This 2004-2006 Bridgewater State College Catalog Web Addenda contains the most up-to-date information. Information in this Catalog Web Addenda supersedes the published version of this catalog.

Only changes made to program requirements, courses or academic policies are outlined here. This Web Addenda should be used in conjunction with the 2004-2006 print or Online Catalog.

GEOGRAPHY (GEOG)

GEOG 100 Physical Geography

• Change in course number to: GEOG 121 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 110 Human Geography

• Change in course number to: GEOG 151 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 120 The Physical World

• Change in course number to: GEOG 122 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 160 Geography of Non-Western Civilizations

• Change in course number to: GEOG 171 (Effective Spring 2006)
• Change in title to: Geography of the Global South (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 170 Regional Geography: The Developed World

• Change in course number to: GEOG 172 (Effective Spring 2006)
• Change in title to: Regional Geography of the Global North (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG196 Environmental Geography

• Change in course number to: GEOG 130 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 203 Meteorology

• Change in course number to: GEOG 221 (Effective Spring 2006)
• Change in prerequisite to: GEOG 121 or GEOG 122 or EASC 100 or Aviation major (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 204 Climatology

• Change in course number to: GEOG 222 (Effective Spring 2006)
• Change in prerequisite to: GEOG 121 or GEOG 122 or consent of instructor (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 213 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) I (3 credits) (New)

Maps are valuable tools for displaying, interpreting and analyzing patterns of human-environment interactions. This course introduces the basic concepts and procedures necessary to design, construct, interpret, update, and present straightforward and effective maps using computer techniques. Students will practice skills of georeferencing and digitizing raster-based images at various scaled to produce vector-based may layers for integration into geographic information systems (GIS). This course provides the necessary background for more advanced courses in GIS. Fall semester

GEOG 216 Cartography

• Course removed from the catalog

GEOG 290 Introduction to Geographic Analysis (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: For majors or minors in geography only; GEOG 151 and GEOG 121
This course provides a survey of spatial techniques that geographers use to define, research, and analyze geographic issues and phenomena. Students will learn to identify real-life geographic problems at a range of spatial scales, from the local to the global. Instructional methods will emphasize hands-on exposure through local field problems and field trips, access to library resources and journals, instrumentation, basic surveying, and professional presentation skills. Spring semester

GEOG 307 Management and Preservation of the Natural Environment

• Change in course number to: GEOG 332 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 318 Computer Cartography

• Course removed from the catalog

GEOG 320 Geography Materials and Methods

• Change in course number to: GEOG 340 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 321 Meteorology II (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: GEOG 221 or consent of instructor
Students will learn how to use meteorological measurements from local and global networks of weather stations to produce and analyze weather maps/charts using computer software. Laboratory exercises use meteorological software to visualize and interpret atmospheric patterns based on data from advanced computer models, satellite remote sensing, and networks of weather stations. In addition, students will augment computer modeling with laboratory techniques for simplifying, visualizing and analyzing complex atmospherics processes, such as the global circulation, turbulence and icing. The course includes field trips to professional meteorological agencies and observatories. Alternate spring semesters

GEOG 322 Biogeography (4 credits) (New)

Prerequisites: GEOG 121 or BIOL 121
This field and lab-based course presents the scope of biogeography as currently practiced in North America . In addition to the academic underpinnings of evolution, disturbance, ecology, and conservation, we explore the key topics of biomes, biodiversity, and animal and plant migration. Organisms vary greatly over space and over time, and thus are a prime topic of study for the geographer. Alternate fall semesters

GEOG 323 Water Resources (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: GEOG 290 or consent of instructor
This course investigates the complex physical systems involved in the movement of water and how water interfaces with the human landscape. Students will outline and define the economic and legal relationships involved in the supply and demand of this required resource, and analyze problems associated with the management and planning of the distribution of this vital resource. Alternate spring semesters

GEOG 324 Earth Surface Processes (4 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: GEOG 290
Process is the action produced when a force induces a change. The experiences in this course will introduce the student to the physical processes that create landforms on the earth's surface: mountains, river valleys, caves, dunes, coastlines, glaciers. Field work and laboratory techniques used in modern physical geography will help us analyze problems associated with current challenges in the earth's changing surface. Alternate fall semesters

GEOG 333 Geography of Environmental Justice (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: Any GEOG course or consent of the instructor
This course describes problems of environmental justice as they affect disadvantaged populations. The course reviews the history of this social movement in the United States. It then examines studies that link the environmental and civil rights movements in recent years and that describe the major problems of identifying environmental injustice both in categorical terms and as a spatial issue. Special attention is given to spatial measurement issues. Alternate years, fall semester

GEOG 358 Geography of Latin America

• Change in course number to: GEOG 381 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 361 Geography of Environmental Problems

• Change in course number to: GEOG 331 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 362 Economic Geography

• Change in course number to: GEOG 350 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 363 Locational Analysis

• Change in prerequisite to: GEOG 290 or consent of instructor (Effective Spring 2006)
• Change in semester offered to: Alternate years, fall semester

GEOG 365 Geography of Transportation

• Change in semester offered to: Alternate years, spring semester

GEOG 374 Geography of the Middle East (3 credits) (New)

This course provides a survey of the regional geography of the Middle East including the physical setting, environmental issues, economic development, and the evolution of the Middle Eastern landscaped and cultures. Special emphasis will be placed on current geopolitical issues in the region. Alternate years, fall semester

GEOG 375 Geography of South Asia (3 credits) (New)

This course provides a survey of the physical and human geography of South Asia, particularly India , Pakistan , Bangladesh , Nepal , Bhutan , Maldives , and Sri Lanka . This course emphasizes the region's major environmental, economic, and cultural geography patterns, processes, and issues. Problems related to religious, ethnic, and linguistic diversity are examined in the context of modernization and economic development. Interrelationships between South Asian nations will also be explored.

