Department Chair: Heather Sloan (Gillet Hall, Room 301A)
Department Faculty: Professors: Irene Leung, Robert Troy; Associate Professors: Juliana Maantay, Heather Sloan; Assistant Professors: Sunil Bhaskaran, Yuri Gorokhovich, Hari Pant; Senior College Laboratory Technician: Holly Porter-Morgan
The Department of Environmental, Geographic, and Geological Sciences offers courses designed to meet the needs of students in the programs in Elementary Education and Secondary School Education, Social Studies (Geography), and Earth Science and General Science (Geology and Weather and Climate).
Geographic Information Science (GISc) is a fast-growing computer technology field involving mapping and analysis of spatial data. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) enable us to assess and manage existing conditions and also help predict future conditions, ranging from monitoring disease occurrences, to endangered species preservation, to managing water supplies, to tracking real estate values, to crime solving.
GIS is used today in fields as diverse as law enforcement, marketing, economic development, public health administration, environmental analysis, ecology, urban planning, real estate, government, education, geology, anthropology, and archaeology. GISc is an expanding field with good career opportunities, and GIS professionals are in high demand in many fields. People with GIS skills can also be more marketable as managers and analysts in their own fields. A Certificate in GISc can be advantageous by itself or in augmenting a bachelor's or associate's degree.
The Certificate in GISc consists of a sequence of 4 courses, equaling 14 credits, plus one 3-credit Geography elective course, for a total of 17 credits:
GEP 504: Basic Mapping: Applications and Analysis (3 credits);
GEP 505: Principles of Geographic Information Science (GISc) (3 credits);
GEP 605: Special Topics in GISc (4 credits);
GEP 690: Workshop in GISc Research (4 credits); and a Geography elective (3 credits).
*Courses preceded by an asterisk are not expected to be offered in 2009-2011.
GEO 501: Earth Processes. 5 hours (3, lecture; 2, lab), 4 credits. (Not open to students who have had an introductory course in physical or historical geology.) Earth evolution, internal and surface structures, global tectonics, physical processes, resources, and global climate change and its effect on the environment.
GEO 502: Earth History. 5 hours (3, lecture; 2, lab), 4 credits. The geological history of our changing earth. Hypothesis of its origin; major historical episodes as recorded in the rocks and their contained fossils; and evolution of life. PREREQ: GEO 501 (or equivalent).
GEO 503: Geologic Field Methods. 5 hours (2, lecture; 3, lab), 3 credits. Methods of geologic mapping. Classroom work and fieldwork. PREREQ: GEO 105 (or equivalent).
GEO 504: Fossils, Time, and Evolution. 4 hours (2, lecture; 2, lab), 3 credits. The morphology, preservation, and interpretation of key fossils. PREREQ: GEO 502 (or equivalent).
*GEO 505: Earth Materials I —Mineralogy. 5 hours (2, lecture; 3, lab), 3 credits. The rock--forming and accessory minerals; other selected minerals. PREREQ: GEO 501 (or equivalent) plus one year of high school or college chemistry.
*GEO 506: Earth Materials II —Petrology. 5 hours (2, lecture; 3, lab), 3 credits. The common igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks of the earth's crust. PREREQ: GEO 505.
*GEO 507: Earth Structures. 5 hours (2, lecture; 3, lab), 3 credits. Large- and small-scale structures in the crust and their modes of origin. PREREQ: GEO 502 and plane geometry.
GEO 601: Earth Systems Science for Educators. 4 hours, 4 credits. Introduction to earth systems science from the perspectives of systems components' origin, evolution, structure, and composition; presentation of the dynamic processes that link them. The course is designed for science education students seeking New York State teaching certification in earth science, grades 7-12. It takes a standards-based, hands-on approach to presenting content and pedagogy in parallel. PREREQ: Students must be enrolled in the M.S.Ed. Science Education Program and/or be seeking New York State certification in earth science, grades 7-12.
GEO 603: Global Plate Dynamics. 5 hours (3, lecture; 2, lab), 4 credits. Plate tectonics as a unifying theory for the dynamic processes that connect the exterior and interior of the planet and shape its surface. Plate boundary characteristics, driving mechanisms, plate motion, relationships to climate and biodiversity, and global implications for the Earth system. Laboratories include geologic map study and techniques of measuring, plotting, and interpreting structural and plate motion data. PREREQ: GEO 501, 502, or 601.
GEO 605: Advanced Earth and Environmental Science with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 6 hours (2, lecture; 4, lab), 4 credits. This course explores earth and environmental sciences using advanced GIS applications and concepts, including environmental modeling and spatial analysis of landslides, earthquakes, soil erosion, stream sedimentation, groundwater flow, ecosystem stability, global climate change, and other earth processes. PREREQ: GEP 505 or equivalent, or Departmental permission.
