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Geography
Loeb Building B349
Telephone: 520-2561
Fax: 520-4301
The Department
Chair of the Department, J. Kenneth Torrance
Departmental Supervisor of Graduate Studies, D.R. Fraser Taylor
The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies offers programs
of study and research in human and physical geography leading to the degrees
of Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy. Doctoral
studies in physical geography may be undertaken in cooperation with the
Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Centre.
Students are accepted into the graduate program based on the standard
of previous academic work, research interests, letters of reference, and
the availability of faculty to act as supervisors. Each student's program
of study, as far as possible, is based on the interests of the individual,
although certain courses may be required. An advisory committee, consisting
of the student's research supervisor and at least one other member of the
faculty, is established to monitor progress and provide thesis research
guidance.
Excellent research laboratory facilities exist for the geotechnical
study of near surface processes, and the physics, chemistry, and thermodynamics
of earth materials, as well as for computer cartography and for remote
sensing. These facilities are supported by a highly qualified full-time
staff in laboratory instrumentation, cartography, and computing. There
is a specialized Map Library in the geography building. The university's
location in Canada's capital city offers students access to important federal
resources, such as the National Library, the Public Archives of Canada,
the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Statistics Canada, and the specialist
libraries of many government departments.
Systematic interests of Departmental members are applied to a variety
of world regions, although emphasis is given to Canada (including northern
studies) and the Third World (especially Africa). The main clusters of
specialization within the Department are the following:
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Physical Geography and Geotechnical Science
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Studies of natural processes close to the earth's surface and their geotechnical
significance;
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climate-ground interaction; geocryology; chemical, physical, and thermodynamic
characteristics of soils and sediments; hydrology. (C.R. Burn, N.C. Doubleday,
Joyce Lundberg, M.W. Smith, J.K. Torrance, P.J. Williams)
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Resource Development
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Identification and analysis of development processes; the interplay of
environmental, demographic, social, gender, political, and economic variables
in the spatial development of land resources, settlement systems, outdoor
recreation, tourism, and natural resource-based industries; environmental
impact assessment and environmental management. Canadian and Third World
development is stressed. (R.D. Bollman, M.J. Brklacich, John Clarke, M.F.
Fox, A.F.D. Mackenzie, E.W. Manning, G.I. Ozornoy, , M.W. Smith, S.J. Squire,
D.R.F.Taylor, J.K.Torrance, A.I. Wallace)
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Cultural, Historical, and Political Geography
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Rural and urban settlement history; ethnicity; territorial organization
and the concepts of state, group politico-territorial identities, territoriality,
and self-determination; role of territory in conflict situations; perceptions
of environment and geographies of the mind; gender as a cultural variable;
urban heritage conservation. (John Clarke, Simon Dalby, N.C. Doubleday,
Fran Klodawsky, V.A. Konrad, E.J. Marshall, S.J. Squire, I.C. Taylor, John
Tunbridge)
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Social and Economic Geography
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Geographical analyses of the social and economic organization of societies;
area variations in social well-being; medical geography; provision of public
and informal services in changing local and regional environments; implications
of gender roles for environmental restructuring; industrial systems; philosophy
of science and of geography. (David Bennett, Simon Dalby, Fran Klodawsky,
A.F.D. Mackenzie, E.J. Marshall, G.I. Ozornoy, A.N. Spector, A.I. Wallace)
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Computer Cartography and Remote Sensing
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Development of applications in computer cartography and the use of remote
sensing in geographical research. (M.F. Fox, D.J. King, D.R.F. Taylor).
Qualifying-Year Program
Applicants with exceptional promise who have a general (3 year) bachelor's
degree, or who have substantially less than the Honours B.A. in Geography,
may be admitted to a qualifying-year program. To be considered for admission
into the master's program, qualifying-year students must attain at least
an overall high honours standing in their qualifying-year geography
courses. The General Regulations section of this Calendar provides details
about the regulations governing the qualifying year (see p.49.)
