2001/2003 Undergraduate Catalog
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Shippensburg University > Catalog > 2001/2003 Undergraduate Catalog

College of Arts and Sciences
Geography-Earth Science Department

Contents

Introduction

The Department of Geography-Earth Science offers undergraduate programs leading to the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Science in Education degrees. The undergraduate programs in the geography-earth science department are designed to give students an appreciation of the physical and cultural environment of the earth. Students will develop skills in collecting, recording, and interpreting geoenvironmental data. They will become involved in laboratory work, field investigations, and environmental management that will sharpen student skills to arrive at solutions based on an inductive application of all available sources and materials. Students will be able to identify, distinguish trends, and analyze and interpret physical, socioeconomic, and geo-political patterns in an urban/rural or regional setting. The fundamental geographic themes of location, place, interrelationships between the physical and cultural environment, movement, and regions are emphasized.

Features

The geography-earth science department has a strong interdisciplinary nature. With diverse backgrounds, departmental faculty integrate findings from a variety of areas enabling members to develop insights on real problems in various areas such as studying environmental hazards in the Cumberland Valley or environmental conservation issues in Salzburg, Austria. In departmental courses and programs, faculty explain location is important, there are reasons why areas and places are different physically and culturally, and knowledge of how territory is organized and changed is a key problem in science and society. The unique quality of the geography-earth science department is its object of analysis is the earth’s surface and its purpose is to understand how that surface is structured and differentiated and how people have affected the landscape.

Career Opportunities

In a very real sense, geography is both a natural science (because it deals with the land, sea, and air of our planet) and a social science (because it is concerned with the distribution of cultural phenomena including people and industries). As the earth’s population grows, it becomes increasingly imperative for people to understand the global patterns that shape our lives. The world we live in requires an understanding of international issues and geographic relationships. For that reason the field of geography-earth science will continue to expand and grow.

Most geographers-earth scientists work in one of five basic career fields: business, government, teaching, planning, and consulting. Within these five fields geographers-earth scientists are called upon for their expertise in such areas as selecting favorable locations for capital investments, developing effective strategies for corporate or governmental planning, environmental planning and land use analysis, geology and atmospheric studies, cartography, computer applications and geographic information systems, and educating all age groups regarding proper use of the environment. Career opportunities are growing rapidly in fields such as the environmental sciences, environmental planning, regional analysis, local and state government, travel and tourism, remote sensing, geographic information systems, environmental impact analysis, water resources, and hydrology. Many past graduates have been very successful in obtaining jobs in their major field of study. The department has a strong internship program where students can obtain practical experience. An alumni network has been developed with graduates to assist majors in the job selection process.

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Geography (B.A. or B.S.)

Land Use, Cartography-Spatial Analysis, and Regional Development and Tourism Concentrations.

Geography (31 crs.)
Core courses required for all concentrations — Land Use, Regional Development and Tourism, and Cartography-Spatial Analysis.

Geography (13 crs.)
Core courses (required):

GEO105 Physical Geography 3 crs.
GEO230 Economic Geography 3 crs.
GEO363 Computer Mapping 3 crs.
GEO322 Urban Geography 3 crs.
 or
GEO 244 Land Use 3 crs.
GEO391 Seminar in Geography 1 cr.
Land Use Concentration (18 crs.)
Required
GEO444 Environmental Land Use Planning 3 crs.
Select five of the following:
ESS214 Geology of National Parks 3 crs.
ESS442 Environmental Geology 3 crs.
GEO326 Political Geography 3 crs.
GEO310 Transportation Geography 3 crs.
ESS413 Mineral and Rock Resources 3 crs.
GEO445 Remote Sensing 3 crs.
GEO314 Industrial Geography 3 crs.
GEO322 Urban Geography 3 crs.
GEO244 Land Use 3 crs.
GEO401 Geography of Tourism 3 crs.
GEO320 Historical Geography 3 crs.
Internship (at least three credits required)
Allied Courses (15 crs.)
Political Science (6 crs.)
PLS231 State and Local Government 3 crs.
PLS331 Municipal Government and Administration 3 crs.
PLS384 Regional and Urban Planning 3 crs.
PLS431 Pennsylvania Local Government 3 crs.
Math-Computer Science (6 crs.)
Select one:
MAT102 Introduction to Statistics 3 crs.
MAT170 Elementary Statistics for SocialSciences 4 crs.
Select one:
CPS103 Overview of Computer Science 3 crs.
CPS180 Microcomputer Basic 3 crs.
CPS253 Structured Computer Programming 3 crs.
Psychology (3 crs.)
PSY105 Research-Design and Statistics forBehavioral Sciences 3 crs.
or
GEO441 Quantitative Methods 3 crs.

Regional Development and Tourism Concentration (18 crs.)

