Return to Geography | Courses Index
[1] Courses in Geography (GEOG)
1300 GEOGRAPHY OF WORLD REGIONS In this course students will come to better understand the rapidly changing world through analyzing cultural and physical regions using traditional Western as well as non-Western and the evolving Developing World’s theories. The course uses primarily electronic sources for current data gathering and various types of geographic analysis, supported by lecture and discussion. This course may be taken to satisfy the Diversity in World Cultures requirement as a social science elective in the UCA Core, but it may not count toward the 36-hour geography major or the 24-hour geography minor. [ACTS: GEOG2103]
1305 PRINCIPLES OF GEOGRAPHY This course uses a lecture and discussion format to provide an introduction to the basic conceptual and methodological principles of geography as an academic discipline for understanding the patterns of human societies and physical environments on the surface of the earth. This course may be taken to satisfy the Inquiry and Analysis social science elective in the lower-division UCA Core, but it may not count toward the 36-hour geography major or the 24-hour geography minor. [ACTS: GEOG1103]
1315 INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY Required for majors and minors in geography, majors in environmental science, and minors in geographic information science. In a lecture and discussion format, this course is a topical assessment of the spatial diversity of the natural environment, including landforms, weather and climate, soils, vegetation, and water, along with their significance in terms of human occupation of the earth. [ACTS: GEOG2223]
1320 HUMAN GEOGRAPHY Required for majors and minors in geography and minors in geographic information science. In a lecture and discussion format, this course examines the spatial variability of human characteristics across the surface of the earth. Topics include the geography of culture, population, language, religion, settlement, agriculture, urbanization, and political activities. [ACTS: GEOG1113]
1400 EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE This course is a systematic study of the various components that make up the Earth’s physical environment, weather, climate, vegetation, soil, and landforms using a lecture and laboratory format. Specific emphasis is placed on understanding interactions between the natural processes that create and modify the Earth System’s four major subsystems (atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere). Physical geographic perspectives (e.g., location, landscape interpretation, etc.) and the scientific method are incorporated into the lecture and laboratory settings to foster a holistic view of the Earth System, and provide students with a comprehensive overview of the physical world in which we live. This course satisfies the Natural Science/Physical Science requirement in the LD UCA Core; it cannot be used to fulfill the BS special degree requirement. [ACTS: PHSC1104]
2330 QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY A required course for geography majors and students enrolled in the Geographic Information Science minor. This course uses a lecture and discussion format to provide information about description, inferential, and relational statistics as these techniques are employed in spatial analysis; also included is that set of quantitative methods used in conjunction with map analysis termed spatial statistics.
2331 RESEARCH METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY Required course for geography majors. This course, through lectures, readings and assigned projects, introduces students to the significant components of contemporary geographic research methods. Topics may include the scientific method, research paper structure, citation methodology, archival research, field research methodology, writing and using surveys, the Institutional Review Board, and the use of geospatial technology in research. This course must be taken prior to or in conjunction with the first upper-division course in geography.
2345 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION TECHNIQUES A lower-division elective. The course, via lectures, class discussions, and laboratory exercises, enhances students’ knowledge and understanding of geography, geographic information, and the various techniques geographers employ as they collect, store, manage, analyze, and display geographic data or information.
2475 CARTOGRAPHY Required of geography/GIS majors and minors. Cartography today revolves around the study of the theory, science, and technology behind the production of maps and spatial databases. This computer lab-oriented course blends short lecture and demonstration with exercises created to instruct students on cartographic design and convention, the construction of reference and thematic maps using mapping software, and the collection and classification of geographic data for mapping.
3V99 INTERNSHIP IN GEOGRAPHY (Variable credit: 3 or 6 credit hours.) An elective for geography majors and minors. A structured, supervised, work experience in an academic format. The student is assigned to a specific agency and completes a minimum of 150 hours during the semester enrolled. This course is normally taken for 3 credit hours but can be taken for 6 credit hours if the job assignment requires additional time. Agency assignment and credit hours will be determined through student consultation with the geography program internship director. Prerequisite: 15 semester hours in geography and permission of program internship director.
3300 WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY A required course for geography majors and minors. A lecture and discussion-oriented course that focuses on the physical and cultural geography of Earth’s major regions: U.S.A. and Canada, Latin America, Europe, Russia and the Near Abroad, Middle East and North Africa, Africa South of the Sahara, Monsoon Asia, and the Pacific World.
3301 CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES Required for environmental science majors, an elective for others. This course uses a lecture and discussion format in an assessment of the physical, social, economic, and political considerations in the examination of major global natural resource issues with emphasis on the United States. The historical development and contemporary application of the conservation philosophy of resource use are discussed. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: R]
3302 ARID LANDS GEOGRAPHY An upper-division elective. This course employs a lecture and discussion format, supplemented by outside readings and research, to explore physical and cultural environments in arid and semi-arid lands and to develop strategies pertinent to planning for the future. Prerequisite: GEOG 1315 or consent of instructor.
