GPHY - Geography

GPHY 121D Human Geography: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

(F) Global geographies of population and economic development; patterns of language and religion; global distributions of agriculture, industry, and urban landscapes; use of human geography to analyze selected world problems.

View Course Outcomes:

Describe spatial dimensions of human behavior;
Read and interpret maps as well as other spatial data visualizations at a variety of scales;
Recognize the full range of subfields within human geography
Recall issues related to world population growth and demographics
Identify basic features and causes of world political events and conflicts
Recognize relationships between human experiences and the environments in which we live

GPHY 141D Geography of World Regions: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

(F, Sp) Resume of major world regions; their cultures, populations, resources, utilization of land; emphasis on regions outside Anglo-America.

View Course Outcomes:

Be able to describe and understand global patterns of environments, population distribution, and economic development
For 8 major world regions (Europe/Russian Domain/Latin America/Sub-Saharan Africa/SW Asia-North Africa/East Asia/South Asia/SE Asia), be able to: \\na. Locate major locations/features/place names for the region\\n
b. Identify patterns of regional climate/physical geography/key environmental issues shaping the region
c. Describe current patterns of population, migration, and settlement
d. Understand the evolution key cultural patterns for the region (especially \\n language and religion)
e. Describe major elements of the region’s political evolution over time and also describe and explain current geopolitical issues for the region
f. Identify current patterns of economic and social development within the region

GPHY 284 Intro to GIS Science & Cartog: 3 Credits (2 Lec, 1 Lab)

(F, Sp) Offered through the Earth Sciences and Land Resources and Environmental Sciences (LRES) Departments. Concepts of spatial thinking; understanding spatial relationships and interaction in the natural and built environment. Spatial data principles, data models, relational database concepts, contemporary digital cartography, map design and composition, spatial data conversion, introduction to spatial analysis and synthesis. Concepts of spatial thinking and application; identifying geospatial concepts and methods related to real world issues. Fundamentals of cartography and spatial data principles; students will apply concepts of scale, coordinate systems, projections and create thematic maps according to cartographic standards.

View Course Outcomes:

Communicate effectively using contemporary cartographic methods
Identify and apply geospatial date models for thematic map composition
Compose a map using proper thematic mapping techniques
Determine proper classification methods
Determine and implement proper symbology, color and cartographic standards
Describe and implement spatial data conversion techniques
Perform geographic and attribute query
Implement relational database concepts

GPHY 290R Undergraduate Research: 1-6 Credits (1-6 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Consent of instructor. Directed undergraduate research/creative activity which may culminate in a written work or other creative project. Course will address responsible conduct of research
Repeatable up to 99 credits.

GPHY 291 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: None required but some may be determined necessary by each offering department. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

GPHY 321 Urban Geography: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 121D or GPHY 141D. () Offered Spring, odd years. Historical evolution and spatial patterns of urban places in the U.S. and the world; human-environment relationship in urban areas; analyses of urban economy and land use in the city; spatial structure of urban system in national and regional background; some important methods and theories in urban geographical research

View Course Outcomes:

Identify and critically analyze urban processes and systems across multiple scales.
Demonstrate understanding of how and why urban forms and functions are similar and different based on location and region.
Compare and contrast historical and contemporary urbanization in the United States and China.
Locate major global metropolitan areas on a world map
Develop critical reasoning, writing, and oral communication skills

GPHY 322 Economic Geography: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 121D and STAT 216Q. () Offered Spring, even years. Topical issues and contemporary debates in economic geography with a focus on contemporary economic life and networks and their functions at the global, national, and local scales. Topics include: uneven development, climate change, transnational corporations, migrant labor and ethnic economies as well as the spatial patterns and location of economic activity

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate competency in fundamental concepts in economic geography, with an emphasis on those concepts most helpful in making sense of globalization and uneven development
Apply these concepts to think critically, structurally and systematically about capitalism as an economic system
demonstrate a basic ability to describe the spatial distribution of economic indicators/features at multiple scales accurately using publicly-available datasets (including the acquisition, management and evaluation of primary data)

GPHY 325 Cultural Geography: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 121D or GPHY 141D. (F) Global cultural landscape evolution; relationships between societies and their physical/political/social environments; cultural practices, identities, and spatialities

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate a broad understanding of cultural geography as a sub-field of human geography
Develop a curiosity and competency for interpreting and exploring cultural landscapes.
Further develop your critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.

