The Geography and Environment department offers three degree programs: a B.A. in Geography, a B.A.
in Environmental Studies, and a B.Sc. in Environmental Science.
The Geography B.A. program is designed for students interested in the study of social sciences
at various spatial and temporal scales and leads to the completion of a Minor, Major, or Honours. It is about
the study of place and involves understanding the processes that have acted together to shape the complex
"place" structures that exist in our world and on our landscape. Such study requires an understanding
of the principles of ecological and physical systems; of the cultural, social, economic and political
forces acting on those systems; and of the management, planning or scientific tools necessary to meet
environmental challenges and opportunities.
The Environmental Studies B.A. program is designed for students interested in the human dimensions of
environmental change and problem-solving, including environmental behaviour, management, planning, and policy.
It operates as an inter-disciplinary, cross-departmental degree program and leads to the completion of a Minor,
Major, or Honours. Studies in this stream address such topics as environmental policy and economics, natural
resource management, and environmental ethics.
The Environmental Science B.Sc. program is an interdisciplinary, science-intensive program, requiring
comprehensive study of the sciences and mathematics leading to a Major or Honours. Courses in this
program provide the strong but diverse scientific foundation required to understand environmental issues
from a multi-disciplinary perspective. In consultation with the co-ordinator, students will complement
their program with an in-depth concentration of courses to provide them with a scientific specialty.
GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT COURSES
Note: The listing of a course in the Calendar is not a guarantee that the
course is offered every year.
Note: Students must obtain a grade of at least C- in all courses used to
fulfill prerequisite requirements. Otherwise, written permission of the
appropriate Department Head or Program Co-ordinator must be obtained.
GENV 1201 (3CR)
THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
Format: lecture 3 hours
Exclusion: GEOG 1201
This course is an introduction to the study of the human population and the
spatial dimensions of environmental change. It examines how people interact with the
environment and the core forces which shape these interactions, including population,
culture, technology, and geography.
GENS 1401 (3CR)
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 1.5 hours
Exclusion: GEOG 1401
This course provides an introduction to the general principles
of Physical Geography and the Environment, emphasizing the physical world at a variety of
spatial and temporal scales. This course introduces the four fundamental spheres
of Physical Geography: the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. It examines
basic processes in the physical environment such as the seasons, layers of the atmosphere, the
earth's energy budget and interactions with atmospheric processes. It also investigates weather
and its interplay within the hydrological cycle, the fundamentals of climatology, the three
basic rock types, tectonic activity and weathering of the earth's surface.
GENV 2001 (3CR)
CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Format: lecture 3 hours
Exclusion: ENST 1001
This course reviews how different disciplines are brought to bear on the study of
environmental issues. Some of the topics considered in this survey include the role of
environmental philosophy and activism, interactions between science and environmental politics,
environmental or ecological economics, and sustainable development.
GENV 2101 (3CR)
NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Format: lecture 3 hours
Exclusion: GEOG 2101
This course introduces key concepts and issues in natural resources management.
It examines resource sectors of importance to the Canadian economy, including
forestry, fisheries, wildlife, energy, mining, water, and agriculture. The course
emphasizes understanding the varied influences that environmental,
socio-economic, and political factors have on patterns of resource utilization and
resource management decision-making.
GENV 2201 (3CR)
GEOGRAPHY OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Format: lecture 3 hours
Exclusion: GEOG 2201
This course examines the changing spatial organization of the world industrial map
since 1945 by comparing British and North American de-industrialization with the rapid
growth of some sectors of newly industrialized countries, including the effects of new production
technology, changes in industrial organization and transnational corporations and new
regional trading blocs on those changing patterns are discussed.
GENV 2221 (3CR)
THE DEVELOPING WORLD
Format: lecture 3 hours
Exclusion: GEOG 2221
This course surveys the changing geography of the developing world. It examines the
decline in traditional land systems and resource use, surveys current economic
development strategies, and reviews the role of international aid and non-governmental
organizations in these strategies.
GENV 2311 (3CR)
INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
Format: lecture 3 hours
Exclusion: GEOG 2311
This course surveys the main themes and approaches of cultural geographers. It evaluates
concepts such as cultural area, ecology and landscape in the context of North American
and European settlement patterns.
