Courses

All courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise specified.

Geosciences

510 Natural Hazards (2nd sem, alt yrs)
Natural hazards as interaction of extreme geophysical events and the spatial organization of human activities. Topics include earthquakes, floods, droughts, landslides, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes and tornadoes. Policy and economic implications of hazards, risk assessment, hazard mapping. Some prior experience of scientific subjects recommended

513 Crystal Chemistry of Rock-forming Minerals (offered at irregular intervals)
Crystal structures, site populations, compositional variations, polymorphism, structurally related physical properties, and classification of rock-forming silicates and oxides at upper undergraduate level. Prerequisites: GEOL 311 and 321 or equivalent. Credit, 1-2.

515 X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis (offered at irregular intervals)
Theoretical and practical application of x-ray fluorescence analysis in determining major and trace element abundances in geological materials. Prerequisite: Analytical Geochemistry, or consent of instructor. Credit, 2.

517 Sedimentary Geochemistry (offered at irregular intervals)
With lab, field trip. Applications of geochemistry to the study of modern sedimentary environments and sedimentary rocks. Geochemistry of carbonates and evaporites. Use of stable isotopes in paleoenvironmental analysis. Oxidation-reduction processes and their significance for iron formations. Geochemical transformations during burial of sedimentary sequences and the formation of petroleum. Prerequisite: GEO-SCI 445 or equivalent; college chemistry recommended. Credit, 3.

519 Aqueous and Environmental Geochemistry (alt 2nd sem)
With lab. Chemical processes affecting the distribution and circulation of chemical compounds in natural waters. Geochemistry of precipitation, rivers, lakes, groundwater, and oceans; applications of thermodynamic equilibria to predicting composition of aqueous systems. Behavior of trace metals and radionuclides in near surface environments. Prerequisite: Chem 111, 112. Credit, 4.

531 Tectonics (alt 2nd sem)
Past and present mechanisms of global tectonics, including mountain building, ocean-basin structure, continental drift, mantle processes, structural geology and petrology of Earth’s crust, and the tectonic history of selected key regions of the globe. Students interested in this course without a LAB should enroll in GEOSCI 535. Credit, 4.

535 Tectonics (alt 2nd sem)
Past and present mechanisms of global tectonics, including mountain building, ocean-basin structure, continental drift, mantle processes, structural geology and petrology of Earth’s crust, and the tectonic history of selected key regions of the globe. Students interested in this course with a LAB should enroll in GEOSCI 531.. Credit, 4.

539 Advanced Geological Mapping (offered at irregular intervals)
Complete series of operations required for publication of a geological map: field location and drawing of contacts, collection and interpretation of field notes, data reduction, drafting, and methods of reproduction. Two afternoons per week in the field. Prerequisites: GEOL 321, 431 or equivalent training. Credit, 3.

553 Geosciences Field Experience (2nd sem, alt yrs)
The seminar is associated with a multi-day field trip outside of western New England. The field trip will take place during spring break or after the end of the semester. The goal of this seminar is to prepare students for making geologic observations and interpretations during the field trip and synthesizing a collection of geologic information across several sub-disciplines into an integrated geologic framework for the focus region. The focus region, which varies, will provide opportunity for students to learn about geologic systems not available in western New England and broaden their geologic understanding. Students will work in teams to produce a field trip guidebook that will serve as a valuable resource during the field trip as we take advantage of the opportunity to direction learn from the geologic record the processes presented at each site we visit. Upper division undergraduate and graduate students. Credit, 3.

557 Coastal Processes (2nd sem, alt yrs)
This upper level undergraduate and graduate course discusses governing processes in the coastal zone including sea level change, tides, waves, storms, flooding, estuarine dynamics and dynamic coastal landforms (e.g. beaches, marshes, deltas, etc.). Students are taught common computer coding techniques to analyze modern tide gauge, wave buoy, stream flow, and other instrumental observations from coastal, estuarine and coastal river environments. While the focus is on coastal processes, the course teaches common techniques in coding and time series analysis via Matlab that could be applied to a broad suite of problems and environments (e.g. extreme value theory, harmonic & spectral analysis, etc.). Familiarity with some basic computer coding is ideal but not required. Credit, 3.

