Lower Division Courses

1. Global Environmental Change. (4) Three hours lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. The global pattern of climate, landforms, vegetation, and soils. The relative importance of natural and human-induced change, global warming, forest clearance, accelerated soil erosion, glacial/post-glacial climate change and its consequences.

4. World Peoples and Cultural Environments. (4) Three hours lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Historical and contemporary cultural-environmental patterns. The development and spread of cultural adaptations, human use of resources, transformation and creation of human environments.

10. World Regions, Peoples, and States. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. This course will provide a framework for recognizing and analyzing the major distinctive regions of the world in comparative context. The most important inter-relations between environment, economy, ethnicity, and the national identity and viability of states will be explored.

C15. Geographies of Race and Gender. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of mandatory discussion per week. What can geography contribute to our understanding of gender inequality and racial discrimination in a globalizing world? The course examines (a) how supposedly "natural" differences are actually produced through everyday practices in particular spatial contexts; (b) historical and cultural geographies of race and gender in the U.S. in relation to those in other parts of the world, including South Africa; and (c) how these concepts and comparative historical geographies can help us think critically and constructively about questions of social change in the face of globalization. Also listed as Women's Studies C 15 and African American Studies C 15.

20. Globalization. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. How and why are geographical patterns of employment, production and consumption unstable in the contemporary world? What are the consequences of NAFTA, an expanded European Community and post-colonial migration flows? How is global restructuring culturally reworked locally and nationally?

24. Freshman Seminar. (1) One hour of seminar per week. Sections 1-3 to be graded on a letter-grade basis. Sections 4-6 to be graded on a passed/not passed basis. The Freshman Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small seminar setting. Freshman seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 freshmen.

30. The Ocean World. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Introduction to the cultural and physical geography of the world’s oceans. Ecology of ocean biota and environments. History and geography of ocean peoples, cultures and resource use. Problems confronting ocean peoples and environments. New approaches to saving the oceans.

C30. The Ocean World. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of mandatory discussion per week. The ocean covers 71 percent of the earth’s surface, yet the ocean floor is less studied than the moon. This almost unexplored landscape is made up of flat plains, deep trenches, volcanic mountains, and huge ridges. In this dark abyss, life is supported by a rain of nutrients from pelagic photosynthesis, and by chemosynthetic bacteria near hot vents and fissures. The Ocean World class will cover ocean environments, scientific exploration, and marine ecosystems. The course will cover ocean currents, waves, marine habitats, coral reefs, hurricanes, tsunamis, El Ninos, volcanic islands, coasts and beaches. The course will cover new frontiers in ocean sciences, including the technologies used to monitor and probe the ocean depths, including scuba, submersibles, and satellites. Also listed as EPS C30

C32. Introduction to Development. (4). Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. This course is designed as an introduction to comparative development. The course will be a general service course, as well as a prerequisite for the upper division C112 series. It is assumed that students enrolled in C32 know little about life in the Third World countries and are unfamiliar with the relevant theory in political economy of development and underdevelopment. The course will be structured around three critical concepts: land, labor, and work. Also listed as Development Studies C10.

39. Freshman Seminar. (1.5-4) Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes. One hour of seminar per week per unit. Freshman seminars offer new students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Enrollment limits are set by the faculty.

40. Introduction to Earth System Science. (4) Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. The goals of this introductory Earth System Science course are to achieve a scientific understanding of important problems in global environmental change and to learn how to analyze a complex system using scientific methods. Earth System Science is an interdisciplinary field that describes the cycling of energy and matter between the different spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, and lithosphere) of the earth system. In addition to the themes of climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, and biodiversity loss, we will also discuss air and water pollution, fisheries depletion, and science in public policy.

50AC. California. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. California has been called "the great exception" and "America, only more so." Yet few of us pay enough attention to its distinctive traits and to its effects beyond our borders. California may be "a state of mind", but it is also the most dynamic place in the most powerful country in the world, and would be the 5th largest economy if it were a country. Its wealth has been built on mining, agriculture, industry, trade and finance. Natural abundance and geographic advantage have played their parts, but the state's greatest resource has been its wealth and diversity of people, who have made it a center of technological and cultural innovation from Hollywood to Silicon Valley. Yet California has a dark side of exploitation and racialization of many peoples, and of violent efforts to exclude immigrants and control the poor. This course pursues classic themes in geography, such as regional difference, the transformation of nature, the space of cities, and the changing landscape. This course satisfies the American cultures requirement.

