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Home > Undergraduate Program : Courses

Undergraduate Courses

Undergraduate students in geography select courses from among the offerings at the 3xxx and 5xxx level in geography.

The most current course descriptions and course schedules are available at these University pages:

• Course Descriptions
• Class Schedule
• Academic Calendar
• Geography Course Websites

Undergraduate Tracks

This course list helps illustrate the courses that help satisfy BA and BS degree requirements in geography. It is not regularly updated, so check the Undergraduate Courses page for links to current course information.

GEOG 1301. Introduction to Human Geography.
(4.0 cr; A/F or S/; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Ssci,IP,WI)
Geography of population and principal ways of life; capacity of earth for future population. Instructor: Sheppard, Till, Saldanha. RAD track core course

GEOG 1403. Biogeography of the Global Garden.
(4.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Bio/L, Envt)
The geography of biodiversity and productivity, from conspicuous species to those that cause human disease and economic hardship. The roles played by evolution and extinction, fluxes of energy, water, biochemicals, and dispersal. Experiments demonstrating interactions of managed and unmanaged biotic with the hydrologic cycle, energy budgets, nutrient cycles, the carbon budget, and soil processes. Instructor: Shuman, Kipfmueller, Zeigler. Introductory Course

GEOG 1425. The Atmosphere.
(3.0 cr; SP-=Soil 1425; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Phys/L, WI)
A pre-calculus introduction to the nature of the atmosphere and its behavior. Topics include atmospheric composition, structure, stability, and motion; precipitation processes, air masses, fronts, cyclones and anticyclones; general weather patterns; meteorological instruments and observation; weather map analysis; weather forecasting. Instructor: Klink. Introductory Course

GEOG 1502. Maps, Visualization and Geographical Reasoning.
(4.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Math)
Fundamental issues related to the acquisition, storage, manipulation, analysis, display and interpretation of spatially-referenced data. Emphasis on mathematical analysis of these data and interpretation of cultural and physical patterns critical to the development of geographical reasoning. Instructor: Harvey. Introductory Course

GEOG 1973. Geography of the Twin Cities.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: C/PE, CD)
Social and physical characteristics of the Twin Cities. Their place in the urban network of the United States. Instructor: Martin, Vandrasek. Introductory Course

GEOG 3101. Geography of the United States and Canada.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: SSci, C/PE)
Analysis of the ways in which the aspirations and abilities of diverse groups of people interact with the complexities of the natural environment to produce the contemporary pluralistic cultures and regional differentiation of the United States and Canada. Instructor: Hart. RAD track

GEOG 3111. Geography of Minnesota.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N)
The evolution of Minnesota and its current geographical characteristics. The state is a unique political entity that possesses similarities with other states because of the homogenizing influence of the federal government. Instructor: Squires. RAD track

GEOG 3141. Africa.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Envt, IP)
Regional differentiation of human groups and environments; culture contact and problems of underdeveloped countries south of the Sahara. Instructor: Staff. RAD track

GEOG 3161. Europe: A Geographic Perspective.
(3.0-4.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: SSci, IP,WI)
Comparative analysis and explanation of Europe‚s physical, demographic, ethnic/cultural, economic, political, and urban landscapes; European integration - the European Union; transformation of Eastern Europe. German language discussion group in conjunction with the course for 1 extra credit. Instructor: Leitner. RAD track

GEOG 3181. Russia and Environs.
(3.0 cr; SP-=5181; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: SSci, IP,WI)
Physical and human geography of Russia and former Soviet republics. Legacy of central planning on regional economies, city systems and city structure. Economic and cultural links among regions and republics. Conflicts rooted in religion, ethnicity and tradition. Relations with nearby states and regions. Physical environmental problems. Instructor:
Vandrasek. RAD track

GEOG 3211. East Asia.
(3.0 cr; SP-=5211, =EAS 3211; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: IP)
Physical and human geography of Japan, mainland China and Taiwan, North and South Korea; population pressure, economic and urban development, and international relations. Instructor: Staff. RAD track

GEOG 3331. Geography of the World Economy.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: IP, SSci)
Geographical distribution of resources affecting development; location of agriculture, industry, services; geography of communications; agglomeration of economic activities, urbanization, regional growth; international trade; changing global development inequalities; impact of globalizing production and finance on the welfare of nations, regions, cities. Instructor: Sheppard, Gidwani. RAD track and CS track

GEOG 3355. Environmental Quality.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: C/PE, Envt, WI)
The quality of the human environment depends on 1) how humans make decisions about how to act, 2) how they act, and 3) how they evaluate both. In the United States, this process is best described as "disjointed incrementalism" in which governments, organizations, and individuals play distinct and important roles. Instructor: Squires. CS track, ES track, and RAD track

