IUPUI Campus Bulletin 2019-2020

Lower-Division Courses

• GEOG-G 107 Physical Systems of the Environment (3 cr.) Explores the physical processes of the Earth--its weather, climate, landforms, oceans and ecosystems--and analyzes a range of environmental issues. 

• GEOG-G 108 Physical Systems of the Environment: Laboratory (2 cr.) P: or C: GEOG-G107. Laboratory to complement G107. Practical and applied aspects of Meterology, Climatology, Vegetation, Soils and Landforms. 

• GEOG-G 110 Human Geography in Changing World (3 cr.) How do languages, religions, customs, and politics change from local to global scales?  Learn how humans shape geographic patterns of migration, agriculture, industry, and urbanization. 

• GEOG-G 111 Hurricanes (1 cr.) Introduction to processes involved in the initiation and development of hurricanes, forecasting and modeling tools used to predict their effects, and impacts on the natural environment and humans. 

• GEOG-G 112 Thunderstorms and Tornadoes (1 cr.) Introduction to the processes involved in the initiation and development of thunderstorms and tornadoes, forecasting and modeling tools to predict their spatial pattern and effects, and impacts on the natural environment and humans. 

• GEOG-G 114 The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming (1 cr.) Introduction to the greenhouse effect and global carbon cycle. Attention will be directed to how, when, and where humans have altered this cycle and the implications for future climates. Methods for monitoring climate change will be studied and areas of greatest uncertainty identified. Particular attention will be directed to the spatial pattern of projected effects produced by global climate models. 

• GEOG-G 123 Soil Survey (1 cr.) An introduction to soils geography. Soil development processes, USDA soil survey map interpretation, physical and mechanical soil properties, and land use analysis. 

• GEOG-G 130 World Geography (1 cr.) An analysis of the existing and emerging geographic patterns in the world and of the processes and trends producing such patterns. An examination of the global scale of human activities and interaction with the environment and the linkages tying the various regions of the world into a single, global system. 

Upper-Division Courses

• GEOG-G 300 The World of Maps (3 cr.)

• GEOG-G 302 Introduction to Transportation Analysis (3 cr.) Examination of movement of people, goods, and information over space using spatial analysis and planning techniques. 

• GEOG-G 303 Weather and Climate (3 cr.) Systematic study of atmospheric processes and interrelationships, with a focus on understanding the physical basis of weather and climate. Emphasis on components of radiation and energy balances, atmospheric circulation, global weather systems, human effects on climate, and climate change. 

• GEOG-G 307 Biogeography: The Distribution of Life (3 cr.) A survey of the present and past distributions of the world's plants and animals, emphasizing ecological explanation of species distributions. Topics include evolution and distribution of major plant and animal groups, world vegetation, plant and animal domestication, introduction of plant and animal pests, destruction of natural communities, and extinction. 

• GEOG-G 309 Frontiers in Geographic Thought (3 cr.) Provides a survey of the development of philosophical frameworks and theories used in physical and human geography. 

• GEOG-G 310 Human Impact on Environment (3 cr.) A systematic examination of how people have altered patterns of climate, hydrology, land forms, soils, and biota. Course emphasizes that understanding human impacts requires knowledge of both the sociocultural forces that drive human activity and the natural processes that determine environmental patterns. 

• GEOG-G 311 Introduction to Research Methods in Geography (3 cr.) Introduction to geographic research questions and methodologies. Focus on special characteristics of geographic problems in the realms of both physical and human geography. Study of scientific versus nonscientific methods, the nature of geographic data, methods of data analysis, interpretation, and presentation. 

• GEOG-G 314 Urban Geography (3 cr.) Study and interpretation of urban spatial structures, design, policies, and problems with an emphasis on the geographic perspective. Topics include urban housing markets, racial segregation, homelessness, and urban crime. 

• GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation (3 cr.) Conservation of natural resources including soil, water, wildlife, and forests as interrelated components of environmental quality. 

• GEOG-G 321 Geography of Europe (3 cr.) Geographical analysis of the physical features of the European environment and the spatial patterns and inter-relationships of the cultural, economic, and political landscapes. Emphasis placed on human impact on the environment through long-term occupancy. 

