Department of Geography and the Environment
The information in parentheses after a course number is the Texas Common Course Numbering (TCCN) designation. Only TCCN designations that are exact semester-hour equivalents of University courses are listed here. Additional TCCN information is given in Appendix A .
Geography: GRG
Lower-Division Courses
GRG 301C (TCCN: GEOG 1301). The Natural Environment.
Geomorphic processes that shape the earth's surface; origin and evolution of landforms. Groundwater and water resources. Pedogenesis and soil properties. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester, and a one-day field trip.
GRG 301K (TCCN: GEOL 1347). Weather and Climate.
A survey of meteorological phenomena and climatological processes of the earth. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
GRG 302P. Topics in Cultural Geography.
Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
GRG 303P. Topics in Physical Geography.
Three lecture hours or two lecture hours and one discussion hour a week for one semester. Additional hours may be required for some topics. Only one of the following may be counted unless the topics vary: Geography 303P, 304P, 309. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
GRG 304E. Environmental Science: A Changing World.
Surveys the major global environmental concerns affecting the Earth and its residents from the perspectives of the environmental sciences. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
GRG 304P. Topics in Geographical Methods.
Three lecture hours or two lecture hours and one discussion hour a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted unless the topics vary: Geography 303P, 304P, 309. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
GRG 305 (TCCN: GEOG 1303). This Human World: An Introduction to Geography.
Introductory survey of human geography, including human-environment relations, cultural patterns and processes, and geography's relation to other fields of study. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week for one semester.
GRG 306C. Conservation.
Introduction to environmental management, with emphasis on the major causes and consequences of environmental degradation. The course is organized around the premise that people cannot solve environmental problems unless they know how and why they occur; a major objective is to identify and understand the sociocultural forces that drive environmental degradation. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
GRG 307C. Introduction to Urban Studies.
Same as Urban Studies 301. A multidisciplinary study of cities and complex urban environments; historical and contemporary issues from both national and international perspectives. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
GRG 308. Computer Cartography.
An introduction to the computer languages, equipment, and techniques employed in modern automated cartography. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
GRG 309. Topics in Human Geography.
Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted unless the topics vary: Geography 303P, 304P, 309. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
GRG 310C. Spatial Data and Analysis.
Fundamental concepts in spatial data acquisition, analysis, and presentation, with emphasis on the needs of professionals in cartography, geographic information systems (GIS), and remote sensing. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
GRG 312. Maps and Map Interpretation.
History of maps and mapping; types and uses; chief sources; reading and interpretation. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
GRG 319. Geography of Latin America.
Same as Latin American Studies 319. Adaptations to population growth and spatial integration in cultural landscapes of great natural and ethnic diversity; problems of frontiers and cities. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
GRG 119S, 219S, 319S, 419S, 519S, 619S, 719S, 819S, 919S. Topics in Geography.
This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad Office. Credit is recorded as assigned by the study abroad adviser in the Department of Geography and the Environment. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Upper-Division Courses
GRG 320K. Land and Life: The American Southwest.
Historical geography of the southwestern United States, emphasizing the ways of life of American Indian, Spanish, mestizo, and Anglo cultures. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with one field trip to be arranged. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 323K. Geography of South America.
Same as Latin American Studies 330 (Topic 3: Geography of South America). Ecological, cultural, and political challenges of the densely populated margins and sparsely populated interior frontier of South America; appropriate development and conservation pathways. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 325. Geography of Texas.
Texas as an environmental and cultural borderland: as a transition zone between plains and mountains, humid and arid, South and West, Anglo-America and Latin America. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 326. Regions and Cultures of Europe.
Spatial patterns in Europe, with emphasis on cultural, historical, and political geography. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Geography 326; 385 (Topic: Regions and Cultures of Europe); Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies 345 (Topic 2: Regions and Cultures of Europe). Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 327. Geography of the Former Soviet Union.
Same as Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies 345 (Topic 4: Geography of the Former Soviet Union). A systematic introduction to cultural, physical, political, and economic geography of the former Soviet Union. Focus on the fundamental transformation that the former Socialist Union Republics, now sovereign states, have undergone since 1991. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 328. Geography of the Middle East.