GPHY 326 Geography of Energy Resources: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 121 OR GPHY 141D. (Sp) Pre-industrial and contemporary energy systems; global distribution of energy resources; implications of energy resource distribution for contemporary geopolitics and development; metrics of energy consumption

View Course Outcomes:

Exercise and apply "energy literacy"--fluency in the basic features of energy services
Demonstrate competency in fundamental concepts in energy geography, with an emphasis on those concepts most useful in recognizing the sources and consequences of social conflict and inequality and dynamics of system transitions.
Apply these concepts to think critically, structurally and systematically about the connections between social power, space and energy systems.
Demonstrate a basic ability to obtain and apply key indicators about energy systems accurately using publicly-available datasets (including the acquisition, management and evaluation of primary data)

GPHY 329 Environment and Society: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

(F) This course introduces students to the study of relationships between people and the environment from a social science perspective. It explores the social causes and consequences of environmental change and examines the different approaches to decision-making about environmental issues.

View Course Outcomes:

define key aspects of seven different social science approaches to understanding environmental issues
compare the strengths and weaknesses of seven different social science approaches to understanding environmental issues
apply multiple social science approaches to evaluate environmental issues from different perspectives
analyze the complex nature of human-environment relationships
communicate verbally and in writing about the key concepts in the course
demonstrate critical reading and analytical skills related to course content
improve research skills

GPHY 357 GPS Fund/App in Mapping: 3 Credits (1 Lec, 2 Lab)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 284. Theory and application of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to mapping in natural resource and land management sciences. Mapping issues and accuracy assessment are emphasized. Labs and term mapping project include hands-on experience with mapping-grade GNSS receivers and work with Trimble post-processing and ESRI software. Introduction to high-accuracy and survey mapping concepts

View Course Outcomes:

Students will be able to
Explain GPS theory as it applies to mapping
Design and implement a GPS/GIS mapping project using mapping grade receivers and professional software
Identify and solve mapping issues that could impact the accuracy of spatial data
Assess the quality of GPS-collected data
Create accurate and complete metadata for GPS-mapped features
Use knowledge and skills gained in this class in entry level GPS mapping jobs

GPHY 358 GPS Mapping Srvc Learning: 1 Credits (1 Other)

Participation in one of three established GPHY 357 service-learning projects: 1) Gallatin County Search and Rescue (SAR) trail mapping; 2) Urban mapping projects with City of Bozeman GIS; 3) AGAI canal mapping to update the Gallatin Valley inventory of water resources.

View Course Outcomes:

Plan and implement a real-world GPS mapping project.
Apply GPS mapping knowledge and skills in a service-learning context.
Evaluate learning through structured reflection activities.

GPHY 365 Geographical Planning: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

Planning history in the U.S.; Main factors, elements, organization, and issues of urban and rural planning in a geographical context; main principles, methods and tools of geographical planning; integration of physical and human variables into the planning process.

View Course Outcomes:

Connect basic planning history to the purpose/limitations of comprehensive local and regional planning and explain the regulatory structure of state, tribal, and federal law.
Describe elements of a comprehensive plan and critique a range of planning tools and land use controls that contribute to planning policies, documents, actions, and sustainable development.
Explain levels and types of public participation in planning processes and analyze/reflect upon local public participation processes in relation to planning theory.
Collect data through observation and a GIS-interface data collection protocol.
Associate local planning issues to broader landscape and regional levels
Build professional skills you can take with you into the professional realm, including working with a community partner, public speaking, and report writing.
Link course content to real-world examples and personal experiences to inform future practice and citizenship