51. Political Economy of Development in East Asia. (3) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. This course focuses on the political economy of development in East and Southeast Asia. Topics include the colonial histories and legacies in East Asia, the transition of the development state, transformation of former socialist economies, technology exchanges and transfer across the Pacific, new generations of women workers in the global economy, the politics of deforestation, and Asian financial crises and recovery. Cases used to illustrate the development issues in East Asia include China, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

C55. Introduction to Central Asia. (3) Three hours of lecture per week. This course will introduce the student not only to ancient and modern Central Asia, but also to the role played by the region in the shaping of the history of neighboring regions and regimes. The course will outline the history, languages, ethnicities, religions, and archaeology of the region and will acquaint the student with the historical foundations of some of the political, social and economic challenges for contemporary post-Soviet Central Asian republics. Also listed as Near Eastern Studies C26.

70AC. The Urban Experience. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of mandatory discussion per week. We will track the historical evolution of the American city. We’ll look at the economics of city life, at the organization of metropolitan political power, and at the aesthetics of the urban scene—to see how the core cultural themes of American urban life have endured over time while continuously adjusting to new circumstances. Our approach is to focus on major themes in urban life and to show how various groups have had different kinds of experiences in these urban realms. This course satisfies the American cultures requirement.

84. Sophomore Seminar. (1) One hour of seminar per week. Sections 1-2 to be graded on a passed/not passed basis. Sections 3-4 to be graded on a letter-grade basis. Sophomore seminars are small interactive courses offered by faculty members in departments all across the campus. Sophomore seminars offer opportunity for close, regular intellectual contact between faculty members and students in the crucial second year. The topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 sophomores.

90. Seminars for Lower Division Students. (3) Three hours seminar and one hour consultation per week. A reading and research seminar for freshmen and sophomore students. Topics to vary.

98. Directed Group Study. (1-4) Course may be repeated for credit. One to four hours of group study (or fieldwork) per week. Must be taken on pass/not pass basis. Lectures and small group discussion focusing on topics of interest that vary from semester to semester.

109. Prehistoric Agriculture. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. Agricultural origins in the light of recent biological and archaeological evidence.

110. Economic Geography of the Industrial World. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Prerequisites: Geography 20 or prior courses in economics or regional development strongly suggested. Industrialization, urbanization and regional development. Locational effects of developments in manufacturing, services, trade, and finance. Dynamics of technical change, labor relations, industrial organization, industrial restructuring. Employment and the social fabric of cities and regions. Competition and national rivalries in a global economy. Emphasis on the U.S.

C110. Economic Geography of the Industrial World. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Prerequisites: Geography 20 or prior courses in economics or regional development strongly suggested. Industrialization, urbanization and regional development. Locational effects of developments in manufacturing, services, trade, and finance. Dynamics of technical change, labor relations, industrial organization, industrial restructuring. Employment and the social fabric of cities and regions. Competition and national rivalries in a global economy. Emphasis on the U.S. Also listed as ISF C101.

111. Local and Regional Transformation. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. The simultaneous transformation of localized activities, power relations and identity. Theoretical issues pertaining to human agency and the simultaneous making of history and production of places. Detailed case studies from rural and urban settings, from the past and present, from North America, Europe, the “Third World.”

C112. History of Development and Underdevelopment. (4). Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Historical review of the development of world economic systems and the impact of these developments on less advanced countries. Course objective is to provide a background against which to understand and assess theoretical interpretations of development and underdevelopment. Also listed as Development Studies C100.

120. The Cultures of Cities. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. We’ll look first at the role that cities—as economic units and cultural centers—played in the development of capitalism in the 19th century. A series of case studies, including Paris, Vienna, London, New York, and Chicago, will ground discussions about industry and finance, architecture and literature, and consciousness and cultural identity. From here we’ll proceed thematically, to cover the major post-war issues of the automobile and suburbia; race relations, public housing, and the ghetto; and downtown redevelopment and gentrification.

