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Geography Major

Bachelor of Arts

Students must complete 120 units including 45 upper division units.

Transfer students may enter the program before fulfilling all lower division requirements. See the advisor as soon as possible about program entry.

Students should consult with the advisor when formally declaring a geography major, or risk prolonging their program.

Program Requirements

Students complete 120 units, as specified below.

Lower Division Requirements

Students complete a total of 18 units, including all of

GEOG 100 - Society, Space, Environment: Introducing Human Geography (3)

A survey of how humans shape their world, considered from spatial and environmental perspectives. Themes include population, culture, resources, livelihood, cities. Breadth-Social Sciences.

GEOG 111 - Earth Systems (3)

An introduction to landforms, climates, soils and vegetation; their origins, distributions, interrelationships and roles in the ecosystem. Laboratory work and field trips are included. Breadth-Science.

GEOG 221 - Economic Geography (3)

The basic concepts of economic geography, involving consideration of the spatial organization and development of economic and resource based systems. Prerequisite: GEOG 100.

GEOG 241 - Social Geography (3)

Systematic consideration of the spatial and environmental bases of societies, in historical and cultural perspective. Prerequisite: GEOG 100.

and one of

GEOG 213 - Introduction to Geomorphology (3)

An examination of landforms, processes, laws, and theories of development; types and distributions. Prerequisite: GEOG 111 or EASC 101.

GEOG 214 - Weather and Climate (3)

An examination of the basic principles and processes governing the Earth's weather and climate. Topics include: radiation, greenhouse effect, clouds, precipitation, atmospheric circulation, mid-latitude cyclones, tropical storms, climate change. Prerequisite: GEOG 111. Quantitative.

GEOG 215 - Biogeography (3)

An examination of the abiotic and biotic factors that control the distribution and development of plant communities, including climatic and geological change. Prerequisite: GEOG 111. Students with credit for BISC 204 may not take this course for further credit.

and one of

GEOG 251 - Quantitative Geography (3)

An introduction to basic quantitative methods and software for the solution of geographic problems. Topics include spatial data measurements, central tendency measures, simple probability theory and distributions, inferential methods, and correlation analysis. Prerequisite: GEOG 100 or 221 or 241; and 111. Quantitative.

GEOG 253 - Introduction to Remote Sensing (3)

An introduction to the theory and practice of remote sensing, including the relevant physical processes, digital image processing and information extraction, and a review of remote sensing applications. Prerequisite: GEOG 100 and 111. Quantitative.

GEOG 255 - Geographical Information Science I (3)

A basic overview of Geographical Information Systems and Science; GIS software, hardware, data structures and models; spatial data, operations and algorithms; practical applications and limitations. Prerequisite: GEOG 100 or 111 or permission of instructor. Students with credit for GEOG 354 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.

In addition, GEOG 261-3 is strongly recommended to students who intend to take upper division courses in urban geography.

Upper Division Requirements

Students complete 32 units of 300 and 400 division courses in geography within one of the following two concentrations.

Society and Environment Concentration

Students choosing this concentration complete two of

GEOG 325 - Geographies of Consumption (4)

Spaces, places, landscapes, and scales of consumption emphasizing commodity cultures, marketing, retail, ideology, subjectivity, objects, technology, and tourism. Prerequisite: GEOG 221 or 261.

GEOG 362 - Geography of Urban Built Environments (4)

Current concepts and approaches in urban geography regarding the development of built environments. Central concerns are the relationships between urbanization and the state, capital, and civil society at various scales. Prerequisite: At least 30 units, including one of GEOG 221, 241, or 261. Students with credit for GEOG 362W may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 363 - Urban Planning and Policy (4)

An introduction to the major approaches and key ideas of the professions of urban governance; urban planning and urban policy. Through a focus on contemporary theory, process-based understanding, and specific issues and examples, the course examines key trends and interventions and promotes critical reflection on urban development. Prerequisite: 30 units including one of GEOG 241 or 261.

