2007-2008 Academic Catalog

Course descriptions


Course descriptions index


Geography

Courses listed as offered in "alternate" years--Fall or Spring--may not match the dates shown below. Please call the department (907-474-7494) to check actual course offerings for future semesters.


GEOG 101     3 Credits
World Regional Geography (s)
Introduction to physical, political, economic and cultural geography of major world culture regions. Examines each region in relation to others and in context of global economic, political and environmental change. Also available via Independent Learning. (3 + 0) Offered Fall, Spring


GEOG 203     3 Credits
World Economic Geography (s)
Study of the world's major economic activities: their physical and cultural bases, spatial growth and distribution patterns, and their significance in interregional and international development. (3 + 0) Offered As Demand Warrants


GEOG 205     3 Credits
Elements of Physical Geography (n)
Interdisciplinary analysis of the processes that form Earth's physical environment, and how those processes condition the human environment. Includes system interactions among weather, climate, landforms, soils, water resources and vegetation, including world and regional patterns. Also available via Independent Learning. (Offered every spring at the Northwest Campus.) (3 + 0) Offered Fall, Spring


GEOG 205X     4 Credits
Elements of Physical Geography (n)
Interdisciplinary analysis of the processes that form Earth's physical environment, and how those processes condition the human environment. Includes system interactions among weather, climate, landforms, soils, water resources and vegetation, including world and regional patterns. (Offered every spring at the Northwest Campus.) (3 + 3) Offered Fall, Spring


GEOG 301     3 Credits
Geographic Field Research Techniques
Theory and application of geographic methods of conducting field investigations. Collection, analysis, synthesis, and interpretation and reporting of data concerning the natural and human environments. (Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.) Offered As Demand Warrants


GEOG 302     3 Credits
Geography of Alaska (s)
Regional, physical and economic geography of Alaska. Special consideration of the state's renewable and nonrenewable resources and of plans for their wise use. Frequent class study of representative maps and visual materials. Also available via Independent Learning. (3 + 0) Offered Spring


GEOG 303     3 Credits
Geography of United States and Canada (s)
Introduction to systematic study of North America as a whole, followed by detailed study of the physical and cultural landscape forms, patterns and associations of each major region in turn. Consideration of the U. S. and Canada in current world economic and political geography. (Prerequisite: GEOG 101 or 205X or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2007-08.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall


GEOG 305W     3 Credits
Geography of Europe (s)
Europe's regional, physical, economic and cultural geography, natural resources, human-environmental interactions, physical and cultural landscapes, current political and economic transformations, historical and contemporary world influences. (Prerequisite: ENGL 111X; ENGL 211X or ENGL 213X or permission of instructor.) (Next offered: 2007-08.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall


GEOG 306     3 Credits
Geography of Russia (s)
The physical, cultural and historical geography of Russia and the Ukraine, Central Asia, Siberia and parts of Eastern Europe. (Next offered: 2007-08.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall


GEOG 309     4 Credits
Cartography (s)
Graphic techniques for presenting geographic data and patterns through the construction of thematic maps. Emphasis on map design. Materials fee: $150. (Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Next offered: 2008-09.) (1 + 9) Offered Alternate Spring


GEOG 311W     3 Credits
Geography of Asia (s)
Regional geography of Asia, exclusive of the Soviet Union. Physical framework, natural resources, peoples, major economic activities and characteristic landscapes of the major regions of Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India-Pakistan and the Asiatic countries of the Middle East. (Prerequisite: ENGL 111X; ENGL 211X or ENGL 213X or permission of instructor.) (Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall


GEOG 338     3 Credits
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
(Cross-listed with NRM 338)
Geographic data concepts including mapping systems, data sources, editing data, GIS analysis and computer mapping. Introduction to global positioning systems. GIS applications in natural resources management. (Prerequisite: Knowledge of PC's or Unix workstations desirable.) (2 + 3) Offered Fall


GEOG 339     3 or 4 Credits
Maps and Landscape Analysis (n)
Topographic map interpretation for landscape analysis and geographic data acquisition, including topographic features, vegetation patterns, and political and cultural features. Emphasis on topographic maps for remote data acquisition and environmental impact analysis. Optional laboratory for one additional credit. (Prerequisites: GEOG 101 or GEOG 203; GEOG 205X.) (3 + 0) or (3 + 3) Offered Spring


