Courses

Related Course Information

Course descriptions listed here are offered by the Department of Geography. The official UW-Madison Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog Geography Course listing is the final authority on course descriptions.

Students should be aware that some courses are offered every semester, while others are offered once a year, once every other year, or at irregular intervals. Contact the department or view courses by concentration for details.

The course descriptions should be considered only as a guide to the course content since different instructors may emphasize slightly different aspects. Past syllabi of courses can also be viewed to assess the general content of a course.

Jump to different course levels : 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 | 600 | 700 | 900

100 Level Courses

101 Introduction to Cultural Geography. I, II; 3 cr (b-S-E). Effects of demographic characteristics, resource potentialities and cultural resources upon the growth, distribution, density, and settlement forms of the world's population. P: Open to Fr.
102 Spatial Organization of Human Activity. I or II; 3 cr (S-E). An introduction to the processes associated with the spatial structure of economic development, including population growth, distribution and movement, the locational characteristics of agricultural and industrial production, and the size, spacing and functions of cities. P: Open to Fr.
120 Global Physical Environments. (Crosslisted with Envir St 120.) I, II, SS; 3 cr (P-E). Global distribution and processes of climate, weather, ecosystems, landforms, and soils, emphasizing interrelationships. P: Open to Fr. Not open to students with credit in Geog 127.
121 Atmospheric Environment and Society. (Crosslisted with Atm Ocn, Envir St.) I, II; 2 cr (P-E). Changing interactions between humans, other animals and plants, and the atmospheric environment, both in time and space. P: Open to Fr.
127 Physical Systems of the Environment. (Crosslisted with Envir St.) I, II; 5 cr (P-E). Climatic regimes, landforms, soils, waters and life forms at the earth's surface in terms of energy-transforming processes, locational patterns, and changes through time. P: Open to Fr & not open to those with Geog 120, 123, 124, or 125 cr or ILS 132 cr.
139 Resources and People. (Crosslisted with Envir St.) I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-E). Human population growth and its impact on the earth's resources, including food, energy, physical materials, water, biota, and landscapes; the geography of resource availability and the limits of the earth as producer of resources; the importance of attitudes and values in resource use. P: Open to Fr.
140 World Regions: Concepts and Problems. I, II; 3 cr (S-E). Introduction to cultural geography through the study of representative and significant regions and nations. P: Open to Fr & not to Srs.
170 Map Reading and Interpretation. II; 3 cr (P-E). Non-specialist class catering primarily to the non-cartography major that looks at the historical, cultural, political, and technological contexts of how maps are made and used. Designed to stimulate a critical understanding of the inherent strengths and limitations of maps. P: 2nd Sem Fr st or Cons Inst.
198 Directed Study. 1-2 cr (E). P: Open to Fr & So. Graded on a Cr/N basis; requires cons inst.
199 Directed Study. 1-2 cr (E). P: Open to Fr & So. Graded on a lettered basis; requires cons inst.

