state formation, and urbanization.
402  Geography of Appalachia.  3 hrs.	A study of the geography of Appalachia, including landforms, climate, settlement patterns, population, economics, resources, politics, and environmental changes.
403  Geography of Asia.  3 hrs.	An examination of the geography of Asia focusing on contemporary issues, including climate, culture, economics, environmental change, everyday life, international relations, landforms, language, politics, population, religion, and urbanization.
404  Geography of Europe. 3 hrs.	An examination of the geography of Europe focusing on contemporary issues, including climate, culture, economics, environmental change, everyday life, international relations, landforms, language, politics, population, religion, and urbanization.
405  Political Geography.  3 hrs.	An examination of contemporary patterns, processes, and problems of political geography in global perspective, including globalization, colonialism, imperialism, geopolitics, nationalism, diplomacy, international borders, governance, political representation, and future projections.
406  Population Geography.  3 hrs.	An examination of contemporary patterns, processes, and problems of population geography in global perspective, including fertility, mortality, demographic change, migration, malnutrition, urbanization, natural resource sustainability, and future projections.
407 Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa.  3 hrs.	An exploration of the geography of Sub-Sahara Africa, its land and people, with a focus on contemporary issues that challenge Africans in the 21st Century.
408  Geography of Middle and South America.  3 hrs.	A study of settlement, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, geopolitics, and natural resources of South and Middle American countries.
409 Geography of North Africa and the Middle East.  3 hrs.	A geographical study of agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, settlement, geopolitics, and natural resources of the Middle Eastern countries.
410  Urban Geography.  3 hrs.	Study of the morphology, function, and development of cities and the urban fringe. An emphasis is place on social and environmental costs of urbanization, as well as urban and rural linkages.
411  Medical Geography.  3 hrs.	An examination of contemporary issues and problems in health and medical geography, including the spatial aspects of global health, health care policy, and disease origins, diffusion, and ecology.
412  Geography of Russia 3 hrs.	An examination of the geography of Russia focusing on contemporary issues, including climate, culture, economics, environmental change, everyday life, international relations, landforms, language, politics, population, religion, and urbanization.
414  Principles and Methods of Planning.  3 hrs.	An examination of contemporary planning focusing on principles, methods, techniques, and tools; and the political, legal, and ethical contexts of planning.
415  Urban Land Use Planning.  3 hrs.	Application of principles, methods, and tools of planning; and overview of government policy, code of ethics, and the constitutional basis of contemporary urban land use planning. (PR: GEO 414 or permission of instructor)
416  Environmental Issues in Planning.  3 hrs.	An examination of the role the natural environment plays in urban and rural land use planning with an emphasis on consequences of land use change and applications of planning techniques.
418  Geography for Teachers.  3 hrs.	A study of the elements of geography education focused on meeting the content standards and objectives for the elementary and secondary school levels.
419  Geography of Gender.  3 hrs.	An examination of contemporary gender issues and problems from a geographic perspective, including the spatial aspects of equality, health, poverty, human rights, and economic and political participation.
420  Geographic Field Research.  3 hrs.	This class will develop individual research projects based on data collected in the field; producing an original piece of geographic research. This course fulfills the Capstone requirement for undergraduate geography majors.
422 Environmental Geography 3 hrs.	Geographical survey of environmental changes caused by human activities. Focus on resource availability and use; pollution of air, water, and biosphere; energy problems, and human interaction with natural environment.
425  Climatology.  3 hrs.	A study of elements of weather and climate, methods of climatic classification, and distribution and characteristics of world climate regions.
426 Principles of GIS 4 hrs.	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) principles, techniques, and applications for the social and natural sciences with emphasis on foundational geographic principles in a lecture/lab format.
429 GIS Vector Analysis 3 hrs.	Introduction to GIS vector analysis, beginning with the vector data model, and including buffering, overlay analysis, geocoding, and network analysis. (PR: GEO426 or GEO430 or GEO431 or IST423)
430 GIS Raster Analysis 3 hrs.	GIS raster analysis, including local, neighborhood, and zonal operations, terrain analysis, building raster databases, distance modeling, and surface interpolation. (PR: GEO426 or GEO429 or GEO431 or IST423)
431 Principles of Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry. 3 hrs.	Scientific study of the earth using images and data captured using satellite- or aircraft-borne sensors, with emphasis on issues of acquisition, photogrammetric interpretation, spatial analysis, and application. (PR: GEO426 or GEO429 or GEO430 or IST423)
432 Enterprise GIS. 3 hrs.	Principles and techniques for planning, implementing, and managing Geographic Information Systems technologies in a firm or agency. (PR: GEO426 or GEO429 or GEO430 or GEO431 or IST423)
433 GPS and Mobile Geospatial Technologies. 3 hrs.	An analysis of the design and deployment of Global Navigation Satellite Systems such as GPS (Global Positioning System) and their application to mobile map services. (PR: GEO426 or GEO429 or GEO430 or GEO431 or IST423)
480-483  Special Topics.  1-4; 1-4; 1-4; 1-4 hrs.
485-488  Independent Study. 1-4 hrs.
490 Internship. 3 hrs.	Cooperative learning experience with regional employer/government agency.
Graduate Courses	Graduate courses
500 level courses
501  Historical Geography 3 hrs.	An examination of the spatial aspects of prominent historical patterns and processes, including demographic patterns, economic development, cultural diffusion, state formation, and urbanization.
502  Geography of Appalachia.  3 hrs.	A study of the geography of Appalachia, including landforms, climate, settlement patterns, population, economics, resources, politics, and environmental changes.
503  Geography of Asia.  3 hrs.	An examination of the geography of Asia focusing on contemporary issues, including climate, culture, economics, environmental change, everyday life, international relations, landforms, language, politics, population, religion, and urbanization.