Same as Middle Eastern Studies 341 (Topic 1: Geography of the Middle East). Major elements of physical and social environment in the region extending from Egypt to Afghanistan. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Geography 328, Middle Eastern Studies 322K (Topic 3: Geography of the Middle East), 341 (Topic 1). Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 129S, 229S, 329S, 429S, 529S, 629S, 729S, 829S, 929S. Topics in Geography.
This course is used to record credit the student earns while enrolled at another institution in a program administered by the University's Study Abroad Office. Credit is recorded as assigned by the study abroad adviser in the Department of Geography and the Environment. University credit is awarded for work in an exchange program; it may be counted as coursework taken in residence. Transfer credit is awarded for work in an affiliated studies program. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
GRG 331. Geography of Asia.
Natural regions and cultural landscapes of Asia, excluding the former Soviet Union. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Asian Studies 331 and Geography 331 may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 331K. Cultural Ecology.
Same as Anthropology 324L (Topic 17: Cultural Ecology). Long-term patterns and processes of conversion of planet Earth to the human home, including the emergence of humans, the achievement of control over the food supply, the emergence of civilizations, and globalization. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 333C. Severe and Unusual Weather.
In-depth discussion of inclement weather phenomena (tornadoes, tropical cyclones, floods, drought) and their effects on human beings, as well as the climatology of those types of weather events. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional field hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Geography 301K.
GRG 333K. Climate Change.
Examines changes in climatic systems over both short and long time periods in relation to impacts on physical and ecological systems. Discusses past, present, and future changes in climatic conditions and the methods used to make those evaluations. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geography 333K and 356T (Topic: Climate Change) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and Geography 301C or 301K.
GRG 334. Conservation, Resources, and Technology.
Analysis of the relationship between the human population and its resource base, with particular emphasis on current problems in environmental resource management. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 334C. Environmental Hazards.
Earth science processes that affect human activities: soil, erosion, flooding, slope stability, earthquakes, volcanism, and water resources and quality. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 334K. Soils.
Morphology, genesis, properties, and distribution of world soils. Factors of soil formation. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing; and six semester hours of coursework in physical geography or one or more of the geological or natural sciences, or the equivalent.
GRG 335C. Quaternary Landscapes.
Changing physical and biotic landscapes on the Ice Age earth during the last two million years. Reconstruction of Quaternary geomorphic landscapes based on principles and applications of geochronology and paleoclimatology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geography 335C and 385C may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and Geography 301C.
GRG 335K. Mountain Geoecology.
Geological evolution of mountains. Physical geography of mountains: climates, soils, vegetation, landforms and geomorphic processes. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in physical geography or one or more of the geological or natural sciences.
GRG 335N. Landscape Ecology.
The study of spatial patterns in the earth's biosphere found within landscapes, typically areas measured in square kilometers. Examines the processes that create those patterns, drawing from ecology, biogeography, and many other disciplines. Also explores the practical applications of landscape ecology to the study of natural environments and those managed or altered by human activities. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geography 335N and 356T (Topic: Landscape Ecology) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and three semester hours of coursework in physical geography or one of the geological or natural sciences.
GRG 336. Contemporary Cultural Geography.
Recent theoretical developments in cultural geography, with a focus on landscapes and the everyday practices that imbue them with meaning; the ways those meanings are contested and are the foci of struggle; and how the relationship between culture and space plays a central role in the social construction of identity. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 336C. National Parks and Protected Areas.
The history, purpose, and meaning of national parks (and preserves, refuges, and other publicly protected natural areas), from their inception at Yellowstone in 1872 to their present global distribution. Emphasis is on key management issues and dilemmas in the parks today; and the adoption and modification of Western notions of nature preservation within non-Western cultural settings. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 337. The Modern American City.
Same as Architecture 350R (Topic 1: The Modern American City) and Urban Studies 352 (Topic 1: The Modern American City). Issues facing residents of United States cities, such as transportation and housing, poverty and crime, metropolitan finance, environmental and architectural design; historical/comparative urban evolution. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 338C. Rivers and Landscapes: Fluvial Geomorphology.
Drainage basin evolution and channel adjustment, variability of river systems in differing geomorphic regimes, relationships between fluvial systems and other components of physical geography, and the role of humans as geomorphic agents. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional field hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing; and Geography 301C or Geological Sciences 401, or the equivalent.
