Course Requirements
Concentration Core
Choose four courses with consent of advisor from the following list:
Methods and Techniques
Choose one course with consent of advisor:
Regional Geographic Surveys
Choose one course from the following list:
Supporting Fields
Five courses selected from course offerings in Anthropology, History of Art and Architecture, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Geography, History, International Studies, Political Science, Public Policy Studies, Real Estate, Sociology, and any other discipline or program selected in consultation with the student’s advisor.
Open Electives
Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.
GEO 133
URBAN GEOGRAPHY - EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
The course provides an in depth analysis of a Chicago neighborhood, connecting this to wider U.S. trends in urbanization and urban development. Students conduct a research project, through archival study and field work.
GEO 200
SUSTAINABLE URBANISM
This course focuses on the application and meaning of `sustainability? to our discussion and understanding of cities, urban communities, and the urbanization process. The course conceptualizes sustainability as residing at the intersection of political, economic, social, and ecological thinking and examines its utility and flexibility towards urban form and function. The course pursues the topic of urban sustainability through the lenses of scale (e.g., local vs. global), justice (e.g., social vs. ecological), and diversity (e.g., cultural vs. biotic).
GEO 201
GEOPOLITICS
A survey of theories of geopolitics and international relations, the course explores issues of international security and organization, regional integration, and nationalism, state formation and conflict. Historic geopolitical cases from Europe (Northern Ireland, EU, Balkans), the Middle East and North Africa, and the Russian realm, provide opportunities to assess theoretical approaches and profile the security and foreign policy concerns of the U.S.in the new millennium.
GEO 204
RELIGIOUS GEOGRAPHY
Religion and geography are fundamentally intertwined. From the establishment of theocratic states that control territory, to the sprawl of US suburbia that has led to megachurches, the role of religion in shaping the earth's cultural landscape is undeniable. Religious beliefs shape geographies - there are places that, through faith, become sacred; elsewhere religious individuals and groups struggle to claim places in the name of their beliefs. This course will examine case studies from around the world to explore the intersection of geography and religion.
GEO 205
JUSTICE, INEQUALITY AND THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
A theoretical and applied investigation of the social, political, and economic processes influencing the spatial distribution of environmental amenities and harms across the U.S. urban landscape, with particular focus on urban structure and the role of environmental justice struggles in shaping urban policy and the urban landscape. Formerly GEO 120.
GEO 210
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
This course explores society-environment relations in case studies drawn from around the world. The course focuses on forces destructive to habitat and biospheres, species loss, global warming, and the tension between "modernization" and environmental sustainability.
GEO 215
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND REGIONAL INEQUALITY
This course charts the political, social and economic transformation of the developing countries, (Africa, Asia, Latin America, Caribbean, Pacific Islands) into a global economy dominated by the 'developed' countries (North America, Europe and Japan). This process, termed `GLOBALIZATION', results from the operation of the global market mechanism; the activities of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and the programs of the International Financial Institutions (IFIs).
GEO 220
THE DYNAMIC OCEAN
Develops the concepts of physical oceanography. Topics include the chemical and physical properties of seawater, the dynamics of ocean currents and circulations, the physics of water waves and tides, the interaction of the ocean with the atmosphere, the formation of coastlines, and the effects of pollution on the ocean. Cross-listed with PHY 220.
Prerequisites:
LSP 120 or HON 180 or (MAT 130 or above) is a prerequisite for this class.GEO 225
WEATHER AND CLIMATE
The dynamic atmospheric processes which control day-to-day weather and the longer term processes which determine prevailing climatic conditions are the two principal foci of this course. Special topics include weather systems, climate change, global warming, and human impacts on climate. Cross-listed with PHY 225.
Prerequisites:
LSP 120 or HON 180 or (MAT 130 or above) is a prerequisite for this class.GEO 230
TRANSPORTATION GEOGRAPHY
The course is an introduction to the subfield of transportation geography. Studying transportation and transportation-related phenomena from a spatial-analytic perspective, the course builds upon theories and methods of transportation geography. Systematic study of select case studies at the local and regional level provide opportunities for application of principles.
GEO 233
COMPARATIVE URBANISM
An exploration of non-U.S. urban and planning traditions, through the comparative study of the foundation, morphological change and social-political forces that shaped cities such as Paris, St. Petersburg, Istanbul, Bombay-Mumbai, and Mexico City.
GEO 260
GLOBALIZATION AND RESOURCES
An exploration of globalization and the politics and flow of natural resources between the developed and developing world, especially since World War II. Using case studies from around the world, the course introduces students to competing paradigms of environmental and resource destruction and to the complexities and contingencies of social and environmental change in the "new" global economy.
GEO 266
THE WORLD ECONOMY
A study of the spatial organization of economic activities. Special topics include static and dynamic models of the space economy, the geography of industrialization, spatial divisions of labor, global commodity chains, and industrial development in peripheral economies. Formerly GEO 366.
GEO 269
POLITICAL ECOLOGY
The course introduces students to the theoretical foundations and evolution of critical Political Ecology and its assessment of environmental change and social vulnerability in the developing world. The course traces the history of the discipline to its early roots in geography, anthropology, and ecology and tracks its emergence as a theoretically sophisticated critique of the global spread of economic development and environmental policy.
