Geography @ TAMIU

The Minor in Geography @ TAMIU is comprised of 18 hours over six courses. Half of the courses are required (9 hours) and the other half (9 hours) are electives from a range of 3-4k-level classes.

Geography Courses Offered @ TAMIU:

Geography Catalog Information

Required Courses:

• GEOG 1301 Physical Geography
• GEOG 1303 General World Geography
• GEOG 3354 GIS for the Social Sciences

Electives:

• GEOG 3310 Human Impact on the Envrmnt
• GEOG 3314 Texas Geography
• GEOG 3350 US Historical Geography
• GEOG 3352 Latin American Historical Geog
• GEOG/PSCI 3353 Political Geography
• GEOG 3355 Nat, Cult, & Soci in Mex & Cen
• GEOG 4340 Special Topics in Geography
• GEOG 4301 Introduction to Urban Planning
• ANTH 4301 Special Topics in Anthropology
• ENSC 3310 Environmental/Natural Res Con
• SOCI 3316 Urban Sociology

Required Courses

Students are required to take all three courses (9 credit hours).

GEOG 1301: Physical Geography

An introductory examination of the Earth's physical environment. An examination of the regional variation of different facets of the environment, including landforms, weather, and climate. The consequences of resource exploitation and environmental concerns are studied.
TCCN: GEOG 1301

GEOG 1303: General World Geography

A study of the human geography of the world. An examination and comparison of major cultural geographic themes: population, migration, agriculture, religion, industrialization, urbanization, and political landscapes.
TCCN: GEOG 1303

GEOG 3354: GIS for the Social Sciences

This class examines the application of Geographic Information Systems techniques in social science research. The course will provide social scientists with an important analytical skill set that is becoming increasingly important in many professions. GIS is a very powerful tool and this class will present examples of how Geographic Information Systems can be used in the social sciences to conduct sociospatial research.

Electives

Students are required to take three elective courses (9 credit hours).

GEOG 3310: Human Impact on the Envrmnt

This class is an assessment of human impacts on the environment. This class will examine the impacts of human society on landscapes, the atmosphere, hydrology, and plants and animals. General themes include population and scarcity, the commons, risks and hazards, markets and commodities, and environmental ethics, among others while specific climate change, the social construction of nature, trees, bottled water, wolves, waste, and meat, to name a few.

GEOG 3314: Texas Geography

A geographical survey of the Lone Star State. This class will examine the environment, population, settlements, land uses, and cultural heritage of the State of Texas through the unifying concept of the region.

GEOG 3350: US Historical Geography

A survey of the changing geography of the United States including initial exploration, European perceptions of North America, diffusion and geographical expansion of the United States to the Pacific, geographical factors underlying the urbanization and industrialization of the nation, and recent population shifts.
Prerequisites: Six hours of history.

GEOG 3352: Latin American Historical Geog

A survey of the changing cultural geography of Latin America including pre-Colombian landscapes, early European settlement, migration, and the evolving economic integration into the world economy. Geographical and environmental factors underlying twentieth-century agricultural and urban problems of Latin America are considered.
Prerequisites: Six hours of history and/or geography, or consent of instructor.

GEOG/PSCI 3353: Political Geography

The study of the spatial or geographic expression of political phenomena. The primary themes include political regions, boundaries, territorial control, geopolitics, the functioning of the state at multiple scales (from local to national), and international trade and security pacts. Case studies emphasize the political geographies of North America and Latin America. (Cross-listed with PSCI 3353).

GEOG 3355: Nat, Cult, & Soci in Mex & Cen

This class is a regional geographic survey of Mexico and Central America's people, environments, and landscapes. It examines the intersection of culture and the environment by focusing on agriculture, settlement patterns, urbanization, indigenous peoples and ethnic diversity, land rights, migration, commodities, and the current effects globalization in Mexico south to Panama.

GEOG 4340: Special Topics in Geography

GEOG 4340: Human Geography

Knowing how and why things occur WHERE they do is fundamental knowledge that cuts across all academic disciplinary lines and most professions. Okay, fair enough. That question, “the why of the where”, is the guiding principle behind human geography. It is something we think about daily. We, as human beings, order our world geographically and we also try to understand the patterns and arrangements of people, places, and things. These patterns and arrangements are manifest through culture, politics, economics, and the environments.

GEOG 4340: Energy Geographies

Energy is embedded in all aspects of our lives. Energy is a critical resource yet also sits as cause of some of our most challenging human-environmental issues, like climate change. In this course, we will examine three major energy resources, oil/gas, wind, and solar, and explain their distribution, technologies, impacts, politics, and economics. While these three resources aren’t the only energy resources, they are key and examining them will provide a rubric of analysis for understanding many geographic aspects of energy. This course takes an active learning approach in that we will begin with questions about energy resources, and over the course of the semester will try to answer some of them in a systematic and structured process.

GEOG 4340: Maps, Mapping, and Society

The intent of this course is to teach you the fundamental concepts of cartography and geographic information systems (GIS). Very generally speaking, this involves how we describe the world through maps and geographic data. More specifically, this course will teach you how to analyze, interpret, and create maps and geographic data, as well as understand how they are employed in our daily lives. At the end of this class, you should have a fundamental understanding how maps are read, made, and used today.

GEOG 4301: Introduction to Urban Planning

This course introduces students to the basic principles and concepts of urban planning. A primary focus is the practical skills/techniques associated with the major theories and models of planning. It provides a broad overview of all types of urban planning with emphasis on land use, design, transportation, and environmental and social planning. (Cross-listed with URBS 4301 and PSCI 4301).
Prerequisites: Junior standing or consent of instructor.

ANTH 4301: Special Topics in Anthropology

Selected topics in an identified area. May be repeated if topic changes.

Please see your professor/advisor for more information.

ENSC 3310: Environmental/Natural Res Con

Principles of ecology and resource management. The course outlines many of the national and international environmental problems and offers legislative, technological and methodological solutions to these problems.
Prerequisites: ENSC 3401.

SOCI 3316: Urban Sociology

The study of the culture, history, and growth patterns of cities, including current trends toward suburbanization and its environmental impact. Examination of the emergence of cities with global or regional orientations and the impact of the decline of manufacturing and emergence of information and technology on city growth. Consideration of housing, budget and other problems faced by cities. Special emphasis on the growth of twin cities along the U. S.-Mexico border. (Cross-listed with URBS 3316)