GRG 339. Process Geomorphology.
Analysis of geomorphic processes and their effects on landform development. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and credit or registration for Geography 301C or Geological Sciences 401.
GRG 339C. Principles of Environmental Conservation.
Environmental conservation issues, focusing on the factors that control the production and consumption of environment-based resources. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 339K. Environment, Development, and Food Production.
Assessment of various types of agriculture with regard to environmental factors and management techniques. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geography 339K and 390S may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 340D. Political Ecology of Globalization and Environmental Degradation.
Study of current environmental problems from the perspective of political ecology, which critically examines political, economic, and social relations between humans and the natural world. Uses case studies from Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East to address climate change, deforestation, desertification, biodiversity, and environmental justice. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 341K. Landscapes of Mexico and Caribbean America.
Same as Latin American Studies 330 (Topic 2: Landscapes of Mexico and Caribbean America). The natural regions and cultural landscapes of Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 342C. Sustainable Development.
Historical and contemporary analysis of international development with a focus on the prospects for environmental sustainability. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Asian Studies 342C and Geography 342C may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 344K. Global Food, Farming, and Hunger.
Examination of contemporary transformations in global agro-food systems, with emphasis on the current paradox of epidemic obesity in some parts of the world and enduring hunger in others. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geography 344K and 356T (Topic: Farming, Food, and Global Hunger) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 346. The Human Use of the Earth.
The state of the world from an ecological perspective. Case studies are drawn from a wide range of ecological settings and involve both traditional and modern societies. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 348C. Geography of South Asia.
Same as Asian Studies 348C. Natural regions and cultural landscapes of South Asia. Agriculture, urban structure, issues of environment and development. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 350K. Geographies of Globalization.
Examines the process of globalization by theoretically and empirically analyzing the rise of capitalism and industrial modernity, its evolution into a global system through methods such as colonization and free-trade imperialism, and its metamorphosis into the postmodern cultural, economic and political process known as globalization. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geography 350K and 356T (Topic: Introduction to Globalization) may not both be counted.
GRG 356. Topics in Environmental Geography.
Topics include environmental assessment methods and techniques, the conservation movement, and climate and people. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 356C. Geo-Archaeology and Environmental History.
Long-term ecology as reconstructed from settlement and land-use histories. Empirical case studies in environmental history from the Mediterranean region, the Near East, and Mesoamerica. Applications to degradation, desertification, sustainability, and global change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Anthropology 382N, Geography 356C, 382K. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 356T, 456T. Topics in Geography.
Three or four lecture hours a week for one semester. Some topics may require additional field trips; these are identified in the Course Schedule. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.
Topic 1: The Culture of Cities. Geography 356T (Topic 1) is same as American Studies 370 (Topic 13: The Culture of Cities) and Urban Studies 354 (Topic 4: The Culture of Cities). Examines the social, geographical, and cultural evolution of the United States from a rural and small-town society to an urban and suburban nation. Subjects may include the segregation of public and private space; the formation of urban subcultures organized by gender, work, race, religion, and sexuality; social and spatial divisions between rich and poor and native-born and immigrant; and the increasing importance of "cultural capital" in reshaping urban politics and in conflicts over revitalization and gentrification. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 2: Memory and Place. Geography 356T (Topic 2) is same as American Studies 370 (Topic 23: Memory and Place). Explores how cultural memory is produced in its various forms, from memorials, public art, and commodities to popular culture, rituals, and museums, and how public remembering is inevitably anchored in specific geographic places. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 3: Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing for Archaeology and Paleontology. Geography 356T (Topic 3) is same as Anthropology 324L (Topic 33: Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing for Archaeology and Paleontology). Designed to give students interested in the fields of archaeology, physical anthropology, and paleontology a foundation in the use of geographical information systems (GIS) and the analysis of remotely sensed data from satellites and aerial photographs. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 357. Medical Geography.
The geographic distribution, expansion, and contraction of the infectious diseases that have the greatest influence in shaping human societies today: malaria, AIDS, and others. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 358. Cities in Developing Countries.
