Graduate Courses


Course Registration

There is a wide variety of graduate courses to choose from in Geography. The style of course varies, from one-on-one specialized ("advanced studies") courses, to larger enrolment courses. There are mandatory requirements that include mandatory courses and mandatory milestones and several non-mandatory options to fulfill the overall (minimum) requirements. Course descriptions and instructors are listed on a separate page.

Course registration must be completed at the beginning of every term after fees have been paid. Course registration is completed in the Geography Department by the Graduate Administrator after you have consulted fully with your supervisor. First year students typically select courses after the Retreat.

Students are responsible for maintaining continuous registration with the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This requires registration and payment of fees every term. Consult the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Calendar for details on registration regulations.

Minimum Requirements

The minimum course load for a Masters student is five and for the PhD it is three.

Courses MA/MSc MA/MSc
EnvSust
PhD
Mandatory Courses 2 1-2** 1
General/Specialized/Methods Courses 3 2-3** 2
Total * 5 4 3
Milestones MA/MSc MA/MSc
EnvSust
PhD
Total 1 1 4
Required Components MA/MSc MA/MSc
EnvSust
PhD
TOTAL 6 5 7
* one course = a one-term course, also called "half" course; exceptions noted.
** Environment and Sustainability (EnvSust) students confer with their supervisor and may consult the Graduate Chair, to decide on an appropriate course to waive to accomodate EnvSust requirements.

Interdisciplinary Programs with Geography

Those enrolled in Environment and Sustainability and Migration and Ethnic Relations must complete the minimum requirements in Geography as well as those in these specific programs.

Speaker Series, Critical Appraisal Seminar, Workshops

All graduate students are expected to attend the speaker series and the PhD students in particular are expected to attend the critical appraisal seminar series. Less frequently, departmental workshops will also be offered.

Course Categorization

As it is difficult to put courses into mutually exclusive categories, the courses are categorized below in several ways simultaneously. First, the mandatory components are highlighted in the next two tables: mandatory courses (M) and mandatory milestones (milestones are not courses per se but they have course numbers). Second, the four main research clusters within the department are identified: EDH = Environment Development and Health, GIS = Geographic Information Science, Phys = Physical Geography, and UrbS = Urban Studies. Many courses have appeal beyond any single cluster - the clusters merely identify the "primary" research cluster of the instructor. Third, three additional categories are identified. The first two of these are general (G) or specialized (S) (Advance Studies) courses, which distinguish courses we expect to typically have enrolments greater than one student (i.e., G courses) as opposed to those that typicallyare one-on-one with the supervisor (i.e., S courses). The third, the methods (Meth) course designation, is meant to highlight courses that focus on design, measurement, and/or analysis. This all may help you select your non-mandatory courses ("electives") but there are no specific requirements in our progams concerning the four research clusters or S, G and Meth courses.

Courses Offered "Next" Fall/Winter

This page will typically be updated with the next set of course offerings sometime in the summer prior. Availability of non-mandatory courses is dependent on enrolment. Thus, when a Term/Day/Time are identified that means the course has been scheduled but may not mean it will ultimately run. Likewise, if a course does not have a Term/Day/Time it may still run if there is enough interest. It is important that students contact the relevant instructors to double check/confirm (non-mandatory) course availability. TBA indicates the course will be scheduled in the coming year.

Mandatory Graduate Courses and Milestones

TBA = to be announced; F= Fall; W = Winter

Mandatory Graduate Courses (these also appear in the long Courses table below)

In addition to the courses listed in the next table, MA/MSc students are required to take at least three courses and PhD students are required to take two.

Number Title MA/MSc PhD Term Day Time
9998 Philosophies of Geography yes yes F TBA TBA
9099 Research Design and Presentation yes no* W TBA TBA
*PhD candidates are welcome to take this course, but it is not mandatory for a PhD.

Mandatory Program Milestones

Milestones have course numbers, but they are not courses in the traditional sense.

