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Geography

GEOG 100 - Human Geography: People, Places and Cultures

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

Different cultures in different landscapes are compared and contrasted to our own. This course examines the many issues of human population, perception of the environment, diffusion of ideas, and cultural aspects of resource use and urban growth, to give students a view into the many concerns on the human side of geography.

Notes:

  • GEOG 100 is an approved Self and Society course for Cap Core requirements.

GEOG 101 - Environmental Geography: Understanding the Issues

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

We are living in the "age of human influence". Humans impact nearly every Earth system. Geography, which is the study of Earth's physical and human aspects, is the ideal discipline to study the human-environment nexus. In this course, students examine the Anthropocene era and investigate how social, economic, political, spatial, and biophysical processes shape society's relationship to nature, management of resources, and contemporary environmental change. Environmental issues are complex. How can human ingenuity solve these problems?

Notes:

  • GEOG 101 is an approved Self and Society course for Cap Core requirements.

GEOG 112 - Physical Landscapes I

4.00 credits

(4,2,0)

15 wks

This introductory physical geography course about Earth's landforms explores how plate tectonics operating below Earth's surface, and gravity, rivers, glaciers, waves and wind operating at Earth's surface, shape the natural landscape that surrounds us. The course focuses on Canadian landforms and emphasizes ways in which human activities are affecting natural processes.

Notes:

  • GEOG 112 is an approved Science and Technology course for Cap Core requirements.
  • GEOG 112 is an approved Quantitative/Analytical course for baccalaureate degrees. GEOG 112 is an approved Science course. GEOG 112 is an approved Laboratory Science course.

GEOG 114 - Weather and Climate I

4.00 credits

(4,2,0)

15 wks

This introductory physical geography course about the atmosphere explores the forces that produce the weather we experience every day, with a focus on the weather of B.C.'s coast. We also consider how weather patterns operate differently from place to place to create the great diversity of climates on Earth, and how human actions are leading to global climate change.

Notes:

  • GEOG 114 is an approved Quantitative/Analytical course for baccalaureate degrees. GEOG 114 is an approved Science course. GEOG 114 is an approved Lab Science course.
  • Both GEOG 112 and GEOG 114 are lab science courses and fulfill university science requirements. GEOG 112 and GEOG 114 can be taken in any order, or at the same time.

GEOG 200 - Geographical Approaches to the Global Economy

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

An examination of the concepts and themes of economic geography in terms of production and consumption. The traditional primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary divisions in economic geography are reviewed in terms of contemporary issues. The purpose of this course is to illustrate the importance of economic processes and tools to understand our environment.

GEOG 201 - Urban Studies

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

More and more of us are living in an urban world. This course is designed to examine problems and issues that arise with urban living; including psychological problems, the cost of housing, transportation issues, slums, suburban living, and the future direction of cities. While this course uses local examples, it also draws on examples from other cities in the world. This course approaches these topics through field trips into the city, slides, films, and field research. Urban studies leads to careers in urban planning, real estate, land management, architecture, and urban politics as well as stimulating general community awareness.

GEOG 202 - Urban Field Studies

1.50 credits

(2,0,0)

15 wks

The course is designed to engage students in the practical application of urban planning. Using principles from urban geography and urban planning, students will become acquainted with the development of an Official Community Plan, while working in partnership with planners from the local district planning office. The course involves field study work and attendance at district public meetings. This is an excellent course for those interested in urban and/or regional planning or those intending to continue in Geography.

Prerequisites: GEOG 201 is a prerequisite or a co-requisite

GEOG 205 - Rising Giants: The Global Shift to China and India

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

This course is a comparative geography of China and India. The course provides a current understanding of the geographies of these two major rising powers and focuses on their evolving physical, economic and cultural landscapes. Comparisons between the two are inevitable and it is intended that the course will provide the students with the analytical tools as well as the academic knowledge to have a better understanding of these two very different civilizations.

GEOG 206 - British Columbia: Landscapes in Transition

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

BC's spectacular landscape has presented both challenges and bountiful resources to the peoples who have settled here. This course will acquaint students with both the physical and human geography of BC, and identify how our relationship with the land has shifted in response to changes in values, technology, and population. We will analyse the urgent issues that we face today in managing our natural resources and consider sustainable pathways to our future.