Required

GEO103 Geography of the United
 States and Canada 3 crs.
GEO214 Geology of National Parks 3 crs.
GEO244 Land Use 3 crs.
 or
GEO322 Urban Geography 3 crs.
GEO401 Geography of Tourism 3 crs.
GEO444 Environmental Land Use Planning 3 crs.

Select one of the following:
GEO103 Geography of United States and Canada 3 crs.
GEO201 Geography of Latin America 3 crs.
GEO213 Geography of South and Southeast Asia 3 crs.
GEO214 Geography of East Asia 3 crs.
GEO305 Geography of Europe 3 crs.
GEO307 Geography of Middle East and North Africa 3 crs.
GEO316 Geography of Africa 3 crs.
Internship (at least 3 credits required)
Allied Courses (12 crs.)
Math-Computer Science (6 crs.)
Select one:
MAT102 Introduction to Statistics 3 crs.
MAT170 Elementary Statistics for Social Science 4 crs.
PSY105 Research Design and Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences I 3 crs.
Select one:
CPS103 Overview of Computer Science 3 crs.
CPS180 Microcomputer Basic 3 crs.
CPS253 Structured Computer Programming 3 crs.
Economics (3 crs.)
(Select one)
ECN101 Principles of Macroeconomics 3 crs.
ECN102 Principles of Microeconomics 3 crs.
ECN319 International Economics: Theory 3 crs.
ECN321 International Economics: Policy 3 crs.
Anthropology–Government (3 crs.)
ANT220 Anthropology for International Studies 3 crs.
PLS384 Regional and Urban Planning 3 crs.

Cartography-Spatial Analysis Concentration (18 crs.)

Select four

GEO202 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 3 crs.
GEO222 Map and Air Photo Analysis 3 crs.
GEO420 Geographic Information Systems 3 crs.
GEO440 Field Techniques 3 crs.
GEO445 Remote Sensing 3 crs.
GEO363 Computer Mapping 3 crs.

Select two
ESS210 Physical Geography 3 crs.
GEO224 Soils 3 crs.
GEO226 Hydrology 3 crs.
GEO310 Transportation Geography 3 crs.
GEO314 Industrial Geography 3 crs.
GEO444 Environmental Land Use Planning 3 crs.
Internship (at least three credits required)
Allied Courses (21 crs.)
Required
PHY121 Introductory Physics I 4 crs.
Select one
BIO100 Basic Biology 3 crs.
BIO115 Principles of Biology I 4 crs.
BIO116 Principles of Biology II 4 crs.
Select one
CHM105 Chemistry: Observational Approach 3 crs.
CHM121 Chemical Bonding 3 crs.
Select one
CPS103 Overview of Computer Science 3 crs.
CPS180 Microcomputer Basic 3 crs.
Select one
CPS253 Structured Computer Programming 3 crs.
CPS254 Data Structures and Abstract Data Types 4 crs.
Select one
MAT102 Introduction to Statistics 3 crs.
MAT170 Elementary Statistics for Social Science 3 crs.
Select one
MAT108 College Algebra 3 crs.
MAT124 Pre-Calculus 3 crs.
MAT211 Calculus I 3 crs.

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Geoenvironmental Studies (B.S.)

Geography-Earth Science (37 crs.)


ESS207 Atmospheric Studies 3 crs.
ESS210 Physical Geology 3 crs.
GEO224 Soils 3 crs.
GEO226 Hydrology 3 crs.
GEO391 Geography Seminar 1 crs.
Geography Electives (6 crs. minimum)
GEO230 Economic Geography 3 crs.
GEO244 Land Use 3 crs.
GEO310 Transportation Geography 3 crs.
GEO314 Industrial Geography 3 crs.
GEO322 Urban Geography 3 crs.
Geoenvironmental Complex System Electives (9 crs. minimum)
GEO301 Biogeography 3 crs.
GEO306 Geomorphology 3 crs.
GEO402 Environmental Health 3 crs.
GEO403 Natural Hazards and Hostile Environments 3 crs.
GEO404 Applied Meteorology and Climatology 3 crs.
GEO444 Environmental Land Use Planning 3 crs.
GEO446 Water Resources Management 3 crs.
ESS413 Mineral and Rock Resources 3 crs.
ESS442 Environmental Geology 3 crs.
ESS490 Selected Topics: Energy Systems 3 crs.
GEO491 Selected Topics: Environmental Law 3 crs.
Technique Course Electives (6 crs. minimum)
GEO222 Map and Air Photo Analysis 3 crs.
GEO363 Computer Mapping 3 crs.
GEO420 Geographic Information System 3 crs.
GEO440 Field Techniques 3 crs.
GEO441 Quantitative Methods 3 crs.
GEO445 Remote Sensing 3 crs.
Geoenvironmental Electives (3 crs. minimum)
* Any 200-400 level course listed in the above categories not previously taken may be used as a Geoenvironmental elective.
GEO203 Climatology 3 crs.
GEO306 Geomorphology 3 crs.
GEO397 Introduction to Research 3 crs.
GEO490 Selected Topics: Marine Science Consortium Courses 3 crs.
ESS212 Historical Geology 3 crs.
ESS214 Geology of National Parks 3 crs.
ESS220 Oceanography 3 crs.
ESS355 Meteorology 3 crs.
Geoenvironmental Field Experience (3 crs.)
 Internship – 2.0 overall and major average required, junior status (60 cr.), must be taken before applying for an internship.
Allied Fields (23 crs.)
Biology (9 credits by advisement)
At least one course must be taken at or above 200 level
BIO100 Basic Biology 3 crs.
BIO115 Principles of Biology I* 4 crs.
BIO116 Principles of Biology II 4 crs.
BIO145 Problems of the Environment* 3 crs.
BIO210 Field Zoology  3 crs.
BIO242 Ecology* (Prereq.: BIO115) 3 crs.
BIO248 Field and Natural History* 3 crs.
BIO442 Hydrobiology (Prereq.: BIO115) 3 crs.
BIO448 Field Botany & Plant Taxonomy* (Prereq.: BIO116, BIO100, or instructor’s permission) 3 crs.