• GEOG-G 323 Geography of Latin America (3 cr.) A geographic introduction to Latin America: the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, South America. Focus is on elements that give coherence and identity to geographic space in Latin America. Topics include the natural environment, settlement, the agrarian sphere, urbanization and industrialization, regional development issues and geopolitical themes. 

• GEOG-G 324 Geography of the Caribbean (3 cr.) Geographic introduction to the Caribbean, stressing global and regional political and economic relation-ships, physical, and natural environments, human activities and human-environmental relationships which give coherence and identity to the diversity of Caribbean landscapes, peoples, and cultures.

• GEOG-G 326 Geography of North America (3 cr.) Continental and regional variations in terrain, climate, and economic and social life of the United States and Canada, with emphasis on geographical principles, sources of data, and techniques of investigation. 

• GEOG-G 327 Geography of Indiana (3 cr.) A geographical analysis of the state of Indiana. Emphasis placed on the interrelationship of the state's physical and human geography. 

• GEOG-G 328 Rural Landscapes of North America (3 cr.) Rural geography of the United States and Canada, focusing on rural settlements, culture, economic activities, and land subdivision. The spatial impacts of economic and technological changes on land use are considered through an examination of relict structures and urban expansion into rural areas. 

• GEOG-G 330 North American House Types (3 cr.) Houses are a visible semipermanent record of human values, political ideas, historical settlement, and community development. This record is reflected in the types of houses built during a particular time period, by certain groups of people, or in a certain area of the country. This course examines house types for the purpose of identifying and analyzing geographic patterns that occur in North America. 

• GEOG-G 331 Economic Geography (3 cr.) An examination of the spatial dynamics and location patterns of economic activities, behavior, and systems. The study of the spatial organization of resource utilization, agricultural production, manufacturing, business, transportation, and trade. 

• GEOG-G 336 Introduction to Remote Sensing and Air Photo Interpretation (3 cr.) Nature and interpretation of remotely sensed data collected from field, airborne, and space-borne sensors. Data from the visible, infrared, and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum are discussed and analyzed from a geographic applications perspective. Visual, photogrammetric, digital image processing, and GIS interpretation approaches are presented. Lecture and laboratory. 

• GEOG-G 337 Computer Cartography and Graphics (3 cr.) Compilation, design, production, and evaluation of maps and related graphic materials. Includes cartometric procedures, symbolization, color use guidelines, map typography, photographic manipulations, computer animation, and geographic visualization techniques. Hardcopy and internet-based outputs. Lecture and laboratory. 

• GEOG-G 338 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3 cr.) Introduction to the principles and applications of computer-based geographic information systems (GIS). 

• GEOG-G 344 Urbanization: A Geographic Perspective (3 cr.) Global evolution of cities. Theories and policies dealing with the location, growth, size, interrelationships and spatial functions of urban areas.

• GEOG-G 355 Political Geography (3 cr.) An examination of the spatial organization of political systems and the interaction of geographical area and political processes. Emphasis on the geographical characteristics of states and the geographical dimensions of international relations. 

• GEOG-G 360 Geography of Wine (3 cr.) An introduction to the spatial distribution and patterns of viniculture in the world. Emphasis is placed on understanding the complex and often subtle relationships that exists between environmental variables, such as climate, soils, and landforms, and human factors, such as viticultural practices and vinification techniques, in producing different types of wines and variations in their qualities. The geographic origins and diffusion of viniculture are examined along with an analysis of the locations, development, and characteristics of the main wine regions or landscapes of the world. 

• GEOG-G 363 Landscapes and Cultures of the Caribbean (3 cr.) Field courses are taught during summer. Includes two weeks of preliminary lectures at IUPUI followed by approximately two weeks of intensive field study in the Caribbean. Destinations vary from year to year; consult class schedule for more information. 

• GEOG-G 390 Topics in Geography (1-3 cr.) An examination of selected problems and issues in geography or from a geographic perspective. Topics vary from semester to semester. 

• GEOG-G 404 Soils Geography (3 cr.) Soils, genesis, morphology, and classification; soil's physical, chemical, mechanical, and biological properties. Soil maps and related data in land use analysis and the planning process. 

