Website maintained by the Geography Department.© The University of Montana, 2006. Design and Layout by Christy Costello of Spectral Fusion.
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Courses Offered by the Geography Department
U = for undergraduate credit only, UG = for undergraduate or graduate credit, G = for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.
U 101S Introduction to Human Geography 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Introduction to human geography focusing on the linkages between geography and society: regions, ethnic groups, urban landscapes, migration and population change, international development, and cultural differences.
U 102N Introduction to Physical Geography 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., MATH 100 or above, or appropriate score on math placement exam. Introduction to the earth=s major natural environmental systems, their spatial distribution and interrelationships, including weather and climate, vegetation and ecosystems, soils, landforms and earth surface processes.
U 103S Geography of World Regions 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. An overall view of how the lands and peoples of the world are organized into coherent geographical regions, how landscapes differ from region to region, and how the people differ in terms of their traits, beliefs, ways of life, and economic livelihood.
U 105 Geography Laboratory 1 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq. or coreq., a 100-level GEOG course. Introduction to concepts and techniques needed to understand and analyze the information contained in various types of maps, aerial photos and imagery, other graphics and geographic data sets. This is prerequisite to GEOG 385 and 387.
U 112N Landforms, Water, and Soils 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Introduction to selected terrestrial environmental systems, their components, and formation.
U 195 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.
U 295 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.
U 378 Preceptorship in Geography 1-3 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., two of the following three: GEOG 101S, GEOG 102N, GEOG 103S; plus GEOG 105, and consent of instr. Assisting a faculty member by tutoring, conducting review sessions, helping students with research projects, and carrying out other class-related responsibilities. Open to juniors and seniors who apply to instructor for consent.
U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.
UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.
UG 496 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-9) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of instr. Independent study in any subfield of geography.
U 498 Cooperative Education Experience Variable cr. (R-9) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of instr. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements within governmental agencies or the business community.
U 499 Undergraduate Thesis 3 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., senior standing or consent of instr. Independent research project in any geographic topic supervised by faculty member, and leading to completion of baccalaureate degree.
UG 322N Meteorology 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years. Prereq., GEOG 102N or consent of instr. Origin, composition, structure, and dynamics of the atmosphere, gas and radiation laws, energy budget and balance, weather elements and North American weather systems.
UG 324 Landform Geomorphology 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., GEOG 102N or GEOG 112N or equiv. Important landforms and landscapes, their biophysical processes, and their formative elements.
UG 423 Soil Geomorphology 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., GEOG 102N or GEOG 112N or FOR 210N or consent of instr. Morphology and classification of soils and their relationships to landforms and geomorphic processes.
UG 426N Biogeography 3 cr. Offered spring even-numbered years. Prereq., GEOG 102N or equiv. Changing patterns of plant and animal distributions in space and time. Combination of historical and ecological approaches to biological species and communities. Study of external causes of plant and animal distributions, especially climatic change and human impacts.
G 525 Advanced Physical Geography 3 cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Advanced topics in climate and global change, paleo-environments and biogeography, landform analysis and soils, etc. Topic titles will appear in the Class Schedule.
UG 333S Cultural Ecology 3 cr. Offered spring. Examines issues related to culture and the natural environment. Topics include cultural origins and diversity, geography of religion, geolinguistics, plant and animal domestication, livelihood systems, folk and popular culture, ethnic geography, political patterns, demography, industries, urban genesis, and the transformation of environmental systems.
U 335 Water Policy 3 cr. Offered spring even-numbered years. Prereq., upper-division standing. Exploration of water resources issues facing the public, resource managers, and water users in the western United States today. Examines concepts, terms, and regulatory environment which provide the foundation for modern water management and policy.
UG 336 Exploration and Discovery 3 cr. Offered autumn intermittently. Emphasis on the evidence of language, genetics, material culture, and transoceanic plant and animal exchanges in assessing mobility and population distributions in prehistory; factors that motivate exploration; the history of navigation; the impacts of exploration upon science, society, economics, and government.
U 338 Mountains and Society 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Mountain-society interactions through geographic analysis. Overview of mountain environments in the world and introduction to mountain-related problems including poverty, water pollution, deforestation, recreation impacts, and development.
UG 432 The Human Role in Environmental Change 3 cr. Offered autumn even-numbered years. Prereq., upper division or graduate standing . Same as EVST 432. A systematic examination of the ways in which the major physical systems and ecosystems of the earth have been modified by human activity, and approaches to the rehabilitation of these systems.
UG 434 Food and Famine 3 cr. Offered autumn intermittently. Exploration of the production, distribution, and consumption of food; the causes and consequences of hunger; and measures that might be taken to relieve hunger.