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200 Level Courses

227 Undergraduate Seminar. I or II; 3 cr (E). Exploration and analysis of a topic in physical geography, including themes involving the natural environment, people-environment linkages, cartography, and geographic information systems. Variable content. May be repeated. P: Open to Fr.
230 Soil: Ecosystem and Resource. (Crosslisted with Soil Sci, Envir St.) I; 3 cr (P-I). The role of soils in ecosystems (habitat, moisture and nutrient reserve, biologically active part of the groundwater system) and the impact of human activity on the soil environment. P: Not open to students with credits in Soil Sci 301.
236 Bascom Course. I or II; 3 cr (b-E). A low-enrollment course developing skills in critical reading, logical thinking, use of evidence, and use of library resources. Emphasis on writing in the conventions of specific fields. P: Successful completion of or exemption from Com A requirement. Open to Fr & So only; or cons inst.
240 Plants and Man. (Crosslisted with Botany) I; 2-3 cr (B-E). A speculative, systems-oriented approach to the interrelation of plants and humans in their evolution and cultural development, with an historical geographic perspective concluding with a consideration of 20th century America's plant-human interplay. Lecture; third credit includes demo lab. P: Open to Fr.
244 Introduction to Southeast Asia: Vietnam to the Philippines. (Crosslisted with History, Poli Sci, Soc, Langasia) I or II; 3 cr (Z-E). Southeast Asian history, religion, folklore and literatures, educational systems, and politics from the early classical states to contemporary social, literary, and political developments. P: Open to Fr.
253 Russia: An Interdisciplinary Survey. (Crosslisted with Poli Sci, History, and Slavic) Alt yrs.; 4 cr (Z-E). Comprehensive interdisciplinary survey of Russian civilization from its beginnings through the present day. P: Open to Fr.
254 Eastern Europe: An Interdisciplinary Survey. (Crosslisted with History, Poli Sci, Slavic) Alt yrs; 4 cr (Z-E). Comprehensive interdisciplinary survey of East European culture, society, politics, and literature from its beginnings through the present day. P: Open to Fr.
260 Latin America: An Introduction. (Crosslisted with Spanish, Anthro, History, Poli Sci, Rur Soc, Afroamer, Soc) I or II or SS; 4 cr (S-E). Latin American culture and society from an interdisciplinary perspective; historical developments from pre-Columbian times to the present; political movements; economic problems; social change; ecology in tropical Latin America; legal systems; literature and the arts; cultural contrasts involving the US and Latin America; land reform; labor movements; capitalism, socialism, imperialism; mass media.
277 Africa: An Introductory Survey. (Crosslisted with Sociology, African studies, Afroamerican studies, Anthropology, History, Political Science) I, II; 4 cr (Z-I). African society and culture, polity and economy in multidisciplinary perspectives from prehistory and ancient kingdoms through the colonial period to contemporary developments, including modern nationalism, economic development and changing social structure. P: Open to Fr.

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300 Level Courses

300 Population-Migration and Diffusion. 3 cr (S-I). Theory and models of population distribution, migration and spatial diffusion. P: So st.

301 Geography of Social Organization. 3 cr (S-I). Culture, culture group, ethnicity, communication, and allied concepts as these relate to cultural geography. P: Not open to Fr.