• GEOG-G 410 Medical Geography (3 cr.) An examination of the ecology of human disease and the distributional patterns of disease of the earth.

• GEOG-G 418 Historical Geography (3 cr.) Migration and diffusion, rural and urban settlement, industrialization, and transport development as spatial processes shaping the landscapes and geopolitical relationships of past places and peoples. 

• GEOG G421 Environments of Tropical Lands (3 cr.) A geographical analysis concerned with developing countries and focusing on issues related to development and the environmental consequences. Concern for the natural environment is expressed with regard to how it is affected by population pressures, economic advancement, and urbanization. An understanding of Third World people and their cultures is presented. 

• GEOG-G 424 Geography of Africa (3 cr.) Geographical analysis of the physical features of the African environment and the spatial patterns and interrelationships of the cultural, economic, and political landscapes. 

• GEOG-G 436 Advanced Remote Sensing: Digital Image Processing (3 cr.) P: GEOG-G 336 or consent of instructor. Advanced remote sensing theory and digital image processing techniques with an emphasis on environmental applications. Hands-on computer exercises provide significant experience in introductory digital image processing for extraction of qualitative and quantitative information about Earth's terrestrial environments. Lecture and laboratory. 

• GEOG-G 438 Advanced Geographic Information Systems (3 cr.) P: GEOG-G 338 or consent of instructor. Intermediate and advanced topics in geographic information science and spatial analysis techniques using GIS software. This advanced course is for upper-division undergraduates and graduates who seek a greater understanding of this rapidly developing field and to learn how to construct, manage, and analyze their own GIS data and models. Lecture and laboratory. 

• GEOG-G 439 GIS & Environmental Analysis (3 cr.) P: GEOG-G 336, GEOG-G 338, and GEOG-G 436 or GEOG-G 438. Applications of geographic information science principles in the collection and analysis of spatial data. Integration of GIS, remote sensing, and/or GPS technologies. Review of current literature on techniques, theory, technology, and applications with an emphasis on environmental issues. Discussions, laboratory, and research project. May substitute for the GEOG-G 491 capstone course. 

• GEOG-G 446 Cultural Biogeography (3 cr.) P: GEOG-G 307. Examines human alteration of natural plant and animal distributions. Topics include deforestation, extinction, plant and animal domestication, and introduction of alien organisms. Seminar format. 

• GEOG-G 450 Undergraduate Readings and Research in Geography (1-3 cr.) Research in selected problems: papers are ordinarily required. 

• GEOG-G 460 Geography Internship (1-6 cr.) P: 12 credit hours of geography and departmental approval. Supervised field experience in geography, normally in conjunction with approved work at a government agency or private firm. Requires 40 hours of work per 1 hour of credit. 

• GEOG-G 475 Climate Change (3 cr.) P: GEOG-G 303. Advanced course on the evidence for and theories of climate change over a range of time scales, focusing on the period before the instrumental record. 

• GEOG-G 478 GLOBAL CHANGE, FOOD, AND FARMING SYSTEMS (3 cr.) P: Junior or Senior Status; Consent of the instructor. Introduction to food production and consumption systems, emphasizing linkages to land use and social change on food/farming system sustainability. Topics include urbanization population growth and economic liberalization; farming livelihoods, gender and poverty; biotechnology; agroecology, global health.

• GEOG-G 488 Applied Spatial Statistics (3 cr.) P: 6 credits in geography or consent of instructor. Extension of traditional statistical analysis to spatial data. Spatial means and spatial variances, the examination of differences in samples over space, spatial autocorrelation, nearest neighbor analysis, map comparison techniques, emphasis on practical applications. 

• GEOG-G 491 Capstone Experience in Geography (1 cr.) An independent project for senior-level students, applying geographic theory and techniques to a topic of geographic interest beyond the limits of the regular curriculum. Open to majors or non-majors with appropriate preparation, including GEOG-G 309 and GEOG-G 311. May be taken alone or concurrently with another course. 

Graduate Courses

• GEOG-G 502 Introduction to Transportation Analysis (3 cr.) An examination of movement of people, goods, and information over space using spatial analysis and planning techniques.