GEO 697: Independent Study in Geology. 1-3 hours, 3 credits. Independent study of selected topics in geology under the guidance of a faculty member. PREREQ: Permission of the Graduate Advisor.
*Courses preceded by an asterisk are not expected to be offered in 2009-2011.
*GEH 501: Principles of Geography. 3 hours, 3 credits. (Not open to students who have had an introductory course in principles of geography.) Distribution and characteristics of the elements of the natural and cultural environment and analysis of their interrelationships. NOTE: GEH 501 is required of students in the Secondary School Social Studies Curriculum, unless they have had an introductory course in principles of geography.
GEH 502: World Regional Geography. 3 hours, 3 credits. Study of each of the world's major regions, characteristics of homogeneity, and attributes of each region, including physical environment, population, culture, agriculture, economic development, urbanization, and political geography.
*GEH 611: Geographic Interpretation of World Affairs. 3 hours, 3 credits. Analysis of the geographic influences of the world's political, social, and economic problems. PREREQ: GEH 501 (or equivalent).
*GEH 612: Geographic Basis of World Trade. 3 hours, 3 credits. Study of world transportation and communication, the interdependence of geographic regions, and the geographic factors influencing international trade. PREREQ: GEH 614 (or equivalent).
GEH 613: Conservation of Natural Resources. 3 hours, 3 credits. The physical and human resources of the world and the needs and methods for their conservation. PREREQ: GEH 501 (or equivalent).
*GEH 614: Economic Geography. 4 hours, 4 credits. Geographic analysis of the major economic activities of the world. PREREQ: GEH 501 (or equivalent).
*GEH 621-626: Geography of Major Regions. Each 3 hours, 3 credits. Each of the following courses, dealing with a continent or a large subdivision thereof, presents an analysis of the major features of the natural and cultural environment of the entire region, followed by an intensive study of the geographic regions within it. PREREQ: GEH 501 (or equivalent).
GEH 621: The Geography of the U.S. and Canada. 3 hours, 3 credits. An introduction to the physical geography, natural resources, population and urban distribution, cultural patterns, and economic geography of the U.S. and Canada. Attention given to changes being brought about by the North American Free Trade Act.
GEH 622: The Geography of Latin America. 3 hours, 3 credits. An introduction to the physical geography and natural resources, population and urban distribution, cultural patterns, and economic geography of Latin America.
GEH 624: The Geography of Asia. 3 hours, 3 credits. An introduction to the physical geography and natural resources, population and urban distribution, cultural patterns, and economic geography of Asia.
GEH 625: The Geography of Western Europe. 3 hours, 3 credits. An introduction to the physical geography and natural resources, population and urban distribution, cultural patterns, and economic geography of Western Europe.
GEH 626: The Geography of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet States. 3 hours, 3 credits. An introduction to the physical geography and natural resources, population and urban distribution, cultural patterns, and economic geography of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet States.
GEH 630: Geography of the New York Metropolitan Area. 3 hours, 3 credits. The location, terrain, harbor, climate, and other aspects of the geographic base on which the New York metropolitan area has developed. Relationship of these factors to the genesis, growth, spatial characteristics, and problems of human occupance. PREREQ: GEH 501 (or equivalent).
GEP 501: Weather and Climate. 4 hours (2, lecture; 2, lab), 3 credits. Study of atmospheric phenomena and weather instruments and a general introduction to meteorological processes. Description and explanatory analysis of the climates of the earth.
GEP 504: Basic Mapping Applications and Analysis. 4 hours(2, lecture; 2, lab), 3 credits. This course provides a focus on mapping: how to use maps to obtain information about a wide variety of topics and how to create maps to display and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. Discussions include mental maps, aerial photos, remotely sensed images, computer-assisted cartography, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Laboratory work includes digital map applications and GIS mapping exercises. PREREQ: None.
GEP 505: Principles of Geographic Information Science. 4 hours (2, lecture; 2, lab), 3 credits. The use of Geographic Information Systems in the teaching of social, earth, and life sciences. Demographic studies and graphic presentation of demographic analyses. The use of modern mapping techniques in studies of the Earth Environment. PREREQ: GEO 501 or GEH 501 or Departmental permission.
GEP 530: Urban Environmental Management. 3 hours, 3 credits. Review of issues and problem-solving techniques for critical environmental concerns in the urban habitat, covering the key elements of urban environmental infrastructure, pollution and its effects on human health, environmental planning and policymaking, and the regulatory framework of environmental protection.
