A survey of the principles and methods of geographic inquiry. Not required for the geography major.

Carolina Core: GSS

Basic concepts of landform geography, climatology and meteorology, and biogeography.

Carolina Core: SCI

Introduction to geographic data; use of digital maps and aerial/satellite images as means of Earth observation; basics of spatial data analysis; location-based Web APPs; digital map services.

Carolina Core: ARP

Introduction to processes of political, economic, social, and environmental change around the world; topics include geopolitical transitions, nationalism, trade, uneven development, conflict, environmental geopolitics, and demographic change, with an emphasis on non-U.S. contexts.

Carolina Core: GSS

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Leadership Experiences

Hydrology, soil science, and interpretation of physical features formed by water, wind, and ice, with emphasis on environmental change. Three hours of lecture and one two-hour laboratory per week.

Carolina Core: SCI

Processes that influence weather and climate patterns on the earth. Three lectures and one two-hour laboratory per week.

Carolina Core: SCI

Basic principles of human geography.

Carolina Core: GSS

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Community Service, GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Leadership Experiences

An intensive regional analysis of South Carolina. Selected phenomena such as urbanization, industrialization, land use, the physical environment, and their interrelationships.

Carolina Core: GSS

Physical and human geography of Latin America.

Carolina Core: GSS

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Global Learning

Physical and human geography of North America with emphasis on the United States.

Carolina Core: GSS

Physical and human geography of Europe.

Carolina Core: GSS

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Global Learning

A regional geographic approach to the environmental, social, economic, and political aspects of the Middle East (Southwest Asia and north Africa) with emphasis on contemporary problems.

Carolina Core: GSS

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Global Learning

A regional approach to the physical, social, economic, and political aspects of Sub-Saharan Africa with emphasis on contemporary problems.

Carolina Core: GSS

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Global Learning

This course is an introduction to the use of small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in collecting/processing imagery for mapping/information analysis. Course content includes UAS characteristics, small camera considerations, project planning and processing, and legal requirements in the United States and selected European countries.

Selected topics of special interest in geography. May be repeated as content varies by title.

The temporal-spatial relationship between humans and the natural environment with emphasis on the role through time of human activity in changing the face of the earth.

Geographic perspectives on problems in international relations. Political geographic analysis of contemporary world problems.

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Global Learning

Spatial interrelation and linking of economic activities and how location affects the nature of economic systems.

An overview of historical and contemporary urban development and growth, with an emphasis on post-colonial and non-Western contexts.

Overview of the relationships between urbanization and environmental processes and an exploration of pathways to greater sustainability.

Geographic change through time in the United States, with emphasis on evolution of the American landscape. Physical environment as modified by human intervention over time within a regional framework.

The study of disasters, their triggering mechanisms (natural, human, technological), their spatial distributions from local to global scales, and associated human responses.

Introduction to the theory and principles of map construction including discussions of equipment and materials, lettering and symbolization, scale and generalization, data manipulation and representation. Presentation of geographic information on maps.

A geographic consideration of the interactions between environment and society. The ways in which social, economic, and cultural processes interact across local to global scales and influence environmental practices, policies, and patterns of change will be emphasized.

Overview of the development of American cities from industrial period to the present. Special attention given to the political, economic, social processes that shape urban space and urban ways of life.

Theory and use of basic photo interpretation instruments and methods. Practice in acquiring and interpreting data from aerial photography for use in the physical and social sciences.

Major theories and methodologies for studying the relationship between climate and society.

Introduction to spatial and institutional aspects of water availability, demand, and quality. Water storage/conveyance strategies and facilities. Real and perceived flood, drought hazards.

Spatial distributions of plants and animals as they relate to historical biogeographic patterns and human impact on the biosphere.

Introduction to theories and principles of cartographic animation.

Fundamental principles of wind formation, measurement, and its impacts on the natural and human environment – landscape, human settlement and health, transportation, and energy.

Introduction to principles and methods of geographic information systems including discussion of computers, spatial data, analysis, and display. Includes discussion of applications and hands-on experience.

Atmospheric circulation, structure, and processes of tropical climates and hurricanes. Forecasting and model simulations of hurricanes. Temporal variations of tropical climate change and hurricanes.

Resource, managerial, and recreational-use components of the national park system; contemporary issues, problems, and managerial alternatives.

Fundamentals, processes, and issues associated with air pollution. Emphasis is on the role of the atmosphere, how air pollution affects surface climate, and how climate and meteorology influence air quality.

Geographic analysis of tourism in America and selected world regions; demand, supply, transportation, and cultural/environmental impact of tourism and travel.

Geopolitical, historical, cultural, and economic geographies of human rights around the world; issues of development, environment, health, inequality, violence.

Contract approved by instructor, advisor, and department chair is required for undergraduate students.

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Research

Research methods and projects; restricted to students with at least 15 hours of credit in geography. Restricted to students with at least 15 hours of credit in geography.

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Research

Experiential Learning: Experiential Learning Opportunity

Service learning experience in conjunction with designated Geography courses. Direct, hands-on service experience with an agency, voluntary organization, or community-based project. May be repeated, as content varies by title. Students enrolled in designated Geography courses by Instructor permission.

Experiential Learning: Experiential Learning Opportunity

Research on a significant geography problem in the local environment. Emphasis will be on the development of relatively individualized experiences in scientific investigation.

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Research

Senior research thesis on a problem of fundamental geographic significance, supervised by faculty member; must include a written final project report.

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Research

Selected topics of special interest in geography. May be repeated as content varies by title.

