Applied Geomorphology | Department of Geography and the Environment
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Applied Geomorphology

Rationale

Applied geomorphology emphasizes geomorphological processes that are of societal significance, including the effects of urbanization on the physical environment and hazards such as flooding, coastal erosion and sea-level rise. This track enables students to structure their degree plans around conceptual and technical aspects of applied geomorphology. Students completing this track may continue in higher education or find employment with government research and regulatory agencies, municipalities, planning organizations, water supply districts, or environmental consulting firms.

Course Work

The MS research degree requires a total of 36 semester credit hours. Every student is required to take three "core courses" (9 hours) within the first three semesters, which involve education in geographic theory (GEOG 5160), research design (GEOG 5800), and analytical methods: one of - fundamentals of statistical research (GEOG 5185), spatial and multivariate statistics (GEOG 5190) or qualitative methods (ANTH 5031).

Techniques (at least 6 hours)

  • GEOG 5030 British Isles Field School (6)
  • GEOG 5050 Cartography and Graphics (3)
  • GEOG 5060 Applied GIS: MapInfo Professional (3)
  • GEOG 5170 Mapping and Field Methods (3)
  • GEOG 5400 Environmental Modeling (3)
  • GEOG 5510 GIS for Applied Research (3)
  • GEOG 5520 Intermediate GIS (3)
  • GEOG 5560 GIS Programing (3)
  • GEOG 5570 Special Topics in GIS (3)

Topical Courses (at least 9 hours)

  • GEOG 5120 Research in Physical Geography (3)
  • GEOG 5150 Water Resources Seminar (3)
  • GEOG 5240 Meteorology (3)
  • GEOG 5250 Climatology (3)
  • GEOG 5350 Geomorphology (3)
  • GEOG 5600 Seminar in Environmental Policy (3)
  • GEOG 5630 Soils Geomorphology (4)
  • GEOG 5700 Global Environmental Change (3)
  • GEOG 5750 Surface Water Hydrology (3)
  • GEOG 5850 Introduction to Groundwater Hydrology (3)
  • GEOG 5960 Introduction to Remote Sensing (3)

Thesis (MS research degree)

  • GEOG 5950 Master's Thesis (6)

The rest of the coursework in the MS Geography research degree curriculum consists of a series of electives that are chosen in consultation with the major professor and the thesis committee

Minor

As an option, a student may include a minor in their program of studies. To satisfy the requirement for this optional minor, the student must select two courses (6 hours) with a prefix other than GEOG or GEOL. Please consult with your major professor if you are interested in this option. Students electing not to include a minor, may select additional geography courses (in consultation with their major professor) to reach the required 36 hours.