GEOG 3361. Land Use, Landscapes, and the Law.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Envt, C/PE, WI)
Landscapes are political statements. They reflect how individuals, organizations, and governments have exercised the legal rights that they possess to produce goods and provide services. Instructor: Squires. CS track, ES track,and RAD track

GEOG 3371. Cities, Citizens, and Communities.
(4.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Ssci, CD, WI)
Character, distribution, and development of cities in present-day world. Internal and external locational relationships. Instructor: Miller, Till. CS track core course

GEOG 3373. Changing Form of the City.
(3.0 cr; SP-1973 or 3371 or Hist 3901 or Hist 3902 or UrbS 3104 or #; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Hist, IP,WI)
Urban origins, ancient cultures and cities, the medieval city, rediscovery of planning, colonial cities, industrialization and urban expansion, speculative cities, utopian cities, planning triumphs and disasters, cities as reflections of society, culture, and the past. Instructor: Miller. CS track

GEOG 3374. The City in Film.
(4.0 cr; SP-=5374; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: AH-VIS, IP, WI)
Cinematic portrayal of changes in 20th-century cities worldwide including social and cultural conflict, political and economic processes, changing gender relationships, rural versus urban areas, and population and development issues (especially as they affect women and children). Instructor: Miller. CS track

GEOG 3378. Third World Underdevelopment and Modernization.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N)
Processes underlying socioeconomic change in the Third World. Evolving global economy and internal spatial and socioeconomic conditions. Theories of modernization, development, and underdevelopment. Instructor: Sheppard. RAD track

GEOG 3379. Environment and Development in the Third World.
(3.0 cr; SP-Soph; A/F only; fulfills Liberal Ed req: IP, Envt)
Basic concepts for analyzing the relations between capitalist development and environment in the Third World. The course is divided into three parts: basic analytical concepts about historical geography of capitalist development, geographically and historically specific case studies, and the likelihood of social and environmental sustainability. Instructor: Samatar. ES track and RAD track

GEOG 3381. Population in an Interacting World.
(4.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Ssci,IP,WI)
Comparative analysis and explanation of trends in fertility, mortality, internal and international migration in different parts of the world; world population problems; population policies; theories of population growth; impact of population growth on food supply and the environment. Instructor: Leitner. ES track and RAD track

GEOG 3401. Geography of Environmental Systems.
(4.0 cr; A/F only; fulfills Liberal Ed req: WI, Envt)
Examination of geographic patterns, dynamics, and interactions of atmospheric, hydrospheric, geomorphic, pedologic, and biologic systems as the context for human population, development, and resource use patterns. Instructor: Klink. ES track core course

GEOG 3411. Geography of Health and Health Care.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Envt, IP, WI)
Application of human ecology, spatial analysis, political economy, and other geographical approaches to analyze problems of health and health care. Topics include distribution and diffusion of disease; impact of environmental, demographic, and social change on health; distribution, accessibility, and utilization of health practitioners and facilities. Instructor: Weil. ES track and RAD track

GEOG 3431. Plant and Animal Geography.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: Envt)
World distributions of plans and animals; biological and ecological background; the geographical picture; the paleoecological record. Instructor: Ziegler. ES track

GEOG 3441. Quaternary Landscape Evolution.
(3.0 cr; SP-3401 or grad student or #; A/F or S/N)
Roles of climate change, geomorphic history, vegetation change, and soil development in the evolution of landscape patterns during the Quaternary Period, with emphasis on North America. Instructor: Shuman. ES track

GEOG 3511. Principles of Cartography.
(4.0 cr; SP-3 cr in geog or #; A/F or S/N)
History and development of U.S. academic cartography, coordinate systems and map projections, data classification and map generalization, methods of thematic symbolization, and cartographic design. A series of computer-based lab exercises will apply conceptual lecture material to the creation of thematic maps. Instructor: TBA, McMaster. GIS track

GEOG 3531. Numerical Spatial Analysis.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N)
Introduction to theoretical and applied aspects of geographical quantitative methods with a focus on spatial analysis. Emphasis placed on the analysis of geographical data for spatial problem solving in both the human and physical areas of the discipline. Instructor: McMaster, Skaggs. GIS track

GEOG 3561. Principles of Geographic Information Science.
(4.0 cr; SP-Jr or Sr; A/F or S/N)
Introduction to study of geographic information systems (GIS) for geography and non-geography students. Topics include GIS application domains, data models and sources, analysis methods and output techniques. Lectures, readings and hands-on experience with GIS software. Instructor: Manson, McMaster. GIS track core course

