Geography
Geography provides a holistic view of the earth system, its distinct and varied regions, as well as the types of and interaction between human activities and the physical world. Geography is the two-way bridge between the physical and social sciences as it explores the interrelationships between the earth’s physical and biological systems and how these environmental systems provide a natural resource base for human societies. Geography also provides the framework for the integration of new and emerging technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing with studies in a broad range of academic disciplines.
Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies
Bachelor degree programs are designed to prepare students for employment, or graduate school, in their chosen field.
Typically a bachelor degree program is 120 credits (four years).
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS (2012-2013 catalog)
Candidates must complete the General Education Requirements (GERs) as well as the specific program requirements listed below for a minimum of 120 credit hours. Courses in a degree program may be counted only once. Courses used to fulfill the major requirements cannot be used to fulfill the GERs. Specific requirements for GERs are listed below. The degree must include 42 credits of upper-division (300 or above) courses. To satisfy the residency requirement, 30 credits must be completed at UA, including 24 upper division credits. Candidates who expect to teach in public secondary schools should seek advising from the UAS School of Education. Grades of C or better are required in all major courses.
Students should consult with an advisor and select courses that satisfy prerequisites required in this degree program.
| Minimum Credit Hours | 120 | ||
| General Education Requirements | 36 | ||
| Major Requirements* | 45 | ||
| GEOG | S101 | Introductory Geography | 3 |
| GEOG | S102 | Earth and Environment | 4 |
| GEOG | S312 | Humans and the Environment | 3 |
| GEOG | S338 | Introduction to GIS | 3 |
| GEOG | S490 | Geography Seminar | 2 |
| ___ | S___ | Electives* | 6-8 |
| Select from the following (6 credits): | |||
| Earth Systems and Geographic Analysis | |||
| ENVS | S420 | Atmospheric Science | 3 |
| ENVS | S309 | Mobile GIS Technology and Applications | 2 |
| ENVS | S406 | Remote Sensing | 3 |
| GEOG | S410 | Advanced GIS | 3 |
| GEOG | S415 | Biogeography and Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| GEOL | S301 | Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEOL | S302 | Hydrology | 4 |
| Select three from the following (9 credits): | |||
| Human-Environment | |||
| ANTH | S342 | Arctic Ethnology | 3 |
| ANTH | S408 | Ethnobiology | 3 |
| ECON | S435 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| ENGL | S303 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| PHIL | S371 | Perspectives on the Natural World | 3 |
| SOC | 404 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| Breadth Requirements | 15 | ||
| Select from the following (15 credits): | |||
| ANTH | S314 | Archeology of Southeast Alaska | 3 |
| ANTH | S428 | Tlingit Culture and History | 3 |
| ANTH | S475 | Alaska Native Social Change | 3 |
| ANTH | S458 | Alaska Native Economic and Political Development | 3 |
| ENGL | S363 | Nature Writing | 3 |
| ENGL | S365 | Literature of Alaska | 3 |
| ENGL | S370 | Native American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL | S423 | Ecocriticism | 3 |
| GEOG | S407 | Snow Hydrology | 4 |
| GEOG | S414 | Biogeochemistry | 3 |
| GEOL | S300 | Geology of Alaska | 3 |
| GEOL | S310 | Glaciation and Climate Change | 3 |
| HS | S206 | Introduction to Environmental Health | 3 |
| ODS | S243 | Outdoor Leadership I | 3 |
| ODS | S244 | Outdoor Leadership II | 2 |
| Electives** | 39 | ||
*Cultural diversity courses; world history, world languages, Alaska Native languages, or faculty advisor-approved courses in anthropology, art, communication, literature, and the humanities or social sciences, including transfer or study abroad courses, with an evident focus in cultural diversity. | |||
| Outdoor Studies Emphasis | |||
| In order to enroll in ODS designated courses, students must provide ODS application materials and be accepted into the ODS Emphasis Program. | |||
| Minimum Credit Hours | 120 | ||
| General Education Requirements | 34 | ||
| Major Requirements* | 68 | ||
