Graduate Courses

The faculty has approval to offer the following courses in the academic years 2017–2018 and 2018–2019; however, not all courses are taught each semester or summer session. Students should consult the Course Schedule to determine which courses and topics will be offered during a particular semester or summer session. The Course Schedule may also reflect changes made to the course inventory after the publication of this catalog.

Geography: GRG

GRG 380. Field Course in Geography.

Collection of data, formulation of meaningful categories of regions, development of hypotheses of cause-and-effect relations through direct contact with the phenomena and processes in the area where a problem is located. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 380C. Myth, Ritual, Place, and Environment.

Impact of local religious lore and practice on cultural landscapes, conservation, and sense of place; cultural and environmental consequences of the spatial expansion of world religions; other themes in the geography of religion, including civil religion and environmental theology. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 380D. Environment and Health in Latin America.

Same as Latin American Studies 388 (Topic 4: Environment and Health in Latin America). Issues related to health, health care, and development in Latin America and the Caribbean, considered with the recognition that health depends on the interactions of social, economic, and political factors as well as on health care services. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 380E. Geomorphology of the Southwest.

Geography of West Texas and New Mexico; late Cenozoic basalt flows, volcanic ashes, sand sheets, alluvium, paleolake deposits, glacial moraines, colluvium, and soils; integration of landforms and landscape ecology. Includes a ten-day field trip. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional field hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 380F. Field Techniques in Sediments and Soils.

Designed to provide experience in field description of sediments and soils in Central Texas; second half of course focuses on field interpretation of geomorphology and landscape evolution using sedimentary deposits and soils. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 381. Seminar in Historical Geography.

Topics include Latin America, Anglo-America, Texas, boundaries, settlement origins and patterns, origins of agriculture. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in geography or a related social science, and consent of instructor.

GRG 381C. Mapping the Middle East.

Same as Middle Eastern Studies 381 (Topic 31: Mapping the Middle East). Ways in which the Middle East is and has been represented cartographically. Cartographic representations of the region during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries; the nature and evolution of a distinctive Islamic cartographic tradition; the role and use of maps during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries both in the extension of colonialism and in the creation of modern states; and the contemporary use, applications, and implications of geographic information systems in organizing and representing data spatially. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 382K. Geo-Archaeology and Environmental History.

Same as Anthropology 382N. 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: Graduate standing.

GRG 383C. Seminar in Environment and Development.

A third- and fourth-world perspective on the geographic implications of international development; emphasis on local and global environmental effects. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in geography or a related social science.

Topic 2: Environment and Development in the Middle East. Same as Middle Eastern Studies 381 (Topic 29: Environment and Development in the Middle East).

GRG 384C. Watershed Systems and Environmental Management.

The effect of landcover change on drainage basin processes, considered from a geomorphological perspective over varying temporal and spatial scales. Topics may include watershed management, stream channel restoration, fluvial geomorphic processes, and Geographic Information Systems applications to drainage basin processes. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional field hours to be arranged. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 385. Seminar in Regional Geography.

Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing; consent of instructor.

Topic 1: Regional Geography of Latin America. Same as Latin American Studies 388 (Topic 1: Regional Geography of Latin America). Topics include land and life in Central America; culture, environment, and development in Latin America; recent trends in Latin American geography.
Topic 2: Europe. Topics include various aspects of the economic and political geography of individual nations or regions, such as regional differences in Southeast Europe, agricultural developments in European Community countries, trade, viability of individual countries, the changing resources picture in Western and Eastern Europe.
Topic 3: Anglo-America. Topics include agricultural patterns of the United States, comparative regional studies, measurement and delimitation of regions, analysis of population shifts.
Topic 4: Asia. Topics include economic regionalization in Asia, spatial structure of Asian manufacturing, regional discrimination analysis for selected areas and variables in Asia, urban structure in South Asia, developmental activity and spatial change in India.
Topic 5: Regional Geography of the Middle East and North Africa. Same as Middle Eastern Studies 381 (Topic 11: Regional Geography of the Middle East and North Africa). Topics include developmental activity and spatial change in the Middle East, comparative regional studies.