GEOG 3605. Geographical Perspectives on Planning.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: IP, C/PE, WI)
Role of planning in reshaping 19th- and 20th- century cities in Europe, North America, and selected Third World countries. History of planning. Societal change, interest groups and power relations in the planning process. Citizen participation and practice in planning. Instructor: Miller. CS track

GEOG 3900. Topics in Geography.
(3.0 cr; SP-Sr or grad, ?; A/F or S/N)
Special topics and regions. Course offered by visiting professors in their research fields. No specific track

GEOG 3973. Geography of the Twin Cities.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: C/PE, CD)
Social and physical characteristics of the Twin Cities. Their place in the urban network of the United States. Instructor: Martin, Vandrasek. CS track

GEOG 3985W/V. Senior Project Seminar.
(4.0 cr; A/F or S/N)
Designed for juniors and seniors to complete the research and writing of the senior project required of all undergraduate geography majors. No specific track

GEOG 3992. Directed Reading.
(1.0-8.0 cr; SP-#, ?, @; A/F or S/N)
Guided individual reading. No specific track

GEOG 3993. Directed Studies.
(1.0-8.0 cr; SP-#, ?, @; A/F or S/N)
Guided individual study. No specific track

GEOG 3994. Directed Research.
(1.0-8.0 cr; SP-#, ?, @; A/F or S/N)
Individual guided research. No specific track

GEOG 4001. Modes of Geographic Inquiry.
(4.0 cr; A/F or S/N)
Examination of competing approaches to the study of geography. Environmental determinism; regional tradition; scientific revolution; behavioral geography; modeling and quantitative geography; radical geography; interpretive and qualitative approaches; feminist and postmodern geography; ecological thinking and complexity; geographic ethics. Instructor: Henderson, Till. No specific track

GEOG 4121. Latin America.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req.:Envt,IP,WI)
Interplay of natural environment and history in shaping contemporary Latin America. Political ecology of natural resources, food supply and distribution, urbanization and the informal economy, migration, ethnicity, and the role of the state and international agencies in domestic economies. Instructor: Weil. ES track and RAD track

GEOG 4382. Contemporary Immigrant America.
(3.0-5.0 cr; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req.: CD,C/PE)
Analysis and explanation of contemporary immigration trends; immigration policies; immigrant rights; immigrant integration and adaptation; ethnic group formation; ethnic identities; ethnic neighborhoods and communities; second generation; immigrant women; ethnic conflict; xenophobic reactions. Community Service Learning component for 2 extra credits. Instructor: Leitner. CS track and RAD track

GEOG 4393. The Rural Landscape.
(3.0 cr; A/F or S/N)
Analysis of the three principal components of the rural landscape (the form of the land surface, the plant life that cloaks it, and the structures that people have placed upon it). Emphasis on structures associated with agriculture including some discussion on mining, forestry, resort areas, and small towns. Instructor: Hart. RAD track

GEOG 5181. Russia and Environs.
(3.0 cr; SP-=3181; A/F or S/N; fulfills Liberal Ed req: IP)
Physical and human geography of Russia and former Soviet republics. Legacy of central planning on regional economies, city systems and city structure. Economic and cultural links among regions and republics. Conflicts rooted in religion, ethnicity and tradition. Relations with nearby states and regions. Physical environmental problems. Instructor: Vandrasek. RAD track

GEOG 5211. East Asia.
(3.0 cr; SP-=3211, =EAS 3211; A/F or S/N)
Open to graduate students in East Asian studies and other disciplines who wish to study the region from a geographical perspective. Research paper. Meets with 3211. Instructor: Staff. RAD track

GEOG 5361. Geography and Real Estate.
(4.0 cr; A/F or S/N)
Origins and evolution of land ownership in the United States. Instructor: Squires. CS track, ES track, and RAD track

GEOG 5371. American Cities I: Population and Housing.
(4.0 cr; SP-=PA 5201; A/F only; fulfills Liberal Ed req: WI)
Emergence of North American cities; residential building cycles, density patterns; metropolitan housing stocks, supply of housing services; population and household types; neighborhood-level patterns of housing use; housing prices; intraurban migration; housing submarkets inside metro areas; emphasis on linking theory, method, case studies. Instructor: Adams. CS track