558 Paleoclimate (2nd sem, alt yrs)
Methods used in reconstructing climate before the period of instrumental records and their application in understanding late Quaternary climatic fluctuations. Topics include dating methods, ice core studies, palynology, ocean core studies, terrestrial geological and biological studies, dendroclimatology, and historical climatology. Prerequisites: Geo-Sci 354 or permission of instructor. Credit, 3.

563 Glacial Geology (1st sem)
Origin and forms of glaciers; erosional and depositional processes and recognition of erosional and constructional landforms and depositional systems. Quaternary history of New England, sea level, and isostasy. Field trips by arrangement. Credit, 4.

563 Soil Form and Classification (offered at irregular intervals)
With lab. Effect of environmental factors on soil formation and land use. Relationship between soil morphology, classification, and use interpretations. Application of soils information to on-site sewage disposal, wetland identification, and other environmentally significant problem areas. Prerequisite: introductory course in chemistry, geology, soils, or environmental science; or consent of instructor. Credit, 4.

567 Planetary Geology (offered at irregular intervals)
Geology of solar system. Emphasis on the solid bodies, age, sequence of events, composition, surficial and internal geologic processes. Geologic mapping of selected portions of Moon, Venus, and Mars using recent imagery from the space program. Consent of instructor required. Credit, 3

571 General Geophysics (2nd sem, alt yrs)
Physics of the earth and the gravitational, magnetic, electrical, and seismic methods of geophysical exploration. Laboratory problems and computations. Prerequisites: GEOL 321 and 331, or consent of instructor. Credit, 3

572 Time Series Analysis (2nd sem, alt yrs)
Time series data are pervasive throughout the Geosciences, found in seismology, hydrology, climate science, paleoclimatology, paleoceanography, geochemistry and more. This course helps students to develop the skills to explore the timing and frequency of a wide array of geoscience processes. It provides an introduction to the processing, analyzing and evaluating of time series data to better understand the underlying physical process that created the data. We will examine time series by developing the statistical and mathematical methods used to analyze them. We will learn Python programming to develop practical tools to process, model and analyze time series data. Credit, 3

573 Environmental Geophysics (2nd sem, alt yrs)
Application of seismic, gravity, magnetic, and electrical methods used in geophysical exploration. Field techniques, data compilation, and basic interpretations used to support shallow subsurface studies and environmental or hydrologic programs. Lectures, laboratory and field problems. Credit, 4

576 Quantitative Methods in Earth Sciences (1st sem, alt yrs)
This course will help you understand mathematics and physics in the context of the Geosciences. You will focus on understanding the mathematical, physical and statistical methods necessary to understand geologic processes. You will learn the Python computing language to write computer code to apply, use, and learn these concepts. You will also recognize the application of similar mathematical and physical equations to a broad range of subdisciplines in the Geosciences. After this course, you should feel more comfortable understanding math and physics and their applications to Geosciences. Credit, 3

577 Introduction to Seismology (2nd sem, alt yrs)
This course offers an introduction to the science of seismology. This course constitutes a broad overview of observational and theoretical seismology and the utilization of seismic waves for the study of the Earth's interior, and help students develop a better understanding of physical principles important for geophysical research. Topics include elastic wave propagation, seismic ray theory, interpretation of travel times, finite frequency effects, surface wave dispersion, and seismic tomography. Credit, 3

579 ST-Programing & Data Analysis (2nd sem, alt yrs)
Modern Earth and Environmental Scientists deal with complex and often very large data sets that are typically not useful or understandable in raw form. Thus, quantitative data analysis skills are highly desired and useful in Earth Science sub-disciplines. This course provides an introduction to processing, visualizing, and interpreting quantitative Earth and Environmental Science data using scientific computing techniques widely used in the Earth Sciences. Computational methods and visualization will be performed using the computing language python. The course will teach you the basics of computer programming with particular application to problems and approaches in the Earth Sciences. Credit, 3

587 Hydrogeology (2nd sem)
With lab. Basic principles of theoretical and practical hydrogeology. Topics include the hydrologic cycle, principles of groundwater flow, groundwater hydraulics, occurrence of groundwater in geologic materials, aquifer analysis, field methods, introduction to groundwater modeling, and chemistry of groundwater. Prerequisite: one year of geology; introductory calculus course recommended. Credit, 4.