* Strongly recommended. If student has a special interest in zoology or botany, they should follow sequential courses in that area, i.e., field zoology, field botany & plant taxonomy.
(7-8 credits by advisement)
CHM105 Chemistry: Observational Approach 3 crs.
CHM121 Chemical Bonding 3 crs.
CHM122 Chemical Dynamics 3 crs.
CHM125 Lab IB Stoichiometry and Reactions 1 crs.
CHM126 Lab IIB Equilibrium and Instrumentation 1 crs.
PHY121 Introductory Physics I 4 crs.

Computer Science (3 credits by advisement)
CPS103 Overview of Computer Science 3 crs.
CPS180 Microcomputer Basic 3 crs.
CPS253 Structured Computer
 Programming 4 crs.
CPS254 Data Structures and Abstract
 Data Types 4 crs.
ISM100 Integrate Computer Applications 3 crs.

Mathematics (3 credits by advisement)
MAT102 Introduction to Statistics 3 crs.
MAT108 College Algebra 3 crs.
MAT124 Pre-Calculus 3 crs.
MAT170 Elementary Statistics for Social Science 4 crs.
MAT211 Calculus I 4 crs.
MAT212 Calculus II 4 crs.

Recommend background course:
GEO105 Physical Geography

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Comprehensive Social Studies (B.S.Ed.)

Geography Concentration
Required Courses in Geography (12 crs.)
GEO101 World Geography 3 crs.
ESS110 Introduction to Geology 3 crs.
 or
ESS111 Introduction to the Atmosphere 3 crs.
GEO230 Economic Geography 3 crs.
GEO140 Cultural Geography 3 crs.
Elective Courses in Geography (12 crs.)
 Students majoring or concentrating in geography will select with advisement a minimum of four elective courses in geography. Electives should be chosen in the areas of specialization which either may serve a future teaching purpose or may establish a basis for future graduate study.
Required Courses in Allied Social Studies (45 crs.)
Economics (9 crs.)
ECN101 Principles of Macroeconomics 3 crs.
ECN102 Principles of Microeconomics 3 crs.
GEO230 Economic Geography 3 crs.
History (9 crs.)
HIS104 Recent History of the United States 3 crs.
HIS105 World History I 3 crs.
HIS106 World History II 3 crs.
Political Science (Government) (9 crs.)
PLS101 American Government: Constitutional and Political Foundations 3 crs.
PLS102 American Government:
 Institutions and Public Policies 3 crs.
PLS141 Introduction to International
 Relations 3 crs.
Psychology (9 crs.)
TCH310 Educational Psychology
 (A Professional Education course)
Choice of options a or b
a. Professional Track
PSY102 Foundations of Psychology:
 Personal-Social 3 crs.
PSY103 Foundations of Psychology:
 Experimental-Physiological 3 crs.
b. General Track
PSY101 General Psychology 3 crs.
Psychology Elective 3 crs.
Sociology/Anthropology (9 crs.)
SOC101 Introduction to Sociology: Society and Diversity 3 crs.
ANT111 Cultural Anthropology 3 crs.
 or
ANT121 Physical Anthropology 3 crs.
Sociology Elective 3 crs.
 (Advised-Contemporary Social Problems)
Required Professional Courses (30 crs.)
TCH205 The American School 3 crs.
TCH310 Educational Psychology 3 crs.
EDU310 Teaching of Social Studies I 3 crs.
EDU311 Teaching of Social Studies II 4 crs.
EDU495 Student Teaching and Professional Practicum 15 crs.
EEC411 Introduction to Exceptionality 3 crs.
Required Field Experience
(See advisor)
Earth and Space Science (B.S.Ed.)
(Major – 30 crs.)
Required (15 crs.)
ESS210 Physical Geology 3 crs.
ESS212 Historical Geology 3 crs.
ESS355 Meteorology 3 crs.
ESS220 Oceanography 3 crs.
ESS325 Astronomy 3 crs.
 or
PHY108 Astronomy 3 crs.

