Geography Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
GEOG 0100 - Place And Society ▲ ▹
Place and Society: Local to Global
This course is an introduction to how geographers view the world and contribute to our understanding of it. Where do the phenomena of human experience occur? Why are they there? What is the significance? These questions are fundamental for explaining the world at different scales from the global to the local. Throughout, we will focus on the spatial basis of society, its continual reorganization through time, and how various human and environmental problems can be usefully analyzed from a geographic perspective. (Open only to first-year students and sophomores) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
GEOG 0120 - Fundamentals of GIS ▲ ▹
Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems
This course introduces fundamental concepts and methods of geographic information systems (GIS): computer systems for processing location-based data. Through a sequence of applied problems, students will practice how to conceive, gather, manage, analyze, and visualize geographic datasets. Major topics will include raster and vector data structures and operations, geographic frameworks, and principles of cartographic design. 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab.
Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
GEOG 0200 - Food Geographies ▲
Food Geographies
How do food and eating shape our social relationships and our understandings of environment and place? Where does our food come from, and what does it take to get it to us? These questions are fundamentally geographic. Exploring how food is produced, distributed, and consumed leads to a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between societies and environment. The understanding, interpretation, and analysis of these relationships define the discipline of human geography. In this course we will take a critical approach to the study of food across multiple scales, from food systems in Vermont to the global political economy of food. We will explore the political, social, cultural, and economic dimensions of food in particular spaces, places, environments, contexts, and regions, providing an advanced introduction to key concepts and modes of analysis in human geography. 3 hrs. lect./1 hr. disc.
Winter 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
GEOG 0205 - Political Ecologies of GMOs
Political Ecologies of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)
Since the 1990s, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been at the center of debates about the future of food, agriculture, and the environment. In this course we will learn how genetically modified crops and seeds have been burned, have been banned, and have made billions of dollars for global seed companies. We will also discuss the central role of GMOs in struggles over biodiversity, risk, property rights, policy, food labeling, and access to information all over the world. We will use the framework of political ecology framework to study the political, social, economic, and environmental factors related to the spread of GMOs. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2013
GEOG 0207 - Resource Wars ▹
Resource Wars: A Geopolitical Perspective
The world of relatively accessible natural resources is now a thing of the past. As it becomes more difficult to find secure and clean energy sources and manage chronic food and water shortages, some countries that were once politically and economically marginal will become increasingly more important. And as another billion people will be added to the world's population, the fight for resources will become ever fiercer. These will result in further erosion of personal and states' securities. In this course we will analyze, from a geographic perspective, the political, economic, social, and environmental dynamics of conflicts over natural resources at the local, regional, international, and intra-national scales. We will pay special attention to the ways natural resources fuel conflict. 3 hrs. lect./1 hr. disc.
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2014
GEOG 0210 - Geo Perspect on Internat'l Dev ▲
Geographic Perspectives on International Development
This class is an exploration of some of the key concepts, theories, ideologies, and practices of international development as they relate to issues of environmental and social change. We will approach these “ways of knowing” about development and the environment through three topics: (1) “natural” disasters; (2) oil; and (3) waste. For each of these topics we will draw on multiple case studies across the world including Haiti, New Orleans, Pakistan, India, Nigeria, and South Africa. These case studies will help us to more fully discuss and understand the dynamics of who does development, how, where, why, and with what results. With each of the themes we will examine different practices of international development, including post-disaster international aid, the shipping and dumping of waste, and environmental conflicts in the everyday lives of people in oil-rich areas of the world. This approach will allow us to break down mainstream discourses of development and “sustainability,” critically examine development practice, and imagine alternative approaches to development. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
GEOG 0211 - The Global Economy ▹
The Global Economy
Today’s economy is increasingly global, as business functions are dispersed across many diverse spaces and at different spatial scales. In this course we will gain an understanding of the forces that combine to shape contemporary economies across space through an examination of both theoretical approaches to economic geography as well as empirical case studies. Students in the course will learn: neoclassical theories from economic geography that describe the spatial distribution of various economic activities at a local scale; how regional economies develop over time and gain/lose competitive advantage; and the origins of globalization and different strategies corporations use to expand into different areas. This course will combine lectures, hands-on exercises, and discussions/debates so that students have the opportunity to engage the material in a variety of ways. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2014
GEOG 0212 - Urban Geography
Urban Geography
Urban landscapes are the expression of economic, political, and socio-cultural processes layered on top of each other in particular time-space contexts. In this course, students will theoretically and empirically examine the complex and dynamic urban landscape. Students will gain a theoretical understanding of the location of cities within a larger global economic system of cities, along with the internal organization of economic, cultural, and social functions within cities. We will also examine the processes behind contemporary urban issues such as homelessness, boosterism, urban renewal, gentrification, poverty, and crime. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2009, Fall 2012
GEOG 0213 - Population Geography
Population Geography
Through a combination of lectures, readings, and exercises, this course provides background and analytical experience in the spatial dimensions of population dynamics. Students will theoretically and empirically examine geographic variations in natural increase, domestic and international migration, infant mortality, disease, and hunger. Topics will include the intersection of settlement-environment-disease, circular migration systems, cultural influences on demographic processes, and linkages between international and domestic migration flows. We will also assess various policy options and their effectiveness in addressing important demographic issues. The exercises will expose students to the vast amount of population data publicly available and introduce them to techniques used to examine and assess population related issues.