GEOG 376 Geography of East Asia (3 credits) (New)

This course offers a study of the physical and human geography of East Asia , in context of the interrelationships between East Asian countries, their neighbors, and the world. This course will investigate major political, economic, social, and environmental geography patterns, processes, and issues of China , Taiwan , Japan , Korea , Vietnam and Malaysia .

GEOG 378 Geography of Anglo-America

• Course removed from the catalog

GEOG 383 Geography of the United States (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: GEOG 151
The land and people of the United States intertwine to form a vast, complex, ever-changing fabric. As one of the great economic powers in the world, the U.S. must meet the challenges of governing a huge country of pronounced regionalisms, while living next door to the economic and political questions marks of Mexico and Canada . Students will explore such diverse topics as ancient mountain systems, environmental and resource issues, urban and rural immigrant populations and their historic and current distributions, regional cuisines, and America 's appeal to the traveler. Alternate years, spring semester

GEOG 384 Geography of Asia

• Course removed from the catalog

GEOG 400 Special Topics in Geography (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor
This course entails vigorous analysis of various topics of special interest. The course will be offered on an occasional basis and may be taken for credit more than once with change of topic.

GEOG 402 Online Weather Studies

• Change in course number to: GEOG 422 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 413 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) II (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: GEOG 213 or consent of instructor
This course offers a solid background in the fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to explore the analytical capabilities of GIS and apply them to real-world situations. Application of GIS techniques to problems in a variety of fields, including land use planning, natural resource management, transportation, and urban and regional planning will be examined. Students develop their own projects and work at a more advanced level solving spatial problems with GIS. Students will have the practical experience of using GIS programming skills to solve real-world problems in a customize fashion. Spring semester

GEOG 419 Geographic Information Systems

• Course removed from the catalog

GEOG 420 Principles of Urban and Regional Planning

• Change in course number to: GEOG 462 (Effective Spring 2006)
• Change in title to: Principles of Urban Planning (Effective Spring 2006)
• Change in prerequisite to: GEOG 213 and GEOG 290 or consent of instructor (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 430 Geography of Transportation

• Change in course number to: GEOG 365 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 431 Environmental Regulations (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: GEOG 130 or GEOG 331 or consent of instructor
This course examines environmental regulation as a significant aspect of environmental geography, which is the study of spatial aspects of the interaction between humans and the natural world. In the United States , much of that interaction is mediated through environmental regulations, which in turn arise from a series of landmark environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act, the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, and Superfund. Students will learn about the origins of these acts, how they give rise to regulations, and how enforcement of regulations is articulated at the federal, state, and local levels. Innovations such as toxic reduction will be discussed in a regulatory context, as will the implications of regulatory programs for non-government organizations, consultants, and private industry. Alternate years, spring semester

GEOG 441 Geographic Frameworks (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: GEOG 290 or consent of instructor
This course enables undergraduate students majoring in primary or secondary education to develop a detailed understanding of the discipline of geography. State, national, and international framework documents are examined, with particular attention to current Massachusetts frameworks. The course is organized around such fundamental geographic concepts as place, scale, regions, and human-environment interaction. It demonstrates how geographers use these concepts to develop a greater understanding of the world. Alternate years, fall semester

GEOG 463 Applications in Urban Planning (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: GEOG 462
This course is intended for students with a strong interest in urban and regional planning. The course examines past cases and future proposals for a variety of land use and zoning decisions. The focus is on applying good growth management practices that allow communities to sustain their economic health, foster diversity, and promote sense of place. Students will analyze current trends in population, employment and housing in order to construct an example master plan that relates these factors to land use and development choices that promote smart growth. Alternate years, spring semester

GEOG 473 Political Geography

• Change in course number to: GEOG 355 (Effective Spring 2006)

GEOG 474 Quantitative Methods in Geography

• Change in course number to: GEOG 315 (Effective Spring 2006)
• Change in prerequisite to: GEOG 290 or consent of instructor
• Change in course description to:
  Geographers use statistical techniques to measure, describe, classify, analyze, and display information (data) in search of spatial patterns and trends. Geographers make comparisons and examine relationships to answer questions, solve problems and make wise decisions that support a particular objective. This course introduces and applies statistical techniques and computer and model building methodology to analyze various spatial phenomena.

GEOG 490 Seminar in Geography

• Change in prerequisite to: Open to geography majors in their final year (Effective Spring 2006)
• Change in semester offered to: Fall semester

GEOG 497 Undergraduate Research in Geography (3 credits) (New)

Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing and acceptance by the supervising faculty member
Students who are accepted by a faculty member as a participant in an undergraduate field or laboratory research project enroll in this course. Projects entail research in the faculty member's subdiscipline and are publicized as they become available. Students are extensively involved in experimental planning, execution, analysis, and reporting, and present their results to the department.