Florida State University 2008-2009 General Bulletin Undergraduate Edition
Department of Geography
College of Social Sciences
Chair: Victor Mesev; Professors: Elsner, Kodras, Mesev, O'Sullivan; Associate Professors: Baker, Horner, Klooster, Leib, Stallins, Steinberg, Yang; Assistant Professors: Jordan, Zhao; Affiliate and Adjunct Faculty: Fradel, Miller, Molina
The Department of Geography offers two separate majors reflecting the discipline's position straddling the social and natural sciences: the geography major and the interdisciplinary environmental studies major. While these programs overlap to some extent, they differ in their substantive focus: the geography major is oriented to social, economic, and political concerns, while the environmental studies major revolves more explicitly around human interactions with the natural, physical, and biological environment, with a stronger interdisciplinary focus. Students may double major in geography and environmental studies; a maximum of eleven (11) semester hours may be double-counted toward both majors.
Several career paths await the graduating geographer in the public and private sectors. Geographers bring important knowledge and analytical techniques to resource management and planning agencies. Their training enables geographers to determine where public facilities and infrastructure are best located so that the greatest number of people benefit. These skills are also valued by private firms investing in residential or commercial development; a geographer can pinpoint where investments are likely to yield the best returns. Geographers fill such job titles as cartographer, intelligence officer, economic analyst, and soil conservationist. Another field is metropolitan and regional planning, in which geographers are engaged in monitoring environmental problems, land use changes, waste disposal, housing, transportation patterns, and poverty. Geographers in private business are involved in industrial location research, marketing, planning for utility companies, environmental and site location consulting, real estate firms, port and airport authorities, travel agencies, and in transportation planning for airlines or trucking firms. Many institutions use geographic information systems (GIS), and consulting firms serving state and local governments are increasingly called on to provide GIS expertise. The College of Social Sciences has a geographic information systems laboratory with microcomputers running GIS, remote sensing, and statistical software. Finally, geographers find many jobs as teachers in a world integrated to the point that an understanding of geographic differences is essential to a basic education.
The geography department has expertise in human geography, geographic information science, and environmental analysis. Students can concentrate in one of these areas, but the natural linkages between them mean that courses in all three are necessary for a complete geographical education. In human geography, faculty interests cover a number of interrelated topics, including global geographic information science; power relationships; the terrain and tactics of war; social problems such as poverty and residential segregation, and the impact of policies designed to alleviate them; Latin America; medical geography; transportation; and the spatial structure of services, telecommunications, and international trade. The faculty also focuses on a number of environmental and resource issues, including the impacts of natural hazards such as hurricanes, the causes and effects of deforestation, and the development of policies to solve these and similar problems.
Computer Skills Competency
All undergraduates at Florida State University must demonstrate basic computer skills competency prior to graduation. As necessary computer competency skills vary from discipline to discipline, each major determines the courses needed to satisfy this requirement. Undergraduate majors in geography and environmental studies satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of "C–" or higher in BSC 2010L, CGS 2060, CGS 2064, CGS 2100, GIS 3015, and GIS 4043.
State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites
The State of Florida has identified common course prerequisites for this University degree program. These prerequisites are lower-level courses that are required for preparation for the University major prior to a student receiving a baccalaureate degree from Florida State University. They may be taken either at a community college or in a university lower-division program. It is preferred that these common course prerequisites be completed in the freshman and sophomore years.
The following lists the common course prerequisites or approved substitutions necessary for this degree program:
Two introductory courses (six [6] semester hours) in geography with the GEO prefix
Geography Major
Geography is an integrative discipline bridging the social sciences, physical sciences, and humanities in the study of the relations between human beings and the earth. Geography is fundamentally the study of space, much as history is the study of time. Why phenomena and events occur where they do, and the ramifications they have for other places and cultures, are essential geographic questions. Within this framework, geographers examine such issues as the linkages between international development and environmental conservation, the opportunities and problems associated with growth in Florida, the geographic bases of religious and linguistic conflicts, and the implications of economic restructuring on regional power balances, deforestation, and hunger. The value of a geographic perspective is that such issues become more than isolated events when they are given theoretical grounding and are placed in a broader context of global understanding. In an interdependent world where decisions made in one country affect the lives of people in all societies, responsible world citizenship requires a solid foundation in geographic knowledge.
Major Requirements
A major in geography consists of thirty-one (31) semester hours with a minimum overall GPA of 2.00, including the following five required core courses (16 credit hours):
- GEO 1400 Human Geography
- GEO 2200C Physical Geography
- GEO 4162C Spatial Data Analysis
- GIS 3015 Map Analysis
- GIS 4043 Geographic Information Systems and lab (4 credit hours)
- An additional course is required in one of the core areas of human geography (1 class, 3 credit hours).
