Undergraduate Offerings
The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.
100gm Los Angeles and the American Dream (4, FaSp)
Evolution of Los Angeles and its role
in the American Dream. Diversity in social/spatial organization, urban
experiences, access to resources, and exposure to environmental risks.
Empirical approaches to geography. Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.
120g Geopolitics (4, FaSp)
Analysis of the concept of
nation-state in Western societies since the industrial revolution and
its significance in the evolution of the world geopolitical map.
Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.
150xg Environmental Issues in Society (4, Fa)
Exploration of the major social,
political, economic, religious, and philosophical disagreements that
exist between scholars, leaders, and citizens concerning today's most
serious environmental issues and problems. Not available for
major or minor credit to environmental studies majors and minors.
Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.
160Lg The Earth's Surface (4, Sp)
An investigation of earth's
near-surface, including the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and
biosphere within a scientific framework focused on system structure,
dynamics, and interactions. Lecture and laboratory.
165Lg The Atmospheric Environment (4, FaSm)
A broad, scientific examination of
the gaseous envelope surrounding earth, including its composition,
origin, and structure with specific emphasis on atmospheric processes
that ultimately lead to weather-related phenomena and changing climatic
conditions. Lecture and laboratory.
205 Introduction to Human Geography (4, Sp)
Topical and systematic interpretation
of world landscape development and patterns focusing on agricultural,
urban, economic, and political systems.
255 American Environmentalism (4, FaSm)
Geographic and historic approaches to
the growth of environmental awareness in the United States from
Colonial times to the present. Extensive use of case materials.
257g Environment and Ethics (4, SpSm)
Examination of ethical issues in
environmental context: systematic analysis of problems associated with
protection and use of selected environments. Concurrent enrollment:
WRIT 140.
260Lg Natural Hazards (4, FaSp)
The nature and time/space
distribution of extreme geophysical events (e.g. floods, droughts,
earthquakes), and the range of individual and social adaptations to the
resulting hazard.
265Lg The Water Planet (4, Sp)
An exploration of earth's water,
ranging from water properties, chemistry and pollution, to groundwater
dynamics, watershed processes, and oceanic-atmospheric circulation.
Implications for past and future societies. Lecture and laboratory.
281Lg Environmental Geographic Information Systems (4, Fa)
Introduction to geographic concepts
and methods used in environmental applications of Geograhic Information
Systems. Laboratories explore a series of GIS-based environmental
management applications. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 497L)
306 Asia and the Global Economy (4, Fa)
The Asian region in the geographical
evolution of the global economy. Organization and scope of
multinational industry. Asian culture and society in the creation of
economic landscapes.
325 Culture and Place (4,Fa)
Introduction to the study of
landscapes and culture; how place creates culture; how cultures produce
place. (Duplicates credit in former GEOG 225)
331 Geography of the United States and Canada (4, Sp)
Regional characteristics of the United States and Canada relating to the physical, economic, and cultural environment.
335 Geography of Latin America (4, Irregular)
The essential features of the spatial
organization of economies and societies in Latin America, emphasizing
the differences between cultures.
340m Latino LA (4,Sp)
Examines spatial and social patterns
of the Latino population in Los Angeles. Emphasis on economic,
demographic and cultural processes.
345 Conservation of Natural Resources (4,Fa)
Interaction between resource
conservation and people based on recent advances, current developments,
and future resource utilization. Special attention to the western
United States. Field trips.
350m Race and Environmentalism (4, Irregular)
Relationships between
environmentalism, environmental problems and racial-ethnic minorities.
Rise of environmental justice movement. Assessment of social science
methods used to investigate these relationships.
360 Environmental Disasters (4, Sp)
Evaluates the causes, effects, and
responses to international environmental disasters. Emphasis is on
contemporary case studies in a theoretical context.
365L Fundamentals of Weather and Climate (4, 2 years, FaSp)
Earth-sun relationships; radiation;
heat transfer; atmospheric composition, structure, heat balance,
forces, systems and processes; air-mass, cloud, wave classification;
climactic elements; classification, processes and distribution.
370 Marine and Coastal Zone Geography (4, Sp)
Human interaction with marine and
coastal environments: physical, social, economic, and political
geography. Emphasis on Southern California's coastal region.
390 Special Problems (1-4, FaSp)
Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.
391 Geographical Foundations (4, Fa)
Historical overview of the discipline
and examination of contemporary issues in geography. Emphasis on
geography as a discipline, evolution of key concepts. Project-oriented
seminar.
392 Geographical Analysis (4,2 years, Sp)
Models and theories in human and
physical geography; statistical methods in geography; geographical
pattern analysis; models of location and geographical interaction.
393 Field Techniques (4, 2 years, Fa)
Field exploration of physical and
cultural aspects of different regions, with emphasis on rural
California. Field methods, especially mapping and interviewing.
397 Applied Geography Internship (2-4, max 4, FaSpSm)
Intensive experience in local public agency, private firm, or non-profit agency engaged in applied geographic work.
410 Urban Geography (4, Sp)
Cities as geographic phenomena;
location, size, spacing, structure, functions, form, and shape;
regional variations; urban areas as central places.
431 Geography of California (4, 2 years, Sp)
Type study of a region; distribution
of physical and cultural phenomena; delimitation into natural regions;
analysis of human-environment interaction in regions of the state.
Field trips.
477 Water Resources (4, Sp)
Theory and techniques for the
evaluation of water resources. Details of the hydrologic cycle, wter
use, and hazards. Emphasis on problem solving.
481 Map Design and Analysis (4, 2 years, Sp)
Computer-based map design principles,
especially for statistical maps; use of maps in geographical, social
scientific and environmental research.
482L Principles of Geographic Information Science
Introduction to evolving science,
technology and applications of GIS. Laboratories provide
experience with computer processing of geographic information using
several GIS software and programming languages. (Duplicates credit in
former GEOG 381L.)
483ab Applied Geographic Information Science Internship (2-2, FaSpSm)
Intensive experience in local public
agency, private firm, or non-profit agency engaged in computer
processing of geographic information using GIS and related
technologies. Graded CR/NC. Prerequisite: GEOG 482L; recommended preparation: GEOG 481L.
485ab Directed Geographic Information Science Research (2-2, FaSpSm)
Individual research and reading on
the evolving science, technology, and application of Geographic
Information Systems. Graded CR/NC. Prerequisite: GEOG 482L.
490x Directed Research (2-8, max 8, FaSp)
Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit. Prerequisite: department approval.
494 The Professional Geographer (4, Sp)
Integration of intellectual trends in
geography within the context of a professional project.
Development of skills, analytic and field techniques and practice,
professional ethics.
495ab Special Topics (2-4, max 8, FaSp)
Extensive of selective topics or regions.
499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8, FaSp)
Intensive study of selected topics or regions.