302 Economic Geography: Locational Behavior. I or II or SS; 4 cr (S-I). Classic location theory with modern extensions. Examination of theoretical statements and selected empirical examples. Principles of economic regionalization and network analysis with emphasis on spatial implications of the economic development process. P: So st.
303 The Human Role in Changing the Face of the Earth. I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-I). A view of people in prehistory and through the historical record (to 1900 A.D.) as active agents in the alteration of the ecosphere. P: So st.
304 Settlement Patterns and Processes. 3 cr (S-I). Characteristic settlement patterns and shapes, models of settlement pattern under alternative growth processes, and the foundations of the central place distribution. P: So st.
305 Introduction to the City. (Crosslisted with Urb R Pl) I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (S-I). Analysis of the distributions of cities, their functions, character and relationships with their surrounding regions, and the areal patterns within cities; the spatial variation of population, economic activity, and land uses. P: So st; qualified Fr admitted with cons inst.
309 People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems. (Crosslisted with Envir St) I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-I). Capacity of the world, and its various parts, to feed itself. Representative studies of agricultural systems in different regions of the world in relation to differing natural and cultural milieu. P: So st.
311 Industrial Location-Theory and Patterns. (Crosslisted with Urb R Pl) I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-I). Principles and theories of industrial location; examination of patterns of distribution of manufacturing activity. P: So st or cons inst.
312 Regional Development and Planning. (Crosslisted with Urb R Pl) I, II; 3 cr (S-I). Analysis of the human organization of the environment and an evaluation of those principles of regional science which have been developed to promote more desirable forms of spatial organization. P: So st.
318 Geography, Politics and Territoriality. I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-I). Principles relating political behavior and geographic location and area. P: So st.
319 Environmental Evaluation and Adaptation. I or II; 3 cr (S-I). The study of how human beings make sense of geographic reality; how they make worlds out of environments. P: So st.
320 Geomorphology. (Crosslisted with Geology) I; 3 cr (P-I). Principles and analysis of geomorphic processes and resulting land forms. Field trip. P: One of the following: Geol 100, 101, 106, 201, Geog 120, 127.
321 Climatology. I; 3 cr (P-I). Elements and controls of climate and the distribution of world climates. Emphasis on regional dynamic climatology. P: Geog 120, 121, 125, 127 or ILS 132 or Meteor 100 or cons inst.
325 Analysis of the Physical Environment. (Crosslisted with Envir St) I or II or SS; 4 cr (P-I). Selected associations of natural and human environments illustrative of the broad principles of physical geography. Practical application of data collection and the use of laboratory and field methods to Wisconsin examples employing quantitative and nonquantitative analytical methods; field trips; lab section. P: Any intro crse in phy geog or phy geol or meteor or cons inst.
326 Landforms-Topics and Regions. (Crosslisted with Geology) I or II or SS; 3 cr (P-I). Emphasis on natural and human processes that control the morphology of the land and its waterways. When taught by Knox, major emphasis on surface water hydrology, erosion, sedimentation, and physical characteristics of streams and rivers. P: Intro phy geog or phy geol crse, or cons inst.
328 Arid Lands Geomorphology. 3 cr (P-I). This course investigates the special assemblage of geomorphic processes and landforms occurring in desert environments. Topics include desert weathering, slopes and badlands, desert piedmont features, eolian geomorphology, desert drainage, playas, and pluvial lakes. P: Geog 120 or 127, or Geology 100 or 101.
329 Landforms and Landscapes of North America. I or II; 3 cr (P-I). Regional variation of landforms and physical landscapes in North America; processes and forms that give character to physiographic regions. P: Geog 120 or 127 or Geology 101 or cons inst.
331 Climatic Environments of the Past. (Crosslisted with Envir St, Atm Ocn) I or II or SS; 2 cr (P-I). Climatic trends and patterns of the most recent 10,000 years. Studies based upon a wide variety of surrogate climatic information. P: Atm Ocn/Geog/Envir St 121, or Geog 120, 123, 124 or 127 or Atm Ocn 100.
332 The Global Warming Debate. (Crosslisted with Envir St, Atm Ocn) I or II; 3 cr (P-I). The global warming debate is shifting from whether warming is occurring and why top assessing consequences and policy options. Course reviews milestones in climate-change science, current state of knowledge, climate-change risks, and adaptation/mitigation strategies. Prereq> Geog/IES 120 or 127 or Atm Ocn 100 or equivs recommended. Fr permitted only with cons inst.
336 Our Hazardous Environment. (Crosslisted with Envir St) I or SS; 3 cr (P-I). An analysis of the unexpected: hazardous elements of our physical environment such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, etc., their physical characteristics, regional distribution, economic aspects, and human adjustments. P: Geog/Envir St 120 or Geog/Envir St 127 or cons inst.
338 Vegetation: Stability and Change. I or II; 3 cr (S-I). Vegetation in environmental systems; vegetation dynamics in natural and human-altered environments; impacts of human activities upon vegetation in North America with emphasis on changes since European settlement. P: Geog 120, 127 or cons inst.
339 Environmental Conservation. (Crosslisted with Envir St) I, II, SS; 3-4 cr (S-I). Ecological and cultural background of conservation, problems of resource and environmental quality management, and pressing issues of population, food, energy, and pollution. P: So st.
340 Regional Cultures and Economies in the North American Past. I or II; 3 cr (S-I). Origin and development of distinctive regional identities within North America on the basis of their differing migration histories and contrasting economic specializations. P: So st.
341 United States and Canada. I or II; 4 cr (S-I). Current and changing locational arrangements of people and resources as they relate to the economies and societies of the nations and regions. P: So st admitted with cons inst.
342 Geography of Wisconsin. I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-I). Geography of natural features and cultural resources; field trips on and off campus. P: So st.
344 The American West. II; 3 cr (S-I). Regional geography of Western United States: Natural and human characteristics, landscape features, land use issues, perception of area as region. P: Not open to Fr.
345 Ethnicity in North America: A Regional Perspective. I or II; 3 cr (e-S-I). An overview of how the processes of migration and settlement of the various racial, ethnic and religious groups in American society have created distinctive regional patterns of pluralism. P: So st.
348 Latin America. I or II; 4 cr (S-I). A topical and historical survey of the cultural ecology and human geography of Middle America and South America. P: So st.
349 Europe. I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-I). A topical and regional overview (excludes Mediterranean countries and the Soviet Union). P: So st.
351 Elementary Photogrammetry. (Crosslisted with Civ Engr, Forestry) I; 3 cr (P-I). Basics in aerial photogrammetry with emphasis on noncomputational aspects; the photographic process; image distortions; vertical photographs; scale; relief displacement; tilted photographs and rectification; stereoscopic viewing, stereoscopic parallax, heights of objects from relief displacement and parallax; mosaics; stereoscopic plotting instruments; instruments; introductory photo interpretation and remote sensing. P: For non-engineers, Jr st.
353 Geographies of Transition in Post-Socialist Space. I; 3 cr (S-I). P: So st.
355 Africa, South of the Sahara. I or II; 3 cr (S-I). Physical and human distributions and interrelationships, with emphasis on the spatial processes and patterns of modernization. P: So st.
358 China and Southeast Asia. I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-I). Emphasis on the social geography and ecology of Chinese and Southeast Asian cultures from formative precolonial times to the present. P: So st.
360 Quantitative Methods in Geographical Analysis.I or II or SS; 4 cr (r-P-I). Application of descriptive and inferential statistics to geographical problems. P: So st.
370 Introduction to Cartography. I, II; 4 cr (P-I). A broad introduction to cartography, with a dual emphasis on the theory and practice of making maps. Topics include the basics in mapping (e.g., scale, spatial reference systems, and projections), data acquisition, key techniques for thematic mapping, and the principles of cartographic abstraction and design. P: So st or cons inst.
371 History of Cartography. (Crosslisted with Hist Sci) Alt yrs.; I; 3 cr (b-S-I). The art and science of mapmaking from the classical period to the present. P: So st or cons inst.
377 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems. I, II; 4 cr.; (P-I). (Cross-listed: Envir Studies 377, Civil & Environmental Engineering 357). Offers an introduction to methods of managing and processing geographic data. Emphases on: the nature of geographic data; spatial data models and structures; data input and management; spatial analytical and modeling techniques, and error analyses. P: Intro course in environmental or mapping science (Geog. 370 may be taken concurrently).