- GEO 3502 Economic Geography
- GEO 4421 Cultural Geography
- GEO 4471 Political Geography
- GEO 4602 Urban Geography
At least six (6) credit hours of courses must be taken at the 4000 level (excluding GEO 4162C, GEO 4905, and GEO 4941). A maximum of three (3) credit hours of GEO 4905 Directed Individual Study (DIS) will be credited toward the major. No credit for geography courses with a grade below "C–" will be applied towards completion of the major. Note that GEA 1000 and GEO 1400 satisfy liberal studies multiculturalism requirements.
Requirements for Minor
A geography minor consists of twelve (12) semester hours of course work in geography (GEO 1400 plus nine [9] additional hours) completed with a grade of "C–" or better. If a geography minor is combined with an environmental studies major, GEO2200C and one other course (up to seven [7] credits total) may count toward both the major and the minor.
For more information contact Dr. Dan Klooster, Undergraduate Adviser, Department of Geography, 318 Bellamy, (850) 644-8382 or dklooste@fsu.edu.
Major in Environmental Studies
Environmental studies is an interdisciplinary program of study that provides an in-depth understanding of the social and institutional context of contemporary environmental concerns, including topics such as ecosystem management, resource conservation, land use planning, natural hazards, and the policy dimensions of environmental issues. The major in environmental studies requires forty-one (41) semester hours with a grade of "C–" or better in each course; at least eighteen (18) semester hours must be taken in upper level (3000- and 4000-) courses.
Note: Some of the following courses have prerequisites.
- Basic Core Curriculum: all of the following courses (total fourteen [14] credit hours):
- BSC 2010 Biological Science I and BSC 2010L (CHM 1045 is prerequisite)
- CHM 1045 General Chemistry I and CHM 1045L
- GEO 1330 Environmental Science (previously GEO 1331)
- GEO 2200C Physical Geography (previously GEO 3200C)
- Natural Science Electives: four courses (total twelve [12] credit hours) from the following list:
- BSC 2011 Biological Science II
- BSC 3052 Conservation Biology
- BSC 3312 Marine Biology
- BSC 4515 Aquatic Pollution Biology
- BSC 4934 Selected Topics in Applied Biology (subjects vary)
- CHM 1046 General Chemistry II
- EES 2205C Environmental Engineering Chemistry
- EES 3040 Introduction to Environmental Engineering Science
- ENV 4001 Environmental Engineering
- ENV 4041 Environmental Systems Analysis
- ENV 4341 Solid and Hazardous Waste Engineering
- GEO 4300 Biogeography
- GEO 4930 Special Topics in Geography (Note: content varies and not all GEO 4930 courses will count as Natural Science Electives)
- GLY 1892 Environmental Issues in Geology
- GLY 2010C Physical Geology
- GLY 4700C Geomorphology
- GLY 4820 Principles of Hydrology
- ISC 2003 Global Change, Its Scientific and Human Dimensions
- MET 2101 Physical Climatology
- MET 2502C Weather Analysis and Forecasting
- MET 2700 General Meteorology
- MET 3300 Introduction to Atmospheric Dynamics
- OCE 4011 Principles of Oceanography
- OCE 4017 Current Issues in Environmental Science
- OCE 4930 Studies in Oceanography (subjects vary)
- PCB 3043 General Ecology
- URP 4401 Coastal Ecosystems and Management
- Social Science Electives: three of the following courses (total nine [9] credit hours):
- ECP 3113 Economics of Population
- ECP 3302 Economics of Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment
- ECP 3322 Economics of Living Marine Resources
- GEO 3502 Economic Geography (previously GEO 3540)
- GEO 4340 Living in a Hazardous Environment
- GEO 4357 Environmental Conflict and Economic Development
- GEO 4372 Natural Resources
- GEO 4450 Medical Geography
- GEO 4471 Political Geography
- GEO 4602 Urban Geography
- GEO 4930 Special Topics in Geography (Note: content varies and not all GEO 4930 courses will count as Natural Science Electives)
- HIS 4930 US Environmental History
- PAD 3003 Public Administration in American Society
- PAD 4603 Administrative Law
- PUP 3002 Introduction to Public Policy
- PUP 4203 Environmental Politics and Policy
- SYD 3012 Population and Development in Florida
- SYD 3020 Population and Society
- URP 3000 Introduction to Planning and Urban Development
- URP 4022 Collective Decision Making
- URP 4314 Growth Management and Comprehensive Planning
- URP 4402 Sustainable Development Planning in the Americas
- URP 4423 Environmental Planning and Resource Management
- URP 4710 Transportation Planning
- URP 4936 Special Topics in Planning (subjects vary)
- Methods Electives: two of the following courses (total six [6] credit hours):
- ENV 4611 Environmental Impact Analysis
- GEO 4114 Environmental Field Methods
- GEO 4162C Spatial Data Analysis
- GIS 3015 Map Analysis
- GIS 4006 Computer Cartography
- GIS 4043 Geographic Information Systems
- GIS xxxx Remote Sensing
- STA 3024 Intermediate Applied Statistics
- SYA 4300 Social Research Methods
Minor in Environmental Studies
A minor in environmental studies consists of twenty-three (23) semester hours, including Group I (total of [14] semester hours) and one course each from Groups II, III, and IV (total of nine [9] semester hours). All courses must be completed with grades of "C–" or better. If an environmental studies minor is combined with a geography major, GEO2200C and one other course (up to seven [7] credits total) may be applied to both the major and the minor.