3303 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS An upper-division elective and a requirement for geography majors and minors in geographic information science. This computer lab-oriented course introduces the student to the realm, principles, and capabilities of a widely applicable technology, geographic information systems (GIS). A short lecture and lab exercise format are employed to develop understanding of and practically apply the fundamental concepts of GIS. Emphasis is placed on life-based applications of GIS technology; a simple research project is required. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 and 2475 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: I]
3305 ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY An upper-division elective. The course uses lectures and class discussions to provide a description and explanation of m a spatial patterns of economic activities, including manufacturing, transportation, information and financial services, and consumption. Classical location theories of Von Thunen, Weber, and Christaller are included along with contemporary theories of globalization. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: I]
3306 INTRODUCTION TO REMOTE SENSING AND IMAGE INTERPRETATION An upper-division elective and a requirement for the Geospatial Concentration and geographic information science minors. This course introduces students to the history and science of remote sensing, as well as to the principles of image interpretation and basic photogrammetry. Classroom activities include lectures, lab exercises, and term projects. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of the instructor.
3307 LOCATIONAL ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING WITH GIS An upper-division, exercise-based elective designed for students interested in the variety of applications of GIS, relevant to many disciplines beyond the major and minor in Geography or GIS. Topics may include site analysis, addressing global development issues, marketing/insurance analysis, crime analysis, urban planning/public administration uses, and historic preservation. The course examines example applications and enables students to use GIS software to complete computer-based exercises and for project development. Vector GIS is emphasized. Prerequisite: GEOG 3303 or consent of instructor.
3309 GIS IN PRACTICE: ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS An upper-division, exercise-based elective designed for students interested in the variety of environmental applications of GIS. Topics such as human impact on the landscape, environmental hazards, endangered species habitat inventory and protection, and point and non-point pollutant sources will be addressed in short lectures and example applications. The student will use GIS software to complete directed exercises, as well as for development of an individual project. Raster GIS is emphasized. Prerequisite: GEOG 3303 or consent of instructor.
3315 GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA An upper-division elective and required for Latin American studies minors. Using a lecture and discussion format, an examination and comparison of the various nations that comprise Latin America is achieved. Emphasis is on the physical environment, social and economic development, and historical trends that affect the region’s evolution. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: D, C]
3318 BIOGEOGRAPHY This course offers a broad introduction to the field of biogeography, exploring key concepts, theories, and practices employed by biogeographers. Past and present distribution of plants and animals will be described through systematic and integrative studies, and factors of location including geographical, environmental, and historical, will be discussed. The course consists of lecture and discussion. Prerequisite: GEOG 1315 or consent of instructor.
3319 GEOGRAPHIC FIELD TECHNIQUES An upper-division elective for geography majors/minors, minors in geographic information science, and others desiring field mapping methods, such as environmental science majors. This lecture/lab/field-oriented course introduces the student to the employment and capabilities of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Students will learn global positioning principles and problems and primary GNSS/GPS terminology; use a variety of GNSS receivers for positioning, navigating, tracking, and data logging in the field; configure GNSS units for customized use and interface with computers and GIS software; and understand how to correctly integrate GNSS information into GIS software for analysis and online mapping. Prerequisite: GEOG 2475.
3320 FIELD STUDIES An upper-division elective for students interested in receiving credit while: (1) conducting field work in the United States or foreign area, and/or (2) studying in a foreign area. Typically students keep journals and write papers about their experiences. Prerequisite: GEOG 1315 or 1320 and consent of instructor.
3325 URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING An upper-division elective. Using a lecture and discussion format, a macrospatial analysis of planning techniques and case studies as evolving in the US is emphasized. Rapidly changing trends, philosophies, and techniques in the planning field are combined to better understand the locational decisions impacting transportation and urban growth. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: R]
3333 GEOGRAPHY OF NATURAL HAZARDS An upper-division elective. This course uses a lecture and discussion format in identifying geomorphic and atmospheric phenomena (e.g., floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes) that represent real hazards to the population. Human responses to the various natural hazards are assessed and common adjustments identified. Prerequisite: GEOG 1315 and 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: R]
3335 GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE AND RUSSIA An upper-division elective using a lecture and discussion format. Students will learn about the physical and human geography of Europe and the Russian Federation. Emphasis is on landforms, weather and climate, soils, vegetation, settlement, migration and expansion, agriculture, industry, urban and rural life, and politics. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: D]
3345 GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA AND EAST ASIA An upper-division elective for Geography, Asian Studies, or other students. Using a lecture, discussion, and Internet/technology format, an examination and comparison of the various nations that comprise Pacific Asia is achieved. Regional emphasis will be centered on China, Japan, North and South Korea, and the states of Southeast Asia. Topical emphasis is on the physical environment, resources, social and economic development, historical trends, and participation in today’s globalizing world. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: D]
3346 GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH ASIA An upper division elective. This course is intended to be interactive and discussion oriented involving student’s participation. Lectures, discussion, and video films will enable students to understand the issues, challenges, and diversity in the region. This course is a ‘Journey to South Asia,’ exploring, from a geographic perspective, the burning issues, and understanding the economic and social transformations which the region is presently undergoing as it emerges as an economic leader.