Comparative analysis of demographic, social, economic, and political features of cities in Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa; emphasis on regional imbalance, migration, occupational and social stratification, housing the poor, and suburbanization. Possibilities for individual research. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Asian Studies 358 and Geography 358 may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 358E. Geography and Religion.
Same as Humanities 350 (Topic 3: Geography and Religion). Ideas about the relationships among the natural world, myth, and ritual; principal focus on Christianity, Islam, and Judaism and their offshoots and antagonists in the Western world. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Geography 358E, Humanities 350 (Topic 3), Middle Eastern Studies 322K (Topic 15: Geography and Religion). Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 460C. The Geographer's Craft.
A comprehensive introductory survey of research techniques used in contemporary geography. The course uses the problem-solving approach to teach technical skills and concepts drawn from cartography, remote sensing, geographical information systems, spatial statistics, and maps and map interpretation. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester.
GRG 360G. Environmental Geographic Information Systems.
An introduction to the creation and use of geographic information systems. Three lecture hours and two discussion hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Geography 310C.
GRG 360L. Spatial Analysis.
Application of statistical techniques to spatial problems: research and experimental design, hypothesis testing and sampling, with reference to spatial patterns and areal associations. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 462K. Introduction to Remote Sensing of the Environment.
The use of electromagnetic energy to sense objects in the natural environment; interpretation and recognition of patterns detected by sensors. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 464K. Advanced Remote Sensing and Pattern Analysis.
Advanced classification techniques for satellite image processing and landscape pattern analysis. Three lecture hours and one and one-half discussion hours a week for one semester. Geography 356 (Topic: Advanced Remote Sensing and Pattern Analysis) and 464K may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and Geography 462K or the equivalent or consent of instructor.
GRG 366C. Comparative Ecosystems.
The important ecosystem processes that affect the distributions, characteristics, and management of natural environments at landscape, regional, and continental scales. Ecosystem functions, including nutrient cycling, water balance, and the role of natural disturbances in a wide range of ecosystems, from the tundra to the rain forests and grasslands of the tropics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geography 356T (Topic: Comparative Ecosystems) and 366C may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and three semester hours of coursework in physical geography or one of the geological or natural sciences.
GRG 366K. Biogeography.
Contemporary patterns of plant and animal distribution, and the environmental and historical processes affecting them. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and three semester hours of coursework in physical geography or one of the geological or natural sciences.
GRG 367K. Vegetation Ecology.
Plant autecology and synecology. Ecological factors and processes of plant communities. Vegetation geoecology, succession, and dynamics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in physical geography or one or more of the geological or natural sciences.
GRG 368C. Spatial Analysis and Geographic Information Systems.
Addresses spatial problem solving by focusing on both the theoretical/conceptual and practical aspects of geographic information systems modeling. Describes geographic information systems techniques and spatial statistics used to quantify and measure spatial patterns. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and credit or registration for Geography 360G.
GRG 470C. Advanced Geographic Information Systems.
Study of methods of spatial analysis, design and implementation of a geographic information system, vector and raster modeling, and advanced applications of geographic information systems. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Geography 360G and consent of instructor.
GRG 373F. Field Techniques.
Introduction to the collection and mapping of environmental and cultural data, involving both classroom lectures and outdoor exercises. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, a major in geography, and consent of instructor.
GRG 373K. Field Methods for Landscape Characterization.
The design of research questions and the acquisition of data for the characterization of landscapes. Utilizes geographical and ecological field-based methods. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and Geography 301C or the equivalent.
GRG 374. Frontiers in Geography.
Restricted to geography majors and students seeking a secondary school teaching certificate with geography as the second teaching field. Current concerns and methodology in the field of geography; an introduction to theory and research in geography. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester, with one field trip to be arranged. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and consent of the undergraduate adviser.
GRG 476T. Topics in Geography.
Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
GRG 679H. Honors Tutorial Course.
For honors candidates in geography. Individual reading of selected works for one semester, followed in the second semester by the writing of an honors thesis. Regular conferences with the faculty supervisor are also required. Conference course for two semesters. Prerequisite: For 679HA, admission to the Geography Honors Program no later than two semesters before expected graduation; for 679HB, Geography 679HA. A University grade point average of at least 3.00 and a grade point average in geography of at least 3.50 are required for admission to the Geography Honors Program.