GENS 2411 (3CR)
GEOMORPHOLOGY
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: GENS 1401; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOS 2401; GEOG 2411
This course is an introduction to geomorphology, the science that explores the processes
that shape the Earth's surface. Its first half deals with the large-scale relief features of
the Earth and how they are shaped by the processes of weathering, erosion, and sedimentary
deposition. The second half introduces landforms/landscapes that exist in glacial,
fluvial, coastal, and desert environments. It also explores the geomorphic agents which
control the formation and evolution of these landforms/landscapes.
GENS 2421 (3CR)
WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: GENS 1401; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 2421
This course highlights elements of weather and climate including the composition and
thermal structure of the atmosphere, radiation and energy balances, global circulation, air
masses, fronts and atmospheric disturbances, and climates of the world. It places special
emphasis on recent climatic changes in the environment.
GENS 2431 (3CR)
DATA ANALYSIS
Format: lecture/laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: Either GENV 1201 or GENS 1401; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 2711
Note: Students may count for credit towards a degree a maximum of 6 credits from BIOL 2701,
GENS 2431, MATH 2311, and PSYC 2001
This course develops basic skills in data collection, analysis, and presentation. It
introduces basic statistical and hypothesis testing procedures, along with relevant software.
GENS 2441 (3CR)
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Format: lecture/laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: Second-year standing and GENS 2431 or Math 2311; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 2721, 3711
This course surveys several aspects of traditional cartography, examines one or
more Geographic Information Systems, and explores the role of maps in conveying
geographic information.
GENV 3101 (3CR)
ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 2001 or 2101; and 2221; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3101
This course examines current thinking on the relationship between environment and development.
Topics may include: sustainable development, rural land use change, tropical deforestation and forest
management, indigenous environmental knowledge, and community-based conservation.
GENV 3201 (3CR)
CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 2001, GENV 2221 or ECON 1001; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3201
This course studies the politics and policies of environmental problem-solving within
the Canadian context. It examines key features of the Canadian political system - its
parlimentary structure, robust federalism among others - in light of the nation's evolving
environmental policy. It pays particular attention to the role of stakeholder dynamics and
alternative regulatory tools and strategies (e.g., pollution taxes, best available
technology, etc.).
GENV 3211 (3CR)
TRANSPORTATION GEOGRAPHY
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 1201, 2201; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3211
This course investigates the impact of changing transport and communication
technologies on spatial organization. Topics may include: the transportation-infrastructure
problem and proposed solutions from a geographic perspective; an analysis of the land
use-transportation system in North American cities; its social and environmental impacts;
the analysis of travel behaviour; and the geographical implications of various policy and planning alternatives.
GENV 3301 (3CR)
HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICA
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: Third-year standing and either GENV 1201 or 3 credits from the HIST 1600 series;
GENV 2311; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3301
This course surveys the role of pre-twentieth century historical processes in
shaping past and present North American landscapes. Students identify and analyze significant
writings in the evolution of historical geography.
GENV 3321 (3CR)
GEOGRAPHY OF JAPAN
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: Third-year standing, and at least one of GENV 1201, 2311, HIST 1611; or
permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3321
This course examines Japan's geography since 1860, emphasizing the importance of
international trade and new technologies and their roles in forming new geographic
relationships for Japan with other parts of East Asia and with the West.
GENS 3401 (3CR)
RESEARCH METHODS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Format: lecture 3 hours, multi-day field camp
Note: This course requires attendance at an off-campus field camp and students will be liable for
some field trip costs.
Prereq: 3 credits from GENS 2431, BIOL 2701, ECON 2701, MATH 2311, PHYS 2801,
PSYC 2001, SOCI 3301; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3401, 3701; GENV 3701
This course begins with a critical examination of current research techniques. Students
then design, implement, complete, and evaluate a field research project in environmental science.
GENS 3411 (3CR)
COASTAL GEOMORPHOLOGY
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: GENS 2431, 2411; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3411: GEOS 3111
This course introduces coastal geomorphology by emphasizing current
theories of coastal processes set in a context of natural systems. Topics include waves
and currents, sediment transport, evolution of coastal features, and coastal management.
GENS/BIOL 3421 (3CR)
BIOGEOGRAPHY
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Note: This course is cross-listed with BIOL 3421 and may therefore count as three credits
in either discipline.
Prereq: GENS 2431, 2421; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3421
This course explores the links between the geomorphology and climatology of a region and the plant-animal
environments through a biogeographical approach to ecological studies. It focuses on the
geography of plants including environmental controls of plant distributions and
the functional and historical aspects of plant communities.