Fall 2011
GEOG 0215 - Political Geography
Political Geography
Political relations within and between states do not occur in a vacuum. Rather, they are rooted in a specific and tangible geographic context. Political geography examines the interactions between this context and political processes at various geographic scales, ranging from the local to the global level. This course will focus primarily on the state and international level and will address issues such as the territorial exercise of power, state formation, nationalism, geopolitics, and international conflicts and cooperation. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2012
GEOG 0216 - Rural Geography
Rural Geography
This course explores the intersection between demographic, economic, cultural, and environmental forces on the rural landscape in both advanced economies and LDCs. Students will be exposed to theoretical and empirical approaches to rural development in different international and regional contexts, as well as problems associated with these development paradigms. Particular attention will be paid to neoliberal economic policies and their impacts on rural areas, and the course will frequently draw on examples from New England and North America. Additionally, the world is becoming increasingly urbanized, so we will examine the ways people come to know rural areas through the media, literature, and travel. This course includes opportunity for service learning. (Formerly GEOG 0221) 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2012
GEOG 0217 - Geography of Islands
Geography of Islands
In this course we will examine islands from the perspective of physical geography, human geography, and the humanities in order to connect the physical characteristics of islands to the processes and functions that characterize them. Through lectures, readings, and writing assignments, we will consider islands as discrete terrestrial systems and as components of pelagic systems, as a person's home and as a nation's outpost, as a place of refuge, and as a place of exile. By viewing islands as both laboratory and metaphor, we will identify the many contributions of islands to theories of space across academic disciplines. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2009, Spring 2012
GEOG 0218 - Cultural Geography ▹
Cultural Geography
What do landscapes mean? How are places created and invested with significance? Why do people struggle to control public and private space? In this course we will examine these and similar questions. The main goals are to illuminate the wealth of meanings embodied in the built environment and our metaphorical understandings of landscape, place, space, and geographical identity, and to teach skills for interpreting and representing those meanings. Lectures, course readings, small-group projects, and papers will draw on social theory and empirical approaches, with a regional emphasis on North America. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2014
GEOG 0219 - Historical Geog of N. America ▲
Historical Geography of North America
North American society and landscape have been shaped by powerful forces over the last 500 years: conquest, disease, war, migration, the railroad and the farmer's plow, urban growth, and industrial transformation. In the process, new regional cultures formed while older societies were profoundly changed. In this course we will examine the geography of historical change in the United States and Canada, focusing on the themes of territorial control, human settlement, the inscribing of cultural and economic systems on the land, and North Americans' attitudes toward the places they inhabit. 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
GEOG 0220 - Geopolitics of the Middle East ▹
Geopolitics of the Middle East
This course examines the Middle East from a geographical perspective with emphasis on the historical and political underpinnings of the region. The Middle East, the cradle of civilization, has been, due to its geography, one of the major arenas for political and ideological conflicts. It has been subject to an unequal power relationship with the West, which, together with Islam, has affected the level of its political, social, and economic development. This course will provide an analytical introduction to the historical, political, social, and economic geography of the region and will analyze the major transitions this region has undergone. 3 hrs.lect.
Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
GEOG 0222 - Geog Mexico & Central America
The Geography of Mexico and Central America
In this course we will focus on the cultural, economic, political, and physical geography of Mexico and Central America. We will consider historical change in the region and the linkages between people and place to current issues of contested territories, development, environmental sustainability, conservation, eco-tourism, land-rights, and indigenous autonomy movements. The course materials will consist of a reader presenting voices from within the region and the perspectives of outsiders. The reader will be augmented by maps, photographs, and other imagery. Students will be encouraged to share their connections to Mexico and Central America with the class. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2010
GEOG 0223 - Geopolitics of Europe
Geopolitics of Europe
The course examines what is arguably the most influential region in the world from a geographic perspective. First, we will chart the complex geopolitical dimensions of Europe in an attempt to understand what unites this highly differentiated region. Next, we will critically evaluate the main European political body, the European Union. Then we will analyze the political, social, economic, and environmental challenges that threaten to destabilize Europe. Finally, we will try to assess the degree to which political power in Europe has acquired a "European" dimension at the grassroots level by investigating political activism across borders of individual countries. Students will be actively involved in this study through a research project that culminates in a conference on the Future of Europe at the end of the semester. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2009, Spring 2013
GEOG 0225 - Environ Change Latin America
Environmental Change in Latin America
This course offers an overview of the social and ecological context of natural and anthropogenic landscapes across Latin America in the context of regional and global change. Building upon the theme of global environmental change in the context of human-environment geography, in this course we will explore urgent challenges to natural and human-occupied landscapes across South and Central America, including conservation, deforestation, drought, and urban expansion. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2012
GEOG 0230 - Geography of South Asia: Youth ▹
Geography of South Asia: Youth
In this course we will explore the idea of regions through the representations and history of the area of the world referred to as South Asia, viewed through the lens of Geographies of Youth. Geographies of Youth is the study of how social and economic transformations, operating from the global scale to everyday local activities, are altering young people’s lives. We will use key concepts from geography, such as scale, space, place, identity, and context to explore everyday experiences of young people in Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Focusing on the themes of politics, education, and work, we will consider connections among young people in these places and students at Middlebury. 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2013, Spring 2014
GEOG 0231 - Planning with Maps
Planning with Maps
In this course we will explore how maps are used to plan spatial configurations that serve human purposes. Through lectures and readings, we will review ways that geographers, architects, and planners have represented the form and human use of space across scales. Using the Middlebury Campus and Village as case studies, students will work independently and in small groups to assess planned spaces with maps, photographs, activity diaries, and personal interviews. 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2009
GEOG 0232 - Human-Environment Interactions
Human-Environmental Interactions
In this course we will explore the two-way interactions that occur between people and the environment, focusing primarily on physical and built landscapes. We will consider a variety of ways of perceiving people in relation to the environment, such as people as organisms, people as managers, people as invaders, and people as stewards. We will read and discuss works tracing the intellectual history of such ideas, including environmental determinists, their critics, and contemporary human ecology. We will also examine specific topics, including human-environment relationships in urban settings, quantifying and modeling human-landscape relationships, and the ethics, law, and politics of landscapes. 3 hrs. lect. (This course counts as a humanities/social science cognate for ENVS majors with a focus in geology, biology, or chemistry. )
Spring 2011
GEOG 0239 - History of Cartography ▲
History of Cartography
This course introduces students to the history of maps as historical documents, records of social values and worldviews, instruments of power, and artistic productions of the cultures and historical periods in which they were created. Course topics will include indigenous mapping, the pegging out of empires, how cartography has served the interests of nation states, scientific revolutions in mapping technologies, maps in art, and mapping as a metaphor and expression of human experience. The overall goal is for students to learn to read maps deeply and understand how they have influenced, and how they reflect, major social trends and culture. (Not open to students who have taken GEOG 1004) 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2012, Fall 2013
GEOG 0250 - Arctic and Alpine Environments
Arctic and Alpine Environments
In this course we will focus on the physical processes and environmental issues unique to arctic and alpine environments. Topics will include cold-climate weathering and landforms, ecosystem adaptations to cold environments, and snow and snowpack hydrology. The goal is to provide a strong scientific grounding through which contemporary issues involving arctic and alpine regions can be understood. Laboratory exercises will include field trips to the surrounding mountains, as well as analysis of datasets from other alpine and high latitude environments. (Any 0100-level GEOL or GEOG course, or by waiver) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab
Fall 2012
GEOG 0251 - Geomorphic Processes ▲