GEOG 377 - Environmental History (4)

Examines the reciprocal influences between humans and nature through time. Topics may include settlement, agriculture, technology, politics, urbanization, science, and conservation. Prerequisite: 45 units with nine of lower division Geography units. Students with credit for HIST 377 may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 381 - Political Geography (4)

Theoretical approaches to problems of the interactions of political decisions and power structures with territorial organization. Prerequisite: GEOG 241. Students with credit for GEOG 381W may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 382 - Population Geography (4)

A survey - from geographic perspective - of data, concepts, themes, and debates in the study of population. Particular concern for population numbers, fertility, mortality, and migration over space and time. Prerequisite: GEOG 221 or 241.

GEOG 386 - Health Geography (4)

A survey of health issues from a geographic perspective, including major spatial influences shaping the health status of populations and health-place relationships. Prerequisite: at least 30 units, including either GEOG 241 or HSCI 130.

GEOG 387 - Geography and Gender (4)

Geographical perspectives on gender and sexuality. This course investigates feminist theory in geography and its analysis of home, city, nation, state, global economy, colonialism, and migration. Prerequisite: GEOG 241.

and one of

GEOG 311 - Hydrology (4)

Introduction to the hydrologic cycle, with an emphasis on the hydrology of British Columbia; description and analysis of the processes of water movement and storage measurements and analysis of hydrologic data. Prerequisite: GEOG 213 or 214; GEOG 251 or one of STAT 101, 201, 203 (formerly 103), or 270. Quantitative.

GEOG 312 - Geography of Natural Hazards (4)

An introduction to the occurrence and origin of natural hazards such as volcanic eruptions, landslides, etc. Interaction between the relevant natural processes and society will be examined, as well as prediction of natural events and the amelioration of the effects of such events within different cultural contexts. Prerequisite: GEOG 111 or EASC 101. Students with credit for GEOG 212 may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 313 - River Geomorphology (4)

Intermediate analysis in fluvial and coastal geomorphology with particular reference to British Columbia. Prerequisite: GEOG 213. Quantitative.

GEOG 314 - The Climate System (4)

A survey of the climate system, with emphasis on the interactions among its components; radiation, energy and water balances; climate sensitivity and feedbacks; natural and anthropogenic climate change; climate models. Prerequisite: GEOG 214. Recommended: MATH 151 and 152 or MATH 154 and 155 or MATH 157 and 158. Quantitative.

GEOG 315 - World Ecosystems (4)

Distribution, structure, function, and dynamics of the world's major biomes. Attention to comparative aspects among terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and to environmental problems associated with the biomes. Prerequisite: GEOG 215 or BISC 204.

GEOG 316 - Global Biogeochemical and Water Cycles (4)

Introduction to the cycling of essential chemical elements through ecosystems. Interactions among biological, hydrological, and geological controls on the structure and function of ecosystems and the spatial-temporal scales of elemental cycling are emphasized. Environmental problems resulting from disturbance to natural equilibria in the elemental cycles are examined. Prerequisite: GEOG 215 or BISC 204 or permission of the instructor. Quantitative.

GEOG 317 - Soil Science (4)

An introduction to the study of soils: physical, chemical and biological properties of soils; soil formation, description, classification, survey and use. Field and laboratory techniques of soil analysis. Prerequisite: One of GEOG 213, 214, 215, or CHEM 121. Students with credit for GEOG 318 may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 318 - Soils in Our Environment (4)

A survey of soils and their management. Focuses on the role of soils in the environment; their physical, chemical and biological properties; processes of degradation (including erosion, desertification, pollution, and nutrient depletion); and the maintenance of healthy soils. Prerequisite: Completion of 45 units including GEOG 111. Students who have taken GEOG 317 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Science.

and any three other courses from the

and one of

GEOG 420 - Cultural Geography (4)

A critical study of selected cultural landscapes, practices and meanings in light of recent theoretical developments in geography. Prerequisite: GEOG 325 or 381 or 387.

