Geography (GEOG)

Tuition Fee

Start Date

Medium of studying

Duration

Program Facts

Program Details

Degree

Bachelors

Major

Geography | Geology | Geomatics

Area of study

Natural Science

Course Language

English

About Program

Program Overview

Course Fees

Some courses may carry fees beyond the standard tuition costs to cover additional support or materials. Program-, subject- and course-specific fee information can be found on the Office of the Bursar website.

Courses

GEOG 157. Elements of GIS

Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
Description: Elements of geographic information systems: focus on introductory GIS functions including; spatial database development, analysis, graphical output, digital data generation, overlapping & updating.

GEOG 200. Human Geography in a Changing World - D2, SB

Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
Description: The basic theme of this course is human geography as the study of place and the power that place has in the conduct of human affairs. Students will study the geographic distributions of human activities at global, regional and local scales, and the causes and consequences of those activities. Specific topics covered include population distribution and movement, economic activity, sustainable development, urban and rural settlements, and cultural and political environments. Students will also become acquainted with the tools that geographers use to understand, map, and analyze current affairs across world regions and gain good knowledge of how those tools are applied to real-world problem solving.

GEOG 256. Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Geography and Geosciences - QR

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Prerequisite(s): Appropriate math placement score or equivalent coursework or completion of any QR course.
Description: This course is designed to teach introductory statistics to undergraduates majoring in the social sciences. It will acquaint students with some fundamental quantitative and statistical techniques for practical data analysis and problem solving. A wide variety of real-world examples that are both relevant to social sciences and of interest to students will be used in the class. Student will also learn how standard statistical techniques can be applied in a spatial context. This course is intended to be practical. In addition to lectures, the class involves in-class discussions, exercises, and take-home assignments which aim to provide students with hands-on experience in using various quantitative and statistical methods.

GEOG 300. Globalization and Diversity - SB, D2

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Description: A contemporary approach to world regional geography that focuses on human diversity and the geographic changes that accompany today's rapid rate of globalization.

GEOG 301. Geography of Kentucky

Term Typically Offered: Occasionally Offered
Description: Spatial patterns and processes of the Commonwealth; emphasis on human-environment interaction, population, settlement, and economic base.

GEOG 305. Historical Geography of the United States

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Description: Analysis of the changing cultural landscape and settlement patterns of the United States. Emphasis on the changing spatial relationships of ethnic minorities to the majority group.
Note: Cross-listed with HIST 305.

GEOG 308. Understanding China: People, Environment and Development

Term Typically Offered: Occasionally Offered
Description: The diversity of China's environment and people is integral to understanding the ways in which economic and sociocultural changes have taken place. This course is designed to help students gain a better understanding of China under globalization. The course explores modern China around two leading themes: (1) China's spatial organization, including its growing links to the global system, and (2) the human occupancy and use of the many types of environments. It will examine how transformations of China's land, people, economy, and society are reshaping its internal divisions and repositioning China in a rapidly changing world.
Note: Cross-listed with AST 308.

GEOG 314. Africa: Environment and Resources

Description: Natural and human potentials of the African continent, with particular reference to Sub-Saharan Africa. Exploration of social, cultural, economic and political factors influencing use of African resources. Emphasis on factors degrading the environment and constraining optimum use of natural and human resources.
Note: Cross-listed with PAS 386.

GEOG 316. Geography of South Asia

Description: An analysis of the Indian subcontinent; emphasis on the physical and cultural setting, political disturbances, population problems, and economic development.
Note: Cross-listed with AST 316.

GEOG 320. Geopolitics

Description: This course introduces students to the main concepts and research themes in contemporary geopolitics. Geopolitics represents a broad engagement with the interactive relationships between power and place, and the construction, contestation and reconfiguration of political spaces that results. During the semester we will examine the formation of geopolitical images of the world, where these images come from, and how they have shaped our thinking and politics over time.

GEOG 324. Race and Place

Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
Description: In this course, students will explore the many ways race is socially constructed and intimately tied to space and place. Topics covered include: the spatiality of plantations, segregation vs. separation, the Great migration, race in urban and rural spaces, the intersection between race, gender and place, and race and place beyond the United States.

GEOG 327. Economic Geography

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Description: The distribution of economic activity and its associated characteristics that give character to place.

GEOG 328. Urban Geography

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Description: Examination of the association of activities in urban areas as they are expressed in patterns of land use and occupancy features.