GEOG 341     4 Credits
GIS Analysis
(Cross-listed with NRM 341)
GIS analysis of natural resources including spatial query, attribute query, vector, grid, image, topographic and network analysis techniques. (3 + 3) Offered Spring


GEOG 401     3 Credits
Weather and Climate (n)
Weather systems and climate classification. Emphasis on weather system processes, measuring weather variables and physical processes of the atmosphere. (Prerequisite: GEOG 205 or 205X; or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2007-08.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall


GEOG 402     3 Credits
Resources and Environment (s)
Interdisciplinary analysis of the Earth as a natural resource base, and the management issues of resource extraction, allocation, development, conservation and preservation. (Prerequisites: GEOG 101, 205X. Next offered: 2008-09.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Fall


GEOG 404W     3 Credits
Urban Geography (s)
A world survey of urbanization with particular emphasis on the accelerating urban revolution. Conditions favoring the rise of cities, locational and site factors, regional and interregional resource availability, and human factors. Changing functions and patterns of urban areas. National and international problems inherent in trends toward a predominantly urbanized economy and culture. Implications of urbanization in Alaska. (Prerequisite: ENGL 111X; ENGL 211X or ENGL 213X or permission of instructor; and GEOG 101.) (3 + 0) Offered As Demand Warrants


GEOG 405     3 Credits
Political Geography (s)
Geographical analysis of the evolution, structure, internal coherence and sources of strength of individual nation states, with emphasis on nations of the Pacific realm and Arctic periphery. Consideration of regional blocs, spheres of influence and potential for international cooperation. (Prerequisite: GEOG 101.) (3 + 0) Offered As Demand Warrants


GEOG 408     3 Credits
Quantitative Research Techniques
Analysis of geographic data. Includes sampling techniques, lab techniques and applied statistical analysis (computational and computer based). Nonparametric and parametric statistical tests using geographic and environmental data sets, and interpretation of statistical results. (Prerequisites: Junior standing and college-level mathematics, or permission of instructor. Next offered: 2007-08.) (3 + 0) Offered Alternate Spring


GEOG 427     3 Credits
Geography of Cold Lands (s)
(Stacked with GEOG 627 and NORS 627)
Comparative physical, human and economic geography of cold regions in the North, especially Canada, Siberia, Greenland and Scandinavia. Special attention given to spatial patterns of settlement and natural resource development. (Prerequisite: GEOG 101 or 203 or 205X or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Spring


GEOG 463     3 Credits
Wilderness Concepts
(Stacked with GEOG 663 and NRM 663 and cross-listed with NRM 463)
History and evolution of wilderness thought, the contemporary meaning of wilderness, and survey of economic and noneconomic wilderness values for individuals and society. (3 + 0) Offered Fall


GEOG 464     3 Credits
Wilderness Management
(Cross-listed with NRM 464)
Wilderness ecology and land management practices on lands designated as wilderness. Plus, visitor management regimes are analyzed. Both national and international views of wilderness are presented. (Prerequisite: A basic course in ecology, resource management or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Spring


GEOG 482W, O     3 Credits
Geography Seminar (s)
Discussion of geographic thought including past, present and future directions of the discipline. Contributions of geography to science, philosophy and ethics integrated through detailed review of contemporary literature and research. (Prerequisite: ENGL 111X; ENGL 211X or ENGL 213X; COMM 131X or 141X; senior Geography major; and permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Spring


GEOG 627     3 Credits
Geography of Cold Lands
(Stacked with GEOG 427 and cross-listed with NORS 627)
Comparative physical, human and economic geography of cold regions in the North, especially Canada, Siberia, Greenland and Scandinavia. Special attention given to spatial patterns of settlement and natural resource development. (Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.) (3 + 0) Offered Spring


GEOG 663     3 Credits
Wilderness Concepts
(Stacked with GEOG 463 and NRM 463 and cross-listed with NRM 663)
History and evolution of wilderness thought, the contemporary meaning of wilderness, and survey of economic and noneconomic wilderness values for individuals and society. (3 + 0) Offered Fall