123. Postcolonial Geographies. (4) Four hours of lecture per week. Postcolonial studies focus on how processes of colonialism/imperialism continue even after the formal dissolution of empire. A central argument of this course is that critical human geography can make important contributions to understanding the interconnections between forces at play in different parts of the world. Drawing on concepts of space, place, culture, power, and difference, its purpose is to provide a set of tools for grappling with the conditions in which we find ourselves, and for thinking about the possibilities for social change.

125. The American City. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. The American city, palimpsest of a nation. It all comes together in the modern metropolis: economy, society, politics, culture, and geography. Cities as the economic engines of capitalism, centers of industry, finance, business, consumption, and innovation. Cities as political powers and political pawns, and the government of cities, suburbs and metropolitan areas. Cities as magnificent constructs, built of concrete, credit and land rents, from skyscrapers to housing tracts, freeways to shopping malls, airports to open spaces. Cities as landscapes of social division by class, race and nationality, and the turf battles from mean ghetto streets to the hideaways of privilege. Cities as cultural hearths, places of high art and popular entertainment, style and monumentality, rebellion and desire. The geography of civic upheaval, as urban space is constantly remade by growth, economic shifts, building cycles, land speculation, gentrification and redevelopment.

130. Natural Resources and Population. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. Are there enough energy, water, mineral and land resources for the world's population? The role of natural resources in the world economy, national development and human welfare focusing on the Third World. The origins of scarcity and abundance, population growth and migration, hunger and poverty.

134. Natural Hazards and Problems. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. An ecological approach to the study of interactions between the natural events and human use systems; perceptions of and adaptations to natural hazards such as floods, droughts, earthquakes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

C136. Water in Terrestrial Environment. (3) Prerequisites: Chemistry 1A, Math 1A-1B, Physics 7A, or consent of instructor. Terrestrial environment including lower atmosphere, landscape, water, soil, geogases, and nutrient cycles. Hydrologic cycle. Precipitation, physiography, runoff, and erosion. Infiltration, evaporation, and transpiration. Exchange of gases between soil and atmosphere. Groundwater flow patterns, chemistry, and influence on rock and soil formation. Impact of natural resources development and disposal of wastes on environment. Development of quantitative insights through problem solving. Also listed as ESPM C130.

138. Political Ecology of the Third World. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. Political factors affecting ecological conditions in the Third World. Topics include environmental degradation, migrations, agricultural production, role of international aid, divergence in standard of living, political power, participation and decision making, access to resources, global environmental policies and treaties, political strife and war.

C139. Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics. (3) Three hours of lecture/discussion per week. This course examines the processes that determine the structure and circulation of the Earth's atmosphere. The approach is deductive rather than descriptive: to figure out the properties and behavior of the Earth's atmosphere based on the laws of physics and fluid dynamics. Topics will include interaction between radiation and atmospheric composition; the role of water in the energy and radiation balance; governing equations for atmospheric motion, mass conservation and thermodynamic energy balance; geostrophic flow, quasigeostrophic motion, baroclinic instability and dynamics of extratropical cyclones. Also listed as Earth & Planetary Science C181.

140A. Physical Landscapes: Process and Form. (4) Four one and one-half hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: 1 or equivalent. Understanding the physical characteristics of the Earth's surface, and the processes active on it, is essential for maintaining the long-term health of the environment, and for appreciating the unique, defining qualities of geographic regions. In this course, we build an understanding of global tectonics, and of rivers, hillslopes and coastlines, and discover how these act in concert with the underlying geologic framework to produce the magnificent landscapes of our planet. Through our review of formative processes, we learn how physical landscapes change and are susceptible to human modifications, which are often unintentional.

140B. Physiography and Geomorphologic Extremes. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Prerequisite: Geography 140A (formerly 140), or Geology 117, or equivalent. In this course we review the physical landscapes and surface processes in extreme environments: hot arid regions, glacial and periglacial landscapes, and karst terrane. Using this knowledge, plus an understanding of tectonics and temperate watersheds (gained from prerequisite courses), we explore how unique combinations of geomorphic processes acting on tectonic and structural provinces have created the spectacular and diverse landscapes of North America. Regions to be explored include the Colorado Plateau, Sierra Nevada, North Cascades, Northern and Southern Rockies, Great Plains, Appalachian Highlands and Mississippi Delta.

