Overview of Course

This course offers students an introduction to the multidisciplinary field of Geography by creating a foundation and understanding of the breadth of the discipline and its application to other fields of study. It is a survey course, providing students with an overview of the discipline and the tools used to examine the relationship of local and global places, culture, and environment-- where things are found, why they are there, and how they develop and change over time. The course topics cover physical geography (landforms, biography, climate, and weather), human interactions (cultural, political and economic geography, public health, urban studies), key tools for geographical analysis (survey methods, fieldwork, mapping, and Geographic Information Science), and how the discipline of geography has changed over time. The course uses a combination of lectures, readings, maps, fieldwork, and assignments to teach students how to use a spatial lens to gain a deeper physical and cultural understanding of the places we will visit during the voyage.