Courses - Winter 2025
GEOG130
Development Geography: Environmental & Social Justice
The geography of economic, social, and environmental well-being and inequality. The course will provide an integrated perspective on the causes, interconnections, and consequences across time and space of, among others, globalization, climate change, poverty, employment, migration and urban growth, agricultural productivity, rural development, policies and international trade. Portraits of selected countries and regions will be developed.
GEOG140
Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, Floods, and Fires
Catastrophic Environmental Events (CCE) that are becoming more common in this time of global environmental change and it is essential that today's students be equipped with the knowledge and skills to be leaders as we, as a society, understand the upheaval that these CCEs are causing. Students will examine how CEEs shape human society and ecosystem from the interdisciplinary perspective afforded by the field of Geography. Students will use the latest geographic science concepts and techniques in exploring these events. Using satellite imagery they will gain a multi-scale perspective of the ecological and societal aspects of the events.
GEOG170
Mapping our Digital World
Introduction to technical methods used in gathering, analyzing, and mapping geospatial information for applications such as urban mobility, environmental monitoring, situational awareness, and disaster management. Topics include Geographic Information Systems (GIS), cartography, map projections, satellite and airborne remote sensing, the global positioning system (GPS), and introductory statistics and probability. The course is a gateway to more advanced technical classes in geospatial science.
GEOG172
Earth observations from space enable the mapping and monitoring of our changing planet. This survey course reviews current observational capabilities and examines scientific applications in quantifying global environmental change. Drivers and outcomes of key dynamics will be illustrated and discussed, including sea and continental ice loss, deforestation, ocean warming, urbanization, agricultural expansion and intensification, and vegetation response to climate change.
GEOG201
Geography of Environmental Systems
A systematic introduction to the processes and associated forms of the atmosphere and earth's surfaces emphasizing the interaction between climatology, hydrology and geomorphology.
GEOG202
Introduction to what geographers do and how they do it. Systematic study of issues regarding social and cultural systems from a global to a local scale. Looks at the distribution of these variables and answers the question "Why here, and not there"?
GEOG211
Geography of Environmental Systems Laboratory
Credits:
1
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: Must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in GEOL120, GEOL100, or GEOG201.
A laboratory course to accompany GEOG 201. Analysis of the components of the earth's energy balance using basic instrumentation; weather map interpretation; soil analysis; the application of map and air photo interpretation techniques to landform analysis.
GEOG272
Introduction to Earth Observation Science
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Credit only granted for: GEOG272 or GEOG372.
Formerly: GEOG372.
Concepts and principles of Earth observation and remote sensing in relation to photographic, thermal infrared and radar imaging. Methods of obtaining quantitative information from remotely-sensed images. Interpretation of remotely-sensed images emphasizing the study of spatial and environmental relationships.
Students must pay a $40.00 lab materials fee.
GEOG276
Principles of Python Programming and Geocomputing
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Introduces conceptual and practical aspects of scientific computing using the Python programming language. The main focus is on developing proficiency for the basic elements of the development environment, foundational syntax including variables, logical operators, looping, conditional statements, nesting, and common programming patterns for mathematical and textual computing. In addition, essential data structures and functionality for scientific computing, such as arrays, dataframes, and data visualization will be introduced. Throughout the course, students will also become exposed to various applications in the domain of the social and environmental sciences.
Students must pay a $40.00 lab materials fee.
GEOG306
Introduction to Quantitative Methods for the Geographical Environmental Sciences
Essentials in the quantitative analysis of spatial and other data, with a particular emphasis on statistics and programming. Topics include data display, data description and summary, statistical inference and significance tests, analysis of variance, correlation, regression, and some advanced concepts, such as matrix methods, principal component analysis, and spatial statistics. Students will develop expertise in data analysis using advanced statistical software.
Students must pay a $40.00 lab materials fee.
GEOG330
As the World Turns: Society and Sustainability in a Time of Great Change
Credit only granted for: GEOG330, GEOG360, or GEOG362.
Formerly: GEOG362.
Cultural geography course on society and sustainability. Culture is the basic building block that is key to sustainability of societies. Course will cover sustainability of societies on different scales, examining local, regional, and worldwide issues. Sustainability will be examined as a key element of environmental sustainability. How societies adjust to rapid world change will be examined as a positive and/or negative factor in sustainability.
GEOG373
Geographic Information Systems
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Characteristics and organization of geographic data; creation and use of digital geospatial databases; metadata; spatial data models for thematic mapping and map analysis; use of geographic information system in society, government, and business. Practical training with use of advanced software and geographic databases.
There is a $40.00 lab fee with this course. This course will be taught online athttp://elms.umd.edu using Live Classroom software.
GEOG384
Internship in Geography I
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F
Prerequisite: GEOG211, GEOG306, GEOG212, and GEOG201; and (ENGL393 or ENGL390).
