Geography (GEOG)

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

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.

120g Geopolitics (4, Fa) 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. (Duplicates credit in GEOG 320.) Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.

150 The Global Village (4, Sp) Contemporary economic, political and socio-cultural trends are forging a new geography of the 21st century global village. Explores the concept of "regionalism" and introduces empirical approaches to regional analysis.

160Lg Geosystems (4, FaSp) An investigation of earth's near-surface including the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere within a scientific framework focused on system structure, dynamics, and interactions. Lecture and laboratory.

165Lg The Atmospheric Environment (4, FaSpSm) 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.

197 The Power of Maps (4, Sp) Introduction to maps, their history, their meanings, and their functions in geographical and social investigations; computer-based map design principles.

205 Introduction to Human Geography (4, Sp) Topical and systematic interpretation of world landscape development and patterns focusing on agricultural, urban, economic, and political systems.

222 Geography of American Politics (4, 2 years, Sp) Historical and contemporary examination of American democratic practice from a geographical perspective, including political cultures, voting patterns, gerrymandering, and geography of legal institutions.

225 Cultural Spaces, Spaces of Culture (4, Fa) Introduction to the study of landscapes of culture; how place creates culture; how cultures produce place.

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.

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

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.

265Lg The Water Planet (4, FaSp) 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.

281Lg Environmental Geographic Information Systems (4, Fa) Introduction to geographic concepts and methods used in environmental applications of Geographic Information Systems. Laboratories explore a series of GIS-based environmental management applications. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 497L.)

300 Social and Population Geography (4, Irregular) Contemporary models and theories of social and population geography; geographical dimensions of social and population problems.

305 Economic Geography (4, Irregular) Location and distribution of economic activities; their reaction to the balance between space relations, physical environment, government policy, social patterns, and cultural desires. Field trips.

310 Approaches to the Study of Cities (4, 2 years, Fa) Review of methodologies employed by urban researchers in the study of cities and their environments; special emphasis on ethnicity, community structures, and urban institutions.

324m Los Angeles and the Evolution of Urban America (4, 2 years, Sp) Compares and contrasts the evolution of Los Angeles with the broader traditions of urban America. Emphasis upon political, social, and morphological elements of these evolutions.

326 Los Angeles Landscapes (4, 2 years, Sp) An exploration and interpretation of social symbols visible in landscapes of selected Los Angeles neighborhoods and regions.

331 Geography of the United States and Canada (4, Irregular) Regional characteristics of the United States and Canada relating to the physical, economic, and cultural environment.

335 Geography of Latin America (4, Irregular) The essential features of the spatial organization of economies and societies in Latin America, emphasizing the differences between cultures.

340m Geography of the Chicano Southwest (4, Sp) Examines spatial and human-environment patterns of the Southwestern U.S. Emphasis on issues of representation, gender, "race," and power relations among Chicano and Anglo populations.

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.

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

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

365L Fundamentals of Weather and Climate (4, FaSp) Earth-sun relationships; radiation; heat transfer; atmospheric composition, structure, heat balance, forces, systems, and processes; air-mass, cloud, wave classification; climatic elements: classification, processes, and distribution. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

370 Marine and Coastal Zone Geography (4, 2 years, Sp) Human interaction with marine and coastal environments: physical, social, economic, and political geography. Emphasis on Southern California's coastal region.

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

391 Geographic Processes (4, 2 years, Sp) Introduction to theory, methods, and problems of modern geography.

392 Geographical Analysis (4, 2 years, Fa) Models and theories in human and physical geography; statistical methods in geography; geographical pattern analysis; models of location and geographical interaction.

393 Field Techniques (4, 2 years, Fa) Field exploration of physical and cultural aspects of different regions, with emphasis on rural California. Field methods, especially mapping and interviewing.

395 Internship in Environmental Social Science (2-8, max 8, FaSp) Intensive experience in an environmentally related agency, organization, or company in the Los Angeles area. Graded CR/NC.

397 Applied 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.

410 Urban Geography (4, 2 years, Sp) Cities as geographic phenomena: location, size, spacing, structure, functions, form, and shape; regional variations; urban areas as central places.

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

425 Historical Geography of the United States (4, Irregular) Geographic factors in American history; examination of human geography in the past; changing interrelationships of the physical environment and historical processes.

431 Geography of California (4, 2 years, Fa) 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.

437 Geography of Mexico (4, Irregular) Regional geography of Mexico, physical and ecological aspects.

466 Meteorology (4, Irregular) Basic principles of meteorology: general circulation of the atmosphere, variables and their measurement, systems and forecast. Prerequisite: GEOG 365L.

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.

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

494 Proseminar in Geography (4, 2 years, Sp) Required seminar for senior geography majors to integrate the major intellectual trends of the discipline and the practice of professional geography. Corequisite: GEOG 391, GEOG 392, and GEOG 393.

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

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

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 or departmental approval.

503 Postmodern Urbanism (4, Sp) A critique of social theoretic perspectives on the modern and postmodern city. Prerequisite: graduate standing or departmental approval.

505 Economic Geography (4, 2 years, Sp) A review of concepts, theories, analytical procedures and data of contemporary economic geography. Prerequisite: graduate standing or departmental approval.

520 Political Geography (4, 2 years, Sp) The theory of state as applied to geographical analysis at international, national and local scales. Prerequisite: graduate standing or departmental approval.

525 Studies in American Historical Geography (4, Irregular) Readings and discussions of major issues, interpretations, and methodologies in the study of the historical geography of the United States. Prerequisite: graduate standing or departmental approval.

554 Women in Global Perspective (4) (Enroll in SWMS 554)

571 Fundamentals of Sediment Transport (4, Fa) Entrainment, transport, and deposition of non-cohesive sediments by flowing fluids. Basic fluid mechanics; simple fluid-sediment interactions; sediment transport relationships; bedform dynamics. Prerequisite: graduate standing or departmental approval.

573 Fluvial Geomorphology (4, Sp) Introduction to fluvial processes, morphologies and landscapes, to the tools and techniques used to analyze the fluvial environment, and to the relevant geomorphological and engineering literature. Prerequisite: GEOG 571; graduate standing or departmental approval.

575 Coastal Geomorphology (4, Fa) The study of landforms that result from marine processes: waves, currents, tides and wind. Emphasis on the roles of theory and empiricism. Prerequisite: graduate standing or departmental approval.

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.

592 Quantitative Methods in Geography (4, Irregular) Statistical and mathematical techniques used in geographic research; exposure to computer packages for data-acquisition and analysis. Prerequisite: a basic course in statistics.

593 Field Techniques for Environmental Monitoring (4) This course provides a basic set of methods for measurement and analysis of environmental systems, and the opportunity to implement these methods in prototype conditions.

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

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

600 Seminar in Ethnic Group Migration (4) Theories and methods used in the analysis of human migration applied to the international and internal migration of ethnic groups.

602 Geographical Research: Current Issues (4, Fa) Examination of the recent evolution of philosophical and methodological approaches in geography, with special emphasis upon commonalities and contrasts between human and physical geography. Prerequisite: GEOG 501 or departmental approval.

635 Race, Class and Gender in Environmentalism (4, Fa) Examines race, class and gender within the context of environmentalism as a social movement and as a discourse.

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. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 697.) Prerequisite: graduate standing and prior GIS experience equivalent to GEOG 381L or departmental approval.

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 501, GEOG 602, or departmental approval.

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. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

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

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