GRG 379K. Conference Course.
Supervised individual study of selected problems in geography. Conference course. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Six semester hours of upper-division coursework in one or more of the social, geological, or natural sciences; and consent of instructor.
GRG 379L. Practicum: Internships in Applied Geography.
Research and staff experience working in an appropriate government agency or private business. At least six but no more than nine hours of work a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Completion of at least seventy semester hours of coursework, including twelve semester hours of geography, and consent of the undergraduate adviser.
Urban Studies: URB
Lower-Division Courses
URB 301. Introduction to Urban Studies.
Same as Geography 307C. A multidisciplinary study of cities and complex urban environments; historical and contemporary issues from both national and international perspectives. Three lecture hours a week for one semester.
URB 305. Introductory Topics in Urban Studies.
An introduction to urban studies within the framework of different disciplines. Topics include urban history, urban education, politics and governance, economics, design and planning, and society and culture. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.
URB 315. Urban Studies Research Methods.
An introduction to urban studies research methodologies. Includes sources of urban data, the use of the library in urban research, formulating research questions, research design, methods commonly used in urban research, the use of computers to store and manipulate quantitative urban data, and an introduction to data analysis and theoretical and practical applications of urban research. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Mathematics 408C or 408K with a grade of at least C-; Mathematics 316 or Statistics and Scientific Computation 305 with a grade of at least C-; and Urban Studies 301.
Upper-Division Courses
URB 325. Special Topics in Urban Studies.
Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Additional hours may be required for some topics; these are identified in the Course Schedule. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.
URB 350. Topics in Urban Politics and Governance.
The basic political and administrative structures of cities and metropolitan regions, including problems associated with local and regional government. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.
Topic 1: Urban Politics. Same as Government 370L (Topic 11: Urban Politics). Prerequisite: Six semester hours of lower-division coursework in government.
URB 351. Topics in Urban Economics.
Urban economics and the application of economic analysis to urban concerns, including economic development, urbanization, urban form, public finance, and competition. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.
Topic 1: Development Problems and Policies in Latin America. Same as Economics 355 and Latin American Studies 355 (Topic 1: Development Problems and Policies in Latin America). Description of the Latin American economy; business and market organization; problem of growth (involving credit, public finance, trade, investment aspects). Prerequisite: Economics 304K and 304L with a grade of at least C- in each.
Topic 2: Urban Economics. Same as Economics 334K. Economic analysis of urban areas; emphasis on the nature of current urban problems--slums, transportation, finance--and an evaluation of current policy. Prerequisite: Economics 420K with a grade of at least C-.
Topic 3: Regional Economics. Same as Economics 334L. Spatial aspects of economics, including concepts, theories, and policy applications. Prerequisite: Economics 420K with a grade of at least C-.
URB 352. Topics in Urban Design and Planning.
Issues concerning the built environment and urban infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and the public policy framework designed to manage the challenges presented by these issues. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.
Topic 1: The Modern American City. Same as Architecture 350R (Topic 1: The Modern American City) and Geography 337. Issues facing residents of United States cities, such as transportation and housing, poverty and crime, metropolitan finance, environmental and architectural design; historical/comparative urban evolution. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 2: American Dream: Status Quo and Alternatives. Same as Architecture 350R (Topic 2: American Dream: Status Quo and Alternatives).
Topic 3: Urban Design Practice. Same as Architecture 350R (Topic 3: Urban Design Practice).
Topic 4: Economy/Value/Quality of Life. Same as Architecture 350R (Topic 4: Economy/Value/Quality of Life).
Topic 5: Modernism in American Design and Architecture. Same as American Studies 330 and Art History 367 (Topic 3: Modernism in American Design and Architecture). A historical survey of artifacts, buildings, and urban environments, focusing on responses to machine-age civilization. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
URB 353. Topics in Urban History.
The historical evolution of cities, contemporary urban development trends, and the links between social development and physical form. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Some topics partially fulfill legislative requirement for American history. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.