GRG 385C. Quaternary Landscapes.

Changing physical and biotic landscapes on Ice Age earth during the past 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: Graduate standing.

GRG 386C. Seminar in Quaternary Studies.

Issues and new developments in regional and global aspects of Quaternary climates, biota, prehistory, and landscape evolution. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 387C. Political Ecology.

An introduction to the history of development theory, economic globalization, studies in the history of science, issues of social justice, and critical studies of environmental history. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geography 387C and 396T (Topic: Political Ecology) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 387D. Globalization, Conflict, and Resistance.

Focuses on a theoretical and empirical understanding of the economic, cultural, political, and policy dimensions of globalization; study of the impact of globalization on people and places; understanding of class and identity conflicts using case studies from Latin America, the United States, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia; and exploration of theories of social movement with examples from the global North and South. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 388. Seminar in Resources and Conservation.

Development of the conservation movement, problems of resource misuse, conservation practices, state and national conservation policies, nature and distribution of natural resources. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in geography or a related social science, and consent of instructor.

GRG 388C. Indigenous Maps, Architecture, and Enculturation of Colonial Mexico.

Same as Latin American Studies 388 (Topic 2: Indigenous Maps, Architecture, and Enculturation of Colonial Mexico). The encounter of Spanish and indigenous cultures and ecologies; regional diversity of agricultural, urban, and economic development from 1521 to 1810; ethnic transformation and new socioeconomic configurations. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 388R. Forest Hydrology.

Traces the history of forest hydrology as a science that describes the natural complexities of water movement through forested headwater landscapes and the changes imposed to these processes by disturbances associated with extreme weather events, deforestation, timber harvesting, wildfires, and climate change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geography 388R and 396T (Topic: Forest Hydrology) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 390. Cultural and Humanistic Geography.

Analysis of human-environment interactions by employing the concepts of place, home, and dwelling. Discussion of humanistic and postmodern geographical research. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 390C. Landscape, Meaning, and Society.

The creation, transformation, and meaning of landscapes within different societies through time. Iconographical analysis of the built environment; impress of belief and ideology on landscape; analysis of nationalistic and authoritarian landscapes; problems of defining and mapping ethnicity; civilizational process and behavior; institutional vandalism, place annihilation, and the destruction and effacement of landscape symbols; cultural and geographical foundations and unintended consequences of global economic integration. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 390K. Issues in Geography.

Examines the history, philosophy, and ontology of geography, including its various subfields. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Required of all first-year graduate students in geography. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in geography, or graduate standing and consent of the graduate adviser.

GRG 390L. Research in Geography.

Builds on topics explored in Geography 390K by focusing on epistemology and research in the field of geography. Students develop plans for research and write a research proposal. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Required of all first-year graduate students in geography. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and Geography 390K.

GRG 390S. Environment, Development, and Food Production.

Assessment of various types of nonmechanized 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: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 391C. Dynamics of Earth Systems.

An overview of climate, vegetation, soil, and landform processes. Principles and methodology of physical geography. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 391M. Multivariate Techniques in Spatial Analysis.

The application of multivariate data analytic techniques including regression, factor, canonical, and discriminatory analysis of spatial problems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and Geography 360L or a basic course in inferential statistics.

GRG 192D. Grant Writing in Geography.

Designed to train students to write competitive and successful applications for extramural grants and fellowships. One lecture hour a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 392M. Seminar in Biodiversity Conservation.

Examines issues that involve the conservation and sustainable use of plants, animals, and ecosystems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 393C. Seminar in Digital Landscapes.

Explores the theoretical and applied issues associated with the acquisition, analysis, simulation, and visualization of digital geographic information, with an emphasis on current trends in landscape characterization, landscape ecology, biodiversity, global change, environmental remote sending, and socio-ecological systems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 393D. Geographical Information Systems and Ecological Modeling.

Covers the steps involved in conceptualizing and formulating predictive models in a raster geographical information systems environment. Although many of the topics covered are fairly generic and can be applied to any application area in which raster data are used, species distribution models will be used as the example application area. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 493K. Research in Remote Sensing of the Environment.