590S Environmental Stable Isotopes (offered at irregular intervals)
The biogeochemical cycling of elements that occurs through physical transport and chemical reactions underlies every component of the environmental sciences, including global climate, ecosystem function and health, and water resources (among others). However, it is often impossible to directly observe these elemental cycles at relevant scales through time and space. Stable isotopes (atoms of the same element with different masses) give us the unique ability to trace the movement of chemical species through the natural environment, track the reactions that take place, and even reconstruct past environmental conditions such as temperature and rainfall. As a result, the use of stable isotopes has been incorporated into virtually every facet of environmental research over the past few decades. This course is designed to introduce students to the theory and applications of stable isotope biogeochemistry to address research questions across the environmental sciences. Students will become familiar with underlying mathematical representations of isotope fractionation (sorting), methods for measuring stable isotope ratios in natural samples, along with the many ways in which stable isotopes are utilized in frontier research. The course will focus primarily on `traditional? stable isotope systems (H, C, N, O, S), though we will also explore recent advances (clumped isotopes, non-traditional metal isotopes). Through this course, students will also gain hands-on experience collecting. Credit, 3.

591CC Climate Change: New Normal (offered at irregular intervals)
No description is available. Please contact the instructor of the course at that time. Credit, 1.

591CM Intro/Climate and Environmental Modeling (offered at irregular intervals)
No description is available. Please contact the instructor of the course at that time. Credit, 3.

591F Fluids and Geologic Processes (1st sem, alt yrs)
The role of fluids in a variety of near surface and deeper geologic processes ranging from earthquakes, geothermal resources, and diagenesis. Societally relevant issues associated with deep waste water injection and geologic carbon sequestration. No previous course in hydrogeology is required. Credit, 3.

591J Microprobe Analysis (offered at irregular intervals)
No description is available. Please contact the instructor of the course at that time. Credit, 3.

591NE Climate Change Impacts (2nd sem, alt yrs)
We will investigate the science of Earth's changing climate, the societal influences on climate change, as well as the expected impacts based on the collected scientific evidence. We will critically analyze key aspects of climate science, the drivers of climate change, Earth's climate trends, the evidence of climate change, the predicted future climate scenarios, the expected impacts, and the array of possible response options to address the problem, including technological solutions (green energy). Credit, 1.

591P Paleoceanography (1st sem, alt yrs)
This course is designed to introduce you to some of the basic tools and principles used in paleoceanography. We will also focus on abrupt changes in the ocean-climate system and consider the evidence used to interpret what triggered these changes and how the system responded to various forcing factors and the feedbacks involved. Credit, 3.

591Q International Quaternary Seminar (offered at irregular intervals)
The seminar will focus on readings suggested each week by speakers in the International Quaternary webinar series, with discussions and presentations by seminar participants. Credit, 1.

591V Volcanology (2nd sem, alt yrs)
Systematic discussion of volcanic phenomena, types of eruptions, generation and emplacement of magma, products of volcanism, volcanic impact on humans, and the monitoring and forecasting of volcanic events. Case studies of individual volcanoes illustrate principles of volcanology; particular attention to Hawaiian, ocean-floor, and Cascade volcanism. Credit, 3.

593G Geophysics Seminar (both sem)
No description is available. Please contact the instructor of the course at that time. Credit, 1.

593P Biogeochemistry (1st sem)
The interactions between chemical, physical and biological systems on Earth. Credit, 1.

593S Sedimentology Seminar (offered at irregular intervals)
No description is available. Please contact the instructor of the course at that time. Credit, 1.

595D Physical Oceanography (1st sem, alt yrs)
An intensive survey of physical and chemical oceanography, emphasizing the role of the ocean as a system influencing the Earth's surficial processes and climate. Topics include the composition, properties and behavior of seawater, wind-driven and thermohaline ocean circulation theory, air-sea interactions, the flux of materials from the continents to the oceans, biogeochemical cycles (including the marine carbon cycle), and the role of the ocean in past, present, and future climatic change. Attendance at an accompanying weekly seminar required. Credit, 4.