Geomorphologyic Process
In this course we will investigate processes that shape the Earth's surface, including weathering, mass movements, and the effects of water, wind, and ice. Students will examine how such processes govern the evolution of landforms in differing climatic, tectonic, and lithologic settings. Field and laboratory study will focus on the role of active surficial processes, as well as glaciation and other past events, in development of the landscape of west-central Vermont. We will also discuss implications for human activities and maintenance of natural systems. (GEOL 0112 or GEOL 0161 or GEOL 0170 or by waiver)
Fall 2012, Fall 2013
GEOG 0255 - Surface & Ground Water ▹
Surface and Ground Water
Fresh water is the most fundamental resource sustaining life on the continents. This course is an introduction to the study of water and its interactions with the geologic environment. Basic hydrological processes such as precipitation, stream flow, and the subsurface flow of ground water are analyzed by quantitative methods. Climatic and human-induced changes in the hydrological cycle are examined, and current issues and policies are discussed in light of the increasing demands and impacts of a technological society on water resources and associated natural systems. 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab
Spring 2009, Spring 2012, Spring 2014
GEOG 0257 - Soils, Geology & Environment
Soils, Geology, and the Environment
Soils constitute the fundamental link between atmosphere, water, biota, and rock. Knowledge of the physical, chemical, and biological processes operating in soils is essential when assessing natural cycles as well as anthropogenic alterations to those natural cycles. In this course, we will analyze a wide range of issues, including soil formation, soil mineralogy, soil fertility and nutrient cycling, sediment pollution, soil contamination, water pollution, sediment erosion and deposition, and implications for land-use planning. Labs will be project-oriented and will consist of a combination of fieldwork and instrumental analysis. (ENVS 0112, any GEOL course, or waiver)
Fall 2009
GEOG 0310 - Spatial Visualization
Geospatial Visualization
In this course we will study the principles of cartography in the digital era. Lab exercises will illustrate conceptual issues discussed in lecture and readings with a series of applied problems. In lab work, students will use graphics software and geographic information systems to design maps and graphics that facilitate spatial thinking and effectively communicate spatial information to specialist and lay audiences. Major topics covered will include principles of cartographic design, thematic mapping, realism, 3D rendering, animation, and human-computer interfaces. (GEOG 0320 or by waiver) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011
GEOG 0315 - Environmental Field Methods
Environmental Field Methods
This course involves the presentation, practical execution, and interpretation of field methods used to evaluate and analyze natural and human-modified environmental conditions. Students will learn various methods and employ them to evaluate landscape composition, configuration, and condition through direct measurement and proxy data, complemented by regular lab- and field-based assignments. With a focus on the New England landscape, students will conduct group and individual projects analyzing current conditions, interpreting results, and presenting findings for forest managers, town and regional planners, and other governmental officials. (GEOG 0100, and at least one 0200 level course in geography) 3hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab.
Fall 2011
GEOG 0320 - GIS Applications
GIS Applications
This course introduces the structure, concepts, and application of geographic information systems (GIS): computer-based systems designed to process large spatial databases. The productive use of GIS technology in the physical and social sciences, environmental management, and regional planning is investigated through a variety of applied exercises and problems. (Not open to first-year and sophomore students) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab.
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012
GEOG 0325 - Cartographic Design ▹
Cartographic Design
In this course we will study principles of cartographic design in the digital era. Major topics will include cartography before computing, reference map design, wayfinding, thematic map design, realism, 3D rendering, and interactive maps. Laboratory exercises will provide opportunities for students to use graphics software and geographic information systems to implement concepts from lectures. Through a series of independent projects and group critiques, students will learn to design cartographic products that facilitate spatial thinking and effectively communicate spatial information to specialist and lay audiences. (GEOG 0120 or GEOG 0320 or by waiver) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab SOC (J. Howarth)
Spring 2012, Spring 2014
GEOG 0339 - Practicing Human Geography
Practicing Human Geography
Asking and answering geographical questions often invokes a variety of specific spatial-analytical techniques and methodologies. In Practicing Human Geography, students will employ a variety of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in specific research contexts. Through lectures, examples, and readings, students will learn the types of questions each technique is designed to answer, how it works, and how to interpret the results. During weekly discussion sections, students will gain hands on experience with various software packages and employ these techniques to complete a series of research exercises. These research exercises, participation, and a final exam will form the basis for evaluation. (GEOG 0100, and at least one 0200 level course in geography; open to second-semester junior majors and senior majors only; others by waiver) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab
Fall 2010, Spring 2013
GEOG 0349 - Advanced GIS-Geoprocessing
GEOG 0349 Advanced GIS - Geoprocessing (Fall)