C141. Paleoclimatology. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: Upper division standing. Earth's climatic changes have been substantial throughout geologic history, and these changes constitute fascinating natural experiments that reveal much about the earth's climate systems and their capacity for change. In this course we will review important methods for past climate reconstruction and also current knowledge of past climate changes throughout earth's history, with an emphasis on those of the Quaternary. Methods to be explored include analyses of physical, geochemical, and paleontologic characteristics of marine sediments, coral reefs, coastal sediments, lake sediments, tree rings, and ice cores. Also listed as Earth & Planetary Science C141.

142. Climate Dynamics (4) Three hours of lecture per week and one or two computer laboratory projects. This course examines how various components of the climate system—the atmosphere, ocean, land, and cryosphere—interact in determining its observed state. Covered topics: observations of the climate system; the earth's energy balance; atmospheric radiative transfer; the surface energy balance; the hydrologic cycle; atmospheric circulation and its relation to the energy balance; the role of the ocean and the cryosphere. Additional topics, as time permits, will cover climate change, natural and anthropogenic; and computer modeling of climate.

143. Global Change and Biogeochemistry. (4) Three hours lecture and one hour of discussion section per week. Prerequisites: Chemistry 1A/1B or equivalent. The field of biogeochemistry offers an interdisciplinary approach to modern global environmental issues, such as climate change feedback effects, stratospheric ozone loss, oxidation capacity of the atmosphere, land use change, and marine ecosystem health. Earth is a complex system where the transformation and flow of chemicals and energy within and between biomes have ramifications for life on this planet. The overall theme of this course will be to explore the imprint of the biota (including humans) on the chemistry of the ocean, land and atmosphere. This course will explore the biogeochemical cycles of terrestrial, freshwater and marine biomes. In addition, the global cycles of environmentally important elements and gases will be explored.

144. Principles of Meteorology. (4) Three hours of lecture, and one hour of discussion per week. Weather development in relation to different scales of atmospheric circulation including analysis and forecasting with examples from the Northeastern Pacific-Western North American area.

C145. Geological Oceanography. (4) Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. Upper division standing. The tectonics and morphology of the sea floor, the geologic processes in the deep and shelf seas, and the climatic record contained in deep-sea sediments. The course will cover sources and composition of marine sediments, sea level change, ocean circulation, paleoenvironmental reconstruction using fossils, imprint of climatic zonation on marine sediments, marine stratigraphy, and ocean floor resources. Also listed as Earth & Planetary Science C146.

148. Biogeography. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: 1, 40 or a lower division course in Biology or Earth Science. Changing distribution patterns of plants and animals on a variety of spatial and temporal scales. The effects of “continental drift”, Pleistocene climatic change, agricultural origins and dispersals. The ecology of invasions and extinctions. Island biogeography.

C152. Multi-Cultural Europe. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. In this course, we will trace some of the substantive changes and transformations taking place in contemporary Europe in the areas of culture, society, and politics. In particular, we will look at the effects of massive migration flows—due to globalization processes—on the national culture of the core countries and examine the ways in which particular national cultures react to the increasing multiculturization of Europe. The goal of the course is, first of all, to familiarize students with a variety of cultural, social, and political innovations that accompany the formation of multicultural Europe. This involves (1) an examination of the traditional concepts of nationhood and citizenship, and (2) a study of the Europeanization of culture. Also listed as International and Area Studies C145, Interdisciplinary Studies C145, and History C176.

153. What is in a Rim? Geography of Social and Economic Development in East Asia. (3) Three hours of lecture per week. This course focuses on development issues in East and Southeast Asia. Topics include the colonial legacy in Southeast Asia, the ups and downs of the "developmental state," women and labor, and the environment. It also takes a critical view on the presentation and representation of East Asia, examining the construction of geographical terms such as Pacific Rim and Greater China. Students are expected to participate and make thoughtful contributions to class discussions. This is a lecture course mainly designed for upper level undergraduate students with preliminary background in East Asian studies or/and development studies.

156. The Political Economy and Historical Geography of Latin American Development. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. This course examines the problems of development and underdevelopment in Latin America by using comparative economic and geographical materials from select countries. A strong historical focus on regional economic development, relations between the city and the countryside, and the process of urbanization should offer special insights into the nature of Latin American development.