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400 Level Courses

401 Seminar. I, II; 3 cr (S-A). Exploration and analysis of a topic in human geography, including themes involving location analysis, regional and global studies, space and place, religion and morality, and people-environment linkages. P: Appropriate intermediate level course, or cons inst.
420 Glacial and Pleistocene Geology. (Crosslisted with Geology) II; 3 cr (P-I). Principles, characteristics and work of glaciers; events of the Pleistocene. Field trip. P: Geol 100, 101, 106 or Geog 120.
421 Applied Surficial Geology. (Crosslisted with Geology) I; 3 cr (P-I). Practical aspects of surface deposits including genesis and properties of sediments, considerations for groundwater and aggregate resources, waste disposal, and contamination potential. Surface processes such as landslides, shoreline erosion, and floods are also studied in the context of incorporating geology into land use planning. P: Any of Geology 100, 101, 106 or Geog/IES 120, 127.
427 Seminar. I or II; 3 cr (A). Exploration and analysis of a topic in physical geography, including themes involving the natural environment, people-environment linkages, cartography, and geographic information systems. Variable content. May be repeated. P: Geog 120 or 127, & appropriate intermed level content crse; or cons inst.
431 Soils of the World. (Crosslisted with Soil Sci) II; 3 cr (P-I). The geography of soil-forming processes and soil types, focusing on soil-landscape relationships. Field trips. P: Beginning course in soils, or Geog 120 or 127, or cons inst.
434 People, Wildlife and Landscapes. (Crosslisted with Envir St, Rur Soc) II; 3 cr (S-A). This course explores the relationship between humans and wildlife amidst diverse landscapes, both historic and contemporary, tropical and temperate. We study how humans shape wild animal populations by modifying physical environments, and by hunting, domesticating and introducing species. P: Geog/IES 339.
435 Soils of Wisconsin Field Study Tour. (Crosslisted with Soil Sci) I; 2 cr (P-D). Properties, origins, and uses of the major soil landscapes of Wisconsin. Three-day field study tour to representative areas in the major soil zones of the state; three pre-trip and three post-trip evening briefing sessions; written reports. P: Jr st, Soil Sci 325 (or con reg), Soil Sci 431 or cons inst.
444 Health and Social Welfare in Western Society. (Crosslisted with Hist Sci, Hist Med) Irr.; 3 cr (H-I). The rise of public concern hor human well-being in the European nations from preliterate society to the twentieth century. Greek individualism and Christian charity, the shift from ecclesiastical to secular responsibility, the sanitary movement and development of a scientific basis for public health, and emergence of contemporary public health issues. P: So st.
460 American Environmental History. (Crosslisted with History, Envir St) I or II or SS; 4 cr (Z-I). Survey of interactions among people and natural environments from before European colonization to present. Equal attention to problems of ecological change, human ideas, and uses of nature and history of conservation and environmental public policy. P: So st.