GEOG 331. Population Geography

Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
Description: An examination of spatial variations in human population, with emphasis on population characteristics, growth, and mobility.

GEOG 340. Environmental Conflict in the United States: Historical Foundations & Contemporary Problems - SBH, D1

Term Typically Offered: Occasionally Offered
Description: A review of various environmental conflicts throughout the United States, including the legal, economic, and policy processes behind them and the reasons why conflict exists. This course explores environmental issues in a variety of United States contexts. This course places particular emphasis on the historical foundations of contemporary environmental conflict and dynamics of identity-based inequalities rooted in differences such as race and socio-economic class.

GEOG 350. Introduction to Mapping and Geospatial Technologies

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Description: Introduction to the concepts and methods of map construction and visualization, including scale, location, projection, design, symbolism, and compilation. Exploration of these concepts and methods through the use of geospatial technologies.

GEOG 355. Introduction to Remote Sensing

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Fee: An additional $80.00 is charged for this course.
Description: This course provides an introduction to the theory and application of remote sensing data with weekly lab reports for hands-on-experience in the acquisition and utilization of remotely-sensed data in geographical/environmental research. This course prepares for GEOG 556. Prior completion of GEOS 200, GEOS 350, or GEOS 301, or PHYS 111 or equivalent is recommended, but not required.

GEOG 356. Introduction to Spatial Statistics

Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 256.
Description: Introduction to multivariate statistical analyses and spatial statistics, i.e. statistical methods that use space and spatial relationships directly in their mathematical computations.

GEOG 360. Qualitative Methods for Undergraduates

Description: The course introduces students to the basic tools and concepts of qualitative social research and their geographic application. The readings and in-class exercises have been selected to introduce you to the scope of qualitative methodological approaches used in geography and provide a sampling of references and resources that will help you work through your own research process. In examining how we generate and interpret data from the field-the social, environmental and political space where we learn about the world-we will critique and apply a variety of qualitative methods. In the process, you will have a chance to explore these methods in the context of your own planned or ongoing work and interest. We will focus on a wide range of methods but pay close attention to: conducting interviews, constructing questionnaires, participant observation and discourse analysis.

GEOG 361. Sustainable Human Environments - WR

Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
Prerequisite(s): Natural sciences general education requirements.
Description: An inquiry into the human impact on the environment and human adjustment to environmental disruptions.
Note: Approved for the Arts and Sciences upper-level requirement in written communication (WR).

GEOG 362. Disease, Ecology and Environmental Management in Africa - WR

Term Typically Offered: Occasionally Offered
Description: Relationship between disease agents and the human and physical environment in Africa. Impact of urbanization, industrial pollution and multinational corporations on disease causation and distribution.
Note: Approved for the Arts and Sciences upper-level requirement in written communication (WR).
Note: Cross-listed with PAS 384.

GEOG 367. Applications Development for GIS

Prerequisite(s): GEOG 357 or GEOG 558.
Description: Instruction in the fundamentals of Visual Basic for Applications, object oriented programming, basics of ArcObjects, syntax of writing VB statements, branching and looping structures, and design of user forms.

GEOG 370. Introduction to Field Methods in Geography

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Description: This course focuses on methodologies in field-based, quantitative and qualitative research within Geography, with emphasis on research theory, study and sampling design, data collection and organization, and preliminary data analysis and interpretation. Students will learn more about the scientific process: (1) how to form hypothesis, research questions, and objectives, (2) how to design a research project to answer questions/test hypotheses, (3) how to collect, interpret, and present data, and (4) how to write up a scientific report or progress and/or findings.

GEOG 385. Introduction to Programming for GIS and Spatial Data Analysis

Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
Description: There are two primary goals for this course. First, students will learn introductory computer programming concepts and features. Students will deconstruct examples from a variety of programming and scripting languages (primarily Python, R, VBA, and IDL), learning how to identify common logic, flow control and syntactic features. Students will learn the purpose of these structures and how to start using the programming and scripting environments of common statistics, geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) platforms.

GEOG 390. Special Topics

Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
Description: Investigation of topics not offered in regular courses. Topics will be announced in Schedule of Courses.
Note: May be repeated for different topics up to a limit of 12 hours.