• GEOG G535 ENVIRONMENTAL REMOTE SENSING (3 cr.) Principles of remote sensing of the earth and its atmosphere, emphasizing satellite data in visible, infrared, and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Emphasis on practical applications and digital image analysis. A satellite data analysis project is required.

• GEOG-G 536 Advanced Remote Sensing (3 cr.) P: GEOG-G 535 or consent of instructor. Advanced remote sensing theory and digital image processing techniques with an emphasis on environmental applications. Hands-on computer exercises provide significant experience in introductory digital image processing for extraction of qualitative and quantitative information about the Earth's terrestrial environments. Lecture and laboratory.

• GEOG-G 537 Computer Cartography and Graphics (3 cr.) Compilation, design, production, and evaluation of maps and related graphic materials. Includes cartometric procedures, symbolization, color use guidelines, map typography, photographic manipulations, computer animation, and geographic visualization techniques. Hardcopy and Internet-based outputs. Lecture and laboratory.

• GEOG-G 538 Geographic Information Systems (3 cr.) Overview of the principles and practices of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The course will deal with issues of spatial data models, database design, introductory and intermediate GIS operations, and case studies of real-world GIS. Laboratory exercises will provide significant hands-on experience. Lecture and laboratory.

• GEOG-G 539 Advanced Geographic Information Systems (3 cr.) P: GEOG-G 538 or consent of instructor. Intermediate and advanced topics in geographic information science and spatial analysis techniques using GIS software. This advanced course is for upper-division undergraduates and graduates who seek a greater understanding of this rapidly developing field and to learn how to construct, manage, and analyze their own GIS data and models. Lecture and laboratory.

• GEOG-G 560 Geography Internship (1-4 cr.) P: Admission to MS GIS program and permission of major advisor. Faculty-directed study of geographical problems based on internship experience. Area of placement must be related to field of Geographic Information Science. Student may complete more than one internship, but total credit hours cannot exceed four.

• GEOG-G 578 Global Change, Food and Farming Systems (3 cr.) P: 6 credits in geography or consent of instructor. Introduction to food production and consumption systems, emphasizing linkages to land use and social change on food/farming system sustainability.  Topics include: urbanization population growth and economic liberalization; farming livelihoods, gender and poverty; biotechnology; agro-ecology; global health.

• GEOG-G 588 Applied Spatial Statistics (3 cr.) P: 6 credits in geography or consent of instructor. Extension of traditional statistical analysis to spatial data. Spatial means and spatial variances, the examination of differences in samples over space, spatial autocorrelation, nearest neighbor analysis, map comparison techniques, emphasis on practical applications.

• GEOG-G 590 Graduate Topics in Geography (3 cr.) An examination of selected problems and issues in geography or from a geographic perspective. Topics vary from semester to semester.

• GEOG-G 602 TOPICS SEMINAR: Climate, Land, and Enironmental Change (3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor. Topics will vary to consider aspects of climate, land and environmental change.

• GEOG-G 639 GIS and Environmental Analysis (3 cr.) P: GEOG-G 535, GEOG-G 538, and GEOG-G 536 or GEOG-G 539. Applications of geographic information science principles in the collection and analysis of spatial data. Integration of GIS, remote sensing, and/or GPS technologies. Review of current literature on techniques, theory, technology, and applications with an emphasis on environmental issues. Discussions, laboratory, and research project.

• GEOG-G 704 Soils Geography (3 cr.) P: GEOG-G 538. Examines the spatial aspects of soils from a global and local perspective, including soil genesis, morphology, and classification; physical, chemical, mechanical and biological properties of soil; and land use mapping, analysis, planning, and management.

• GEOG-G 830 Readings in Geography (12 cr. max. cr.) P: Advanced course in geography or closely related field. Supervised readings on selected topics.

• GEOG-G 845 Research Papers in Geography (3 cr.) P: Admission to MS GIS Program and permission of major advisor. Research papers under the supervision of a faculty committee. Graduate students in the MS in Geographic Information Science program who choose the research papers option (as opposed to the thesis) will develop two research papers under supervision of their major advisor and two additional faculty members.

• GEOG-G 850 Masters Thesis (1-6 cr.) Directed research and writing under the supervision of a faculty committee.