| Geography Core | 21 | ||
| GEOG | S101 | Intro to Geography | 3 |
| GEOG | S102 | Earth and Environment | 4 |
| GEOG | S312 | Humans and the Environment | 4 |
| GEOG | S338 | Introduction to GIS | 3 |
| GEOG | S490 | Geography Seminar | 2 |
| ____ | S___ | Electives* | 6 |
| *Cultural diversity courses; world history, world languages, Alaska Native languages, or faculty advisor-approved courses in anthropology, art, communication, literature, and the humanities or social sciences, including transfer or study abroad courses, with an evident focus in cultural diversity. | |||
| ODS Emphasis | 20 | ||
| ODS | S120 | Wilderness First Responder | 4 |
| ODS | S243 | Outdoor Leadership I | 3 |
| ODS | S244 | Outdoor Leadership II | 2 |
| ODS | S245 | ODS Certificate Capstone | 1-4 |
| ODS | S444 | Expedition Planning and Leadership | 2 |
| ODS | S445 | ODS Emphasis Capstone | 2 |
| HUM | S270 | Sport, Leisure and Culture | 3 |
| PHIL | S371 | Perspectives on the Natural World | 3 |
| Outdoor Skills | |||
| Select from the following (12 credits): | |||
| ODS | S112 | Swiftwater Rescue | 1 |
| ODS | S114 | Backpacking in SE Alaska | 2 |
| ODS | S115 | Winter Backpacking in SE Alaska | 1 |
| ODS | S116 | Introduction to Rock Climbing | 1 |
| ODS | S117 | Introduction to Ice Climbing | 1 |
| ODS | S118 | Avalanche Eval and Theory-Level I | 2 |
| ODS | S119 | Introduction to Flyfishing | 2 |
| ODS | S133 | Introduction to Sea Kayaking | 1 |
| ODS | S134 | Introduction to Whitewater Kayaking | 1 |
| ODS | S148 | Backcountry Skiing & Snowboarding | 1 |
| ODS | S205 | Backcountry Navigation and Travel | 2 |
| ODS | S216 | Rock Climbing Level II | 1 |
| ODS | S217 | Ice Climbing Level II | 1 |
| ODS | S218 | Avalanche Evaluation and Theory Level II | 2 |
| ODS | S221 | Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue Fund | 2 |
| ODS | S222 | Mountaineering | 2 |
| ODS | S233 | Expedition Sea Kayaking ** | 1-2 |
| ODS | S___ | other approved ODS Skills courses | |
| **May be repeated for up to 3 credits | |||
| Earth Systems and Geographic Analysis | |||
| Select from the following (3-4 credits): | |||
| ENVS | S420 | Atmospheric Science | 3 |
| GEOG | S406 | Remote Sensing | 3 |
| GEOG | S410 | Advanced GIS | 3 |
| GEOG | S415 | Biogeography & Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| GEOL | S301 | Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEOL | S302 | Hydrology | 4 |
| Human-Environment | |||
| Select from the following (3 credits): | |||
| ANTH | S342 | Arctic Ethnology | 3 |
| ANTH | S408 | Ethnobiology | 3 |
| ECON | S435 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| ENGL | S303 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| SOC | S404 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| BREADTH REQUIREMENTS | 9 | ||
| Select from the following (9 credits): | |||
| ANTH | S314 | Archeology of SE Alaska | 3 |
| ANTH | S428 | Tlingit Culture and History | 3 |
| ANTH | S458 | AK Native Economic & Political Dev | 3 |
| ENGL | S363 | Nature Writing | 3 |
| ENGL | S365 | Literature of Alaska | 3 |
| ENGL | S370 | Native American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL | S423 | Ecocriticism | 3 |
| GEOG | S407 | Snow Hydrology | 4 |
| GEOG | S414 | Biogeochemstry | 3 |
| GEOL | S300 | Geology of Alaska | 3 |
| GEOL | S310 | Glaciation and Climate Change | 3 |
| HS | S206 | Introduction to Environmental Health | 3 |
| BREADTH ELECTIVES | 18 | ||
| 12 credits of breadth electives must be upper division. | |||
Bachelor of Science in Geography and Environmental Resources
Bachelor degree programs are designed to prepare students for employment, or graduate school, in their chosen field.
Typically a bachelor degree program is 120 credits (four years).
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS (2012-2013 catalog)
Candidates must complete the General Education Requirements (GERs) as well as the specific program requirements listed below for a minimum of 120 credit hours. Courses in a degree program may be counted only once. Courses used to fulfill the major requirements cannot be used to fulfill the GERs. Specific requirements for GERs are listed below. The degree must include 48 credits of upper-division 300 or above courses. To satisfy the residency requirement, 30 credits must be completed at UA, including 24 upper division credits. All major courses require a C or better.