504  Geography of Europe. 3 hrs.	An examination of the geography of Europe focusing on contemporary issues, including climate, culture, economics, environmental change, everyday life, international relations, landforms, language, politics, population, religion, and urbanization.
505  Political Geography.  3 hrs.	An examination of contemporary patterns, processes, and problems of political geography in global perspective, including globalization, colonialism, imperialism, geopolitics, nationalism, diplomacy, international borders, governance, political representation, and future projections.
506  Population Geography.  3 hrs.	An examination of contemporary patterns, processes, and problems of population geography in global perspective, including fertility, mortality, demographic change, migration, malnutrition, urbanization, natural resource sustainability, and future projections.
507 Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa.  3 hrs.	An exploration of the geography of Sub-Sahara Africa, its land and people, with a focus on contemporary issues that challenge Africans in the 21st Century.
508  Geography of Middle and South America.  3 hrs.	A study of settlement, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, geopolitics, and natural resources of South and Middle American countries.
509 Geography of North Africa and the Middle East.  3 hrs.	A geographical study of agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, settlement, geopolitics, and natural resources of the Middle Eastern countries.
510  Urban Geography.  3 hrs.	Study of the morphology, function, and development of cities and the urban fringe. An emphasis is place on social and environmental costs of urbanization, as well as urban and rural linkages.
511  Medical Geography.  3 hrs.	An examination of contemporary issues and problems in health and medical geography, including the spatial aspects of global health, health care policy, and disease origins, diffusion, and ecology.
512  Geography of Russia 3 hrs.	An examination of the geography of Russia focusing on contemporary issues, including climate, culture, economics, environmental change, everyday life, international relations, landforms, language, politics, population, religion, and urbanization.
514  Principles and Methods of Planning.  3 hrs.	An examination of contemporary planning focusing on principles, methods, techniques, and tools; and the political, legal, and ethical contexts of planning.
515  Urban Land Use Planning.  3 hrs.	Application of principles, methods, and tools of planning; and overview of government policy, code of ethics, and the constitutional basis of contemporary urban land use planning. (PR: GEO 514 or permission of instructor)
516  Environmental Issues in Planning.  3 hrs.	An examination of the role the natural environment plays in urban and rural land use planning with an emphasis on consequences of land use change and applications of planning techniques.
518  Geography for Teachers.  3 hrs.	A study of the elements of geography education focused on meeting the content standards and objectives for the elementary and secondary school levels.
519  Geography of Gender.  3 hrs.	An examination of contemporary gender issues and problems from a geographic perspective, including the spatial aspects of equality, health, poverty, human rights, and economic and political participation.
522 Environmental Geography 3 hrs.	Geographical survey of environmental changes caused by human activities. Focus on resource availability and use; pollution of air, water, and biosphere; energy problems, and human interaction with natural environment.
525  Climatology.  3 hrs.	A study of elements of weather and climate, methods of climatic classification, and distribution and characteristics of world climate regions.
526 Principles of GIS 4 hrs.	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) principles, techniques, and applications for the social and natural sciences with emphasis on foundational geographic principles in a lecture/lab format.
529 GIS Vector Analysis 3 hrs.	Introduction to GIS vector analysis, beginning with the vector data model, and including buffering, overlay analysis, geocoding, and network analysis. (PR: GEO526 or GEO530)
530 GIS Raster Analysis 3 hrs.	GIS raster analysis, including local, neighborhood, and zonal operations, terrain analysis, building raster databases, distance modeling, and surface interpolation. (PR: GEO526 or GEO529)
531 Principles of Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry 3 hrs.	Scientific study of the earth using images and data captured using satellite- or aircraft-borne sensors, with emphasis on issues of acquisition, photogrammetric interpretation, spatial analysis, and application. (PR: GEO526 or GEO529 or GEO530)
532 Enterprise GIS. 3 hrs.	Principles and techniques for planning, implementing, and managing Geographic Information Systems technologies in a firm or agency. (PR: GEO526 or GEO529 or GEO530 or GEO531)
533 GPS and Mobile Geospatial Technologies. 3 hrs.	An analysis of the design and deployment of Global Navigation Satellite Systems such as GPS (Global Positioning System) and their application to mobile map services. (PR: GEO526 or GEO529 or GEO530 or GEO531)
580-584  Special Topics.  1-4 hrs.	Selected geography subjects to cover unusual geography topics not in the regular course offerings of the department
585-588  Independent Study.  1-4 hrs.
600 level courses
615 Geographic Thought and Methods. 3 hrs.	Survey of the history, literature, prominent individuals, major concepts and paradigms in geography. The course emphasizes the integration of methods of geographic inquiry with each student’s research focus and writing.
616 Geographical Research. 3 hrs.	This course provides an introduction to geographical research by focusing on the development of a viable research proposal which may serve as the basis for an independent research project.
617-619 Seminars in Geography 3 hrs.	Selected geography subjects/topics not included in the regular course offerings of the department are considered, using a seminar approach to learning.
620  Topics in Environmental Geography 3 hrs.	Presents elements of conservation education in the specific areas of soil, water, and human conservation.
623 Regions of North America. 3 hrs.	This seminar course examines regional geographies of North America with an emphasis on the research and methods for delineation of regions.
631 Advanced GIS Projects 3 hrs.	Use of advanced GIS techniques to solve community-service research problems. (PR: GEO526 or GEO529 or GEO530 or GEO531)
679  Applied Project. 1-3 hrs.
681  Thesis.  1-6 hrs.
690  Internship in Geography. 1-6 hrs.	Professional work experience in applied geography with an approved agency.