Topic 1: African American History since 1860. Same as American Studies 321F, African and African Diaspora Studies 357D, and History 357D. Survey of the history of African Americans in the United States from 1860 to the present: Emancipation, Reconstruction politics, migration and urbanization, and the evolution of African American culture; kinds of sources and methods valuable for analyzing African American life and culture. Only one of the following may be counted: African and African Diaspora Studies 357D, American Studies 321 (Topic: African American History since 1860), 321F, History 357D, Urban Studies 353 (Topic 1). Partially fulfills legislative requirement for American history. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 2: Texas, 1914 to the Present. Same as History 320R and Mexican American Studies 374 (Topic 16: Texas, 1914 to the Present). The steady dissociation of Texas from its Old South status to a transitional state and a power in national politics. Three semester hours of Texas history may be substituted for half of the legislative requirement for American history. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 5: Environmental History of North America. Same as American Studies 329 and History 350R (Topic 7: Environmental History of North America). The history of humanity's influence on the plants, animals, microlife, soils, water, and air of North America, and vice versa, from the arrival of the proto-Indians to the contemporary environmental crisis. Only one of the following may be counted: American Studies 329, History 350L (Topic 4: Environmental History of North America), 350R (Topic 7), Urban Studies 353 (Topic 5). Partially fulfills legislative requirement for American history. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in history.
URB 354. Topics in Urban Society and Culture.
Topics on the social and cultural diversity within cities; social policies; and the sociocultural impact of the media and other institutions on urban development. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Some topics partially fulfill legislative requirement for American history. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Varies with the topic and is given in the Course Schedule.
Topic 2: Society of Modern Mexico. Same as Latin American Studies 325 (Topic 1: Society of Modern Mexico) and Sociology 335. Family, community, industrialization, and urbanization in modern Mexico.
Topic 4: The Culture of Cities. Same as American Studies 370 (Topic 13: The Culture of Cities) and Geography 356T (Topic 1: The Culture of Cities). Examines the social, geographical, and cultural evolution of the United States from a rural and small-town society to an urban and suburban nation. Subjects may include the segregation of public and private space; the formation of urban subcultures organized by gender, work, race, religion, and sexuality; social and spatial divisions between rich and poor and native-born and immigrant; and the increasing importance of "cultural capital" in reshaping urban politics and in conflicts over revitalization and gentrification. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 6: The City and Urbanization. Same as Sociology 346. Examination of urbanization from a cross-national perspective: discrimination and racial inequality in urban labor markets. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 7: Vienna: Memory and the City. Same as American Studies 370 (Topic 41: Vienna: Memory and the City), European Studies 346 (Topic 5: Vienna: Memory and the City), and History 362G (Topic 2: Vienna: Memory and the City). Examines the ways in which cultural memory has shaped, and continues to shape, urban life in Vienna, Austria. Only one of the following may be counted: American Studies 315 (Topic: Vienna: Memory and the City), 370 (Topic 41), European Studies 301 (Topic: Vienna: Memory and the City), 306 (Topic: Vienna: Memory and the City), 346 (Topic 5), Geography 309 (Topic: Vienna: Memory and the City), Germanic Civilization 311(Topic: Vienna: Memory and the City), History 306N (Topic: Vienna: Memory and the City), 362G (Topic 2), Urban Studies 305 (Topic: Vienna: Memory and the City), 354 (Topic 7). Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
URB 360. Internship and Service Learning.
Internship experience in an urban studies-related public or nonprofit agency. Students have the opportunity to apply the knowledge, theory, and understanding gained from courses in their areas of specialization to urban issues in a professional setting. Includes an academic service-learning component. Approximately five to ten hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Urban Studies 301 and 315, and upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
URB 370. Senior Project.
Students identify an urban issue, develop a position paper, and work closely with a faculty adviser on a project. Students may use text or other media (such as video or portfolio) to present their arguments. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and Urban Studies 301, 315, and 360 with a grade of at least C in each.
URB 379. Conference Course.
Supervised individual study of selected problems in urban studies. Conference course. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and consent of instructor and the undergraduate adviser.
URB 679H. Honors Tutorial Course.
Directed reading and research or creation of an honors project, followed by the writing of a thesis. Conference course for two semesters. Prerequisite: For 679HA, admission to the Urban Studies Honors Program and consent of the urban studies adviser; for 679HB, Urban Studies 679HA.