GPHY 384 Adv GIS and Spatial Analysis: 3 Credits (2 Lec, 1 Lab)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 284 and consent of instructor. (F, Sp) Advanced data model concepts in the context of spatial analysis. Spatial overlay analysis and synthesis in vector and raster. Error and Uncertainty. Data modeling and database design principles to support analysis and modeling applications. Co-convened with GPHY 504

View Course Outcomes:

Think spatially and identify geospatial concepts and methods related to real world issues and topics in your discipline or area of interest.
Identify and apply geospatial data models in the context of spatial analysis.
Describe and implement spatial data conversion techniques.
Describe various analysis, synthesis and modeling concepts.
Describe concepts of error and uncertainty and how they relate to spatial analysis and applications.
Describe the database design process and develop a database schema.
Describe current geospatial technology in relationship to computer technology.
Develop a variety of spatial products including interactive and web maps.
Apply concepts through hands-on exercises using Esri software services.
Ask relevant big picture questions regarding geospatial technologies, and answer similar peer led questions.
Program and execute Python code in Jupyter notebooks.

GPHY 401 Environmental Planning and Management Toolkit: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

(Fall, even years.) Co-convened with GPHY 501. Environmental Planning and Management Toolkit is an introduction to social science research and participatory planning methods, including research design, data collection, data analysis, and communication. Focusing on research and participatory stakeholder engagement process design through a community partnership that focuses on an environmental issue. In addition to building a toolkit of social science research and participatory planning methods, there will be emphasis on research and planning ethics and positionality of the researcher/project manager within environmental planning and management. This course is designed to make you more effective in your own professions through thinking broadly about social, ecological, and economic issues, as well as when interacting with the planning process.

View Course Outcomes:

Describe a basic history of public participation, the role of participation in environmental planning, and ethical considerations in research and participation processes.
Understand differences between participation and engagement and be able to identify when to use which participation/engagement strategies.
Develop a stakeholder analysis map to integrate into a stakeholder engagement plan.
Apply a variety of qualitative and quantitative planning and research methods to collect and analyze social science data and understand when to use which methods.
Become adept at working in teams and delivering a research product to an external partner.
Analyze and effectively communicate social science data.
Build professional skills you can take with you to future research/practice.

GPHY 402 Water and Society: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Junior, senior, or graduate student standing. () Offered Fall, even years. This course introduces students to the study of relationships between people and the environment from a social science perspective. It explores the social causes and consequences of environmental change and examines the different approaches to decision-making about environmental issues. Co-convened with GPHY 502

View Course Outcomes:

Students will develop an interdisciplinary theoretical and conceptual tool-kit to analyze and evaluate the complex relationships between water and society
Students will be able to identify, compare and contrast three dominant water management paradigms that have guided past and current water policy
Students will be able to identify multiple stakeholders in water resource issues and evaluate competing water demands
Students will be able to summarize and evaluate emerging issues, challenges and solutions in the field of water resources management
Students will be able to apply key concepts from the course to local water issues
Students will communicate verbally and in writing about the key concepts in the course
Students will demonstrate critical reading and analytical skills related to course content

GPHY 408 Advanced Geospatial Analysis for Earth Sciences: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 484R or instructor approval. (F) This course emphasizes the practical and research applications of geospatial and temporal analysis in the study of snow, water, and ice resources. Students will participate in lectures, hands-on labs, and field experiences. It is recommended that students have taken ENSC 444 (Watershed Hydrology) and/or ERTH 450 (Snow Dynamics and accumulation)

View Course Outcomes:

Describe fundamental hydrologic processes and how they scale.
Quantify hydrologic processes at a range of scales.
Identify and integrate disparate datasets for meaningful scientific analysis.
Design basic and applied research questions, with a focus on snow and water.
Identify and implement relevant models and software for analysis.
Employ programmatic approaches to water resource questions.
Provide and receive meaningful peer feedback.