C157. Central American Peoples and Cultures. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. A comparative survey of the peoples and cultures of the seven countries of the Central American Isthmus from a historical and contemporary perspective. Also listed as Chicano Studies C161.

159AC. The Southern Border. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. The southern border—from California to Florida—is the longest physical divide between the First and Third Worlds. This course will examine the border as a distinct landscape where North-South relations take on a specific spatial and cultural dimension, and as a region which has been the testing ground for such issues as free trade, immigration, and ethnic politics. This course satisfies the American Cultures requirement. Also listed as Ethnic Studies 159AC and Education 186AC.

160A. American Cultural Landscapes, 1783-1900. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Introduces ways of seeing and interpreting American histories and cultures, as revealed in everyday built surroundings—homes, highways, farms, factories, stores, recreation areas, small towns, city districts, and regions. Encourages students to read landscapes as records of past and present social relations, and to speculate for themselves about cultural meaning. Also listed as EnvDes C169A and American Studies C112A.

160B. American Cultural Landscapes, 1900-. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Introduces ways of seeing and interpreting American histories and cultures, as revealed in everyday built surroundings—homes, highways, farms, factories, stores, recreation areas, small towns, city districts, and regions. Encourages students to read landscapes as records of past and present social relations, and to speculate for themselves about cultural meaning. Also listed as EnvDes C169B and American Studies C112B.

164. The Geography of Economic Development in China. (3) Three hours of lecture per week. This course focuses on four issues in contemporary China: (1) the transformation of the socialist state, (2) the politics of resource struggle, (3) the interplay of gender and class in the transitional society, and (4) Chinese Diaspora and business networks in the context of globalization. Each of these issues will be examined with reference to theories of development and histories of China. We will also take a critical approach in our exploration of China’s development. This is a lecture course mainly designed for upper level undergraduate students with preliminary background in East Asian-Chinese studies or development studies or both.

165. Africa: Ecology and Development. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. An overview of selected issues in the development of sub-Saharan Africa. Topics include rural development, ecological change, demography, migration, urban growth, agricultural development, and peasant economy.

169. The New Europes. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. The idea of Europe; processes of integration and disintegration; historical geography of the formation of nations and states; environmental problems; national identity; “Europe of regions”; transformation, conflict, and anxiety since 1989.

170. Special Topics in Geography. (3) Course may be repeated for credit with different topic. Three hours of lecture per week. This course is designed to provide a vehicle for instructors to address a topic with which they are especially concerned; usually more restricted than the subject matter of a regular lecture course. Topics will vary with instructor. See departmental announcements.

171. Special Topics in Physical Geography. (3) Course may be repeated for credit as topic varies. Three hours of lecture per week. This course is designed to provide a vehicle for instructors to address a topic in physical geography with which they are especially concerned; usually more restricted than the subject matter of a regular lecture course. Topics will vary with instructor. See departmental announcements.

172. Special Topics in Social Geography. (4) Course may be repeated for credit as topic varies. Three hours of lecture per week. This course is designed to provide a vehicle for instructors to address a topic in physical geography with which they are especially concerned; usually more restricted than the subject matter of a regular lecture course. Topics will vary with instructor. See departmental announcements.

173A. Cross-listed Topics in Human Geography. (1-4) Course may be repeated for credit with different topic and consent of instructor. One to four hours of lecture per week. This course is designed to accommodate cross-listed courses offered through other departments, the content of which is applicable to Geography majors. Content and unit values vary from course to course.

173B. Cross-listed Topics in Human Geography. (1-4) Course may be repeated for credit with different topic and consent of instructor. One to four hours of lecture per week. This course is designed to accommodate cross-listed courses offered through other departments, the content of which is applicable to Geography majors. Content and unit values vary from course to course.

175. Undergraduate Seminars. (4) Course may be repeated for credit with different topic and consent of instructor. Three hours of seminar per week. A reading and research seminar for undergraduate students. Topics will vary with instructor.

180. Field Methods for Physical Geography. (5) Two hours of lecture per week and six weekend field trips. Prerequisites: Geography 1 or equivalent, and consent of instructor. Field introduction to geomorphology, biogeography, and California landscapes. Students conduct field experiments and mapping exercises. Results of field projects are analyzed and presented as a technical report. Oral field reports are required for some trips.