GENS 3451 (3CR)
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE
Format: Lecture 3 hours, laboratory and Seminars 3 Hours
Prereq: GENS 1401, GENS 2421; 6 credits from BIOL 1001, CHEM 1001, PHYS 1051; or permission of the
Department
Exclusion: ENVS 3001
This course integrates atmospheric, oceanographic, geological and biological
concepts with a historical perspective to introduce the student to the major processes
that have shaped Earth's environment. The course examines climatic processes on
geological time scales, the evolution of organisms, the cycling of elements, and the
feedbacks between these processes.
GENS 3461 (3CR)
OCEANOGRAPHY
Format: Lecture 3 Hours, Laboratory 3 Hours
Prereq: GENS 1401, GENS 2421; 3 credits from BIOL 1001, 1501, BIOC 1001; 3 credits
from CHEM 1021, PHYS 1051; or permission of the Department
This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Oceanography, covering many
of the fundamental biological, chemical, geological, and physical processes in the ocean. Topics
include the physical and chemical properties of seawater, oceanic box models and climate models,
controls on the vertical and horizontal distribution of elements in the sea, controls on primary
production, the redox sequence in sediment diagenesis, and the climate record in ocean sediments.
GENV 3511 (3CR)
RURAL AND SMALL TOWN CANADA
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 1201; one of GENV 2101, 2201, 2311; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3511
This course examines land use patterns as well as the environmental, social,
economic and political structures of Canadian rural areas and small towns. It uses an integrated
approach to resolving rural and small town development issues.
GENV 3531 (3CR)
THE PLANNING PROCESS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 1201 and one of GENV 2101, 2201, 2311; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3531
This course examines community responses to the necessity and challenge of growth.
Discussion focuses on the contributions of planning to the process of development and to
the outcomes and opportunities which parallel this process.
GENV 3701 (3CR)
RESEARCH METHODS IN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT
Format: lecture 3 hours, multi-day field camp
Prereq: 3 credits from GENS 2431, BIOL 2701, ECON 2701, MATH 2311, PHYS 2801, PSYC 2001,
SOCI 3301; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3701
Note: This course requires attendance at an off-campus field camp and students must cover some field
trip costs.
This course presents a critical examination of current research techniques. Students design,
implement, complete and evaluate a field research project in Human Geography and Environment.
GENV 3811 (3CR)
GEOGRAPHY OF URBANIZATION
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: Third-year standing plus GENV 1201 and 2311; or permission of the
Department
Exclusion: GEOG 3811
This course investigates the evolution of the modern city through historic phases of
mercantile, industrial, corporate, and post-industrial growth. It highlights urbanization processes
in the development of urban economies, urban society, the social geography of
cities, political reform, urban planning, and the creation of new urban forms in the late
twentieth century post-industrial economy.
GENV 4101 (3CR)
SEMINAR IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Format: seminar 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 1201, 2001; GENS 1401; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 4101
This course examines the current state of scientific knowledge related to various
contemporary environmental issues and the public policy implications of these
issues.
GENV 4111 (3CR)
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
Format: lecture/seminar 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 3201 or GEOG 3201; or permission of the Department.
Exclusion: GEOG 4101
This course explores international environmental problems and their solutions. It
examines climate change, biodiversity, conservation, international marine pollution,
and the relationship between trade and environment, among other topics, giving particular consideration to the roles of science,
civil society, and international governance.
GENV 4201 (3CR)
CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
Format: lecture/seminar 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 3201 or GEOG 3201; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 4101
This course examines the theory, methods, regulatory frameworks and social implications
of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), providing a basis for deciding whether and how to
proceed with a proposed resource development project so as to prevent or minimize environmental
degradation. Students consider the overall Canadian environmental planning and management process
with an emphasis on recent Canadian case studies.
GENV 4211 (3CR)
RESOURCE COMMUNITIES AND THE MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION
Format: seminar 3 hours
Prereq: GEOG 2101 and 2201, or GENV 2101 and 2201; or permission of the Department
This course explores the economic geography of resource industries with a focus on the role
that large corporations play in shaping the fortunes of communities where they operate. Its
conceptual themes include staples theory, industrial restructuring, the 'greening' (or greenwashing)
of economic activity, and the use and abuse of environmental science by corporate interests. These
issues are grounded in examinations of regional resource sectors, including forestry and fishing, as
well as international case studies.