595P Diversity/Inclusion/Pedagogy (offered at irregular intervals)
This seminar will review domain literature concerning best practices in diversity, inclusion, and pedagogy, while connecting these topics to workplace and classroom experiences. Starting with core literature and examples from geosciences, geology, geography and elsewhere, students will engage in critical discussion of how race, gender, class and other identities have been marginalized in these fields. Through conversations, reflections, and participatory actions, this course will explore current issues and consider how to create an equitable landscape moving forward. Credit, 1.

596 Independent Study
Credit, 2-6.

615 Organic and Biogeochemistry (offered at irregular intervals)
The cycling and distribution of “life elements” (C, O, N, S, P) and compounds in modern and ancient marine and terrestrial settings. Emphasis on the transfer of compounds from the biota to their surroundings. Topics include: anthropogenic influence on biogeochemical cycles, importance of microbes in geochemistry, utility of bio-markers in reconstructing paleoecosystems and paleoenvironments. Prerequisite: one year of college chemistry, or GEOL 415 or consent of instructor. Organic Chemistry highly recommended. Credit, 3.

617 Geochemistry Seminar (offered at irregular intervals)
A topic of general interest for reading and discussion. Credit, 1-3.

631 Rock Fracture Mechanics (offered at irregular intervals)
Study of faults, dikes, joints, veins, solution surfaces, and other fractures using field, analytical, and numerical techniques. Principles of rock fracture mechanics used to analyze these features. Applications of fracture analysis include: contribution of fractures to the flow of fluids in the upper crust, evaluation of rock excavation stability, and assessment of seismic hazards associated with active faults. Prerequisite: GEOL 431 or equivalent. Credit, 4.

633 Metamorphic Structural Geology (offered at irregular intervals)
Detailed structural analysis of deformed rocks with emphasis on interpretation of structural features in the field. Graphical and digital analysis of structural data. Class meets one full day per week in the field. One or two key research areas in western New England investigated. Prerequisite: Geo-Sci 431 or equivalent. Credit, 4.

650 UAS FAA Remote Pilot Certification (offered at irregular intervals)
This course provides students with an understanding of the various topics required by the FAA to obtain Remote Pilot Certification. At the end of this course, students will be prepared to take their FAA Remote Pilot Written Test. Students will also have an understanding of current public policy and regulations related to UAS in the United States. Credit, 1.

651 Piloting UAVs (offered at irregular intervals)
This course is intended to introduce students to the basics of flying and operating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multirotor aircraft safely and reliably. This course assumes no prior knowledge of UAV's or prior flying experience. This course is primarily focused on guiding students as they develop practical flying skills, but will also cover basic information on multirotor function, diagnostics, and maintenance. Preflight procedures are a key part of flying safely and will be covered. Most class time will be dedicated to providing flying practice for students. Students will be introduced to principal concerns operating in the United States national airspace, but this course will not comprehensively cover material for the FAA part 107 written test that is required for commercial operation of UAVs. Credit, 2.

652 Safety Management of Unoccupied Aerial Systems (offered at irregular intervals)
This course is for students interested in becoming a professional Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) Pilot and has an appreciation of the risk involved with flying drones in various types of airspace. It is one of four courses related to a UAS Piloting Graduate Certificate Program. This course covers topic areas such as: (1) The basic features of a Safety Management System for UAS Pilots and their organization; (2) Human factors for UAS Pilots; and (3) elements of Risk Management for UAS Pilots. This will teach students how to plan UAS operations and operate missions to ensure complete safety for everyone involved. Credit, 3.

653 Applications in UAS (offered at irregular intervals)
T This Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) capstone course will provide the essential aeronautical, business, legal knowledge and skills to achieve a successful foundation in UAS industry. Students that complete this application course will be prepared for successful careers as Remote Pilots in Command (PICs), observers, payload operators, and/or operational managers of governmental and private sector UAS applications. This course will incorporate educational objectives that were gained in the prior courses of the UAS Certificate program with that knowledge being effectively demonstrated in this course. Students will gain additional experience in UAS Technology, Mission Planning, Execution and Evaluation. More specifically, each student will be responsible for identifying a project or application for which UAS data collection would be appropriate, and to subsequently plan and execute the flight in a professional manner to collect the necessary data. Credit, 3.