GPHY 411 Biogeography: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 121D or BIOB 170IN. Factors affecting the geography of plants and animals in space and time

View Course Outcomes:

Articulate how biophysical conditions, Earth processes, and interspecific interactions influence the spatial distribution of species, populations and communities on Earth.
Outline advances in approaches and techniques used to define a species and species' lineages.
Identify key mechanisms driving speciation and extinction.
Simulate processes outlined in the Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography through lab exercises and apply conclusions to conservation design
Identify key processes shaping the present and future diversity and distribution of species on Earth

GPHY 425 Geographic Thought: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Senior standing in Geography program. (Sp) Senior standing in Geography program. A senior capstone course for the geography option. The exploration of the history of geographic thought; the emergence and evolution of modern academic and applied geography. Contemporary trends and issues in geography through independent research projects. Development of a capstone e-Portfolio documenting career goals and MSU journey

View Course Outcomes:

Describe major intellectual traditions of Western geography/planning and the historical evolution of geographical thought.
Demonstrate understanding of key geography theories through an output of choice (papers/storymaps/podcast/videos) that apply concepts to real-world contexts.
Describe and explain, through an independent research project, the post-2000 evolution of a subfield of geography/planning. Apply knowledge of geographic thought and history to this project by conveying connections to the cultural landscape, as well as human-environment interactions.
Develop an e-Portfolio website to document your career objectives and MSU journey.

GPHY 426 Remote Sensing: 3 Credits (1 Lec, 2 Lab)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 284. (Sp) This course will cover the fundamentals of remote sensing for the natural sciences, including theory and physical principles of radiometry, data acquisition by active and passive sensors, and basic processing and analysis methods. Students will learn which remote sensing data are useful for investigating questions related to vegetation and soil science, geologic mapping, animal movement and behavior, and other topics, and how to query relevant data repositories. Students will learn basic data processing, including radiometric, geometric, and atmospheric processing, and data analysis, including classification and regression. There is no prior coding experience required for this course. Labs will be conducted using open-source and commercial platforms, including Google Earth Engine, ENVI, and ArcGIS Pro

View Course Outcomes:

Explain core theories and principles of active and passive remote sensing, including characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum, earth-energy interactions, and operation and processing of spaceborne, airborne, and UAS sensors.
Demonstrate data processing and data interpretation skills for basic-to-intermediate\\nremote sensing analysis, using open-source (e.g., Google Earth Engine) and commercial software (e.g., ArcGIS Pro, ENVI). Data skills will consist of querying data repositories; data analysis and interpretation; image processing and enhancement; classification and regression; fundamental spatial and time series analysis.
Interpret and illustrate results in reports and interactive maps.

GPHY 429R Applied Remote Sensing: 3 Credits (1 Lec, 2 Lab)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 284. (Sp) This course is for students from all backgrounds interested in using remote sensing as a tool for their fields of study. Emphasis is put on physical principles of active and passive remote sensing, data discovery, basics of campaign planning, data analysis, modifying and writing custom code in R or a coding language of choice, and digital cartography. In the lab, students will use remote sensing data to investigate their own research questions or one of the topics/questions provided. Graduate students are expected to generate and analyze research questions related to the graduate program exceptions are possible

View Course Outcomes:

Describe the basic principles of passive and active remote sensing, including characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum, earth-energy interactions, operation and processing of spaceborne, airborne, and drone sensors.
Demonstrate data processing, analysis, and interpretation skills needed to investigate research questions in their research field. Data skills consist of programmatic interaction with data repositories; remote sensing data investigation and interpretation; combination and joint analysis of remote sensing and environmental data; fundamentals of campaign planning, including the data life cycle; and application of literate programming principles.
Develop (interactive) maps and use version control for code development.
Define research questions related to a topic of their interest or select one of the topics provided. Review the literature for current questions and hypotheses for their topic of study, investigate them using open-source data or data provided by the instructor, describe the methods and results in the format of a scientific paper, and sketch a concise story line.

GPHY 441R Mountain Geography: 4 Credits (2 Lec, 2 Lab)

PREREQUISITE: ERTH 101IN and ERTH 303, STAT 216Q, Junior standing
COREQUISITE: ERTH 303. () Offered Fall, odd years. Local, regional, and global importance of mountains. Geomorphology, climatology, and hydrology of mountain environments, and their relationship to human activities
.