GEOG 391. Independent Study

Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Prerequisite(s): Minimum grade point average of 3.0 overall; minimum grade point average of 3.5 in the department, and at least 18 semester hours credit in the department.

GEOG 399. Senior Honors Seminar - WR

Prerequisite(s): Junior class standing; admission to the departmental honors program.
Description: Investigation of a major scientific or social issue within the field of geography.
Note: Approved for the Arts and Sciences upper-level requirement in written communication (WR).

GEOG 401. Cooperative Internship

Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Prerequisite(s): Department sponsorship and approval.
Description: Cooperative Internship in Geography/Geosciences.
Course Attribute(s): CBL - This course includes Community-Based Learning (CBL). Students will engage in a community experience or project with an external partner in order to enhance understanding and application of academic content.

GEOG 441. Senior Thesis Proposal - WR

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 256 and GEOG 558; no concurrent enrollment of either prerequisites allowed.
Description: GEOG 441 is the first of 2 steps Geography & Geosciences senior take to accomplish a College of Arts & Sciences culminating undergraduate experience (CUE). The students are expected to holistically apply disciplinary knowledge acquired at the Department of Geography & Geosciences. The course concludes with the development and presentation of a senior thesis proposal. Note: Approved for the Arts & Sciences upper-level requirement in written communication (WR)

GEOG 442. Senior Thesis - CUE, WR

Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 441.
Description: Independent study for data collection and preparation of senior thesis.
Note: Approved for the Arts & Sciences upper-level requirement in written communication (WR).
Course Attribute(s): CUE - This course fulfills the Culminating Undergraduate Experience (CUE) requirement for certain degree programs. CUE courses are advanced-level courses intended for majors with at least 90 earned credits/senior-level status.

GEOG 499. Senior Honors Thesis - WR

Prerequisite(s): Senior standing; admission to departmental honors program.
Description: An intensive examination of a topical area in geography/geosciences undertaken with a designated faculty director.
Note: Approved for the Arts and Sciences upper-level requirement in written communication (WR).

GEOG 500. Globalization Seminar

Prerequisite(s): GEOG 300 or permission of instructor.
Description: A discussion-based course that focuses on current events, global economies, and cultural and environmental issues resulting from globalization.

GEOG 510. Urbanism in the Global South: Cities and Space

Term Typically Offered: Occasionally Offered
Description: This course is a reading-based seminar. We learn about processes and practices within the Latin American and African city from a spatial, cultural, economic and political perspective.
Note: Cross-listed with LALS 510 and URBS 687.

GEOG 520. Geography and Nutrition Among African and African-American Populations

Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.
Description: Comparison of geographical conditions, food culture, technology and socioeconomic factors among Africans and African-Americans affecting health and nutrition.
Note: Previously cross-listed with PAS 560.

GEOG 521. Medical Geography

Prerequisite(s): Faculty consent.
Description: Introduction to concepts, methods and tools used to investigate geographic aspects of health and disease. Application of concepts and methods through analysis of health, population and environmental data.

GEOG 522. GIS and Public Health

Term Typically Offered: Occasionally Offered
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.
Description: Application of tools and methods of analysis in geographic information systems (GIS) to public health. Use of ArcGIS software to manage and analyze health, census and spatial data.

GEOG 524. Food and Race

Description: This course will serve as a critical analysis of the intersection between race and food/agriculture. Topics covered include: 1) production, preparation and consumption patterns; 2) food production during slavery and sharecropping; 3) modern day agricultural labor; 4) food and health; 5) food and borders; and 6) food and national identity.
Note: Cross-listed with PAS 605.

GEOG 525. Measuring Sustainability: Our Human Planet

Term Typically Offered: Spring Odd Years
Description: This course will facilitate student understanding of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in a spatially-explicit manner by introducing how Earth Observation data is being used to monitor and measure the SDG indicators.

GEOG 528. Planning, History and Issues

Prerequisite(s): GEOG 328.
Description: The history of planning and contemporary issues with an emphasis on role of planning, zoning and law.

GEOG 529. Geography of Urban Issues

Term Typically Offered: Occasionally Offered
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 328, GEOG 558 or comparable Urban Geography and GIS course.
Description: Advanced urban geography course with unique geographic perspective for integration of socioeconomic problems in America's metropolitan areas.

GEOG 530. Transportation Geography

Term Typically Offered: Occasionally Offered
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 200 or consent of instructor.
Description: An analysis of distribution and transportation systems as functional entities capable of introducing and reacting to change within the economic region.