UG 435 Environmental Hazards and Planning 3 cr. Offered spring odd-numbered years. Prereq., upper-division or graduate standing. Surveys the characteristics and impacts of selected natural and technological hazards. Emphasizes risk and vulnerability assessment procedures, mitigating measures to reduce damage, and strategies for planning community response.
UG 315S Economic Geography of Rural Areas 3 cr. Offered spring odd-numbered years. Prereq., upper-division or graduate standing. Study of the location of economic activities: agriculture, industry and services. Focus on the changing nature of rural areas.
UG 412S Towns and Rural Settlement 3 cr. Offered spring even-numbered years. Prereq., upper-division or graduate standing. The spatial, functional, and locational attributes of regional centers and towns in the context of the patterns of rural settlement.
UG 415 Migration and Population Change 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years. Prereq., senior standing or graduate standing or consent of instr. Focus on internal migration and population change in the U.S., in particular in the Mountain West. Review of migration theories and empirical research; development of practical skills for conducting empirical research related to migration and population change.
UG 417 Cultural and Global Competence 3cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., upper-division or graduate standing. It is designed to make the student aware of his/her own culture and increase cross-cultural sensitivity. With the goal of understanding the perspectives of other cultures and resolving possible conflicts, the student will have the opportunity to examine the role of perception, belief systems, social structures and culture practices. This class also has an online course website.
G 515 Advanced Human Geography 3 cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Advanced topics in cultural and historical geography, gender issues, migration and population change, economic geography, urban and settlement geography, etc. Topic titles will appear in the Class Schedule.
U 201 Montana and the West 3 cr. Offered spring. Examines the environmental, cultural and economic events and processes that have shaped Montana and adjoining areas. Topics include the evolution, character, and content of environmental systems; prehistory; American Indian history; European exploration; the fur trade; the mining frontier; livestock; railroads; forest industries; environmental issues, socio-economic trends.
U 202S South Asia: Land and People 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Same as AS 202S. The physical setting of South Asia, its history, culture, and socio-economic organization. Examines regional differences, changing social patterns, and the relationship between people and the environment.
U 207S Africa 3 cr. Offered autumn even numbered years. A survey of the biophysical and cultural geography of Sub Saharan Africa. Emphasis is on the region’s cultural historical development and current ecological, demographic, and economic patterns.
U 213S The Middle East 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years. Same as AS and LS 213S. A survey of the biophysical and cultural geography of Southwest Asia and North Africa. Emphasis on environmental change, pre-history, patterns of cultural and historical change, issues of socio-economic. religious, and political diversity, and the broader political significance of the region.
U 301 North America 3 cr. Offered spring even-numbered years. A spatial examination of the physical, cultural, historical and economic elements of Canada, United States, northern Mexico and adjacent regions. Emphasis is on the cultural, social and historical changes, spatial patterns and spatial organization that shape the geographic identity of the area.
UG 306S China 3 cr. Offered intermittently. The spatial integration and arrangement of the physical, cultural and economic traits of China.
UG 308 Geography of a Selected Region 3 cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Selected regions will be listed as appropriate in each class schedule.
UG 401 Regionalism and the Rocky Mountain West 3 cr. Offered spring. Same as Hist 401. Investigation of regionalism as a concept and its future in the Rocky Mountain West. Regionalism as a geographical, economic, political, and cultural entity.
UG 402 Cities and Landscapes of Central Asia 3 cr. Offered autumn. Analysis of the main centers of civilization and culture, rich sites and monuments of Central Asia and Southwest Asia since ancient times.
UG 408 Advanced Regional Geography 3 cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. In-depth treatment of a geographic region, a particular regional problem, or the methodology of regional geography. Topics vary.
Geographical Thought, Methods, Planning and GIS
UG 385 Field Techniques 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MATH 117, GEOG 102N, and GEOG 105 or consent of instr. Field techniques used by geographers and planners in making field observations and in collecting data.
U 387 Principles of Digital Cartography 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., GEOG 105 or consent of instr.; coreq., GEOG 389. Concepts, principles, and methods of cartography as applied to computerized mapping and geographical information systems. Topics include history of cartography, basic geodesy, map projections, coordinate systems, map compilation, generalization, and design.
U 389 Digital Cartography Laboratory 1 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., GEOG 105; coreq., GEOG 387. Laboratory to accompany GEOG 387.
UG 465 Planning Principles and Processes 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., upper-division or graduate standing. Surveys planning principles, practices and problems in small towns and rural environments in Montana and the West. Emphasizes skills and techniques in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data commonly used in the planning field.