Master of Arts
Admission Requirements
The normal requirement for admission into the master's program is a B.A.(Honours)
or B.Sc.(Honours) in Geography, with at least high honours standing. In
exceptional cases, pertinent work experience may be considered in support
of an
application to the Department. Applicants who have taken their undergraduate
degree in the physical or natural sciences or engineering, as well as in
physical geography, will be considered if their research interests coincide
with those of the Department. Applicants in human geography may be accepted
from related fields if their proposed research is closely related to faculty
research experience. Students with academic deficiencies may be required
to take additional courses.
Program Requirements
The M.A. in Geography normally takes from twelve to eighteen months, but
field work may necessitate some extension. All master's students in geography
are required to complete a minimum of 5.0 credits, including an M.A. thesis
which must be successfully defended at an oral examination. All students
are required to have a reading knowledge of the language considered essential
to their research.
In addition to the formal requirements, M.A. students will normally
be required to attend a Research Proposal Workshop and the Departmental
Seminar series.
Doctor of Philosophy
The doctoral program in geography is structured around two fields:
* the geography of societal change with emphasis on the global political
economy; restructuring and the environment; geographies of socio-cultural
evaluation; feminist geographies
* the geography of environmental change with emphasis on environmental
processes and anthropogenic impacts; appraisal and societal management
of environmental resources
Students in each field are required to complete 45.600/45.601 which
addresses substantive and methodological issues arising out of the interactions
of social and environmental systems. Every student's thesis committee will
include at least one faculty member from the field other than the chosen
field.
Admission Requirements
The normal requirement for admission to the Ph.D. program is a master's
degree (or the equivalent) in geography, with at least an A- average.
A student already registered in the M.A. program who shows outstanding
academic performance and research promise may be permitted to transfer
to the Ph.D. program with a recommendation by the Departmental graduate
committee.
Applicants whose academic preparation has deficiencies in certain areas
may be admitted to the Ph.D. program with the requirement that they complete
additional course work.
Admission to the Ph.D. program is granted on a full-time basis in September
for the Fall term. In exceptional cases, a part-time program may be considered.
Program Requirements
Program requirements for the Ph.D. degree are outlined in the General Regulations
section of this Calendar (see p.53.) The specific program requirements
of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies are:
* 10.0 credits
* Geography 45.600/45.601
* Either Geography 45.603/45.604 or Geography 45.606/45.607
* Two written comprehensive examinations including Geography 45.695
and either Geography 45.696 or Geography 45.697
* Presentation and oral defence of the thesis proposal as outlined
below
* Language requirement as outlined below
* A thesis equivalent to 8.0 of the required 10.0 credits which must
be defended at an oral examination
Comprehensive Examinations
Each doctoral candidate is required to write two comprehensive examinations:
* Geography 45.695
* One other examination in the chosen field of specialization
The comprehensive examinations must be completed after course requirements
for the Ph.D. have been completed. Normally this will be the end of the
third semester, but must be no later than the end of the fall semester
of the second year of registration in the Ph.D. program.
Thesis Proposal
Candidates normally register in the thesis on entry to the program and
work actively to define their research topic during the first term of registration.
The thesis proposal must be presented after comprehensive requirements
have been fulfilled. Candidates normally submit and defend the thesis proposal
at an oral examination no later than the end of the fourth term of registration
in the Ph.D. program. Continuous registration is required after initial
registration in the thesis.
Language Requirement
All Ph.D. candidates are required to demonstrate an ability to comprehend
geographical literature in a language other than English. This will normally
be satisfied in the context of course work for the core and field seminars.
The other language will normally be French, but may be an alternative pertinent
to their research, as recommended by the thesis committee. Fluency in a
second language required to undertake field research may be substituted
as a fulfillment of this requirement.
Residence Requirements
All Ph.D. candidates must be registered full time in a minimum of six terms
to satisfy the residence requirement.
Courses
Not all of the following courses are offered in a given year. For an
up-to-date statement of course offerings for 2000-2001, please consult
the Registration Instructions and Class Schedule booklet published
in the summer.
F,W,S indicates term of offering. Courses offered in the fall and winter
are followed by T. The number following the letter indicates the credit
weight of the course: 1 denotes 0.5 credit, 2 denotes 1.0 credit.
In addition to the selection of courses offered by the Department, graduate
students in geography are encouraged to consider, in partial fulfillment
of their degree requirements, appropriate courses offered in such disciplines
as biology, chemistry, economics, engineering, geology, history, international
affairs, physics, political science, and sociology.