Number Title MA/MSc PhD
9089/9989 MA/MSc (9089) and PhD (9989) Proposal yes yes
9986 PhD Conference Presentation no yes
9987 PhD Departmental Presentation no yes
9988 PhD Comprehensive Examination no yes
TOTAL 1 4

Graduate Courses and Schedule

MA/MSc students are required to take at least three of the following courses to meet their mandatory course requirement. PhD students are required to take at least two of the following courses (the 9099 course above is a choice as well) to meet their mandatory course requirement. Graduate courses in other departments or institutions may be substituted, the student is advised to consult with their supervisor before enrolling.

Abbreviations
G = General; S= Specialized ("Advanced Studies"); Man. = mandatory for group(s) identified; Clust.= research cluster of instructor (EDH = Environment Development and Health, GIS = Geographic Information Science, Phys = Physical Geography, UrbS = Urban Studies); Meth = Methods Course, TBA = day/time to be announced soon (blank = contact instructor); AWI = arrange with instructor or contact Graduate Administrator; F= Fall; W = Winter
For details of categories see Course Categorization. Confirm course availability with instructors.

Schedule Fall 2012/Winter 2013  Calendar-style schedule

- all Fall 2012 courses begin week of September 10, 2012- exceptions noted in the title column
- most courses meet in the Pleva room (SSC 2322E) - exceptions noted in title column

# Title (click any header to sort) G/S Man. Clust Meth Term Day Start
End
9998 Philosophies of Geography G PhD +
MA/Sc
no F Th 12:30
14:30
9099 Research Design and Presentation G MA/Sc yes W Tu 10:30
12:30
9102 Research in Physical Geography G Phys no  

9103 Environmental Monitoring G Phys yes      
9104 Environmental Change  G Phys no
   
9105 Environmental Modeling G Phys yes      
9106 Development Geography G EDH no      
9107 Environment and Health G EDH no F Tu 13:00
16:00
9108 Qualitative Methods
SSC 5220
G EDH yes W Th 9:30
12:30
9109 Geography of Migration G EDH no W Wed 9:30
12:30
9110 Introduction to GIS
SSC 1425
G GIS yes W Mon
&
Wed
13:30
15:30
9111 Advanced Spatial Analysis G GIS
yes  
9113 Quantitative Methods G UrbS yes      
9114 Urban Studies G UrbS no W Wed 12:30
16:30
9115 Urban Social Cultural Geography G UrbS no  
9116 Indigenous Health G   EDH no F Wed 9:00
12:00
9117 Urban Geography of the
Developing World
G   UrbS no      
9118 Policy Formation and Futures:
Critical and Analytical Approaches
G   UrbS no      
9119 Monitoring of Riverine Systems G   Phys no W Mon 13:00
16:00
9200 Advanced Studies in Physical Geography S Phys no AWI
9300 Advanced Studies in Environment Development and Health S EDH no AWI
9332 Environmental Hazards G EDH no    
9334 Environmental Policy G EDH no F Thurs 9:00
12:00
9400 Advanced Studies in GISc S GIS yes AWI    
9500 Advanced Studies in Urban Studies S UrbS no AWI
9518 Advanced Cultural Geography S   UrbS no F Tues 10:30
12:30
9600 Advanced Studies S UrbS no AWI
Cross Listed Courses:
Biology 9440B - Topics in Ecology and Evolution (Wetland Ecosystems)
Dr. Brian Branfireun
Department of Biology
bbranfir@uwo.ca

NOTE: a/b, a, b, y, full?

In other contexts UWO course numbers often have a suffix. Those with the suffix "a/b" are half courses and may be offered in either term; "a" indicates a Fall-term half course, "b" a Winter-term half course. Course numbers with the "y" suffix are on-going: they usually last two half-terms but in some instances last longer. Full (two-term) courses, or courses which continue until completed (e.g., thesis), have no subscript.

Questions?

Please contact the Graduate Administrator with any questions regarding the graduate program.

Phone: 519-661-2111, Ext. 85033;

Email: GeoGradAdmin@uwo.ca