3351 WEATHER AND CLIMATE An upper-division elective. This course uses a lecture and discussion format in the identification and assessment of atmospheric processes. Weather variables are investigated, the components and procedures of the daily weather forecasts are described, and the world’s climates analyzed.
3361 GEOGRAPHY OF LANDFORMS An upper-division elective. Using a lecture and laboratory format, this course examines the landforms of the earth’s surface including those resulting from diastrophism, volcanism, plate tectonics, weathering, mass movement, running water, karst, glacial ice, periglacial environments, wind, and breaking waves. Prerequisite: GEOG 1315 or consent of instructor.
3371 URBAN GEOGRAPHY An upper-division elective. Using a lecture and discussion format, this course analyzes the various aspects of the distribution of urban settlements, the internal structure of urban areas, and an analysis of the growth, development, and problems of the American city. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: I]
3380 GEOGRAPHY OF ARKANSAS An upper-division elective. The course, through lectures and class discussions, examines the physical and human geography of the state of Arkansas. Topics include landforms, weather, climate, settlement, poverty, politics, agriculture, and lumbering, among others. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: D]
3381 POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY An upper-division elective. Using a lecture and discussion format, the spatial perspective of political phenomena is analyzed. Traditional topics include the coincidence of state and nation, boundaries, claims to territory, and state location, shape, and size. Contemporary topics include political processes and territory, integration, location, residential quality, economic factors, and local policy in metropolitan areas. Prerequisite: GEOG 1320 and 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: I]
3385 GLOBAL FOOD RESOURCES An upper-division elective. A worldwide study of past and present patterns of food production, consumption, and problems, using a lecture, discussion, and visual presentations format. Specific environmental conditions and cultural complexes which significantly influence food production and diet are examined.
4V60 SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN GEOGRAPHY (Variable credit: 1-3 credit hours.) An elective for geography majors and minors. Independent readings, discussions, and writings are completed in specific areas of geography that are of particular interest to the student. Credit from one to three semester hours may be earned in one semester. May be repeated for a total of six hours, but only three hours may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours in geography and consent of instructor.
4304 WATER RESOURCES An upper-division elective. This course uses a lecture and discussion format to provide detail on the occurrence, distribution, and movement of water on and beneath the earth’s surface and the integration of water into human activities, e.g., flooding, drainage, irrigation, power, navigation, water supplies, and water pollution. Prerequisite: GEOG 1315 and 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: R]
4305 SOILS An upper-division elective, this course introduces the soil environment, including soil properties and components, soil controls, soil-forming processes, soil classification, conservation and management, and use of the soil survey. This course uses a lecture format combined with field study to acquaint students with the nature and characteristics of soils. Prerequisite: GEOG 1315 or consent of instructor.
4308 OCEANOGRAPHY An upper-division elective. Employing a lecture/discussion/visual presentations format, this course is an introduction to oceanic environments, distribution, ocean basin topography, physical and biological characteristics, marine climate, currents, ecology, and politics. Emphasis is on the oceanic physical environment and natural resources. Prerequisite: GEOG 1315 or consent of instructor.
4313 RECREATION AND TOURISM An upper-division elective. This course uses a lecture and discussion format in the analysis of the physical, economic, and social aspects of outdoor recreation and tourism. Emphasis is on outdoor recreation activity and tourism in the United States and Arkansas. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: I, R]
4325 PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN GEOGRAPHY An upper-division elective. A seminar-oriented, discussion-based course, which analyzes significant trends of thought that have emerged in human geography since 1945. Prerequisite: GEOG 1320.
4330 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ANALYSIS An upper-division elective and a requirement for geographic information science minors. This is an advanced-level course in GIS. It provides an understanding of analysis in GIS environment, knowledge of GIS design and implementation, an insight into spatial variability and geostatistics, and an experience in error propagation analysis within GIS. Emphasis of lectures and practical lab exercises is placed on problem-solving GIS techniques such as layering, networking, buffering, and querying. Environmental modeling and decision support system creation in real-life research projects executed by students is also an objective of this course. Prerequisites: GEOG 3303 or consent of instructor.
4390 HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES An upper-division elective. The course uses a lecture and discussion format to gain a comprehensive understanding of the evolving human geography of the United States during the past four centuries. Prerequisite: GEOG 2331 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: D]
4391 RESEARCH SEMINAR Required for geography majors. This course uses a seminar format to introduce the student to scientific research methods and quantitative techniques with emphasis on geographic research. These methods and techniques are used to initiate investigation into a contemporary student-identified geographic problem and to develop a formal research proposal. Prerequisite: GEOG 2231, junior status, 15 semester hours of geography, and a course in quantitative methods with a passing grade. Fall. [UD UCA Core: Z]
4406 INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING This course introduces advanced digital image processing techniques for remotely sensed data. Students will learn to transform satellite imagery though common geometric, radiometric, and atmospheric corrections. Students will also learn common thematic post-processing techniques such as band algebra, change detection analysis, and supervised classification. Classroom activities will include lecture, laboratory assignments, and a term project. Prerequisite: GEOG 3306 or consent of instructor.