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500 Level Courses

501 Space and Place: A Geography of Experience. I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Explore the concepts of space and place from the perspective of learning and everyday experience. Examines how space and place emerge out of fundamental human needs, experiences, and ways of thinking. P: Jr st.
502 Spatial Behavior. I or II or SS; 4 cr (S-A). An evaluation of space, time and location in human geography. Topics: form, process, place utility, social distance and mental maps. P: Jr st.
503 Researching the City: Qualitative Strategies. (Crosslisted with Urb R Pl) Alt yrs; II; 3 cr (S-I). Explores, and applies, qualitative methods in the field of urban geography. An introduction to debates around the analysis and interpretation of qualitative data is provided, grounded in concrete urban research. Participation in a three-day field course is required. P: Jr st.
505 Urban Spatial Patterns and Theories. (Crosslisted with Urb R Pl) II or SS; 4 cr (S-A). Various urban empirical regularities and theories which explain them. P: Geog 305 or cons inst.
506 Historical Geography of European Urbanization. (Crosslisted with Urb R Pl) I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Changes in the morphology, functions, and arrangements of towns and cities from the urban revolution in the ancient Middle East to the Industrial Revolution in nineteenth century western Europe and America. P: Jr st.
507 Historical Geography of Urban North America. I or II; 3 cr (e-S-A). The emergence of regional systems of cities, the sequence of cityward migrations and the changing internal spatial arrangement of people and activities within cities in relation to the development of American capitalism. P: Jr st.
508 Landscape and Settlement in the North American Past. I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Settlement processes and patterns--towns, hamlets, farms and land holdings--which define the varied landscape of North America. Changing attitudes to the transformation of the natural landscape and varying perceptions of the modified landscapes. P: Jr st.
510 Economic Geography. I or II or SS; 4 cr (S-A). Theoretical aspects of spatial economic distributions and locational analysis. P: Jr st.
519 Environment and Human Experience. I or II; 3 cr (S-A). The physical environment, both natural and built, affects human lives profoundly. This course studies how human beings are connected with the environment though experiences, and how they make cultures and selves through these connections. Topics covered include: 1) Environmental experiences and cultural change, 2) Identity and real/imagined landscape, and 3) Environment and the making of self. P: Jr st.
523 Quaternary Vegetation Dynamics. (Crosslisted with Geology) 3 cr. Geographic responses of plant species and terrestrial ecosystems to late-Quaternary environmental change, particularly changes in climate and carbon dioxide. Quaternary vegetation dynamics are relevant to understanding vegetational responses to the 21st-century climate change. Laboratory section emphasizes multivariate data analysis and vegetational modeling. P: Jr st & Geog 120/127 or equiv.
524 Advanced Landform Geography. (Crosslisted with Geology) I or II; 3 cr (P-A). Purposes, methods, and content of analysis of landforms, with emphasis on quantitative descriptive regional variation, and functional relationships. P: Cons inst or Jr st.
525 Soil Geomorphology. (Crosslisted with Soil Sci) II; 3 cr (P-A). Soil development as related to landscape throughout the Quaternary; focusing on the relationship of soils to climate and vegetation, landscape evolution, and time; principles of soil stratigraphy; case histories of soil geomorphic studies; field trips. P: Soil Sci 325 or Geog/Soil Sci 431; and an intermed level crse in geomorphology; or cons inst.
527 The Quaternary Period. (Crosslisted with Geology) I; 3 cr (P-A). Principles of Quaternary studies emphasizing terrestrial records and paleoecology of the past two million years and comparisons with the deep ocean record and models of climatic change. P: 1 intermed-level crse in physical geog or geol; or cons inst.
528 Past Climates and Climatic Change. (Crosslisted with Atm Ocn, Envir St) I or II; 2 cr (P-A). Climatic change throughout geologic time, especially in the last 10 millennia; mechanisms of change, evidence, and criteria, paleogeography and paleoclimatology, climate models. P: Jr st or one year calculus-based college physics or introduction to weather and climate; or cons inst.
531 Global Climates. (Crosslisted with Atm Ocn) II; 3 cr (P-A). Special topics in climatology; a descriptive and explanatory analysis of the climatic characteristics of each continent, with emphasis on deviations from the world pattern. P: Geog 321 or equiv or cons inst.
534 History and Ideology of Environmentalism. (Crosslisted with Envir St, History, and Hist Sci) 3 cr (S-A). Historical survey of views of the natural world. Particular focus on the relationship of nature to society and culture, with an attempt to identify the significance and function of environmental ideas within broader intellectual and cultural movements and political ideologies. P: Jr st.
535 Environmental Geography and Conservation in Developing Countries. I; 3 cr (D). Analysis of biophysical and human-geographic aspects of environmental modification associated with economic development and social change in developing countries. Includes ecological assessment, geography of economic development, and environmental conservation. P: Geog/Envir St 339 or equiv.