Courses at the University of Ottawa may also be taken for credit in
a Carleton M.A. program; permission of the Departments in both universities
is required.
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Geography 45.500F1
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Approaches to Geographical Enquiry
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A review of the major philosophical perspectives shaping research and explanation
by geographers. Particular attention is paid to interpretations of social
structure and human action, the nature of the biophysical universe, and
the interaction between human beings and their environments.
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Geography 45.501F1,W1
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Modelling Environmental Systems
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Introductory seminar in methods and problems of research on the physical
environment. Illustrative material taken mostly from the atmospheric and
surface earth sciences. Identification and behaviour of environmental systems,
temporal and spatial scale, experimental method under field conditions,
simulation and model development, earth history.
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Geography 45.505W1
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Global Environmental Change: Human Implications
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Global environmental change: its significance for societies, economies
and international relations. Value systems underlying environmental discourse;
political economy of the environment; sustainability and security. Environmental
diplomacy and grassroots environmentalism. Regionalized impacts of pressures
on natural environments; challenges of adaptation. (Also listed as International
Affairs 46.571)
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Geography 45.517F1, W1, S1
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Field Study and Methodological Research
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Field acquisition and analysis of geographic material; supervised field
observations and methodology. (Individual or group basis, by special arrangement).
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Geography 45.520F1
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Issues in Development in Africa
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Analysis of structures and processes of political, social, and economic
change in intertropical Africa at scales ranging from the intrahousehold
and local community to the state and international system. An objective
is to integrate gender and the environment into analyses which draw on
theories of political economy. (Also listed as International Affairs 46.563)
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Geography 45.530F1
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Soil Thermal and Hydrologic Regimes
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Characteristics of soil regimes, particularly in freezing soils; role of
soil properties; analytical and numerical methods, including computer simulation.
(Alternates with Geography 45.532)
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Geography 45.533W1
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Geocryology
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Development of ground ice in permafrost regions of Canada; ice segregation
and pore-water expulsion during ground freezing; analytical and numerical
approaches to modelling permafrost conditions.
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Prerequisite: Geography 45.418 or permission of the Department.
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Geography 45.534F1
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Aspects of Clay Mineralogy and Soil Chemistry
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The role of clay minerals in soils will be considered from a geotechnical
and/or biological perspective.
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Geography 45.537W1
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Soil Resources
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The properties of soils, development, classification, productive potential,
and management problems of the world's soils. Primary emphasis will be
agricultural, but environmental and geotechnical aspects will be considered.
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Geography 45.540F1
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Territory and Territoriality
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Contemporary geographical and international relations theorizing is challenging
notions of boundaries and territories in the political organization of
modernity. Using contemporary writings on geopolitics, security, sovereignty,
self-determination and identity politics this course investigates territoriality
as a political and intellectual strategy. (Also listed as International
Affairs 46.542)
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Geography 45.541F1
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Society and Space
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Analysis of geographers' contributions to contemporary social theory and
of the geographical significance of theoretical debates in related fields.
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Geography 45.542F1
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Selected Concepts in Social Geography
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Theme to be announced.
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Geography 45.543F1
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Selected Concepts in Cultural Geography
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Investigation of a substantive theme in cultural geography. Theme to be
announced.
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Geography 45.544W1
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Gender and Environments
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Gender role change in relation to the creation and use of environments.
Feminist analyses of changes in people's activities in the first and third
worlds. Conceptual and methodological skills for gender-sensitive research.
Subsequent directed field experience may be achieved by taking 45.517
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Geography 45.545W1
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Problems in Historical Geography
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Philosophical and methodological approaches in geography, history, and
historical geography, emphasizing the use of primary documents, model building,
and statistical methods as they relate to the historical geography of Canada.
Also offered at the undergraduate level, with different requirements, as
Geography 45.435, for which additional credit is precluded.
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Geography 45.550F1
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Globalization and Localities
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A review of recent theoretical and methodological debate in this field
and analysis of the changing geography of production, employment, and social
consumption in advanced economies. Policy issues will be considered.
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Geography 45.555W1
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Tourism Development
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The nature of tourist development in various parts of the world, with special
emphasis on its cultural and economic implications.