181. Urban Field Study. (4) One hour lecture and nine hours (one day) fieldwork per week. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Introduction to the metropolitan Bay Area: its history, economy, and social makeup. Evolution of urban landscapes and spatial patterns. Social justice and conflict in the city. Business and industry location, real estate and housing, producing and consuming in the city. Regional characteristics of class, race, gender and politics.

183. Cartographic Representation. (4) Two hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory per week. Problems in the representation of quantitative and qualitative data on thematic maps.

C188X. Geographic Information Systems. (4) Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Some computer experience. This course introduces the student to the rapidly expanding field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It addresses both theory and application and provides the student with a dynamic analytical framework within which temporal and spatial data and information is gathered, integrated, interpreted, and manipulated. It emphasizes a conceptual appreciation of GIS and offers an opportunity to apply some of those concepts to contemporary geographical and planning issues. Also listed as Landscape Architecture C188.

H195A/B. Honors Course. (1-4) Course may be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Admission to Honors Program. Required for Honors in Geography. Students will write a thesis. One or two semesters, at the instructor's option. If two semesters, credit and grade to be awarded upon completion of the sequence. (F,Sp)

197. Field Study in Geography. (1-4) Course may be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a passed/not passed basis. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Supervised experience in application of geography in off-campus organizations. Regular individual meetings with faculty sponsor and written reports required. (F,Sp)

198. Directed Group Study. (1-4) Course may be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a passed/not passed basis. One hour lecture, three to six hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. (F,Sp)

199. Supervised Independent Study. (1-4) Course may be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a passed/not passed basis. Prerequisites: Senior standing. Overall GPA in major of 3.00. (F,Sp)

200A-200B. The Geographical Point of View. (4, 4) Three hours of seminar per week. Prerequisites: Required of all first year graduate students. The class has several goals. One is to give students a sound basis upon which to judge arguments. To do that, they must be able to detect various kinds of biases—some of which are inevitable and fairly innocuous, others more blatant and grotesque; they must be able to see how evidence is used and misused; and they must understand the use and abuse of theory. A second goal is to help students see, think, and write geographically—that is, to adopt, or intensify, a geographical point of view. One might think of this as learning how to interpret our physical and human landscapes, and being able to "see what one writes." A third goal is to introduce students to the tremendous range of geographical inquiry and what is probably the major strength of geography as a form of thought: to wit, making links across space, among peoples, and between humans and the earth. Sequence begins in the Fall.

201. Philosophical and Methodological Issues in Human and Cultural Geography. (4) Three hour discussion/seminar and one hour consultation per week. An introduction to the relations between geographic theory and wider issues in the social sciences. Emphasis on the work of recent human/cultural geographers and related work in social theory and philosophy.

203. Nature and Culture: Social Theory, Social Practice and the Environment. (4) Three hours of seminar per week. The relationship between human societies and natural environments lies at the heart of geographic inquiry and has gained urgency as the rate and scale of human transformations of nature have grown, often outstripping our understanding of causes and effects. The physical side of environmental science has received most of the emphasis in university research, but the social basis of environmental change must be studied, as well. Recent developments in social theory have much to offer environmental studies, while the latter has, in turn, exploded many formerly safe assumptions about how and what the social sciences and humanities ought to be preoccupied with. This seminar allows students to explore some classics in environmental thought as well as recent contributions that put the field on the forefront of social knowledge today.

204. Geographic Research Methods and Theories. (4) Three hours of seminar per week. Analysis of geographic research methods and theories. Emphasis on field research and historical development of field-based studies in geography and related disciplines. Consideration of approaches and assumptions involved in various field research methods and theories. Research ethics, proposals and equipment. Weekly projects, assignments and discussion.

214. Development Theories and Practices. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of consultation per week. This course examines how concepts and theories of “development” have been produced, maintained, used, and challenged in different regions of the world economy. It will offer a framework for analyzing how changing and contending models of development both reflect and shape social processes and practices.

C214. Development Theories and Practices. (3) Three hours of lecture/discussion per week. This course examines how concepts and theories of “development” have been produced, maintained, used, and challenged in different regions of the world economy. It will offer a framework for analyzing how changing and contending models of development both reflect and shape social processes and practices. Also listed as City and Regional Planning C203.