673 Tectonophysics (offered at irregular intervals)
This course offers a quantitative understanding of the physical processes of the solid earth for graduate students. This course constitutes a broad overview of observational and theoretical physics and tectonics, the utilization of the physical processes for the study of the solid earth, and help students develop a better understanding of physical principles important for geoscience research. Topics include plate flexure, heat flow, faulting, geodesy, gravity, and rheology. Credit, 3.

678 Spatial Data Analysis (offered at irregular intervals)
This course covers a broad range of SDA method from basic statistics to advanced computational techniques, including point pattern analysis, modeling spatial data, and spatial regression and Geostatistical theory. Labs using ArcGIS. Credit, 3.

684 Surface Water-Groundwater Interaction (2nd sem, alt yrs)
This course will provide a complete survey of the integrated systems of surface water hydrology and groundwater hydrology. Compelling and interesting science occurs at the interfaces and intersections between processes, environments, and disciplines. The field of Hydrology has long separated the study of surface water (streams, lakes, etc.) from groundwater, despite the clear connection of these systems. Over the last two decades, surface water and groundwater have increasingly been viewed as a single resource, producing a myriad of new and exciting scientific work on the subject. The quantity and quality of surface water can affect the volume and chemistry of groundwater, and vice versa. Interactions between these are crucial to understanding the ecosystems that depend on them, the processes governing hydrologic systems, and effective resource assessment and management practices. This course provides a fundamental understanding of the theoretical basis of surface water hydrology and groundwater systems, and a detailed survey of techniques used to quantify these interactions. Proficiency in hydrology and calculus prior to enrollment are helpful but not required. In this course you will learn in-class and field-based techniques for the quantification of surface water - groundwater interactions, explore the scientific literature investigating the interfaces between disciplines encapsulated by hydrologic and geologic systems and ecosystems. Credit, 3.

687 Advanced Hydrogeology (1st sem, alt yrs)
Advanced groundwater hydrology and contaminant hydrogeology. Includes the application of field techniques, analysis of field data, and use of analytical and numerical models in the investigation of groundwater problems. Introduction to Visual MODFLOW and other groundwater models, including development of conceptual models from geologic data, laying out grids handling boundaries, sources and sinks, transience, calibration and sensitivity. Prerequisite: GEO-SCI 587 or consent of instructor. Credit, 3.

690R Reactive Transport in Geosciences (offered at irregular intervals)
The chemical reactions that take place as water moves through the terrestrial and oceanic subsurface act as fundamental controls on many aspects of the Earth system, including global elemental cycling (C,N,O,S), critical zone development and function, the formation and alteration of chemical paleoclimate proxies, and contaminant fate and transport. As many of the environments and timescales involved are difficult to observe in-situ, reactive transport models (RTM's) that simultaneously represent mass transport and chemical reactions have been developed to virtually explore these cryptic processes. This course is designed to introduce participants to the theory and applications of multi-component RTM's across the Geosciences. Students will become familiar with underlying mathematical representations of reactive transport, numerical methods for solving RTM equations, along with the many ways in which these models are utilized in frontier research. Through this course, students will also gain hands-on experience building their own reactive transport models, becoming familiar with available multi-component reactive transport model software, and applying reactive transport modeling to their specific research interests. Credit, 3.

691EC Ecohydrology (2nd sem, alt yrs)
Not available at this time.

691F Foraminiferal Taxonomy and Biostratigraphy (offered at irregular intervals)
Not available at this time.

691P Marine Microfossils (offered at irregular intervals)
Not available at this time.

696 Independent Study
Credit, 2-6.

698 Practicum in Geology
Credit, 2-6.

699 Master’s Thesis
Credit, 1-10.

701 Professional Seminar (both sem)
Results of new research by students, faculty, and visitors. Credit, 1.

703 GEOSCI Graduate Program Seminar I (sem 1)
This course orients new graduate students to help them get started in their research program, find the resources and develop skills that will lead to success in the Geosciences graduate program. The seminar discusses issues relevant for navigating the Geosciences graduate program, the department, UMass, and the geosciences discipline. Topics may vary by student interest and can include: academic metrics of success in geosciences, expectations of the program and communicating science through figures, text and oral presentations. Credit, 1.