536 American Wilderness: Perception and Preservation. I or II; 2 cr (S-A). The wild landscape as a resource; the anatomy of the conservation movement and conservation organizations in the United States; wild landscape reserves on the federal lands; possible rationales for preserving wild landscapes; current controversies. P: Geog 139, 339, or cons inst. So st.
537 Culture and Environment. (Crosslisted with Envir St) I or II; 4 cr (S-A). Geographic approaches to culture-nature relationships, including human perception of, use of, and adaptation to the physical environment, with emphasis on traditional subsistence systems; selected topics from contemporary and historical sources. P: Geog/IES 339 or equiv.
538 The Humid Tropics: Ecology, Subsistence, and Development. I or II; 4 cr (S-A). Description and analysis of humid-tropical ecosystems, with emphasis on the relationships, production potential, and human modification of biotic resources. P: Jr st.
548 Problems in the Geography of Latin America. I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-A). Advanced topical analysis of selected problems in the cultural, economic, ecological, and historical geography. P: Previous crse on Latin America.
549 Historical Geography of Western Europe. I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-A). Changes in the patterns of rural and urban settlement and in the use and organization of land and resources from the establishment of the first permanent village communities to the emergence of industrial conurbations. P: Jr st.
553 Russia and the CIS: Problems in Human Geography. II; 3 cr (S-A). P: Jr st.
558 The Social Geography of Asian Cities in Comparative Perspective. II or SS; 4 cr (S-A). A geographical perspective on the nature of Southeast Asian and Chinese cities as royal ceremonial centers; indigenous bureaucracies and trade as forces organizing various systems of cities; colonial transformations of Asian cities; contemporary Asian urbanism. P: Soph st.
560 Advanced Quantitative Methods. II; 3 cr (P-A). Selected topics in the analysis of spatial distributions with emphasis on multivariate techniques. P: Geog 360 or equiv; Jr st.
561 Mathematical Models in Geography. I or II or SS; 4 cr (S-A). Construction, application, and evaluation of mathematical models in human geography, regional science, and urban planning. Topics: input-output, land use, urban form, and travel behavior models, and their mathematical foundations. P: Jr st & cons of inst.
565 Colloquium for Undergraduate Majors. I, II; 3 cr (I). Orientation to geography as a scholarly discipline; its development, objectives, essential concepts, methods of investigation, institutions, opportunities, problems, and trends. P: Geog majors or cons inst.
566 Geographic Thought. I or II; 4 cr (S-A). An analysis of the development and significance of basic geographic concepts and theories. Major emphasis on concepts of place, spatial relations, landscape, and human-environment relations. P: Jr st.
570 Problems in Cartography. I or II; 3 cr (P-A). A proseminar on a particular topic in cartography, such as generalization, land form representation, perception, research, automation, lettering, a historical period, etc. P: Cons inst.
572 Graphic Design in Cartography II ; 4 cr (P-A). Study of the map as a graphic communication, the technical and perceptual aspects of its organization, symbolic coding, color and lettering. P: Geog 370 or cons inst.
574 Cartographic Methods in Research. I or II; 3 cr (P-A). Principles for the manipulation of the map and its use as a model for evidence, prediction and hypothesis generation and testing. Analysis and comparison of mapped statistical surfaces as to their assumptions, properties and errors, and their appropriate generalization. Emphasis throughout on the use of automated cartographic systems. P: Cons inst.
575 Animated and Web-based Mapping. II; 4 cr (P-A). Examines recent issues in cartography related to map animation, the Internet, geovisualization and on-demand mapping systems—focusing on new cartographic challenges and opportunities associated with interactive, digital mapping systems. P: Geog 370 and Comp Sci 302, or cons inst.
576 Map Transformations and Coordinate Systems. I; 3 cr (P-A). Process of systematic transformation of one regular surface onto another, including the analysis of the concomitant distortions; map projections and common coordinate systems and their properties. P: Course in calculus and cons inst.
577 Environmental Modeling with GIS. I; 3 cr.; (P-A). This course focuses on environmental modeling using geographic information systems. The course provides an overview of physical environmental processes and focuses on discussion of the GIS-techniques used to parameterize these processes. The discussion will be illustrated by widely used GIS-based environmental models. Prereq> Geog 377 or equiv & Geog 325 or equiv
578 GIS Applications. II, 4 cr, (P-A). Application and use of GIS techniques in physical and human geography. Includes an introduction to a generic framework of GIS applications, case studies, and student projects. Cases range from urban and regional geography, to marketing geography, and to physical and environmental geography. P: Geog 370 and Geog 377 or equivalent
579 GIS and Spatial Analysis. I; 3 cr.; (P-A). Principles and algorithms for spatial analysis in geographic information systems. A theoretical and practical examination of analytical methods used in GIS, including point, line and polygon processing, spatial autocorrelation, spatial interpolation, smoothing, spatial overlay and query, network analysis, terrain analysis, and classification. P: Geog 377 or equivalent, Geog 360 or instructor consent.