Imagery generated by remote sensors applied to research and problem solving in the physical and cultural environment. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 493M. Advanced Remote Sensing and Quantitative Landscape Ecology.

Advanced digital image processing of optical satellite imagery for landscape composition and pattern analysis. Three lecture hours and one and one-half discussion hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and Geography 493K or the equivalent or consent of instructor.

GRG 394. Seminar in Urban Analysis.

Research seminar in urban issues: demographic, environmental, and transportation modeling; metropolitan finance; and urban social pathologies. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 394C. Market Area Analysis.

Same as Marketing 382 (Topic 1: Market Area Analysis). Conceptual and methodological aspects of analyzing the geographical dimensions of demand. Students complete a field project in which they apply concepts and techniques to the analysis of a problem. Offered on the letter-grade basis only.

GRG 394F. Feminist Geographies.

Uses a feminist geographic lens to interrogate a range of historical and contemporary geopolitical and geoeconomic issues including (re)productive labor struggles, migration, development, globalization, colonialism, nationalism, militarization and transnational resistance movements. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Geography 394F, 396T (Topic: Feminist Geographies), Women and Gender Studies 393 (Topic: Feminist Geographies). Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

GRG 394K. Geographic Information Systems.

An introduction to the design and use of geographic information systems and to computer-based tools used to store, manage, analyze, and display spatially referenced data. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 394L. Advanced Applications of Information Technology.

Advanced issues in computer cartography, geographic information systems, three-dimensional environmental reconstruction and rendering, terrain modeling, animation of environmental processes, and hypertext and multimedia authoring. Interdisciplinary subjects, such as the application of geographic information systems to archaeological research, historical demography, and habitat mapping and analysis. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 395. Cultural Adaptation and Change.

Same as Anthropology 395K. A graduate-level introduction to cultural behavior, adaptation, evolution and transformation, with emphasis on demography, diffusion, migration, ethnicity, and institutions. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in anthropology, geography, or a related field, and consent of instructor.

GRG 395D. Latin American Cultures, Environment, and Development.

Same as Latin American Studies 388 (Topic 3: Latin American Cultures, Environment, and Development). Exploration through Latin American examples of issues of cultural identity and territory, adaptive strategies, environmental impact, conservation, cultural survival, parks and people, and sustainable development. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 395K. Getting and Staying Funded.

Written, oral, and multi-media skills for improved success in academic and non-academic professional arenas including, but not limited to, grant and thesis proposal writing, CV and job application writing, audience-targeted formal and informal oral presentations, multimedia production (e.g., poster, video), and career timeline planning. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Geography 395K, 396T (Topic: Advanced Proposal Writing Bootcamp), 396T (Topic: Strategic Communication/Advanced Proposal Writing). Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

GRG 396. Techniques in Pollen Analysis.

Field sampling, laboratory processing, microscopy, pollen grain morphology, pollen counting, and data-handling techniques. Two lecture hours and four laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

GRG 396C. Seminar in Current Geographic Research.

Review and discussion of recent research projects across the field of geography; includes analysis of theories and methodologies, and various methods for presenting results. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in geography or a related field, and consent of instructor.

GRG 396K. Quaternary Palynology.

Methods, principles, and applications of pollen analysis to vegetational, paleoenvironmental, and ethnobotanical reconstructions. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

GRG 396T. Topics in Geography.

Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Some topics may require additional field trips. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic.

GRG 397. Conference Course in Geography.

Supervised study and research. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of supervising professor.

GRG 698. Thesis.

The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for two semesters. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: For 698A, graduate standing in geography and consent of the graduate adviser; for 698B, Geography 698A.

GRG 398R. Master's Report.

Preparation of a report to fulfill the requirement for the master's degree under the report option. The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in geography and consent of the graduate adviser.

GRG 398T. Supervised Teaching in Geography.

Teaching under the close supervision of the course instructor; group meetings with the instructor, individual consultations, and reports throughout the teaching period. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and appointment as a teaching assistant.

GRG 399R, 699R, 999R. Dissertation.

Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree and consent of the graduate adviser.

GRG 399W, 699W, 999W. Dissertation.

Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Geography 399R, 699R, or 999R.