The First Year Geography Graduate Sequence
What to Expect in Winter and Spring after completing Geog 609
GEOG 609, 620 and 621 are for geography graduate students entering our program. The goals are to: (1) introduce you to the Geography faculty and professional life and expectations as a graduate student (the primary emphasis of 609); (2) launch you into the process of conceiving, planning, and conducting thesis research, (3) provide you with an overview of the development of geography as a discipline, and (4) examine issues of relevance to the professional practice of geography. There will be regular readings for each session. You be expected to prepare a literature review at the end of GEOG 620 and a research proposal at the end of GEOG 621.
NOTE: The purpose of this document is to give you a general idea of the structure of GEOG 620 and 621. Hence, there are likely to be some changes to the outline that follows. The precise order of sessions and subjects to be covered will be specified on the syllabus that will be distributed at the beginning of each quarter.
Geog 620 (4 credits, meets twice each week for 80 minutes)
Meeting |
Topic
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Week 1 |
Intro. to the course; examples of research questions |
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Research writing
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Week 2 |
Journals |
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Data/Information acquisition (quantitative)
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Week 3 |
MLK Day |
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Data/Information acquisition (qualitative)
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Week 4 |
Data/information analysis (quantitative) |
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Data/information analysis (qualitative)
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Week 5 |
Data/information presentation |
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Data/information presentation
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Week 6 |
Research questions/proposal process – 2nd round |
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History and Thought (H&T) – pre 20th C
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Week 7 |
H&T – 1900 - 1950 |
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Week 8 |
H&T – Roots of Quantitative Rev. |
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H&T – Wake of the Quantitative Rev.
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Week 9 |
H&T – Resurgence of Physical Geography |
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H&T – Physical Geography in 70s and 80s
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Week 10 |
H&T – Alternatives to positivism (70s & 80s) |
Geog 621 (3 credits, meets once per week for 110 minutes)
Meeting |
Topic
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Week 1 |
H&T – New theories/approaches/topics in human geography
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Week 2 |
H&T – New theories/approaches/topics in physical geography
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Week 3 |
H&T – The GIScience Revolution
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Week 4 |
Presentation of research questions, 3rd round
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Week 5 |
H&T – Cross-cutting ideas/approaches/themes; where is geography headed?
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Week 6 |
Ethical issues in research and the professional world
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Week 7 |
Prof expectations & the publishing process
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Week 8 |
Employment Opportunities in Geography
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Week 9 |
Memorial day
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Week 10 |
Presentation of proposals |