Notes:

  • This course is equivalent to GEOG 106. Duplicate credit will not be granted for this course and GEOG 106.

GEOG 208 - Canada: A Nation of Regions

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

This course focusses on the great diversity of people and landscapes within Canada and its regions. It looks at the dynamics of location and the processes responsible for where and why people, places, and economic activities are located. It also examines the processes related to the physical landscape: how landscapes are created, destroyed, and changed. It investigates the human impact on the landscape, and the reverse, the environment's impact on people, their settlement, and development.

Notes:

  • GEOG 208 is an approved Self and Society course for Cap Core requirements.

GEOG 210 - Natural Hazards

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

This course is an introduction to the wide range of natural hazards throughout the world. Earthquakes, hurricanes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods and heatwaves are examples of natural processes that can be hazardous for people, property and habitat. Using local and worldwide examples, we will examine the characteristics of natural hazards and their immediate and long-term impacts. Students will assess different methods for hazard prediction, warning and mitigation, including the relevance of Indigenous approaches to hazards management. The status of disaster planning and preparedness will be critically reviewed both globally and locally. Students will have an opportunity to collaborate with local disaster resilience planners on a community-based project and develop skills in hazard data analysis, hazard map interpretation, observational fieldwork and professional report writing.

Notes:

  • GEOG 210 is an approved Science and Technology course for Cap Core requirements.
  • GEOG 210 is an approved Science course.

GEOG 212 - Physical Landscapes II

4.00 credits

(4,2,0)

15 wks

This course expands on the concepts first introduced in Geography 112. An important objective is to appreciate that landforms and, ultimately, landscapes result from the complex interaction of tectonic and gradational processes, the resistance of rocks and sediment, and time. Throughout the course, students will be taught to apply both math and physics to understand landform development. This course will involve both lectures and labs.

Prerequisites: GEOG 112 or PHYS 114 or GEOL 110, OR PHYS 111 as a pre or corequisite

Notes:

  • GEOG 212 is an approved Quantitative/Analytical course for baccalaureate degrees.
  • GEOG 212 is an approved Science course. GEOG 212 is an approved Lab Science course.

GEOG 214 - Weather and Climate II

4.00 credits

(4,2,0)

15 wks

By expanding on the concepts outlined in Geography 114, this course will provide an intermediate understanding of the processes at work in the atmosphere. Broad topics to be covered are atmospheric energy, moisture, and motion. An important objective is to provide students with an introduction to the science of weather forecasting. As such Geography 214 is useful for students interested in transferring to an Atmospheric Science program. This course involves both lectures and labs.

Prerequisites: GEOG 114 or PHYS 114, OR PHYS 111 as a pre or co-requisite

Notes:

  • GEOG 214 is an approved Quantitative/Analytical course for baccalaureate degrees.
  • GEOG 214 is an approved Science course. GEOG 214 is an approved Lab Science course.

GEOG 221 - Mapping our Changing World

4.00 credits

(4,2,0)

15 wks

Maps are an essential tool for conveying geographic information, and are also useful for other disciplines that rely extensively on maps and satellite images, such as environmental studies, forestry, geology, archaeology, history, and tourism. This course covers the basic principles of map and photo interpretation, surveying and satellite imaging, and analyses both human and physical landscapes.

Notes:

  • GEOG 221 is an approved Science course. GEOG 221 is an approved Lab Science course.

GEOG 222 - Environmental Geography: Global to Local

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

Climate change, the depletion of the world's resources, and the collapse of fisheries are but a few of the examples illustrating the global scale of our environmental problems. These global issues, however, have local causes and consequences. This course reviews the issues and identifies possible solutions, and involves field work research that engages the student in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The course will provide students with clear and concise explanations of writing and researching in the field of environmental geography.

GEOG 225 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

4.00 credits

(4,2,0)

15 wks

This introductory Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course studies the concepts, theories, and techniques of using a GIS to solve spatial problems in both the natural and social sciences. Understanding and the application of spatial data will be key to this course. Some topics that will be covered include: the components and types of spatial data, analyzing spatial data, spatial data models, creating maps and project design with emphasis on solving local spatial problems or questions. Students will gain hands-on experience with professional GIS applications.