705 GEOSCI Graduate Program Seminar II (sem 2)
This seminar explores the skills, resources and habits that help Geosciences graduate students to succeed in graduate school and in their careers beyond UMass Geosciences. Topics may vary by student interest and can include, scientific and professional ethics of geosciences research, networking, resolving conflict, preparing proposals, non-technical skills, job applications. Credit, 1.

723 Igneous Petrology (offered at irregular intervals)
Examination of the genesis and evolution of magmas in various tectonic environments of the Earth, approached through theoretically and experimentally derived phase equilibria of liquid/crystal systems, isotopic relationships, trace and rare earth element geochemistry, and case studies of naturally occurring igneous systems. Prerequisite: GEOL 321. Credit, 3.

731 Strain and Fabric Analysis (offered at irregular intervals)
Strain measurement and analysis in the field and in the laboratory. Deformation mechanisms of minerals and rocks. Interpretation of macroscopic and microscopic fabric elements. Timing of deformation, recovery, alteration, and metamorphism. Prerequisites: GEOL 431 and calculus. Credit, 4.

763 Seminar in Quaternary Geology (offered at irregular intervals)
Current work and publications in paleoclimatology, paleoceanography, isotope geochemistry, glacial and climate history. Studies of related fields, such as archaeology, early man, geochronology, palynology, plant geography, and paleontology. Credit, 1.

787 Hydrogeology Seminar (both sem)
Review and discussion of current research in hydrogeology, environmental soil and water sampling, groundwater chemistry, analytical and numerical modeling, isotope hydrology, fluid flow in fractured rock, surface and borehole geophysics, geostatistics, environmental monitoring and remediation, and related topics. Prerequisite: at least one 500-level course in hydrogeology. Credit, 1.

791P Seminar in Molecular Paleoclimatology (offered at irregular intervals)
Review and discussion of current research in molecular paleoclimatology and organic geochemical techniques applied to understanding Earth's past environments. Studies of related fields including archaeology, geochronology, microbiology, ecology and sedimentology may be discussed. Credit, 1.

796 Independent Study
Credit, 1-6.

821 Petrology Seminar (both sem)
Discussion of literature from the fields of igneous and metamorphic petrology and related aspects of mineralogy. Credit, 1.

831 Structural Geology Seminar (both sem)
Review and discussion of current literature in the fields of structural geology and tectonics. Prerequisite: at least one graduate course in structural geology. Credit, 1.

892P Seminar in Planetary Geology (both sem)
Discussion of recent literature concerning the geology of the terrestrial planets and moons. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Credit, 1.

891-895 Seminars
Credit, 1-3.

896 Independent Study
Credit, 1-6.

897 Special Topics
Credit, 1-3.

899 Doctoral Dissertation
Credit, 1-10.

Geography

560 Geomorphology (2nd sem, alt years)
Earth surface processes and their relation to topography and landscape evolution. Focus on hillslope, fluvial, and other processes that shape Earth's surface. Field trips by arrangement. Credit, 4.

585 Introduction to GIS (both sem)
This class serves as an introduction to Geographic Information Science (GIS). GIS is the science of spatial relationships, linking data to locations to explore relations between objects. Based in geographic thought and emerging from initial applications in natural resource management, GIS has evolved to be a universally applicable way of thinking and set of knowledge, skills, and practices. The goals of this course are to teach you basic GIS concepts through practice and theory, to enable you to make useful and meaningful contributions to various disciplines through spatial analysis. Throughout this course, you will be challenged to not only think spatially, but apply spatial analysis techniques within GIS. Credit, 4.

592M Computer Mapping (both sem)
This graduate-level course provides introductory exposure to the basic cartography skills used for digital map making, primarily using ArcGIS Pro and Adobe Illustrator to map physical environments as well as 3D scenes. Course learning goals include a fundamental understanding of map composure, as well as map elements such as north arrows, scale bars, and legends. General best practices for data management such as zipping and unzipping file archives and geodatabases will also be covered. By the end of term, students will have an Introductory level understanding of mapping concepts and practices deployed through use of ESRI's mapping software as well as Adobe AI for graphic design within maps or elsewhere. Credit, 3.

