USC
University of Southern California
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Courses of Instruction

Geography (GEOG)

The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.

GEOG 100gm Los Angeles and the American Dream (4, FaSp) Evolution of Los Angeles and its role in the American Dream. Diversity in social/spatial organization, urban experiences, access to resources, and exposure to environmental risks. Empirical approaches in geography. Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.

GEOG 101Lg Sustainability Science and Society (4, Sp) Sustainability theory, analytic tools and solutions. Focus on climate change, ecosystem appropriation; resource exploitation, and urbanization. Role of sustainability science in public policy.

GEOG 120g Geopolitics (4, Sp) Analysis of the concept of nation-state in Western socie­ties since the industrial revolution and its ­significance in the evolution of the world geopolitical map. Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.

GEOG 165Lg The Atmospheric Environment (4, FaSm) A broad, scientific examination of the gaseous envelope surrounding earth including its composition, origin, and structure with specific emphasis on atmospheric processes that ultimately lead to weather-related phenomena and changing climatic conditions. Lecture and laboratory.

GEOG 215g Ethnicity and Place (4, Fa) ­Students will learn how ethnicity and race are inherently spatial processes. Immigration, national identity, and historical ethnic geography of the United States will be explored. (Duplicates credit in former MDA 215gm.) Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.

GEOG 255 American Environmentalism (4, FaSm) Geographic and historic approach to the growth of environmental awareness in the United States from Colonial times to the present. Extensive use of case materials.

GEOG 257g Environment and Ethics (4, SpSm) Examination of ethical issues in environmental context: systematic analysis of problems associated with protection and use of selected environments. Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.

GEOG 260Lg Natural Hazards (4, FaSp) The nature and time/space distribution of extreme geophysical events (e.g., floods, droughts, earthquakes), and the range of individual and social adaptations to the resulting hazard.

GEOG 265Lg The Water Planet (4, Sp) An exploration of earth's water, ranging from water properties, chemistry, and pollution, to groundwater dynamics, watershed processes, and oceanic-atmospheric circulation. Implications for past and future societies. Lecture and laboratory.

GEOG 306 Asia and the Global Economy (4, Fa) The Asian region in the geographical evolution of the global economy. Organization and scope of transnational industry. Asian culture and society in the creation of economic landscapes.

GEOG 325 Culture and Place (4, Fa) Introduction to the study of landscapes and culture; how place creates culture; how cultures produce place. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 225.)

GEOG 340m Latino L.A. (4, Sp) Examines spatial and social patterns of the Latino population in Los Angeles. Emphasis on economic, demographic and cultural processes.

GEOG 345 Conservation of Natural Resources (4, Fa) Interaction between resource conservation and people based on recent advances, current developments, and future resource utilization. Special attention to the western United States. Field trips.

GEOG 350m Race and Environmentalism (4) Relationships between environmentalism, environmental problems and racial-ethnic minorities. Rise of environmental justice movement. Assessment of social science methods used to investigate these relationships.

GEOG 360 Environmental Disasters (4, Sp) Evaluates the causes, effects, and responses to international environmental disasters. Emphasis is on contemporary case studies in a theoretical context.

GEOG 390 Special Problems (1-4, FaSp) Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.

GEOG 393 Field Techniques (4, Fa) Field exploration of physical and cultural aspects of different regions, with emphasis on rural ­California. Field methods, especially mapping and interviewing.

GEOG 397 Geography Internship (2-4, max 4, FaSpSm) Intensive experience in local public agency, private firm, or non-profit agency engaged in applied geographic work. Graded CR/NC.

GEOG 401 Sustainable Cities and Regions (4, Sp) Alternative approaches to understanding the city and urban growth. Technical and political characteristics of urban environmental problems and sustainable approaches to urbanization and urban life.

GEOG 410 Urban Geography (4, Sp) ­Cities as geographic phenomena: location, size, spacing, structure, functions, form, and shape; regional variations; urban areas as central places.

GEOG 419 Environment and Health (4, Irregular) The geographical determinants of illness and health, with emphasis on environmental factors. Processes of disease diffusion. Spatial organization of health care systems.

GEOG 431 California's Changing Landscapes (4, Sp) Type study of a region; distribution of physical and cultural phenomena; delimitation into natural regions; analysis of human-environment interaction in regions of the state. Field trips.

GEOG 477 Water Resources (4, Sp) Theory and techniques for the evaluation of water resources. Details of the hydrologic cycle, water use, and hazards. Emphasis on problem solving.

GEOG 481 Map Design and Analysis (4, Sp) Computer-based map design principles, especially for statistical maps; use of maps in geographical, social scientific and environmental research.

GEOG 482L Principles of Geographic Information Science (4, Sp) Introduction to evolving science, technology and applications of GIS. Laboratories provide experience with computer processing of geographic information using several GIS software and programming languages. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 381L.)