215. Seminar in Comparative and International Development. (4) Three hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week. This seminar is designed for students intending to do research on topics of comparative development, the organization of work, and access to resources in different regions of the world economy. Participants in the seminar will be expected to write a research proposal and to participate actively in reading and responding to each other’s work.

220. Capital, Value, and Scale. (4) Three hours of seminar per week. This seminar focuses on major works in political economy and social theory concerning capitalism, human action and space-time. First we grapple with what “value” means in volume 1 of Capital, paying particular attention to issues of historical specificity, abstract labor time, and the “value theory of labor.” Then we spatialize the argument by a close reading of David Harvey’s classic, Limits to Capital. Next, we look at attempts to understand capital’s relation to human action and other forms of value, specifically in anthropology and the work of Pierre Bourdieu. Finally, we take up the issue of scale in hopes of formulating a coherent conceptual framework for integrating across scales, from the human body (or even smaller scales) up to global economic, cultural and ecological processes.

240. Advanced Landforms Analysis. (4) Three hours of seminar per week. Prerequisites: 140 or equivalent. Problems and methods of geomorphic analysis.

C241. Glaciology. (4) Three hours of lecture and one hour of consultation per week. Prerequisites: Calculus. A review of the mechanics of glacial systems, including formation of ice masses, glacial flow mechanisms, subglacial hydrology, temperature and heat transport, and global flow and response of ice sheets and glaciers. We will use this knowledge to examine glaciers as geomorphologic agents and as participants in climate change. Also listed as EPS C242.

242. Earth Systems Science. (4) Three hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week. Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. To develop an advanced understanding of global environmental problems, it is necessary to adopt the approach of Earth systems science (the modern physical geography). Earth is viewed as a complete, systematic entity, and analyzed as an interacting set of physical, chemical, and biological systems that produces the characteristics and dynamics of the global environment. This course is a semester-long introductory overview of the major components of Earth systems science. We will read and discuss one complete graduate-level Earth systems science text, with supplementary readings from the current research literature. Student evaluation is based primarily on participation in discussion and quality of supplementary literature reviews of selected topics.

243. Advances in Environmental Change Studies. (4) Three hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week. Course may be repeated for credit. This course will consist of review and discussion of recently-published advances in environmental change research, with an emphasis on important advances that are either: (1) concerned with spatial phenomena, whether at a watershed scale or planetary scale and/or (2) integrative in nature (meaning they tie together disparate elements to form a coherent view of the operation of earth systems).

245. Topics in Biogeochemistry. (4) Three hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week. Course may be repeated for credit. Weekly discussions will be held on recent topics in atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial biogeochemistry. Students will choose recent or influential papers in these disciplines and will be responsible for presentations and participation in discussions. Sessions may also include roundtable discussions with invited speakers.

246. Geomorphology of California. (4) Two major field trips of four days' duration each with 12-hour days. Course may be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Graduate standing in either geography or earth and planetary science and consent of instructor. Undergraduates need consent of instructor and 140A-140B or 140B and EPS 117. Numerous tectonic and Earth surface processes act in concert to produce the physical landscapes of our planet. This course examines three major regions of California (the Sierra Nevada, the Basin and Range, and the Southern Coast Ranges) as specific case studies for demonstrating how landscapes can be understood using concepts from tectonics, geomorphology, and geography. Two four-day field trips and preparatory readings for them will illuminate the integrated action of tectonics, geologic structure and lithology, drainage network development, hydraulics, soil production, hillslope transport, fluvial transport, aeolian transport, and glacial/periglacial processes. A term project will be required.

C247. Geological Oceanography. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. The tectonics and morphology of the sea floor, the geologic processes in the deep and shelf seas, and the climatic record contained in deep-sea sediments. The course will cover sources and composition of marine sediments, sea level change, ocean sediments, marine stratigraphy, and ocean floor resources. Also listed as Earth and Planetary Science C246.

248. Introduction to Field and Laboratory Methods in Earth System Science. (4) Three hours of lecture per week, plus weekly laboratory visits or fieldtrips. Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Earth system science is an interdisciplinary field that probes the interaction between the atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. This class will introduce essential laboratory and field-based research techniques in earth system science, including material selection, measurement fundamentals, gas collection, gas analyses, field methods, and data storage. This class is designed for graduate students, although upper-level undergraduates may enroll with consent of instructor.