GEOG 531. GIS & Urban Demographic Analysis

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Prerequisite(s): GIS knowledge or concurrent tutorial.
Description: Demographic analysis through the use of GIS technology. Emphasis placed on metropolitan area characteristics including population change, segregation, ethnic settlement, social and economic stratification and commuting.

GEOG 535. GIS and Retail Site Analysis

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Prerequisite(s): GIS knowledge or concurrent tutorial.
Description: Retail site analysis through use of GIS technology. Emphasis placed on market demand and supply characteristics. Physical site analysis, demographics, and competitive environment will be examined.

GEOG 536. Sustainable Transportation

Term Typically Offered: Occasionally Offered
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 200 or permission of instructor.
Description: The course looks into the problems of developing sustainable transportation systems. We will examine the environmental and human problems associated with transportation; including climate change, air quality, consumption of non-renewable resources, safety, congestion and social equity. We will also explore possible solutions to these problems, including pricing, planning, policy, technology and education.

GEOG 540. Geography and Human-Environment Interactions

Description: The study of interactions between humans and the environment is inherently interdisciplinary and multi-scaler, two of the hallmarks of contemporary geographic research. Students taking this course will be exposed to the theoretical underpinnings of both social and ecological aspects of research. Through in-class discussions of both seminal and contemporary peer-reviewed literature, students will be expected to engage in an interdisciplinary exploration of how studies of human-environment interactions have evolved from disciplinary roots into the large, complex and transdisciplinary projects commonly funded today and expected in the future.

GEOG 545. Unoccupied Aerial Systems and Geospatial Applications

Term Typically Offered: Spring Odd Years
Description: This course introduces unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology, application and the underlying principles of remote sensing and photogrammetry that inform the utilization of UAS data in geographical/environmental research.

GEOG 548. Special Topics in Urban Analysis Applications in GIS

Prerequisite(s): GEOG 357 or GEOG 558.
Description: Introduction to the application of GIS by local governments, non-profit agencies and other urban-related groups.
Note: May be repeated if topics vary.

GEOG 549. Special Topics in Environmental Analysis Applications in GIS

Description: Introduction to the application of GIS to environmental problem solving.
Note: May be repeated if topics vary.

GEOG 555. Remote Sensing

Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
Fee: An additional $80.00 is charged for this course.
Description: This course provides an introduction to the theory and application of remote sensing data with weekly lab reports for hands-on-experience in the acquisition and utilization of remotely-sensed data in geographical/environmental research. This course prepares for GEOG 556. Prior completion of GEOS 200, GEOS 350, or GEOS 301, or PHYS 111 or equivalent is recommended, but not required.

GEOG 556. Advanced Remote Sensing

Prerequisite(s): GEOG 555 or consent of instructor.
Fee: An additional $80.00 is charged for this course.
Description: Application of advanced techniques involved in the collection of digital imagery data from aircraft and spacecraft instruments.

GEOG 558. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Description: Introduction to geographic information systems using ArcGIS software, management of relational databases, and manipulation and graphical output of digital geo-spatial data.
Note: May not be taken for credit if credit has been earned in GEOG 357 or GEOG 557.

GEOG 559. Advanced Geographic Information Systems

Prerequisite(s): GEOG 558.
Description: Application of advanced GIS concepts to real-world projects. An emphasis will be placed on the development of a digital spatial database.
Note: Graduate students must arrange for an additional project for graduate credit.

GEOG 561. Urban Environmental Quality

Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor.
Description: A study of environmental aspects of urban areas and analysis of inter- and intra-city variations in environmental quality.

GEOG 583. Spatial and Non-Spatial Database Management

Term Typically Offered: Occasionally Offered
Prerequisite(s): GEOG 357 or GEOG 558.
Description: Provides students with "hands-on" experience in development, management and integration of spatial and non-spatial databases, using GIS and database management software.

GEOG 590. Special Topics

Description: Investigation of topics not offered in regular courses. Topic will be announced in Schedule of Courses.
Note: Offered as needed.
Note: May be repeated for different topics up to a limit of 12 hours.

GEOG 599. Directed Readings in Geography

Prerequisite(s): Advanced courses in geography or related fields; permission of major department.
Description: Supervised readings centered around a specific region or topical field for advanced work.

Location

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