Electives in Earth Science (15 crs.)
Allied Fields (31-34 crs.)
 Certification in earth science, general science, and environmental education requires the following courses:
Biology (9 hours by advisement)
BIO115 Principles of Biology I 4 crs.
BIO116 Principles of Biology II 4 crs.
BIO145 Problems of the Environment 3 crs.
BIO242 Ecology 3 crs.
BIO248 Field Natural History 3 crs.
BIO311 Ornithology 3 crs.
BIO448 Field Botany and Plant Taxonomy 3 crs.
Chemistry (4 hours Earth Science, 8 hours for General Science)
CHM121 Chemical Bonding 3 crs.
CHM125 Lab IB Stoichiometry and Reactions 1 cr.
CHM122 Chemical Dynamics 3 crs.
CHM126 Lab IIB Equilibrium and Instrumentation 1 cr.
Physics (4 hours by Earth Science, 8 hours for General Science)
PHY121 Introductory Physics I 4 crs.
PHY122 Introductory Physics II 4 crs.
Math-Computer Science (6-9 hours by advisement)
MAT102 Introduction to Statistics 3 crs.
MAT124 Pre-Calculus 3 crs.
MAT211 Calculus I 4 crs.
MAT212 Calculus II 4 crs.
CPS103 Overview of Computer Science 3 crs.
CPS253 Structured Computer Program 4 crs.
CPS254 Data Structures and Abstract Data Types 4 crs.
Professional Education Requirements
(34 crs.)
TCH310 Educational Psychology 3 crs.
TCH205 The American School 3 crs.
EDU340 Teaching Science in the Secondary School 4 crs.
EDU341 Curriculum and Evaluation in the Secondary Science Classroom 3 crs.
EDU495 Student Teaching and Professional Practicum 15 crs.
EEC411 Introduction to Exceptionality 3 crs.
RDG329 Reading in the Content Areas 3 crs.
Environmental Education (3 crs.)
EDU410 Environment Education Practicum 3 crs.
Urban Studies Program (B.A.)
Courses in Selected Disciplines (63 crs.)
Geography (18 crs.)
Required
GEO230 Economic Geography 3 crs.
GEO314 Industrial Geography 3 crs.
GEO322 Urban Geography 3 crs.
GEO444 Environmental Land Use Planning 3 crs.
Select one
GEO101 World Geography  3 crs.
GEO103 Geography of U.S. and Canada 3 crs.
GEO140 Cultural Geography 3 crs.
ESS108 Conservation of Natural Resources 3 crs.
Select one
GEO310 Transportation Geography 3 crs.
GEO401 Geography of Tourism 3 crs.
Political Science (18 crs.)
Required
PLS101 American Government: Constitutional and Political Foundations 3 crs.
PLS231 State and Local Government 3 crs.
PLS384 Regional and Urban Planning 3 crs.
PLS Elective 3 crs.
PLS Elective 3 crs.
PLS Elective 3 crs.
Economics (9 crs.)
Required
ECN101 Principles of Macroeconomics 3 crs.
ECN102 Principles of Microeconomics 3 crs.
ECN Elective 3 crs.
Sociology (12 crs.)
SOC101 Introduction to Sociology: Society and Diversity 3 crs.
SOC Elective 3 crs.
SOC Elective 3 crs.
SOC Elective 3 crs.
Psychology and Philosophy (6 crs.)
Required
PSY101 General Psychology 3 crs.
Select one
PHL101 Introduction to Philosophy 3 crs.
PHY301 Logic 3 crs.

Note: All students completing a Bachelor of Arts degree are required to attain intermediate level proficiency in a foreign language. Intermediate proficiency may be satisfied by the completion of six credits of intermediate level course work in a foreign language, or four years of a foreign language in high school, or satisfactory completion of a proficiency examination.
Geography-Earth Science Minor –  21 crs.
Required (9 crs.)
100 level Geography and/or Earth Science course
200-300 level Geography-Earth Science course
400 level Geography-Earth Science course
Electives (12 crs.)
Courses selected by advisement.

* Earth science majors can also secure Environmental Education Certification.

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