View Course Outcomes:

Analyze, describe and critically review information regarding the global significant of mountains
Increase process knowledge in climatology, hydrology, glaciology and human geography with specific reference to mountain environments
Develop ability to conduct and report findings from independent and group research in an oral\\nand written form\\n

GPHY 445 Adv. Regional Geography: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Two of the following: ERTH 101IN, GPHY 141D, or GPHY 121D. () Offered Fall, odd years. A topical and regional analysis of related political subdivisions or other geographical areas. Course may be taken twice if regional emphases differ. Co-convened with GPHY 545
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

View Course Outcomes:

Recognize patterns of economic opportunity and challenge in the region and competently describe their origins;
Be familiar with datasets and analytical approaches used by resource geographers, demographers, and economists to track and assess impacts of growth
Formulate educated responses to current regional land and resource policy discussionsIn addition, students will demonstrate progress in cultivating core professional skills:
Use and analysis of public data sources to research regional trends and problems
Collaborative problem solving and project management
Public communication, specifically creating and delivering oral and visual presentations geared toward educated lay people with a vested interest in a particular place or issue

GPHY 471R Data Science for Climate and Sustainability Analysis: 3 Credits (2 Lec, 1 Lab)

(F) Consent of instructor. Learn Python data science tools to understand climate change and sustainability challenges. Focus on integrating US Census, OpenStreetMap, remote-sensed and weather/climate datasets using MSU Tempest Computing Cluster. Students will develop self-direct final projects. Prior coding experience recommended, but not required. Co-convened with GPHY 571.

View Course Outcomes:

Combine and analyze opensource human and environmental datasets.
Develop self-directed Python-based sustainability data science workflows for introductory professional workforce.
Generate Python based-based data visualizations to enable decision-making related to sustainability questions.
Formulate and present data science analytical products to broader, non-technical sustainability audiences.

GPHY 484R Applied GIS & Spatial Analysis: 3 Credits (2 Lec, 1 Lab)

PREREQUISITE: GPHY 384 and STAT 332 or STAT 337. (Sp) Advanced spatial analysis, synthesis and modeling concepts and methods. Semester projects apply theory and concepts to a project related to student's discipline. Students learn to develop GIS applications to address a variety of issues

View Course Outcomes:

Conduct professional level data analysis and cartography
Describe how GIScience is being applied in various disciplines
Identify spatial data models and describe how different models relate to various spatial analysis, synthesis and modeling methods
Discuss spatial analysis, synthesis and modeling concepts
Describe advanced modeling concepts and when they might be useful
Research geospatial science concepts in professional journals and publications
Describe GIS organizational and management concepts that are useful for project success
Implement concepts and methods through hands on lab exercises and a semester project

GPHY 490R Undergraduate Research: 1-6 Credits (1 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Consent of instructor. (F, Sp, Su) Directed undergraduate research which may culminate in a research paper, journal article, or undergraduate thesis. Course will address responsible conduct of research. May be repeated
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

GPHY 491 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Course prerequisites as determined for each offering. Offered on demand. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand. Co-convened with GPHY 591
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

GPHY 492 Independent Study: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Junior standing, consent of instructor, and approval of department head. (F, Sp, Su) Directed research and study on an individual basis
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

GPHY 494 Seminar: 1 Credits (1 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Junior standing and as determined for each offering. Topics at the upper division level not covered in regular courses. Students participate in preparing and presenting discussion material
Repeatable up to 4 credits.

GPHY 497 Geography Instruction: 1-2 Credits (1 Lab)

PREREQUISITE: Junior or senior standing in geography and consent of instructor and Department Head. Student works as a tutor and undergraduate teaching assistant in a teaching laboratory under close academic supervision. Weekly meeting focuses on geography teaching, organization of class materials, and student supervision. Weekly lab emphasizes applying active learning concepts in a geography laboratory context
Repeatable up to 4 credits.