GEOG 432 - Problems in Environmental History (4)

An investigation into the major themes and arguments in the environmental histories of North America, emphasizing how different individuals and groups have used, perceived, and managed their environments over time. Prerequisite: 60 units including eight of upper division geography. Students with credit for HIST 432 or HIST 485 in 2001-3 may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 440 - Law and Geography (4)

An examination of the emergent field of law and geography. Topics will include the legal-geographic dimensions of property; the regulation of public space; rights; nature; colonial dispossession; and globalization and the law. Prerequisite: 60 units, including eight of upper division geography. Students with credit for GEOG 440W may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 441 - Cities, Space, and Politics (4)

An evaluation of the nature of urbanization, having specific reference to theories of urban spatial structure and to comparisons of urbanization in Canada and abroad. Prerequisite: At least 60 units including GEOG 362.

GEOG 449 - Environmental Processes and Urban Development (4)

An examination of environmental processes as they influence, and are influenced by, urban development, with attention to implications for urban policy and planning. Prerequisite: Enrolment in the Post Baccalaureate Program in Sustainable Community Development or 60 units; and one of GEOG 351, 362, 383, 389 or SCD 301 (formerly CED 301).

GEOG 486 - Health Care Geographies (4)

An in-depth examination of health care and health services from a health geography perspective, including place-based considerations of care spaces, health human resources, and new forms of health care. Prerequisite: GEOG 386 or HSCI 305.

and any one other course from the

and any additional courses, in geography and across the University, to complete the required total of 45 upper division units.

Resources, Economy, and Environment Concentration

Students choosing this concentration complete two of

GEOG 322 - World Resources (4)

An analysis of the use and development of natural resources from a geographic, economic and institutional perspective. Prerequisite: At least 30 units including GEOG 221. Students with credit for GEOG 322W may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 323 - Industrial Location (4)

An examination of the factors affecting industrial location and the geographic organization of production systems within and among firms from the perspectives of national, regional and urban development. Prerequisite: GEOG 221.

GEOG 324 - Geography of Transportation (4)

An empirical and theoretical examination of the geographical aspects of transportation systems. Prerequisite: GEOG 221 or 241.

GEOG 327 - Geography of Tourism (4)

Factors underlying the changing geography of tourism. Issues of demand, supply and impact are examined. Prerequisite: GEOG 221 or 241, or permission of the instructor.

GEOG 383 - Regional Development and Planning (4)

Theories and concepts of regional development and planning in the advanced capitalist and third worlds; methods of spatial analysis. Prerequisite: GEOG 221 (formerly 121) and GEOG 241 (formerly 141). Students with credit for GEOG 443-5 may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 385 - Agriculture and the Environment (4)

An examination of the relationship between agricultural production systems and the biophysical environment, with emphasis on the origins of, and potential solutions to, agri-environmental degradation. Prerequisite: GEOG 221.

GEOG 389W - Nature and Society (4)

Examines the relationship between nature and society, covering the dominant geographical approaches to human-environment interaction, and their social, spatial, and political economic effects. Prerequisite: GEOG 221 or GEOG 241 (Students who received credit for EVSC 200 before 2011 may use it to meet the prerequisite requirement for this course). Writing.

and one of

GEOG 311 - Hydrology (4)

Introduction to the hydrologic cycle, with an emphasis on the hydrology of British Columbia; description and analysis of the processes of water movement and storage measurements and analysis of hydrologic data. Prerequisite: GEOG 213 or 214; GEOG 251 or one of STAT 101, 201, 203 (formerly 103), or 270. Quantitative.

GEOG 312 - Geography of Natural Hazards (4)

An introduction to the occurrence and origin of natural hazards such as volcanic eruptions, landslides, etc. Interaction between the relevant natural processes and society will be examined, as well as prediction of natural events and the amelioration of the effects of such events within different cultural contexts. Prerequisite: GEOG 111 or EASC 101. Students with credit for GEOG 212 may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 313 - River Geomorphology (4)

Intermediate analysis in fluvial and coastal geomorphology with particular reference to British Columbia. Prerequisite: GEOG 213. Quantitative.