Prerequisites: GEOG 112, 212, or 221, or permission from the instructor

Notes:

  • GEOG 225 is an approved Science and Technology course for Cap Core requirements. GEOG 225 is an approved Science course. GEOG 225 is an approved Laboratory Science course.
  • GEOG 225 is an approved Quantitative/Analytical course for baccalaureate degrees.

GEOG 249 - Selected Regions

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

Students will gain an understanding of the physical, economic, historical, and cultural characteristics of a specific region, as they study the various conditions and issues faced by the local inhabitants. The region studied will vary from year to year: students should check with the Geography department to find out details for upcoming courses. This course may sometimes be offered as a field study, delivered on-site in a specific region. Past courses have been taught in Europe, China/Southeast Asia, and in Quebec.

GEOG 316 - Climate Change: From Science to Sustainability

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

Climate change has emerged as one of the most important issues of the 21st century. Its rapid escalation from a theory among some climatologists and environmentalists to both a common household term and an international priority highlight the importance of understanding this process, its myriad implications on society and the environment and the urgency in working towards solutions. This course will cover topics such as: the causes of current and historical climate change; the human and environmental implications ranging from changing weather patterns to environmental refugees; climate change policy and greenhouse gas reduction strategies; and the diverse array of solutions to building more sustainable communities.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework

GEOG 325 - GIS Applications in Natural Resource Management

4.00 credits

(4,2,0)

15 wks

The demands for better management of natural resources require management of spatial data and information. This course provides a technical understanding of the application of Geographical Information System (GIS) software to natural resource management in confronting environmental issues. Laboratory exercises provide practical use of GIS in solving natural resource management problems.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework and GEOG 225

Notes:

  • GEOG 325 is an approved Science and Technology course for Cap Core requirements.
  • GEOG 325 is an approved Quantitative/Analytical course for baccalaureate degrees. GEOG 325 is an approved Science course. GEOG 325 is an approved Lab Science course.

GEOG 330 - Water Changes Everything

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

This course seeks to appreciate the tremendous power of water, and the diversity of its roles in our lives. We will consider water as a significant force in the natural world - water produces our weather, and sculpts the landscape. On the other hand, we will study water as an essential resource. In this role, water has profoundly impacted the human landscape. Students will also learn how water extraction, water privatization, land conversion, climate change, and pollution all threaten Earth's water supply.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework

GEOG 333 - The Geography of Prisons

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

We will investigate the historical evolution of imprisonment, of penal governance and critically examine the central role that punishment plays in society. This course examines the 'punitive' or 'carceral turn' which has brought about new ways of thinking about geography and the state, and has highlighted spaces of incarceration as a new terrain for exploration by geographers. Carceral geography, as a new subdiscipline of human geography, has developed to directly address this punitive turn, and has contributed to a wider 'carceral turn' in social sciences scholarships over recent years. This course also examines conditions of confinement and carcerality beyond prison walls.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework

Notes:

  • GEOG 333 is an approved Self and Society course for Cap Core requirements.

GEOG 340 - Geography of Education: Contested Spaces

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

This course springs from the observation that the field of education is a contested space, and the course is intended to begin a conversation that engages the conceptions, practices, and policies central to the debates. We will grapple with the conflict surrounding these overarching problematics: What is education? What is educational practice? What is educational policy, how is it constructed, and within what social contexts? What characterizes the spaces, organizations, and institutions of education? The course will engage these concepts through case studies from higher education and non-traditional academic environments that will be analyzed employing elements of the geographic perspective.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework

GEOG 350 - Cities in the Global South

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

This course focuses on one of the most perplexing dilemmas in the development process: the phenomenon of massive and historically unprecedented movements of people from the rural countryside to the burgeoning cities of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The course will address the processes of change and explores the rapid pace of this urbanization which has created a host of problems that weaken the role of cities as engines of economic growth. Moreover, the scope and scale of the urban process promises to loom even larger in the future as the pace of urbanisation accelerates.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework

GEOG 355 - Urban Ecology

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

To obtain a greater understanding of cities, this course will embrace an interdisciplinary approach to real world urban ecological problems by bridging the gap between natural and social sciences and Indigenous ways of being. Students will learn how cities function as social-ecological systems and explore relevant theories and knowledge from natural science ecology, planning, geography, and history. The course will include intensive engagement, discussion, and debate with the subject matter as we tackle many crucial urban issues of our time: sustainability, biodiversity, air quality, brownfields, food procurement, acoustic ecology, and climate change.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework

Notes:

  • GEOG 355 is an approved Science and Technology course for Cap Core requirements. GEOG 355 is an approved Self and Society course for Cap Core requirements.
  • GEOG 355 is an approved Science course.

GEOG 360 - The Geography of a Sustainable World

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

The transition to a sustainable operating system for humankind is not only possible, but currently underway. This course assesses the environmental challenges that our world faces and sets out possible courses for action, based on ideas, technology, and systems that are already being put in place around the globe.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework

GEOG 400 - Human Population and the Environment

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

Demography is the study of human populations - size, composition, distribution, movement, and the processes through which populations can change. Human populations are intimately connected with their natural environment and this course will explore the complex and reciprocal relationship between them, how people respond to changing environments, and potential policy responses to these effects. Local and global scales will be considered, with particular focus on issues of social inequality and the impacts of climate change and ecological degradation.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework

Notes:

  • GEOG 400 is an approved Self and Society course for Cap Core requirements.

GEOG 414 - The Science of Climate Change

4.00 credits

(4,2,0)

15 wks

This course provides students with a scientific foundation of anthropogenic climate change and an introduction to climate models and frameworks in climate change vulnerability assessment. It focuses on fundamental physical processes that shape climate and on evidence for past and present climate change. During the course students study consequences of climate change, such as sea level change, variations in precipitation, vegetation, and storm systems, and the incidence of disease. The science behind mitigation and adaptation proposals is investigated.

Prerequisites: GEOG 214

Notes:

  • GEOG 414 is an approved Science and Technology course for Cap Core requirements.
  • GEOG 414 is an approved Quantitative/Analytical course for baccalaureate degrees. GEOG 414 is an approved Science course. GEOG 414 is an approved Lab Science course.

GEOG 435 - Energy, Communities and Environmental Change

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

In this course, students will learn about the transformative role of energy within society and how communities can transition towards sustainable energy futures. Different types of renewable and non-renewable energy resources will be analysed in relation to their distinctive physical properties, social values, and environmental impacts. Students will explore diverse energy landscapes at a global to local scale and will critically analyse how these are geopolitically shaped to produce uneven social, economic, and environmental outcomes, including the impact and responses from Indigenous communities. Through exploration of innovation in energy technology, practice and communication, students will explore how sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient energy solutions can be designed and implemented.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework

Notes:

  • GEOG 435 is an approved Science and Technology course for Cap Core requirements. GEOG 435 is an approved Self and Society course for Cap Core requirements.
  • GEOG 435 is an approved Science course.

GEOG 455 - Green Infrastructures and Community Networks

3.00 credits

(4,0,0)

15 wks

This course will examine concepts and practices of green infrastructure development as a key element of sustainable urban planning and climate change adaptation. Students will examine the potential of nature-based design of urban environments through analysis of innovation in water, energy, food, transport, and waste infrastructures from around the world. Geographical aspects of green network development will be emphasized, including attention to scales of implementation, distributional impacts of resource flows, sensitivity to culture and place, and community inclusivity in design, planning and implementation.

Prerequisites: 45 credits of 100-level or higher coursework

Notes:

  • GEOG 455 is an approved Self and Society course for Cap Core requirements. GEOG 455 is an approved Science and Technology course for Cap Core requirements.
  • GEOG 455 is an approved Science course.

GEOG 490 - Directed Studies

3.00 credits

(0,0,4)

15 wks

Students will work with a Geography faculty member to guide them in the development of a research-based project. Specific course details will be arranged between individual students and faculty members. See the Department of Geography website for complete details on the application process.

Prerequisites: 15 upper level credits including a minimum of one 300-level GEOG course