GPHY 498 Internship: 2-12 Credits (2-12 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Junior standing, consent of instructor, and approval of department head. (F, Sp, Su) An individualized assignment arranged with an agency, business or other organization to provide guided experience in the field
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

GPHY 501 Environmental Planning and Management Toolkit: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

(F) Co-convened with GPHY 401. Environmental Planning and Management Toolkit is an introduction to social science research and participatory planning methods, including research design, data collection, data analysis, and communication. Focusing on research and participatory stakeholder engagement process design through a community partnership that focuses on an environmental issue. In addition to building a toolkit of social science research and participatory planning methods, there will be emphasis on research and planning ethics and positionality of the researcher/project manager within environmental planning and management. This course is designed to make you more effective in your own professions through thinking broadly about social, ecological, and economic issues, as well as when interacting with the planning process.

View Course Outcomes:

Synthesize a basic history of public participation, the role of participation in environmental planning, ethical considerations in research and participating processes, and apply them to your own research project.
Identify when to use different participation/engagement strategies and apply one of these strategies to develop an engagement method activity.
Apply a variety of qualitative and quantitative planning and research methods to collect and analyze social science data and understand when to use which methods.
Gain project management skills as you lead teams of students to deliver a research product to an external partner and practice a stakeholder engagement method with the class and the public.
Practice teaching skills through generating a reading list and leading a learning activity with the class.
Analyze and effectively communicate social science data.
Build professional skills you can take with you to future research/practice.

GPHY 502 Water and Society: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate student standing. (F) Offered Fall, even years. This course introduces students to the study of relationships between people and the environment from a social science perspective. It explores the social causes and consequences of environmental change and examines the different approaches to decision-making about environmental issues. Co-convened with GPHY 402

View Course Outcomes:

Students will develop an interdisciplinary theoretical and conceptual tool-kit to analyze and evaluate the complex relationships between water and society.
Students will be able to identify, compare and contrast three dominant water management paradigms that have guided past and current water policy.
Students will be able to identify multiple stakeholders in water resource issues and evaluate competing water demands.
Students will be able to summarize and evaluate emerging issues, challenges and solutions in the field of water resources management.
Students will be able to apply key concepts from the course to local water issues.
Students will communicate verbally and in writing about the key concepts in the course.
Students will demonstrate critical reading and analytical skills related to course content.

GPHY 504 GIS Research Fundamentals: 3 Credits (2 Lec, 1 Lab)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing. (F) Geographic Information Science Fundamentals in the context of developing a research program. Spatial data principles, data models, conversion and sampling strategies, analysis methods and cartography. Lab exercises uses GIS software. Students specialty area explored through literature review and individual project. Lecture co-convened with GPHY 384

View Course Outcomes:

Think spatially and identify geospatial concepts and methods related to real world issues and topics in your discipline or area of interest.
Identify and apply geospatial data models in the context of spatial analysis.
Describe and implement spatial data conversion techniques.
Describe various analysis, synthesis, and modeling concepts.
Describe concepts of error and uncertainty and how they relate to spatial analysis and applications.
Describe the database design process and develop a database schema.
Describe current geospatial technology in relationship to computer technology.
Develop a variety of spatial products including interactive and web maps.
Apply concepts through hands-on exercises using Esri software services.
Ask relevant big picture questions regarding geospatial technologies and answer similar peer led questions.
Program and execute Python code in Jupyter notebooks.

GPHY 506 Topics in Resource Geography: 3 Credits (3 Other)

() Offered Fall, even years. Resource geographers are concerned with the forces that shape resource development and its outcomes or landscapes, cultures and livelihoods. The goal of this seminar is to introduce and engage with fundamental and current scholarship that addresses resource development—its drivers and outcomes—from a geographic perspective. This is readings-intensive seminar.