593T S-Teaching and Learning in GIS (both sem)
Students in this course will learn about the pedagogy behind GIS curriculum and instruction through practice as lab assistants in an introductory GIS course. Alongside readings establishing evidence-based practices in GIS instruction, students will work to identify barriers and frustrations for GIS learners, and ways to overcome them. Credit, 2.

596 Independent Study (both sem)
For development of special student interests, research projects, and work related to the Master of Science degree. Credit, 1-6.

604 Geographic Theory and Analysis (1st sem)
Advanced survey of the development of theoretical and analytical approaches in geography and current approaches and methodologies. Practical discussions and exercises in framing research projects, and proposal, grant, and thesis writing. Students lead discussions in their areas of specialization. Restricted to entering graduate students in Geography. Credit, 1.

626 Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation (1st sem)
This course introduces the fundamentals of remote sensing and its application on environment observation.Focus on a range of concepts and techniques key to understanding how remote sensing data are acquired, displayed, restored, enhanced, and analyzed. Hands-on experience using the image processing software ENVI. Credit, 4.

642 Environmental Geography and Sustainability (1st sem)
This course offers an exploration of the fundamental interrelations among human systems and the natural environment. Our foundation will be an examination of topics such as the social construction of ‘the environment’ and ‘wilderness’, human relationships with nature across cultures and across time, environmental ethics, and the concept of the Anthropocene. This will lead us into the present-day focus on sustainability and the remainder of the course will focus on using a handful of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to examine the complex interplay between humans and nature in specific issue areas, including hunger and food systems, gender equality, urbanization, inequality, climate change, and global development. The course enables students to consider major challenges related to the environment and sustainability at multiple scales, from the local and regional to the global. Broad themes of justice and equity are woven throughout the course and we will utilize sources that represent a diversity of perspectives, life experiences, and knowledge systems. Credit, 3.

656 Climate Crisis (offered at irregular intervals)
Advanced survey of the development of theoretical and analytical approaches in geography and current approaches and methodologies. Practical discussions and exercises in framing research projects, and proposal, grant, and thesis writing. Students lead discussions in their areas of specialization. Restricted to entering graduate students in Geography. Credit, 1.

664 Water Sustainability and Action (1st sem, alt yrs)
The course focuses on current issues related to water, and individual and group action that can improve water sustainability. In class, we explore four current issues: freshwater sustainability and development, bottled and tap drinking water, marine fisheries, and the Connecticut River. One third of the grade and about 16-20 hours homework time is student-led action projects to advance water sustainability; you'll reflect and write on and discuss these experiences. Grad students meet one hour/wk extra to read, discuss and analyze scholarly articles, reports, and policy. One all-day weekend field trip is required; date TBD the first week of class. Credit, 3.

668 GIS and Spatial Analysis (1st sem)
This is an upper-level GIS course for students to obtain intermediate to advanced GIS skills to solve science and application problems. Extended from Introductory GIS, the course focuses on vector- and raster- based GIS techniques and spatial analysis. Both theoretical and applied realms of GIS are emphasized in this course. Credit, 3.

670 Urban Environmental History (alt yrs)
Seminar on the analysis of contemporary urban development issues from a geographical perspective and survey of recently published work in the field. Topics include changing urban systems and structures, transportation, housing, and social and economic factors. Students carry out individual or group research projects. Credit, 3.

684 Geocomputation (offered at irregular intervals)
This course will explore programming methods and applications in geographic information science. Basic automation methods of repetitive or complex tasks using Model Builder and Python scripting will be explored through the lens of spatial thinking and computational thinking. Fundamentals of Python will also be explored for use inside and outside of the GIS environment. Credit, 3.

691P GIS Programming (1st sem)
This course will explore programming methods and applications in geographic information science. Basic automation methods of repetitive or complex tasks using Model Builder and Python scripting will be explored through the lens of spatial thinking and computational thinking. Fundamentals of Python will also be explored for use inside and outside of the GIS environment. Credit, 3.