In this course we will explore means of automating geoprocessing tasks in a GIS. We will introduce basic programming concepts and fundamental aspects of scripting. Scripting provides a convenient way to automate repetitive geoprocessing tasks to maintain consistency and reduce the possibility of human error. It is particularly helpful in working with the large datasets that are becoming increasingly common across fields such as geography, environmental science, biology, and geology. We will work with previously created data sets for laboratory exercises, and students will have the opportunity to work with their own data in an independent project. (GEOG 0320 or approval of instructor). 3 hrs. lect./ 3 hrs. lab
Fall 2010
GEOG 0352 - Quaternary Geology ▹
Glacial and Quaternary Geology
The causes and effects of glaciation will be examined, along with the characteristics that make the Quaternary Period unique in geologic time. Topics will include glaciology, glacial erosion and deposition, glacier reconstruction, and techniques for interpreting and dating the Quaternary stratigraphic and paleoclimatic record from diverse terrestrial, lacustrine, and marine archives. Consideration also will be given to how severe climatic fluctuations impacted nonglacial environments. An overnight weekend field trip at the end of the semester will introduce students firsthand to alpine glacial landforms. (GEOL 0112, or GEOL 0161, or GEOL 0170, and GEOL 0251, or consent of instructor) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab
Spring 2010, Spring 2014
GEOG 0404 - GeoLabor and Youth ▹
Global Geographies of Labor and Youth
In this seminar we will examine the relationship between the spatial organization of the global political economy and the lives of working people and youth. We will investigate a variety of industrial and agrarian contexts in North America, Latin America, South Africa, India, and China. We will place an emphasis on the problems posed by labor and capital mobility, and global production networks that impact worker organization and the lives of children and young people. Students must have advanced reading ability in a language other than English as they will be required to work with foreign language sources. This course is equivalent to SOAN 0404 and IGST 0404. 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2014
GEOG 0413 - Seminar: Population Geography
Seminar in Population Geography: Migration in the Twenty-first Century
On average, 20 percent of the U.S. population changes residence in any given year, yet the scale, geography, motivations, and impacts of these movements are highly variable, making migration an incredibly pervasive and complex phenomenon. Furthermore, international immigration continues to attract considerable academic, political, and media attention. This course will explore contemporary approaches to migration studies emphasizing the important insights and contributions of geographers. How have geographers examined migration, and how have geographical approaches changed over time? In what ways has technology influenced the motivations, frequency, and implications of migration behavior? What are the different impacts of migration on individuals, households, and communities? And, what are the new innovations in scholarly approaches to migration? Through a combination of readings from contemporary migration literature, discussions, and analyses, students in this seminar will gain an appreciation for and understanding of this incredibly rich and complex phenomena of migration. (Open to seniors only; others by waiver) 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2011
GEOG 0414 - Seminar in Political Geography ▹
Seminar in Political Geography: Radical Geographies
Geography has always been associated with the exercise of power and came into being as an academic discipline because it supported imperialism, nationalism, and war. However, the field of geography also has a lesser-known emancipatory tradition that emphasizes social justice, empowerment, and resistance to oppression. Early radical voices—anarchists, socialists, and pacifists—were silenced and often forced into exile. It was only in the context of the protest culture of the 1960s that radical geographies started to find an audience. In this seminar we will examine how geography and geographers have engaged in revolutionary activism, education for justice, social mobilization, and theorizations of alternative models of society. (Open to senior majors only; others by waiver) 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2014
GEOG 0415 - Seminar in Political Geography
Seminar in Political Geography: Landscape and Memory-Geographies of National Identity
This course focuses on the intimate relationship between human-made landscapes and nationalism. It examines both the built landscape and nationalism as twin narratives. Landscapes tell the story of the nation: they reflect what the nation has chosen to remember of its unique past and they also affect the nationalism that develops in a specific territory. With examples from the Western China, Poland, Germany, Israel, and the US, we will illustrate how the human-made landscape serves as important physical and cultural crucible in which people construct ideas, memories, and icons that become an important part of a nation's memory and sense of identity. The relationship between peoples and their physical and social environments will be studied both within the context of time and space in order to help us understand the cultural processes that have been most responsible for the development of nations in the modern era. (Open to seniors only; others by waiver) 3 hrs. seminar
Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2012
GEOG 0419 - Historical Geography Seminar
Seminar in Historical Geography: Visualizing the Past
Historical geography is the study of past places, landscape change over time, and the spatial patterns and processes embedded in historical conditions and events. This seminar explores key concepts, sources, and analytical methods in historical geography. Students' independent research projects will draw on maps and other primary documents as sources of historical evidence and geographic information. Project development will focus on learning how to frame spatial questions, gather geographic data, and apply geospatial methods to historical research. The main topic of the seminar in 2009-102012-13 will be the geographies of the Holocaust. (GEOG 0120 or GEOG 0219 or GEOG 0310 or GEOG 0320; open to seniors only, others by waiver) 3 hrs. sem.