Restriction: Must be in Geography program.
Supervised field training to provide career experience. Introduction to professional level activities, demands, opportunities. Placement at a public agency, non-profit organization, or private firm. Participation requires application to the internship advisor in preceding semester.
GEOG385
Internship in Geography II
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: GEOG211, GEOG306, GEOG212, and GEOG201; and must have completed a Junior (Professional) English course.
Restriction: Must be in Geography program.
Supervised field training to provide career experience. Introduction to professional-level activities, demands, opportunities. Placement at a public agency, nonprofit organization, or private firm. Participation requires application to the internship advisor in preceding semester.
GEOG498
Topical Investigations
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
GEOG646
Programming for GIS
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Additional information: This class is recommended for all MSGIS students who have no prior computer programming background as well as those who wish to have additional practice. The skills learned in this class will be useful for more advanced courses such as GEOG656 (Programming and Scripting for GIS), GEOG657 (Web Programming), and GEOG650 (Mobile GIS).
An introduction to computer programming using Python and web programming languages. It is required for students in the MSGIS program before they enroll in more advanced programming courses (GEOG656 and GEOG657). This course teaches students the fundamentals concepts of computer science. Students will learn about the components of a computer program such as data management, conditional statements, iterative statements, and file processing. Students will develop programs and web apps for the purpose of automating tasks and assisting with data analysis.
Students must pay a $40 lab fee.
GEOG651
Spatial Statistics
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
Restriction: Must be in Geospatial Information Sciences (Master's) program; or must be in Graduate Certificate: Professional Studies-Geospatial Information Sciences.
This course is about quantitative analysis of spatial data. It is intended to provide a broad survey of various methods of exploratory statistical data analysis most useful in environmental and social sciences. The course is a mix of theory, methods, and applications geared towards helping students: (1) develop an understanding of the important theoretical concepts in spatial data analysis; and (2) gain practical experience in application of spatial statistics to a variety of social and environmental problems using advanced statistical software.
Students must pay a $40 lab fee.
GEOG655
Spatial Database System
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, S-F
Prerequisite: GEOG653.
Restriction: Must be in Geospatial Information Sciences (Master's) program; or must be in Graduate Certificate: Professional Studies-Geospatial Information Sciences.
This course is designed to help students understand, analyze, design, and implement spatial databases. While the basic concepts and theories of database will be introduced, the focus of this course will be on providing students with hands-on experiences to practice the technical skills used in spatial database design and implementation. SQL, Oracle, and ArcSDE are the key topics.
Students must pay a $40 lab fee.
GEOG660
Advanced Remote Sensing Using Lidar
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
Prerequisite: GEOG652.
Recommended: GEOG656 and GEOG654.
Credit only granted for: GEOG660 or GEOG788G.
Formerly: GEOG788G.
Lidar, also known as laser scanning, is an active remote sensing tool that can produce high-resolution point clouds. Lidar is being applied to problems such as terrain modeling, biomass estimation, change detection, feature extraction, and measuring tree canopy. Topics covered are fundamentals of lidar, current developments in lidar technology, and different applications where lidar is being used. Students will get hands-on learning about lidar data management, processing, and analysis.
Students must pay a $40 lab fee.
GEOG664
GEOINT Systems and Platforms
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, S-F
There are numerous systems and platforms that support the collection, visualization and dissemination of Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT). Platforms such as satellites and aircraft carry sensors systems that can detect both physical and man-made objects on the earth. Ground-based processing systems are used to analyze and visualize sensor data, and also to create and disseminate GEOINT products that guide decision-making. In this course you will learn how to develop and implement source-to-screen GEOINT workflows, and will understand how to use a system of systems approach to describe the programmatic and technical strengths and weaknesses of many different GEOINT systems and platforms.
Students must pay a $40 lab fee.
GEOG665
Algorithms for Geospatial Intelligence Analysis
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
Recommended: Students taking the course must be familiar with data structures, basic GIS and RS concepts, and demonstrate basic understanding of using GIS and RS software.
Restriction: Permission of BSOS-Geography department; or must be enrolled in Geographical Sciences MPS or graduate certificate program.
Exposes students to fundamental algorithms in geospatial intelligence and their application in methodological and substantive domains, and their implementation in computer programs and software systems. Current topics include spatial and space-time analysis, cartographic transformations, data compression and reduction, MapReduce and distributed data access, genetic algorithms, clustering and indexing algorithms, filtering algorithms, geometry and tessellation algorithms, routing algorithms, localization algorithms, and complexity and scaling. Implementation of algorithms will be explored through pseudo-code and a variety of scripting, data access, and programming languages.
Students must pay a $40 lab fee.
GEOG899
Doctoral Dissertation Research
Credits:
1 - 8
Grad Meth:
S-F
Flagship Institution of the University System of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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301.405.1000
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