GEP 602: Biogeography and GISc. 5 hours(3, lecture; 2, lab), 4 credits. The methods and techniques used to examine the past and current distribution of organisms, in the context of geophysical, evolutionary, and ecological processes. Study of the geographic ranges of living organisms and discussion of numerous relevant topics. Lab work will provide students with hands-on experience using GISc to explore such concepts as species distribution, island biogeography, and community fragmentation.
GEP 605: Special Topics in Geographic Information Systems. 6 hours (2, lecture; 4, lab), 4 credits. May be reelected when topic changes, for a maximum of 8 credits. Use of Geographic Information Systems for conducting research and spatial analyses in the natural and social sciences. The advanced use of computer mapping and spatial analysis technologies for studying the physical and human components of the earth's environment. PREREQ: GEP 505 or Departmental permission.
GEP 620: Demography and Population Geography with GISc. 4 hours(2, lecture; 2, lab), 3 credits. The world's population in the context of geography and demography. The theoretical framework, defined by the fields of population geography and demography, will be studied and explored qualitatively and quantitatively. Data sources and acquisition, population metrics (growth, change distribution, and composition), population and food supply, mortality, fertility, and migration. Lab work will provide students with hands-on experience using GISc to explore demographic concepts.
GEP 621: Principles and Applications in Remote Sensing. 6 hours (2, lecture; 4, lab), 4 credits. In this course, students will learn the fundamental concepts and principles of electromagnetic theory in remote sensing, becoming familiar with the characteristics, capabilities, and limitations of past, current, and planned future remote sensing systems, and develop practical skills in interpreting aerial photographs, satellite optical remote sensing data, and thermal and radar imagery. Students will also be exposed to a wide variety of applications in environmental mapping and monitoring, natural resources management, urban and regional planning, and global change research. Weekly assignments will be provided to develop skills in interpreting different types of images. A term project will be required to make use of remotely sensed data and digital image processing capabilities in one particular area of application.
GEP 630: Geostatistics and Spatial Analytical Concepts. 4 hours, 3 credits (2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab). Emerging fields of geostatistics and spatial analysis, applying quantitative techniques to real-world geographic problems. Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (E.S.D.A.)within multiple G.I.S. packages such as ArcGIS and GeoDa. Traditional statistics as well as geo-statistics within various packages, including SPSS, GWRIII, GeoDa, ArcGIS, [R], and Excel. PREREQ: GEP 504 or Departmental permission.
GEP 632: Environmental Health and Geographic Information Sciences (GISc). 4 hours, 3 credits (2 hours, lecture; 2 hours lab). Exploration of the field of environmental health, with special emphasis on spatial factors, medical geography, and the use of Geographic Information Science (GISc)to analyze relevant relationships between environmental impacts, diseases, demographics, socio-economic conditions, and the implications on public health and policy. Lab work uses GISc to examine and analyze environmental health, population, and natural and built environmental data for planning and research. PREREQ: None.
GEP 635: Natural Hazards and Risk Analysis with GIS. 5 hours (3, lecture; 2 hours lab), 4 credits. Fundamentals of the natural hazards and disasters origin; physical and social implications; methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis; elements of geographic, geological, social and political analysis applied to risk estimation and mitigation and management measures. Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)tools and analytical techniques in lab exercises and assignments. PREREQ: GEP 504 or GEP 505.
GEP 670: Seminar and Internship Program in Geography. 10 field, 3 hours, 4 credits. Current issues in Geographic Information Science(GISc), with weekly work as an intern in one of various governmental, non-profit, academic, or consulting organizations. Minimum 150 hours of GISc-related project work. This course may be repeated for a total of 8 credits. PREREQ: GEP 505 or Departmental permission.
GEP 689: Methods Seminar in Geographic Information Science (GISc). 4 hours, 3 credits (2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab). Current methods in the field of Geographic Information Science. The nature of scientific research, defining geographic problems, issues of scale and resolution, research design, scientific literature review, acquisition of relevant data, capturing information and mapping in GIS, analysis and interpretation of data, presenting scientific findings in written and oral formats. PREREQ: GEP 505 or Departmental permission.
GEP 690: Workshop in Geographic Information Science (GISc) Research. 3 or 4 hours, 3 or 4 credits (course may be repeated for a total of 8 credits). An advanced examination of mapping and of new computer-aided technologies in the natural and social sciences, including research design and methodology and designing and conducting an independent GIS research project, conforming to generally acceptable professional geographical practices and techniques, under the supervision of faculty. PREREQ: GEP 605 or Departmental permission.