For more information, contact Dr. Dan Klooster, Undergraduate Adviser, Department of Geography, 318 Bellamy, (850) 644-8382 or dklooste@fsu.edu, or visit the department's Web site at http://www.fsu.edu/~geog.
Graduate Programs
Graduate programs are available leading to the Master of Arts (MA), the Master of Science (MS), the Applied Master of Science (MS) in GIS, and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Geography. The graduate programs in geography lead to an applied or a research-oriented degree centered around Geographic Information Science, environmental management, or social systems analysis.
Undergraduates contemplating a graduate degree in geography should take the Graduate Record Examination prior to submitting an application. Interested students should contact the Graduate Adviser, Dr. Tony Stallins, (850) 644-8385, or jastallins@mailer.fsu.edu.
Definition of Prefixes
GEA—Geography: Regional Areas
GEO—Geography: Systematic
GIS—Geographic Information Systems
Undergraduate Courses
GEA 1000. World Geography (3). A regional survey of the human occupation of the face of the earth, local cultures, political systems, and development problems.
GEA 2210. United States and Canada (3). The physical diversity and the cultural and political patterns of North America.
GEA 2270. Florida (3). The physical, social, and economic geography of the state, including growth and environmental issues.
GEA 3173. Third World in Film (3). Weekly feature films are used to investigate how the Third World is constructed as a distinct region; how its geography has influenced its history, cultural systems, and development prospects; and how residents have attempted to redefine the concept of "development."
GEA 3563. The Mediterranean (3). This course analyzes the Mediterranean region as a unified totality (southern Europe and North Africa), focusing on historical changes that underpin current geography.
GEA 4405. Latin America (3). The contemporary Latin American landscape, its historical formation, societies and problems.
GEA 4500. Europe (3). Europe's terrain, variety of cultures, economies, and recent trends toward unity.
GEA 4520. Britain and Ireland (3). The physical and human geography of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
GEA 4554. Russia and Southern Eurasia (3). The peoples, cultures, and places of the former Soviet Union. Discusses the region's natural environment, historical development, and contemporary politics.
GEO 1330. Environmental Science (3). The causes of local and global environmental problems and their impacts, including resource use, pollution, ecosystems, and population growth.
GEO 1400. Human Geography (3). Introductory survey of world cultures, population problems, global economic restructuring, international development, and political interdependence.
GEO 1931. Colloquium in Social Science and Public Affairs (1). This course provides a venue for discussing key issues and controversies that students are likely to encounter as they pursue a major in one of the social sciences. Students learn critical skills in debating public policy issues while also gaining an appreciation for topics that shape everyday life. Those topics are impacted by social forces, economic dynamics, and governmental decisions around the world.
GEO 2200C. Physical Geography (3). An overview of Earth-sun relations, weather, climate, landforms, water systems, soils, and vegetation.
GEO 3423. Sports Geography (3). Geographical basis of sports at different spatial scales, including locational strategies of franchises, recruiting patterns, and the urban political economy of professional sports arenas.
GEO 3502. Economic Geography (3). The geography of economic activity at local, national, and global scales: historical development of capitalism, regional development, spatial structure of agriculture, manufacturing and services, the global economy, third world poverty, and population growth.
GEO 3949r. Cooperative Education Work Experience (0). (S/U grade only.)
GEO 4114. Environmental Field Methods (3). Design and implementation of a field-based project employing field sampling, GIS, GPS, and exploratory statistical methods.
GEO 4162C. Spatial Data Analysis (3). Introduction to quantitative analysis of spatial data including measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, sampling, statistical testing, correlation, point pattern analysis, and trend surface analysis.
GEO 4300. Biogeography (3). This course examines the spatial distributions of flora and fauna, ecosystem change, and human interventions such as logging, invasive species, and wilderness preservation.
GEO 4340. Living in a Hazardous Environment (3). Types of environmental hazards (natural and human-made) and their effects, techniques for the analysis of risks, strategies for recovering losses.
GEO 4357. Environmental Conflict and Economic Development (3). Examines controversies over the use, transformation, and destruction of nature, including political ecology.
