This course will provide an introduction to the physical processes that are at work at all times on the surface of the earth. This course provides an introduction to the processes that influence the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Topics covered include earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, blizzards, winds, precipitation, the Hydrological Cycle, vegetation and soil. This course includes a basic understanding of how these systems interact and how the physical landscape interacts with the human landscape. Included in this will be discussions about environmental concerns such as acid precipitation, ozone depletion, soil degradation, desertification and rainforest destruction. This course includes lab-like coursework/exams that will enhance a student's ability to make observations, form questions, pose hypotheses, make predictions and critically evaluate scientific data and results.
This course focuses on the cultural and historical landscapes of structural racism in the United States. It broadly examines U.S. federal, state, and local public policies that have entrenched prejudice in law and social interactions and opportunities. Topics include but are not limited to slavery, the freedom of movement, U.S. land settlement, segregation, Jim Crow policing, redlining, urban renewal, cultures of poverty, higher education, public housing, the War on Poverty, the War on Drugs, and racial profiling among others. Essential to this examination is a comparative review of the contemporary American geographies of jurisprudence, race and ethnicity, poverty, urban development, displacement, equitability, social and economic opportunity, and racial justice.
Human Geography is concerned with how human interactions shape material and cultural landscapes. It broadly examines the great diversity of human organization and experience in different countries through a variety of perspectives. Essential to this examination is a comparative review of the contemporary geographies of race, language, political ideologies (including religion), public policy, ecology, economic activity, natural resources, settlements, and demographics.
World Geography is concerned with how domestic and international capital shapes the physical and cultural landscapes of different regions and countries. It broadly examines the great diversity of human economic activities that have given rise to global cultures of agriculture, natural resource production, manufacturing, transportation, development (including education, welfare, and healthcare), shopping and services, and tourism. Essential to this examination is a comparative review of the contemporary geographies of globalization, finance, immigration, poverty and displacement, or any aspect of nature or human behavior that gives an insightful understanding of each region or country in a world made for money.
This course will provide flexibility in offering an in-depth review of topics of immediate importance and topical interest. These topics will go beyond the introductory courses in examining specific aspects of the subject matter.