Scientific approaches to locational problems in urban and regional planning, including regional growth and decline, land use control, public facility location and provision, and locational efficiency.

A survey of the political, economic, and social causes and consequences of migration. Topics include immigration policy, border control, settlement patterns, transnationalism, multiculturalism, and integration. Selected contemporary and historical cases.

Concepts of space and power and their relationship to polities, elections, geopolitics, identities, law, economics, populations, and civil society.

Analysis of the competing demands for limited resources in the coastal zone with emphasis on the role of management in the resolution of conflicts over resource use.

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Internships

A discussion-based seminar course that examines nature-society relations in coastal regions globally. The course will use social theory to understand how uneven development processes shaped – and continue shaping – current coastlines. We will explore key topics including coastal capitalism, delta ecologies, and climate justice via several global case studies.

An examination of the factors responsible for creating the contemporary South Carolina cultural landscape.

Analysis of transportation systems and the application of geographic tools to transportation planning.

Human and environmental contributions to the generation and management of hazards originating from extreme natural events to technological failures. Contemporary public policy issues at the national and international level.

A survey of basic quantitative approaches for handling and interpreting geographically related data; univariate and bivariate procedures applicable to a variety of problems.

Examination of the geo-spatial aspects of hazards analysis and planning with specific reference to disaster preparedness, recover, mitigation, and resilience.

Political, social, and cultural landscapes of food and farming around the world; issues of agricultural production, trade, consumption, and food security.

Planning, compiling, constructing, and evaluating thematic maps. Theory and practice in scribing, separation and screening, color proofing, and map reproduction. Discussions of the process of map communication and the ways the cartographer can improve that communication.

Theories and principles of interactive and animated cartographic design.

The influence of political boundaries, historical forces, settlement patterns, and transportation processes on urban life.

Analysis of synoptic-scale circulation using weather maps, soundings, cross sections, thermodynamic diagrams, numerical models, and imagery.

Analysis of climate applications in natural and human-modified environments. Content may include water resources, solar energy, urban planning, air quality, agriculture, and tourism. Course work includes lab and field experimentation.

Introduction to landforms and processes associated with flowing water at the earth’s surface. Hydrology, sedimentology, and theories of channel formation and drainage basin evolution.

Spatial variation of hydrology, water quality, and water-related hazards, including runoff generation, soil erosion, sedimentation, and flood hazards. Emphasizes a watershed perspective using geographic data and methods.

Introduction to remote sensing. A variety of imaging systems including black and white, color, and high altitude color infrared photographs, LANDSAT, thermal infrared, and active microwave. Use of remote sensing for studying the extra-terrestrial environment and earth weather systems.

Introduction to fundamental concepts used to map topographic and planimetric Earth surface features using digital LiDAR (LiDARgrammetric) and digital soft-copy photogrammetry (Photogrammetric).

Computer programming of spatial problems; spatial statistical analysis, interactive graphics, and computer maps.

Web-based Geographic Information Systems (WebGIS), including concepts and principles of WebGIS, web programming fundamentals, web-based mapping techniques, and developing WebGIS applications.

Introduction to selected materials available for all levels of instruction in geography. Emphasis on the substantive nature of the materials.

Key concepts of geography and current approaches to teaching geography with specific attention to classroom materials, curriculum reform, cross-curricular integration, learning theory, and the use of geospatial/instructional technology.

Technology and use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS). GPS space segment, receiver technologies, range observables, and positioning accuracy. Applications to large/medium scale mapping, remote sensing, and aerial photography.

Theory and application of geographic information systems including discussions of automated input, storage, analysis, integration, and display of spatial data. Use of an operational geographic information system.

Geographical information systems for modeling physical/human processes in space and time using raster and vector data. Cartographic modeling concepts, embedded models, and GIS-model coupling.

Representation, construction, maintenance, and analysis of spatial data in a geographic information system (GIS) database.

Geographical approach to environmental problems.

Climatic changes of the past and their impact on the physical landscape, with an emphasis on the Quaternary period.

Consequences of increasing anthropogenic changes on environmental systems including the sources of change, regional impacts, and social and policy responses.

Intersections of international development and environmental change; study of general theoretical perspectives balanced with case studies from the Global South.

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Diversity and Social Advocacy, GLD: Global Learning

Geography of public land, water, and related public trust resources (wildlife, timber, minerals, fuels, recreation, wetlands, coastal zones, wilderness); historical geography of policy; spatial aspects of current research and management.

Field techniques and processes in the atmospheric boundary layer including radiation, soil heat fluxes, turbulence, momentum, latent and sensible heat fluxes, moisture, and evaporation.

Observations and theories of climatic change and variability as they occur at different space and time scales. Projections of future climates. Techniques used in climatic change research and impact analysis.

Introduction to digital image processing techniques and applications. Image correction, enhancement, spatial and spectral transformation. Land use/land cover classification, and change detection.

This course examines cultural understandings of and responses to globalization, examining topics such as its history and theories, migration, economic integration and inequality, identity, social movements, and the environment.

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Global Learning

Influence of wind on coastal systems, with emphasis on nearshore currents, sediment transport and bedforms, aeolian transport, and dunes. Minimum Junior standing required.

Internship in government agencies, private-sector businesses, and non-profit organizations under the joint supervision of sponsor and departmental. A maximum of three credits may be applied to undergraduate Geography major or to Geography master's degree. May be repeated to a maximum of six credits.

Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Internships

Experiential Learning: Experiential Learning Opportunity