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600 Level Courses

601 Field Course in Geography. I; 3 cr (A). Field projects and field exploration in the geography of Dane County and southern Wisconsin; attention to techniques of sampling and to careful observation. P: Stdts should be declared Undergrad majors or Grad stdts in geography.
602 Internship. I, II, SS; 1-2 cr (A). Students may earn no more than two internship credits toward the 30-40 credits in geography. P: Stdts should be declared Undergrad majors or Grad stdts in geography. Graded on a credit/no credit basis.
675 Special Topics in Geography. I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-A). Topics vary. P: Jr, Sr, or Grad st, or cons inst.
676 Special Topics in Geography. I or II or SS; 3 cr (P-A). Topics vary. P: Jr, Sr, or Grad st, or cons inst.
677 Special Topics in Geography. I or II or SS; 3 cr (H-A). Topics vary. P: Jr, Sr, or Grad st, or cons inst.
681 Senior Honors Thesis. I, II; 2-3 cr (A). P: Cons inst.
682 Senior Honors Thesis. I, II; 2-3 cr (A). P: Cons inst.
691 Senior Thesis. I, II; 2-3 cr (A). P: Sr st and cons inst.
692 Senior Thesis. I, II; 2-3 cr (A). P: Sr st and cons inst.
698 Directed Study. I, II; 1-3 cr (A). Cr/N. P: Jr or Sr st. Graded on a Cr/N basis; requires cons inst.
699 Directed Study. I, II; 1-3 cr (A). P: Jr or Sr st. Graded on a lettered basis; requires cons inst.

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700 Level Courses

720 Field and Lab Techniques in Physical Geography. 3 cr. Applications of survey, sampling, and analytical techniques. Shallow subsurface exploration; survey of small areas and short slopes; light-weight equipment; survey by individuals and two-person teams; sample methods control; collection for radiocarbon and pollen analysis; controls and precaution in lab practice. P: Grad st.
765 Geographical Inquiry and Analysis: An Introduction. 1 cr. Geographic perspectives and analyses: history of the discipline, issues and research frontiers, interests and perspectives of Madison faculty, structure of graduate study in the department, research facilities and opportunities. P: Grad st.
766 Geographical Inquiry and Analysis: Techniques. 1-3 cr. Engaging in geographic research: analysis of successful proposals and published papers and books; different approaches to geographic research; writing of proposals for students' won research. P: Grads: 3 cr, undergrads: 1 cr; or cons inst.
799 Independent Reading. 1-3 cr.

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900 Level Courses

900 Seminar in Geography. 1-3 cr. P: Grad st.
910 Seminar in Geography. 1-3 cr. P: Grad st.
918 Seminar in Political Geography: The Geography of Nationalism. 1-3 cr. P: Grad st.
920 Seminar in Geography. 1-3 cr. P: Grad st.
930 Seminar in Geography. 1-3 cr. P: Grad st.
970 Seminar in Geographic Information Science. 1-3 cr. P: Grad st.
990 Research and Thesis. 1-9 cr. P: Cons inst.
999 Independent Work. 1-3 cr. P: Cons inst.

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