GEO 4372. Natural Resource Assessment and Analysis (3). Assessment and analysis of policies concerning natural resources and environmental management in the U.S. and internationally.
GEO 4403. Global Change, Local Places (3). Students examine four aspects of global change—economic, environmental, cultural, and political—with a focus on how globalization is impacting individual countries and how places are responding to globalization's challenges.
GEO 4421. Cultural Geography (3). The study of the processes by which various cultural features have diffused throughout the world. Emphasis is on the contemporary cultural landscape.
GEO 4450. Medical Geography (3). Prerequisites: GEO 1400 and GEO 4185C. Applies geographical concepts and techniques to health-related problems, including the ecology of health, disease diffusion, medical cartography, and health care access.
GEO 4460. Historical Geography (3). Concepts, approaches, and research methods for analysis of spatial patterns of the past and changes through time.
GEO 4471. Political Geography (3). The spatial dimensions of political processes from the local to the global level, including elections and geopolitics of the world system.
GEO 4602. Urban Geography (3). The historical growth of cities; spatial structure of commercial, industrial, and public facilities within cities; residential segregation; urban poverty and fiscal distress, and urbanization in the third world.
GEO 4703. Communications Geography (3). This course examines the geopolitics and space-shrinking effects of telecommunications, as well as economic and social impacts of several technologies, including the Internet and cyberspace.
GEO 4905r. Directed Individual Study (1–5). May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
GEO 4930r. Special Topics in Geography (1–3). May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
GEO 4932. Honors Work (1–6). May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
GEO 4941r. Internship (3–6). Provides students with an opportunity to apply skills in supervised situations off-campus. Course may be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours. Only three (3) may be counted toward the major.
GIS 3015. Map Analysis (3). An introduction to the acquisition, processing, and presentation of cartographic data.
GIS 4006. Computer Cartography (3). Examination of computer mapping systems, theory, methodology, and applications.
GIS 4035. Introduction to Remote Sensing (3). Corequisite: GIS 4035L. This course covers remote sensing foundations and the use of remote sensing for environmental and cultural applications. Focus is on the foundations of remote sensing, aerial photography and photogrammetry, characteristics of various sensing systems, remote sensing applications, and an introduction to digital image processing.
GIS 4035L. Introduction to Remote Sensing Lab (1). Corequiste: GIS 4035. This lab provides practice with the concepts and techniques in remote sensing. Specifically, the lab covers the foundations of remote sensing, aerial photography and photogrammetry, characteristics of various sensing systems, remote sensing applications, and basic skills in digital image processing.
GIS 4043. Geographic Information Processing and Systems (3). Prerequisites: CGS 2060 and GEO 3140 or instructor permission. Survey of GIS topics, including locational control, spatial data structures, modeling and analysis, and future trends in decision support, sensors, and geographic methods.
Graduate Courses
GEA 5195r. Advanced Area Studies (3).
GEO 5056. Social Theory and Spatial Structures (3).
GEO 5058. Survey of Geographic Thought (3).
GEO 5115. Environmental Field Methods (3).
GEO 5118C. Introduction to Geographical Research (3).
GEO 5165C. Quantitative Geography (3).
GEO 5305. Biogeography (3).
GEO 5345. Disaster Preparedness and Hazards Mitigation (3).
GEO 5358. Environmental Conflict and Economic Development (3).
GEO 5377. Natural Resource Assessment and Analysis (3).
GEO 5414. Geospatial Data and Analysis (3).
GEO 5417. Race and Place (3).
GEO 5425. Cultural Geography (3).
GEO 5465. Historical Geography (3).
GEO 5472. Political Geography (3).
GEO 5545. Advanced Economic Geography (3).
GEO 5555. World Systems Theory (3).
GEO 5705. Communications Geography (3).
GEO 5908r. Directed Individual Study (1–6). (S/U grade only.)
GEO 5918r. Supervised Research (1–3). (S/U grade only.)
GEO 5934r. Seminar in Current Topics (1–3).
GEO 5947r. Supervised Teaching (1–3). (S/U grade only.)
GEO 6980r. Dissertation (1-12). (S/U grade only.)
GIS 5034. Introduction to Remote Sensing (3).
GIS 5034L. Introduction to Remote Sensing Lab (1).
GIS 5038C. Advanced Remote Sensing (3).
GIS 5100. Advanced Geographic Information Systems (3).
GIS 5101. Geographic Information Processing and Systems (3).
GIS 5106. Advanced Geographic Information Science (3).
GIS 5111. Spatial Modeling in Geographic Information Science (3).
GIS 5131. Geographic Visualization (3).
GIS 5305. Geographic Information Systems for Environmental Analysis and Modeling (3).
GIS 5400. Geographical Information Systems Applications in Social Sciences (3).
For listings relating to graduate course work for thesis, dissertation, and master's and doctoral examinations and defense, consult the Graduate Bulletin.