GEOG 314 - The Climate System (4)

A survey of the climate system, with emphasis on the interactions among its components; radiation, energy and water balances; climate sensitivity and feedbacks; natural and anthropogenic climate change; climate models. Prerequisite: GEOG 214. Recommended: MATH 151 and 152 or MATH 154 and 155 or MATH 157 and 158. Quantitative.

GEOG 315 - World Ecosystems (4)

Distribution, structure, function, and dynamics of the world's major biomes. Attention to comparative aspects among terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and to environmental problems associated with the biomes. Prerequisite: GEOG 215 or BISC 204.

GEOG 316 - Global Biogeochemical and Water Cycles (4)

Introduction to the cycling of essential chemical elements through ecosystems. Interactions among biological, hydrological, and geological controls on the structure and function of ecosystems and the spatial-temporal scales of elemental cycling are emphasized. Environmental problems resulting from disturbance to natural equilibria in the elemental cycles are examined. Prerequisite: GEOG 215 or BISC 204 or permission of the instructor. Quantitative.

GEOG 317 - Soil Science (4)

An introduction to the study of soils: physical, chemical and biological properties of soils; soil formation, description, classification, survey and use. Field and laboratory techniques of soil analysis. Prerequisite: One of GEOG 213, 214, 215, or CHEM 121. Students with credit for GEOG 318 may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 318 - Soils in Our Environment (4)

A survey of soils and their management. Focuses on the role of soils in the environment; their physical, chemical and biological properties; processes of degradation (including erosion, desertification, pollution, and nutrient depletion); and the maintenance of healthy soils. Prerequisite: Completion of 45 units including GEOG 111. Students who have taken GEOG 317 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Science.

and any three other courses from the

and one of

GEOG 422 - Theories and Practices of Development (4)

A geographic study of 'development' and 'underdevelopment' with particular references to selected lesser developed regions. Prerequisite: At least 60 units including GEOG 111, 221, and 241. Students with credit for LAS 422 may not take this course for further credit.

GEOG 426 - Industrial Change and Local Development (4)

Relationships between multinational corporations and local development with reference to resource based towns in British Columbia. An analysis of the implications of changes in employment, organization, technology and resource utilization for community economic development. Prerequisite: At least 60 units including GEOG 323 or 383.

GEOG 427 - Selected Topics in the Geography of Tourism (4)

Selected topics in the geography of tourism. Topics emphasize policy, planning and management issues associated with tourism. Prerequisite: GEOG 327, or permission of the instructor.

GEOG 428 - World Forests (4)

Comparative analysis of forest industries, ecosystems and policies, and their lessons for forest management in British Columbia. Topics include tropical deforestation and carbon sequestration, the wilderness debate, and forests in culture and the visual arts. Prerequisite: GEOG 315, or 322, or 389.

GEOG 445 - Resource Planning (4)

This course introduces the student to the principles and practices of resource planning within a Canadian context. Special attention is paid to land-use planning as it relates to major resource sectors. Prerequisite: One of GEOG 322, 363, 383, or 389.

GEOG 468 - Society and Environment in China (4)

An examination of environmental issues facing rural people and their livelihoods in China from a political ecology perspective. Topics include: environmental history and concepts of nature; property rights in land and trees; agriculture; forests; wildlife and biodiversity; grasslands; and water. Prerequisite: GEOG 389W.

and any one other course from the

and any additional courses, in geography and across the University, to complete the required total of 45 upper division units.

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to 間眅埶AV beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See for university-wide information.

WQB Graduation Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit

Requirement

Units

Notes
W - Writing

6

Must include at least one upper division course, taken at 間眅埶AV within the student’s major subject
Q - Quantitative

6

Q courses may be lower or upper division
B - Breadth

18

Designated Breadth Must be outside the student’s major subject, and may be lower or upper division
6 units Social Sciences: B-Soc
6 units Humanities: B-Hum
6 units Sciences: B-Sci

6

Additional Breadth 6 units outside the student’s major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements)

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Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit

The University’s residency requirement stipulates that, in most cases, total transfer and course challenge credit may not exceed 60 units, and may not include more than 15 as upper division work.

Elective Courses

In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.

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