GEO 310
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Green Infrastructure (GI) goes beyond the conventional conservation efforts of creating and maintaining national and state parks and wildlife refuges. Instead, GI promotes conservation that takes place at different spatial scales to create a network of open spaces out of existing open spaces and green corridors as well as offering strategies for constructing green spaces out of abandoned urban spaces.
GEO 333
URBAN PLANNING
A seminar on the intellectual history and theories of urban planning and design, and their application in urban settings in the U.S. and abroad. Systematic study of case studies leads to the investigation of current urban planning issues in Chicago.
GEO 339
TOPICS IN ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
Major cities around the world are often identified with distinctive architecture. In many locations, different schools and periods of architectural design can be 'read' from examining the urban landscape. This course will examine the relationship between architecture and urbanism. As an upper level course, rather than a broad survey, the material will focus on a specific location or architectural style for the duration of the quarter, allowing students to learn in depth about how architecture and urbanism are interconnected.
GEO 395
SEMINAR IN SELECTED TOPICS
Upper-division seminar exploring selected geographical issues.
GEO 242
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS II: COMMUNITY GIS
An intermediate-level course. Students conduct real-world GIS projects for community organizations in Chicagoland. Topics include data capture, manipulation, database design, data quality, and spatial analysis. Students will complete projects following best practices of GIS project management. Instruction is accomplished through lectures and hands-on computer lab exercises using ArcGIS.
Prerequisites:
GEO 241 is a prerequisite for this class.GEO 243
REMOTE SENSING (FORMERLY GEO 343)
An introduction to the fundamentals of remote sensing, the analysis of the earth through air or space borne sensors. Special topics include image interpretation, image processing, change analysis, environmental monitoring, and photogrammetry. Instruction is accomplished through lectures and hands-on lab exercises using IDRISI. A small lab fee will be charged.
Prerequisites:
LSP 120 or HON 180 or (MAT 130 or above) is a prerequisite for this class.GEO 391
RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
An overview of research techniques in geography with a focus on a statistical approach. Students will get versed in quantitative reasoning by learning how statistical concepts and techniques are applied to geographic problems. Topics include research concepts, research design, descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics geared toward understanding geographic phenomena. Instruction is accomplished through lectures and hands-on exercises using calculators, SPSS and ArcGIS. PRE-REQUISITE(S): GEO 241.
Prerequisites:
GEO 241 is a prerequisite for this class.GEO 124
NORTH AMERICA
The United States, Mexico, and Canada serve as the focus of this survey course. Special topics include pre-European North America, European ideology in the new world, "manifest destiny" and U.S. hegemony in the 20th century, and NAFTA.
GEO 218
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL: THE IBERIAN IMPACT
An historical-geographical analysis of the Iberian nations with an interdisciplinary focus on global geopolitics, trade, settlement, and cultural characteristics (art, architecture, language and literature, music and religion). This is the only course of its kind offered in U.S. universities. Formerly GEO 318
GEO 312
THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
A basic survey of the physical, cultural, economic, and political geography of the countries of northern Africa and Western Asia. The course traces the human geographical impacts of Arabic, Turkish, and Persian civilizations, as well as the manner in which Islam, nationalism, statehood, and global politics are shaping the region today.
GEO 313
AFRICA: A CONTINENT IN TRANSITION
A geographic survey of the fifty countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, with special emphasis on current aspects of their ethnic, economic, and geopolitical differences.
GEO 314
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
Key characteristics of the physical, cultural, economic and political geography, and international relations of India, Pakistan, Thailand, the Philippines, and other countries in the region.
GEO 315
ASIA'S PACIFIC RIM
A survey course focused upon key geographical factors contributing to the emergence of Japan as an international economic leader, and the rapid development of the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea, among others, as global economic players.
GEO 316
THE EUROPEAN UNION
An integration of political geographic and international relations perspectives on European integration: Special emphases on political philosophies and theories of integration, the geopolitics of block formation and enlargement, institutional structure, the evolution of policies, and the future directions of the European Union. Cross-listed with PSC 340.
GEO 317
POST SOVIET EASTERN EUROPE AND THE RUSSIAN REALM
A regional geographic survey of the Russian realm spanning the imperial, Soviet, and republican eras: Special emphases on the physical, political, cultural, and economic geographies of the vast Eurasian region dominated historically by Russia.
GEO 326
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
An analysis of the social, environmental, cultural, economic, and political factors affecting this vast region.
GEO 331
CHICAGO: SPATIAL ANATOMY OF A METROPOLIS
An advanced exploration of Chicago's urban geography, focusing in detail on topics such as historical geography, industrial change, community development, housing, architecture, transportation and Chicago's status as a "global city."
GEO 350
WORLD OF WINE
An analysis of the geographical factors that influence the global production and distribution of wine. Material fee required, payable on the first day of class. Students must be 21 years of age or older.
GEO 327
SOUTH AMERICA
An analysis of the physical, cultural, economic, and political factors affecting the geography of that continent's regions and countries.