GEOG 5372. American Cities II: Economy, Land Use, and Transportation.
(4.0 cr; SP-=PA 5202; A/F only; fulfills Liberal Ed req: WI)
Urban economy and its locational requirements; central place theory; transportation and urban land use, patterns and conflicts; industrial and commercial land blight; real estate redevelopment; historic preservation; emphasis on links between land use, transportation policy, economic development, and local fiscal issues; U.S.-Canadian contrasts. Instructor: Adams. CS track

GEOG 5374. The City in Film.
(4.0 cr; SP-=3374; A/F or S/N)
Meets concurrently with Geog 3374 (see description). Open to graduate students and undergraduates wishing Honors credit. Course includes one additional weekly meeting to discuss films and readings, and a project on a topic selected in consultation with the instructor. Instructor: Miller. CS track

GEOG 5385. Political Economy of Development.
(3.0 cr; SP-Sr or grad or #; A/F or S/N)
Nature and scope of the modern world system (capitalism) and its impact on regional development processes; roles of the state and international financial institutions. Instructor: Samatar. RAD track

GEOG 5426. Climatic Variations.
(3.0 cr; SP-1425 or 3401 or #; A/F or S/N)
Theories of climatic fluctuations and change at decadal to centuries time scales; analysis of temporal and spatial fluctuations especially during the period of instrumental record. Instructor: Kipfmueller. ES track

GEOG 5441. Quaternary Landscape Evolution.
(3.0 cr; SP-3401 or grad student or #; A/F or S/N)
Roles of climate change, geomorphic history, vegetation change, and soil development in the evolution of landscape patterns during the Quaternary Period, with emphasis on North America. Instructor: Shuman. ES track

GEOG 5511. Advanced Cartography.
(3.0 cr; SP-3511 or #; A/F or S/N)
Advanced topics on data sources for mapping; history of thematic cartography (focused on 19th-century European activity); multivariate classification and symbolization; models for cartographic generalization, spatial interpolation, and surface representation; principles of animated and multimedia cartography. Instructor: McMaster. GIS track

GEOG 5512. Cartography: Topics.
(3.0 cr; SP-3511 or 3531 or #; A/F or S/N)
Selected topics include the system of cartographic communication, map design, map reading, map analysis, history of cartography. Instructor: Staff. GIS track

GEOG 5530. Cartography Internship.
(2.0-7.0 cr; SP-#; S/N only)
Provides intensive hands-on experience in contemporary map production and design, ranging from GIS applications to digital prepress. Strong computer skills essential. GIS track

GEOG 5561. Principles of Geographic Information Science.
(4.0 cr;SP-Grad; A/F or S/N)
Introduction to the study of geographic information systems (GIS) for geography and non-geography students. Topics include GIS application domains, data models and sources, analysis methods and output techniques. Lectures, reading, and hands-on experience with GIS software. Instructor: Manson, McMaster. GIS track

GEOG 5563. Advanced Geographic Information Science.
(3.0 cr; SP-B or better in 3561 or 5561 or #; A/F or S/N)
Advanced study of geographic information systems (GIS). Topics include spatial data models, topology, data encoding, data quality, database management, spatial analysis tools and visualization techniques. Hands-on experience using an advanced vector GIS package. Instructor: Harvey, Manson. GIS track

GEOG 5564. Urban Geographic Information Science and Analysis.
(3.0 cr; SP-3561 or 5561; A/F or S/N)
Core concepts in urban geographic information science including sources for urban geographical and attribute data (including census data), urban data structures (focusing on the TIGER data structure), urban spatial analyses (including location-allocation models), geodemographic analysis, network analysis, and the display of urban data. Instructor: Manson. CS track and GIS track

GEOG 5565. Geographical Analysis of Environmental Systems and Global Change.
(3.0 cr; SP-3561 or 5561 or FR 4131 or LA 5573 or one intro GIS course or grad or #; A/F or S/N)
Applications of geographic information systems and other spatial analysis tools to the analysis of environmental systems patterns, dynamics, and interactions. Focus on global to landscape databases developed to analyze atmospheric, hydrospheric, geomorphic, pedologic, biologic, and human landuse systems. Instructor: Manson. ES track and GIS track

GEOG 5605. Geographical Perspectives on Planning.
(4.0 cr; SP-=3605; A/F or S/N)
Open to graduate students and undergraduates wishing Honors credits. Includes one additional weekly seminar-style meeting and a bibliography project on a topic selected in consultation with the instructor. Meets with 3605. Instructor: Miller. CS track

GEOG 5900. Topics in Geography.
(3.0 cr; SP-sr or grad, #; A/F or S/N)
Special topics and regions. Course offered by visiting professors in their research fields. Instructor: No specific track.