GEOG 490x Directed Research (2-8, max 8, FaSp) Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

GEOG 495ab Senior Honors Thesis (2-2, FaSp) Design, research, data analysis, and writing of an undergraduate honors thesis in geography. Corequisite: GEOG 494.

GEOG 499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8, FaSp) Intensive study of selected topics or regions.

GEOG 500 The Nature of Geography (4, Fa) Examination of the core concepts and research frontiers in contemporary geographic thought. Graduate standing. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 602).

GEOG 501 Geographical Research: Design (4, Sp) Introduction to research in geography, and development of skills and perspectives fundamental to conducting research in geography, including the writing of research proposals. Prerequisite: graduate standing.

GEOG 502 Geographical Research: Methods (4, Sp) Examination of the full suite of qualitative and quantitative research methods commonly employed in geographic research and the connections between theory, observation, measurement, and analysis.

GEOG 581 Concepts for Spatial Thinking (4, FaSpSm) The unique characteristics and importance of spatial information as they relate to the evolving science, technology, and applications of Geographic Information Systems.

GEOG 582 Spatial Databases (4, FaSp) Design, implementation, and interrogation of relational, object-oriented and other types of geospatial databases. Recommended preparation: GEOG 581.

GEOG 583 Spatial Analysis and Modeling (4, FaSpSm) Examination of the process of geographic abstraction and modeling in relation to the different data models and spatial analysis operations available in current GIS. Prerequisite: GEOG 581.

GEOG 585 Geospatial Technology Project Management (4) Concepts, principles, and use of project management tools and the people issues encountered running GIS projects. Recommended preparation: GEOG 581.

GEOG 586 GIS Programming and Customization (4, Fa) Design, coding, and imple­mentation of GIS-based software and models with Java and Visual Basic .NET programming languages. Recommended preparation: GEOG 581.

GEOG 587 GPS/GIS Field Techniques (4, Sm) Field exploration of methods and problems of data acquisition and integration using GPS/GIS data collection systems at Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island.

GEOG 588 Remote Sensing for GIS (4, Sm) Principles of remote sensing, satellite systems, and role of remote sensing data in GIS applications. Recommended preparation: GEOG 581.

GEOG 589 Cartography and Visualization (4, Fa) Principles of visual perception, spatial cognition and cartographic design and their contributions to the maps, animations, virtual reality and multimedia displays produced with modern GIS. Recommended preparation: GEOG 581.

GEOG 590 Directed Research (1-12, FaSpSm) Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

GEOG 591 Web GIS (4, Sp) Design, implementation, and technological building blocks (including GML) for distributed Web-based services. Recommended preparation: GEOG 581.

GEOG 594abz Master's Thesis (2-2-0, FaSpSm) Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded CR/NC.

GEOG 599 Special Topics (2-4, max 8, Irregular) Seminar in selected topics in geography.

GEOG 601 Sustainable Cities (4, Fa) Exploration of environmental problems linked to urbanization, drawing on historical analysis, social theory, scientific research, and city planning/design practice. Alternative policy options for urban sustainability. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 611).

GEOG 603 The Los Angeles School of Urbanism (4, 2 years, Sp) A critique of social theoretic perspectives on the modern and postmodern city, with emphasis on Los Angeles as urban prototype. Graduate standing. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 503).

GEOG 605 City Space and Globalization (4, 2 years, Sp) Theoretical analysis of gender in uneven development, transnational migration, and the new international division of labor. Pacific Rim emphasis. Graduate standing. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 505).

GEOG 615 Natural Spaces in Urban Places (4) Urban environments as integrative physical systems comprising atmospheric, hydrologic, geomorphic, and biogeographic sub-systems modulated by human activity and civil infrastructure. Graduate standing.

GEOG 631 Human Settlement and Migration (4, Irregular) Spatial patterns of settlement and processes of internal migration of dominant ethnic groups within North America. Graduate standing. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 600).

GEOG 635 Race, Space, and Place (4, Fa) Examines the relationship between race, space, and place. Emphasis on the spatial dimensions of social processes that produce race. Considers race at various geographic scales. Graduate standing.

GEOG 681 Environmental Modeling with GIS (4, 2 years, Sp) Advanced topics related to the collection, analysis, modeling, interpretation, and display of environmental information using GIS and related technologies. Prerequisite: graduate standing and prior GIS experience equivalent to GEOG 482L.

GEOG 682 Health and Place (4, Sp) ­Examines the relationship between health and place and how geospatial approaches to analyzing and visualizing spatial data may advance our understanding of disease systems. Graduate standing.

GEOG 695 Advanced Research Seminar (4-12, FaSp) A forum for in-depth investigation of specific research topics in sub-­disciplines of geography. Offerings will depend on student and faculty interests. ­Prerequisite: GEOG 500, GEOG 501 or departmental approval.

GEOG 790 Research (1-12, FaSpSm) Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

GEOG 794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation (2-2-2-2-0, FaSpSm) Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.