| Minimum Credit Hours | 120 | ||
| General Education Requirements | 36 | ||
| MATH | S200 | Calculus I | 4 |
| Select both | |||
| BIOL | S105 | Fundamentals of Biology I | 4 |
| BIOL | S106 | Fundamentals of Biology II | 4 |
| or both | |||
| CHEM | S105 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM | S106 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| or both | |||
| PHYS | S211 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS | S212 | General Physics II | 4 |
| Major Requirements* | 56 | ||
| ENVS | S492 | Environmental Science Seminar | 1 |
| GEOG | S101 | Introductory Geography | 3 |
| ENVS | S102 | Earth and Environment | 4 |
| GEOG | S312 | Humans and the Environment | 3 |
| GEOG | S338 | Introduction to GIS | 3 |
| GEOG | S490 | Geography Seminar | 2 |
| ___ | S___ | Advisor-approved courses in environmental management | 3 |
| Select from the following (21 credits): | |||
| Earth Systems | |||
| BIOL | S271 | Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL | S373 | Conservation Biology | 4 |
| BIOL | S480 | Aquatic Pollution | 3 |
| CHEM | S350 | Environmental Chemistry | 4 |
| ENVS | S420 | Atmospheric Science | 3 |
| GEOG | S407 | Snow Hydrology | 4 |
| GEOG | S414 | Biogeochemistry | 3 |
| GEOG | S415 | Biogeography and Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| GEOL | S271 | Earth Materials | 4 |
| GEOL | S300 | Geology of Alaska | 3 |
| GEOL | S301 | Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEOL | S307 | Hydrology | 4 |
| GEOL | S310 | Glaciation and Climate Change | 3 |
| Select two from the following (6 credits): | |||
| Human Environment | |||
| ANTH | S342 | Arctic Ethnology | 3 |
| ANTH | S408 | Ethnobiology | 3 |
| ECON | S435 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| ENGL | S303 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| PHIL | S371 | Perspectives on the Natural World | 3 |
| SOC | S404 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| Select from the following (10 credits): | |||
| Geographic Analysis | |||
| GEOG | S111 | Introduction to Differential GPS | 1 |
| GEOG | S309 | Mobil GIS Technology and Applications | 2 |
| GEOG | S406 | Remote Sensing | 3 |
| GEOG | S409 | GIS Jam: Projects in GIS and Remote Sensing | 1-3 |
| GEOG | S410 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| MATH | S460 | Mathematical Modeling | 3 |
| STAT | S273 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| STAT | S401 | Regression and Analysis of Variance | 4 |
| Electives** | 28 | ||
**Classes should be selected in consultation with an advisor and must include a minimum of 12 credits of upper division courses. | |||
UAS is an open enrollment institution, this means that you do not have to be in a UAS degree program to take a class. Anyone can take our classes as long as they meet the course pre-requisites.
World regions; analysis of environment with emphasis on the major culture realms.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79615 | KD1 | John Radzilowski | DISTWEB 9/3 - 12/14 |
Delivered via web. Requires access to internet, email and MSWord. Go to course site at https://online.uas.alaska.edu/online for course information. Students must order books; go to http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/ualaska.htm for book information. Call 1-888-550-6177 with questions or for registration information.
Tuition and fees: $553 (additional charges may apply)
This course examines the atmospheric, hydrospheric, lithospheric, and oceanic systems that define the environment; the interactions among these systems; energy as an environmental parameter; and the effects of physical systems on the biosphere. The labs focus on measurement and description of the environment using methods from meteorology, hydrology, and earth science. Global Positioning Systems and other relevant field techniques are introduced.
Corequisite: MATH S105.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78477 | J01 | Eran Hood | HB110 Thursday 9:00a - 12:00p 9/3 - 12/14 HB110 Mon, Wed, Fri 12:00p - 1:00p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Tuition and fees: $724 (additional charges may apply)
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78478 | J02 | Eran Hood | HB110 Mon, Wed, Fri 12:00p - 1:00p 9/3 - 12/14 HB110 Thursday 1:15p - 4:15p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Tuition and fees: $724 (additional charges may apply)
An overview of the Global Positioning System; the development of a data dictionary; data acquisition using differential GPS; and integrating GPS data into environmental applications.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78479 | J01 | Kathy Smikrud | HB110 Sun, Sat 9:00a - 4:15p 10/12 - 10/13 |
Final DTS project due by Oct 31, 2011.
Tuition and fees: $201 (additional charges may apply)
Students will survey the scope of Earth's natural disasters and the risks that face humans and ecosystems existing on an active planet. Case studies of Earth events that have forced human adaptation and ecosystem transformation will be examined.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78534 | J01 | Cathy Connor | HB110 Monday 1:15p - 2:45p 9/3 - 12/14 HB105 Wednesday 1:15p - 2:45p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Enrollment in the 1 credit lab is not required, but students who take the lab must also take the lecture course.
Tuition and fees: $513 (additional charges may apply)
Students will survey the scope of Earth’s natural disasters and the risks that face humans and ecosystems existing on an active planet. Case studies of Earth events that have forced human adaptation and ecosystem transformation will be examined.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78536 | J02 | Cathy Connor | HB105 Tuesday 2:00p - 5:00p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Enrollment in the 1 credit lab is not required, but students who take the lab must also take the lecture course.
Tuition and fees: $221 (additional charges may apply)
Examines the representation of spatial data with vector object models, explores the relationship between spatial data and automated thematic mapping, and trains students in the use of GIS software.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78480 | J01 | Sanjay Pyare | WB102 Tuesday 5:30p - 7:30p 9/3 - 12/14 WB102 Thursday 5:30p - 8:30p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Tuition and fees: $664 (additional charges may apply)
An introduction to two related disciplines emphasizing a geographical focus on natural processes. Landscape ecology studies large-scale ecological patterns and processes occurring on whole landscapes; biogeography studies species distribution in relation to environmental and historical factors. Students learn how these disciplines serve as foundations for decision making in land use planning, resource management, and biological conservation. Includes the use of geospatial tools like GIS and remote sensing, and hands-on field exercises.
Prerequisite: ENVS S102 or BIOL S104 or S105, or instructor permission.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78539 | J01 | Sanjay Pyare | HB105 Tue, Thu 11:30a - 1:00p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Tuition and fees: $664 (additional charges may apply)