Fall 2009, Spring 2013
GEOG 0420 - Innovations in Teaching GIS ▲
Seminar in GIS: Innovations in Teaching and Learning GIS
How can technological innovations – open-source GIS, multimedia production and online publishing – change how people learn GIS and other spatial technologies? In this seminar we will critically investigate empirical research on how people learn to solve problems and think spatially, how the design of instruction can influence this learning, and how technological innovations can potentially transform teaching practices. Students will then independently develop and assess multimedia modules that are designed to help people learn to use GIS and other spatial methods. Potential target audiences for these modules may include high school students, college students in a particular discipline, non-profit and grassroots organizations, or other social groups who can apply GIS and spatial tools to solve practical or academic problems. The modules will be published online, contributing to a web-based educational resource for teaching GIS. (GEOG0120) 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2013
GEOG 0436 - Terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism, the act of violent resistance against real or perceived oppression, has taken on new dimensions in an age dominated by mass media and technology. Can we make reliable distinctions between terrorism, anarchism, guerrilla warfare and random mass murder? What are the political, social, and cultural conditions that favor terrorism? What makes an individual a terrorist? How have governments coped with terrorist movements? What is "state terrorism"? Looking at terrorist movements across the globe, as well as the historical evolution of terrorism, this course will examine explanations for this disintegrative phenomenon given by social scientists, historians, writers, and filmmakers. Students interested in the possibility of receiving German credit for this course should contact Michael Geisler. This course is equivalent to IGST 0436. 3 hrs. sem.
*
Fall 2010, Fall 2012
GEOG 0500 - Independent Study ▲ ▹
Independent Study
A one-credit intensive research project developed under the direction of a faculty member. Junior majors only. (Approval Required)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
GEOG 0700 - Senior Research ▲ ▹
Senior Research
A one-credit intensive research project developed under the direction of a faculty member. Senior majors only. (Approval Required)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
GEOG 0701 - Senior Thesis ▲ ▹
Senior Thesis
Students with a departmental GPA of 3.3 or higher are eligible to complete a two-credit senior thesis. In order to complete a senior thesis, students must have a proposal approved by a primary thesis advisor and a secondary departmental reader prior to registering for the first 0701 credit. Upon completion of the thesis, thesis students will present their work in a public seminar and defend the thesis in front of the departmental faculty. Thesis presentations and defenses will typically take place during the final week of classes or the examination period. Upon completion of the presentation and defense, the primary advisor and secondary departmental reader will be responsible for evaluating and grading the thesis. It is strongly encouraged that students considering a thesis discuss their ideas with an advisor during the semester prior to registering for formal thesis credits. (Approval only)
Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
GEOG 1002 - Environmental Remote Sensing
Environmental Remote Sensing
Remotely sensed imagery is increasingly important in natural resource planning and management. It has become essential in such applications as land cover change analysis, weather prediction, mineral exploration, and wildlife tracking. In this course it will be our goal to develop a critical understanding of key concepts and techniques in remote sensing for applications in geographical and environmental studies. We will first cover the history of remote sensing and the uses of aerial photography. We will then turn to computer-based satellite image interpretation and analysis. The course is approximately 1/3 lecture and 2/3 lab. (GEOG 0320)
Winter 2010, Winter 2011
GEOG 1004 - History of Cartography
History of Cartography
This course introduces students to the history of maps as historical documents, records of social values and worldviews, instruments of power, and expressions of human perception and experience. Course topics will include indigenous mapping, the pegging out of empires, the ways cartography has served the interests of nation states, scientific revolutions in mapping technologies, and maps in art. The overall goal is for students to learn to read maps deeply and understand how they have influenced and reflect major social trends.
Winter 2011
GEOG 1005 - Conservation Planning
Conservation Planning for the Town of Middlebury
The Middlebury Town Plan calls for the identification of lands important to the community’s long-term sustainability. In this course we will work with the Middlebury Planning Commission to identify priority conservation lands, including wildlife corridors and core habitat areas, recreation lands, scenic view-sheds and other important natural areas worthy of long term conservation. We will explore the legal context of land use planning for conservation in Vermont, how the current Middlebury zoning impacts land use and how other communities have developed conservation plans. Using ARCGIS, we will create our own model to identify and prioritize conservation lands in Middlebury. (GEOG 0120 or GEOG 0320)
Winter 2013