UG 468 Community and Regional Analysis 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MATH 117 (or higher) or consent of instr. Analysis of the structure and dynamics of communities and regions: population, employment, spatial interaction and transportation. A hands-on course using spreadsheets, databases, and GIS. Designed for future planners, an others interested in understanding community structure and community change.
UG 471 Workshop in Teaching Geography 2-3 cr. Offered summer. Prereq., upper-division or graduate standing. Modern concepts and techniques in geography with emphasis on their use in teaching geography in Montana schools. Students are required to prepare and present a teaching unit project.
UG 484 Spatial Analysis and GIS 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., GEOG 387 and 389 and MATH 241 (or higher) or consent of instr. Quantitative analysis of spatial data including techniques for pattern analysis, classification and interpolation within a GIS environment.
UG 485 Internet GIS 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., GEOG 387; coreq., GEOG 489. Principles and techniques for distributing GIS and mapping applications via the Internet.
UG 487 Raster GIS and Image Analysis 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., GEOG 387 and 389 and MATH 241 (or higher) or consent of instr. Coreq., GEOG 489. Procedures for processing and analyzing digital satellite and air photo images for topographic and environmental mapping by means of a raster Geographical Information System.
UG 488 Thematic Cartography and GIS 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., GEOG 387 or consent of instr.; coreq., GEOG 489. Communicating and analyzing topical information with maps. Choropleth maps, dot maps, proportional figure maps, isarithmic maps, and others. Includes computer mapping and GIS exercises.
UG 489 Cartography/GIS Laboratory 1 cr. (R-3) Offered autumn. Coreq., GEOG 485 or 487 or 488. Lab to accompany cartography and GIS courses.
G 500 Geography Graduate Colloquium 1 cr. (R-3) Offered autumn. Presentation of faculty and student research interests. Guest lecturers. Graded pass/not pass only. Enrollment required every autumn graduate students are in residence.
G 505 Research Methods 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., graduate standing. Methods of research appropriate for geography including research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation. Preparation of a thesis proposal. Recommended to be taken during the second semester of graduate studies.
G 520 Seminar in Geographical Thought 3 cr. Offered autumn. Geographical ideas, concepts, approaches, and techniques from ancient to modern times. Recommended to be taken during first semester of graduate studies.
G 550 Seminar in Geography 3 cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Seminar topics in geography and society, human-environmental interaction, physical geography, regional geography, or geographical techniques.
G 560 Seminar in Planning 3 cr. Offered spring odd-numbered years. A critical analysis of land planning theories, concepts and current practices with a focus on local, regional, and state planning problems.
G 561 Land Use Planning Law 3 cr. Offered autumn. Same as EVST 561 and LAW 687. Basic overview of the law of land use planning including background in the traditional governmental regulatory, proprietary, and fiscal land use tools. Examination of modern techniques for land use planning; consideration of constitutional limits of authority of state and local governments. Focus on skills in interpreting, drafting, and applying state legislation and local ordinances.
G 562 Land Use Planning Clinic 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered every term. Prereq. or coreq., GEOG 561. Same as EVST 562. Students assist local communities in long-range planning efforts and development of growth management plans as required by Montana law; ordinance drafting, development proposals, and land use issues.
G 564 Planning Design 3 cr. Offered spring even-numbered years. Prereq., graduate standing or qualified seniors. Analysis of land-use problems and design.
G 580 Seminar in GIS and Cartography 3 cr. (R 9) Offered spring. Prereq., consent of instr. Seminar topics in cartography and geographic information systems. Applications to advanced studies in human and physical geography.
G 587 GIS in Physical Geography 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., consent of instr.; coreq., GEOG 589. Analysis of physical landscape by means of spatial and statistical techniques drawn from raster based geographic information systems.
G 588 GIS in Human Geography 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., consent of instr.; coreq., GEOG 589. Applications of GIS in human geography. Mapping and map analysis methods employing census data, TIGER Files, city and county data bases, county surveyors maps, and others. Theory, concepts, and practices of GIS focusing on the vector data model.
G 589 Cartography/GIS Laboratory 1 cr. (R-4) Offered autumn and spring. Laboratory to accompany GEOG 587 or 588.
G 595 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.
G 596 Independent Study Variable cr. (R 9) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of instr. Independent research in geography or planning.
G 598 Cooperative Education Experience Variable cr. (R 9) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of instr. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.
G 599 Thesis Variable cr. (R 6) Offered every term. Prereq., consent of advisor.
Website maintained by the Geography Department.© The University of Montana, 2006. Design and Layout by Christy Costello of Spectral Fusion.