693A Cartography and Geovisualization (offered at irregular intervals)
Students will understand and implement principles of good design in cartography along with understanding the human vision and how it influences perception and cognition. The course will also cover the scope of contemporary thematic cartography and web mapping. Students will gain hands-on experience in designing and improving web-based maps. In this course, students will: 1) Learn the fundamentals of cartography and map design, 2) Become familiar with using open source tools to improve the visual quality of web-based and other maps and 3) Create maps through independent design and exploration. Credit, 3.

693D Critical Approaches to Development (offered at irregular intervals)
Development is a concept at the foreground of how we think about others. This course provides a critical introduction to theories and strategies of development as they have been applied in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Taking a cultural and historical perspective, we examine not only the economic dimension of development programs, but also the worldview embedded in these programs and how this shapes international relations and how we see "the other." We will examine salient critiques of development and explore some of the alternative ideas about human economic and social progress that have emerged in the last several decades. Credit, 3.

693E Energy and Infrastructure Network (offered at irregular intervals)
This is an intensive graduate reading and discussion seminar, which approaches infrastructure networks as geographically interconnected constellations of technology and material flow, organized by institutions, policy, and economic and political relationships. Many of the readings will draw from the professor's expertise in dams, hydropower, and electric grids and policy, but readings will also touch on other water and energy infrastructure and policy, transportation networks, and perhaps other kinds of infrastructures. Credit, 3.

693F Diverse and Community Economies (offered at irregular intervals)
This course considers different ways of thinking about economic activity that can help us address the global economic, environmental, and equity crises we are facing. We will broaden our concept of the economy to include new visions of economic development, and look at economic experiments from a hopeful and experimental perspective as we seek a more sustainable and socially just approach toward economic activity. Credit, 3.

693M Migration Diaspora and Refugees
This course provides an introduction to the literature, theory, and practice of geographies of migration, diaspora, and refugees. Students will examine historical migrations of humans beginning with the Out of Africa theory leading up to present day issues of the European migrant crisis and transnational migration phenomena. There will also be modules on refugee studies especially looking at internally displaced peoples and cases that destabilize what it means to be a ‘refugee’. Climate change and its causal relationship to refugees will be critiqued. Finally, diasporas and their relationship to multi-scalar modes of being with be examined, especially return and circular migration patterns. Credit, 3.

693S Spatial Decision Making and Support (offered at irregular intervals)
This course is aimed at students who have a foundation in basic GIS techniques and applications and are interested in expanding their knowledge into their area of spatial decision making and visualization of the decision maps. We will start with the linkage between GIScience, spatial analysis, and decision support. We will then discuss different decision-making techniques and highlight the important distinction between conventional MCDA methods and spatially explicitly multicriteria approaches. An overview of handling spatial uncertainty as well as sensitivity analysis will be discussed. The course will also introduce Python scripting for geoprocessing as flexible approach for the development of spatial decision-making models. In this course, students will (1) Learn the fundamentals of spatial decision making and support, (2) Become familiar with using Python scripting to solve decision-making problems for spatial models and (3) Create decision analysis maps along with uncertainty/sensitivity maps in order to support the decision-making process. Credit, 3.

693W WebGIS (2nd sem)
Students in WebGIS will explore web-based applications in geographic information science. This course will focus on hands-on practice using and building web-based mapping and analysis platforms, including Google Maps, ArcGIS Online, Leaflet, and Open Street Map. Along with conceptual discussion of how the internet, web servers, and cloud-based GIS services function, students will create and host web services relevant to their coursework, research, or professional goals. Credit, 3.

694P Political Geography (alt yrs)
An analysis of how and why we organize the world into political territories and into geographically based political alliances and systems, and the consequences of this organization for people and environments. The first half of the course focuses on the practice of organizing the world into bordered political units, emphasizing especially the history and consequences of the nation-state system. The second half of the class focuses on the politics of development and the globalizing economy. Throughout the course, case studies will pay particular attention to issues of global inequality and environmental challenges. Credit, 3.

696 Independent Study (both sem)
Credit, 2-6.

699 Master’s Thesis
Credit, 10.

796 Independent Study (both sem)
Credit, 2-6.

896 Independent Study (both sem)
Credit, 1-6.

899 PhD Dissertation (both sem)
Credit, 1-10.