View Course Outcomes:

Survey and critique scholarly literature in rural economic and resource geography, with a focus both on argument and research design and the basis and construction of arguments
Analyze case studies through a process of examination, scrutinization and comparison oriented around conceptual frameworks or theories
Synthesize scholarly literature to produce defensible critiques, observe comparisons, and identify knowledge gaps
Propose the application of existing or novel approaches to research questions and research design in rural economic/resource geography
Formulate, articulate and defend challenges to the status quo in research and scholarly practice

GPHY 507 Topics in Political Ecology: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. () Offered Spring, even years. This course surveys foundational and recent work in Political Ecology to provide an overview of the theories and methods commonly used in the subfield. This includes Marxist political economy, cultural ecology, and poststructural theories of nature

View Course Outcomes:

Explain the complex causes and consequences of environmental change
Challenge “apolitical” explanations of environmental change (e.g., ecoscarcity and modernization)
Identify who (and what) wins and loses in processes of globalization and environmental change
Apply these theories and methods to their own research

GPHY 508 Advanced Geospatial Analysis for Earth Sciences: 3 Credits (2 Lec, 1 Lab)

(F) It is recommended that students have taken ENSC 444 (Watershed Hydrology) or ENSC 445 (Watershed Analysis), and/or ERTH 450 (Snow Dynamics and Accumulation). This course emphasizes the practical and research applications of geospatial and temporal analysis in the study of snow, water, and ice resources. Students will participate in lectures, hands-on labs, and field experiences.

View Course Outcomes:

Describe fundamental hydrologic processes and how they scale.
Quantify hydrologic processes at a range of scales.
Identify and integrate disparate datasets for meaningful scientific analysis.
Design basic and applied research questions, with a focus on snow and water.
Identify and implement relevant models and software for analysis.
Employ programmatic approaches to water resource questions.
Provide and receive meaningful peer feedback.

GPHY 520 Land Use Planning: 3 Credits (3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing. () Offered Fall, odd years. History and philosophy of land use planning; application of geographical skills to contemporary land use planning issues. Selected topics include population pressure and land requirement, law, eminent domain, property right, public control over private land use, institution, and economics in land use planning

View Course Outcomes:

Relate the basic history to the purpose/limitations of comprehensive local and regional planning and explain the regulatory structure of state, tribal, and federal law.
Apply planning theories and frameworks to analyze planning issues and tools.
Relate local planning issues to broader landscape and regional levels.
Describe elements of a comprehensive plan and critique a range of planning tools and land use controls that contribute to planning policies, documents, and actions
Explain levels and types of public participation in planning processes and analyze/reflect upon local public participation processes in relation to planning theory
Build professional skills you can take with you into the professional realm.
Link course content to real-world examples and personal experiences to inform future practice and citizenship.

GPHY 545 Adv Regional Geography: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Two of the following: ERTH 101, GPHY 121, or GPHY 141. () Offered Fall, odd years. A topical and regional analysis of related political subdivisions or other geographical areas. Course may be taken twice if regional emphases differ. Co-convened with GPHY 445

GPHY 571 Data Science for Climate and Sustainability Analysis: 3 Credits (2 Lec, 1 Lab)

(F) Learn Python data science tools to understand climate change and sustainability challenges. Focus on integrating US Census, OpenStreetMap, remote-sensed and weather/climate datasets using MSU Tempest Computing Cluster. Students will develop self-direct final projects. Prior coding experience recommended, but not required. Co-convened with GPHY 471.

View Course Outcomes:

Combine and analyze opensource human and environmental datasets.
Develop self-directed Python-based sustainability data science workflows for graduate-level research.
Generate Python based-based data visualizations to enable decision-making related to sustainability questions.
Formulate and present data science analytical products to broader, non-technical sustainability audiences.
Identify and critique limitations in human and environmental datasets.

GPHY 575 Professional Paper: 1-6 Credits ()

PREREQUISITE: Consent of Instructor
A research or professional paper or project dealing with a topic in the field. The topic must have been mutually agreed upon by the student and his or her major advisor and graduate committee.
Dept of Earth Sciences.
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

View Course Outcomes:

Ability to draw on published literature in order to synthesize previous research on a selected topic.

GPHY 591 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate Standing; Upper division courses and others as determined for each offering. Offered on demand. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

GPHY 592 Independent Study: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, approval of department head and Dean of Graduate Studies. (F, Sp, Su) Directed research and study on an individual basis
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

GPHY 594 Seminar: 1 Credits (1 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing or seniors by petition. Course prerequisites as determined for each offering. Topics offered at the graduate level which are not covered in regular courses. Students participate in preparing and presenting discussion material