249. Seminar in Spatiotemporal Data Analysis in the Climate Sciences. (3) Three hours of seminar per week. This graduate seminar teaches objective techniques for spatiotemporal data analysis focusing primarily on Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and its derivatives.  The context will be climate data analysis, but the technique is readily translatable to other fields. The goal is to get the student sufficiently comfortable with the technique so they can use it in their research.

C250. Seminar in Sociology of Forest and Wildland Resources. (4) Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Individual projects and group discussions concerning social constraints to, and effects of, natural resource planning and management. Application of sociological theories to problems of managing wildland ecosystems. Students will examine topics of individual interest related to the management of wildland uses. Enrollment limited. Also listed as ESPM C255.

251. Topics in Cultural Geography. (4) Course may be repeated for credit. Two hours of seminar and one hour consultation per week. Research seminar of selected topics in cultural geography.

252. Topics in Economic Geography. (4) Course may be repeated for credit. Three hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week. Research seminar on selected topics in economic geography.

253. Topics in Urban Geography. (4) Course may be repeated for credit. Two hours of seminar and one hour consultation per week. Research seminar on selected topics in urban geography.

255. Topics in Political Geography. (4) Course may be repeated for credit. Two hours of seminar and one hour consultation per week. Research seminar on selected topics in political geography.

256. Topics in Historical Geography. (4) Course may be repeated for credit. Three hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week. Research seminar on selected topics in historical geography.

257. Topics in Climatology. (4) Course may be repeated for credit. Two hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week. Research seminar on selected topics in climatology.

259. Topics in Social Geography. (4) Course may be repeated for credit. Three hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week. Research seminar on selected topics in social geography.

260. Topics in Biogeography. (4) Course may be repeated for credit. Two hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week. Research seminar on selected topics in biogeography.

261. Field and Laboratory Techniques in Quaternary Paleoecology. (4) Three hours of seminar/laboratory per week, plus outside fieldwork. Recovery of sediment cores from lakes and marshes. Fieldwork usually in California or Mexico. Non-destructive methods of core analysis: magnetic susceptibility, x-radiography, photography, image analysis. Extraction of fossil pollen, seeds, and microscopic charcoal. Pollen and seed identification, photomicroscopy, charcoal scanning. Statistical analysis and graphical presentation of data.

264. Nationalism, Identity, and Territoriality in Europe. (4) Course may be repeated for credit. Integration and disintegration; homelands and territoriality; identities—primordial or “imagined”; malignant or beneficent nationalisms; “Europe of regions;” transformation and anxiety in the 1990s.

280. Advanced Field Study in Geography. (3-7) Course may be repeated for credit. One hour of lecture and eleven hours of fieldwork per week. All day Saturday. Each additional unit requires four hours of fieldwork per week. Extended field project required.

294. Departmental Research Seminar. (1) Course may be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. One hour of seminar per week. An informal seminar for the presentation of graduate research in progress. (F)

295. Geography Colloquium. (1) Course may be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. One and one-half hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: Required of all graduate students not yet advanced to candidacy. Invited lectures on current research and field work.

296. Directed Dissertation Research. (1-12) Course may be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites: Advancement to Ph.D. candidacy.

297. Directed Field Studies. (1-6) Course may be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites: Open to students directly engaged in field studies.

298. Directed Study for Graduate Students. (1-6) Course may be repeated for credit. Special tutorial or seminar on selected topics not covered by available courses or seminars.

299. Individual Research. (1-8) Course may be repeated for credit. Individual research for graduate students in consultation with staff member.

C302. Effective Scientific Communication. (3) This course will introduce methods of organizing and delivering oral presentations, initiating and organizing manuscripts, and utilizing digital communication methods, such as web-based media. Students will develop effective communication techniques through in-class experience. This class will have an emphasis on the sciences but will be useful and open to graduate students of all disciplines. Also listed as ESPM C302.

601. Individual Study for Master's Students. (1-6) Units may not be used to meet either unit or residence requirements for the master's degree. Course may be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites: For candidates for master's degree. Individual study for comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the field adviser.

602. Individual Study for Doctoral Students. (1-6) May not be used for unit or residence requirements for the doctoral degree. Course may be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites: For candidates for Ph.D. Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D.