GENV 4301 (3CR)
SEMINAR IN AREA STUDIES
Format: seminar 3 hours
Prereq: Any two of GENV 2201, 2311, 3201, 3211 or 3301; or permission of the
Department
Exclusion: GEOG 4301
This course studies a selected world region through a combination of directed readings,
seminar presentations, and individual research.
GENV 4311 (3CR)
SEMINAR IN CANADIAN REGIONALISM
Format: seminar 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 3201 or 3301; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 4311
This course explores Canadian regionalism through a combination of directed readings,
presentations, and individual research.
GENV 4321 (3CR)
SEMINAR IN CULTURAL AND LANDSCAPE STUDY
Format: seminar 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 2311 and 3301 or 3811; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 4321
This course explores contemporary cultural geography and cultural landscape
study through directed readings, presentations and individual research.
GENS 4421 (3CR)
SEMINAR IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Format: seminar 3 hours
Prereq: This course is restricted to students in their final year of a Major or Honours
in Environmental Science.
Exclusion: ENVS 4901
This course examines current issues in environmental science. Students prepare case
studies of specific problem areas in environmental science and present these in a seminar format.
GENV 4521 (3CR)
SEMINAR IN COMMUNITY PLANNING RESEARCH
Format: seminar 3 hours
Prereq: GENS 2431 and GENV 3531; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 4521
This course applies community planning theory and techniques to an actual
case developed in concert with a local community. Students clarify client objectives,
develop a research and analysis program, conduct fieldwork, analyze data, prepare
recommendations, and present results to the client.
GENS/GENV 4701 (3CR)
ADVANCED FIELD COURSE
Format: Field Course
Prereq: GENV 3701 or GENS 3401; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 4701
This is an extended field course to be completed outside the September-May academic
year in which students complete a supervised original research project at an off-campus
location.
GENV 4711 (3CR)
PERSPECTIVES ON MAPPING AND G.I.S.
Format: lecture/laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: GENS 2441 and third-year standing; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 4711
This course investigates how cartography has been used to codify space, place and
territory over the past millennium. The course considers agency and motive in historical
and contemporary cartography, including G.I.S., paying particular attention to a critique
of scientific method and the mapping of modernity. It also examines alternative map spaces
and other media and, using a combination of directed readings and practical project work,
students develop critical perspectives on our use of various forms of cartographic representation.
GENV 4811 (3CR)
GENDER, CULTURE AND THE CITY
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 3811; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 4811
This course examines the relationship between socially constructed
gender relations and the nature and form of urban areas. Students consider how social and
cultural categories and historical processes shape the production of urban space, and how
we in turn are shaped by it.
GENV 4821 (3CR)
SEMINAR IN URBAN ISSUES
Format: seminar 3 hours
Prereq: GENV 3811 and any two of GENV 2201, 2311, or 3211; permission of the Department
Exclusion: GEOG 4821
This course explores a selected contemporary urban issue focusing in any given year
on topics such as the political geography of the Canadian urban movement, the urban dynamics of
key world cities, cities in the developing world, and cities and the 'new' economy.
GENS/GENV 4950/4951 (6/3CR)
INDEPENDENT STUDY IN GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT
Format: Independent Study
Prereq: Permission of the Department/Program Advisor. Students must obtain
consent of an instructor who is willing to be a supervisor and must register
for the course prior to the last day for change of registration in the term
during which the course is being taken.
Note: A program on Independent Study cannot duplicate subject matter covered through
regular course offerings.
Note: Students may register for GENS/GENV 4950/51 more than once, provided the subject
matter differs.
This course permits senior students, under the direction faculty members,
to pursue their interest in areas not covered, or not covered in depth, by other
courses through a program of independent study.
GENS/GENV 4990 (6CR)
HONOURS THESIS
Format: independent study/thesis
Prereq: Permission of the Department
This course comprises independent research and study under the direction of a
supervisor approved by the department.
GENS/GENV 1991/2991/3991/4991 (3CR)
SPECIAL TOPIC IN GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT
Format: Variable
Prereq: Set by the Department/Program when the topic and level are announced
Note: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation,
it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean.
Note: Students may register for GENS/GENV 1991/2991/3991/4991 more than once, provided the
subject matter differs.
This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings
in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being
considered for inclusion in the regular program.