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Geography 45.558W1
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Agribusiness North and South
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Analysis of the transformation of agriculture into an integrated multi-sectoral
food production system and of its theoretical implications. Focus on the
growth and strategies of agribusiness institutions in advanced industrial
societies and on their penetration into, and impact upon, Third World economies.
(Also listed as International Affairs 46.534)
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Geography 45.570W1
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Sustainability and Development in the Arctic: Transformation in the
Circumpolar North
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The Circumpolar Arctic Region is undergoing rapid political, economic,
social and technological development, which impacts sustainability. Climate,
contaminants and biological diversity focus international attention, Nunavut,
the Russian North, major developments, and international circumpolar regime
formation will be discussed, with significant emphasis on environment and
development.
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Geography 45.572W1
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Issues in Canadian Resource Development
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The economic, environmental, and social challenges facing Canadian resource-based
industries and the communities they support. Focus on the agricultural,
energy, forest, and mineral sectors. The global and national contexts of
the political economy of production, marketing, and resource management
are reviewed.
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Geography 45.573F1, W1
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Natural and Regional Resource Analysis
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A review and critical appraisal of selected
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methods for natural and regional resource analysis such as plan evaluation
methods, input-output models, resource optimization models, natural resource
accounting, and ecological economics.
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Geography 45.580W1
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Spatial Information Systems
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Advanced concepts and problems involved with spatial information systems,
especially those with a mapping component.
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Geography 45.583W1
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Remote Sensing and Image Analysis
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Radiometric, geometric, and resolution characteristics of remotely sensed
data; image processing algorithms; analysis of spectral, textural, and
contextual image information; applications to vegetation mapping and environmental
analysis.
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Geography 45.584F1
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Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
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Introduction to geographical application of GIS for students with no previous
experience. Includes benefits and limitations of GIS, data formats and
structures, input/output capabilities, analysis functions, and applications.
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Geography 45.590F1, W1, S1
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Graduate Tutorial
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Tutorial, directed reading or research, offered on an individual basis,
to meet specific program needs; may be taken in one of the areas of specialization
of the Department.
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Geography 45.599F4, W4, S4
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M.A. Thesis
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Thesis supervision will be given in all areas of specialization of the
Department, as listed on p. 181.
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* 600-level courses are open only to students registered in the doctoral
program.
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Geography 45.600F1, 45.601W1
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Doctoral Core Seminar: Geography, Society and the Environment
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Geographical perspectives on the development of society/environment interrelations
in Western thought and critiques thereof. The course is taught by faculty
representing the two fields of the program, the geography of social change
and the geography of environmental change.
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Geography 45.603F1, 45.604W1
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Field Seminar: Geography of Societal Change
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Analysis of current geographical and related research into the three themes
of global political economy: restructuring and the environment; geographies
of socio-cultural evaluation; and feminist geographies.
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Geography 45.606F1, 45.607W1
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Field Seminar: Geography of Environmental Change
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Analysis of geographical and related research into the appraisal and societal
management of environmental resources, and environmental processes and
anthropogenic impacts.
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Geography 45.695F1,W1,S1
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Comprehensive Examination: Geography, Society and the Environment
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This examination involves a general knowledge of geographical perspectives
on the development of society/environment interrelations in Western thought
and critiques thereof. A specific theme will be identified for each candidate.
Evaluation is: Pass, Pass with Distinction, Fail.
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Geography 45.696F1,W1,S1
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Comprehensive Examination: The Geography of Societal Change
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This examination focuses on research challenges in theory and methodology
in the themes of global political economy: restructuring and the environment;
geographies of socio-cultural evaluation; feminist geographies. A specific
theme will be identified for each candidate. Evaluation is: Pass, Pass
with Distinction, Fail.
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Geography 45.697F1,W1,S1
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Comprehensive Examination: The Geography of Environmental Change
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This examination focuses on research challenges in theory and methodology
associated with the appraisal and societal management of environmental
resources, and environmental processes and anthropogenic impacts. A specific
theme will be identified for each candidate. Evaluation is: Pass, Pass
with Distinction, Fail.
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Geography 45.699F,W,S
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Ph.D. Thesis
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