Department of Geography Loeb Building B349 Telephone: 788-2561 Fax: 788-4301 The Department Chair of the Department: M.W. Smith Departmental Supervisor of Graduate Studies: A.F.D. Mackenzie The Department of Geography offers programs of study and research in human and physical geography leading to the degree of Master of Arts. Master of Science and doctoral studies in physical geography can be undertaken in cooperation with the Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Centre. Doctoral studies in other fields of geography may, in special cases, be undertaken in cooperation with other departments. 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 individuals, 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 stress is given to Canada (including northern studies) and the Third World (especially Africa). The main clusters of specialization within the department are the following: * Physical Geography and Geotechnical Science Studies of natural processes close to the earth's surface and their geotechnical significance; climate-ground interaction; geocryology; chemical, physical and thermodynamic characteristics of soils and sediments; hydrology. (C.R. Burn, Joyce Lundberg, M.W. Smith, J.K. Torrance, T.P. Wilkinson, P.J. Williams) * Resource Development 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. (M.J. Brklacich, John Clarke, M.F. Fox, A.F.D. Mackenzie, E.W. Manning, G.I. Ozornoy, M.H. Sadar, M.W. Smith, D.R.F.Taylor, J.K.Torrance, A.I. Wallace, T.P. Wilkinson) * Cultural, Historical, and Political Geography 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, V.A. Konrad, Suzanne Mackenzie, I.C. Taylor, John Tunbridge) * Social and Economic Geography 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, A.F.D. Mackenzie, Suzanne Mackenzie, G.I. Ozornoy, D.M. Ray, A.I. Wallace) * Computer Cartography and Remote Sensing 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, T.P. Wilkinson). The opportunity for wider experience in cartography may be obtained through arrangements by which a student may take for credit at Carleton University one or more courses in cartography offered by the Department of Geography, Queen's University. The principal areas of focus are map design and history of cartography at Queen's, and applied aspects of computer-assisted cartography at Carleton. Students following the cooperative cartography program may register in either department, and will follow the normal regulations and requirements for their university of registration. When appropriate for students in the cooperative program, representatives from both universities may be members of a student's thesis examining board. Financial aid for transport between cities will be provided by the home department. Qualifying-Year Program Applicants with exceptional promise who have a general (pass) 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 section of this calendar provides details about the regulations governing the qualifying year. Master of Arts Admission Requirements The normal requirement for admission into the master's program is an honours B.A. or B.Sc. 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 interest coincides 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 five full courses or the equivalent, including an M.A. thesis (equivalent to two full courses) 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 it is required that M.A. students will normally attend a Graduate Field Camp and the Departmental Seminar series. Graduate Courses* In addition to the selection of courses offered by the department, graduate students in geography are encouraged to consider, in partial fulfilment 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. The following courses, normally offered annually, are tentatively scheduled for 1994-95: * Geography 45.500F1 Approaches to Geographical Enquiry 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. David Bennett. * Geography 45.505W1 Global Environmental Change: Human Implications The nature of contemporary changes in global environmental systems and their significance for society, the economy and international relations. Phenomena such as climatic warming, deforestation, and the environmental pressures of urbanization and intensive agriculture are analyzed in terms of their regionally differentiated impacts and challenges for societal adaptation. (Also offered as International Affairs 46.571) A.I. Wallace. * Geography 45.517F1, W1, S1 Field Study and Methodological Research Field acquisition and analysis of geographic material; supervised field observations and methodology. (Individual or group basis, by special arrangement.) Coordinator: Supervisor of graduate studies. * Geography 45.520W1 Issues in Development in Africa 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 offered as International Affairs 46.563) A.F.D. Mackenzie * Geography 45.532F1 Soil Thermal and Hydrologic Properties Instrumental techniques for investigation of hydrological and thermal processes near the earth's surface, laboratory instrumentation, and analysis of laboratory and field procedures in geotechnical science. (Alternates with Geography 45.530) * Geography 45.533W1 Periglacial Geomorphology Permafrost, its distribution and significance, seasonal ground freezing, ground thermal regime, physical, thermodynamic, and geotechnical properties of freezing and thawing soils, terrain features ascribable to frost action, and solifluction and patterned ground. P.J. Williams. * Geography 45.534F1 Aspects of Clay Mineralogy and Soil Chemistry The role of clay minerals in soils will be considered from a geotechnical and/or biological perspective. J.K. Torrance. * Geography 45.537W1 Soil Resources 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. J.K. Torrance. * Geography 45.540F1 Territory and Territoriality Evolution of the Western meaning of territory is examined against contrasting contemporary concepts in the Third World, especially Africa. Significance of territory and territoriality: their impact on restructuring of political space, territorial claims, self-determination, conflict, and processes of development. (Also offered as International Affairs 46.542) Simon Dalby. * Geography 45.541F1 Society and Space Analysis of geographer's contributions to contemporary social theory and of the geographical significance of theoretical debates in related fields. Fran Klodawsky. * Geography 45.542F1, W1 Selected Concepts in Social Geography Theme to be announced. * Geography 45.543F1 Selected Concepts in Cultural Geography Investigation of a substantive theme in cultural geography. Theme to be announced. * Geography 45.544F1 Gender and Environments This course examines the relation between gender role change and the creation and use of environments. Changes in people's activities, in the first and third worlds, are assessed in the context of feminist analyses. Conceptual and methodological skills for gender-sensitive research are developed. Subsequent directed field experience may be achieved by taking 45.517. A.F.D. Mackenzie. * Geography 45.545W1 Problems in Historical Geography 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. John Clarke. * Geography 45.550F1 Spatial Dynamics of Urban and Regional Change 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. * Geography 45.555W1 Tourism and International Development The nature and effect of tourist development in various parts of the world, and the role of tourism in developed and developing countries. * Geography 45.558W1 Agribusiness North and South 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 of their penetration into, and impact upon, Third World economies. (Also offered as International Affairs 46.534) A.I. Wallace. * Geography 45.570W1 Problems of Development in Arctic and Subarctic Environments Research seminar on specific problems in Canada's northland. Experience from other parts of the world will be incorporated when appropriate. * Geography 45.572W1 Issues in Canadian Resource Development 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. * Geography 45.579F1 Research and Development in Outdoor Recreational Geography Developments and research in Canadian recreational land use; leisure time trends and recreational land use patterns, supply and user preferences, impacts and conflicts, wilderness recreation, landscape classification, and park system planning and management. * Geography 45.580W1 Spatial Information Systems and Computer Cartography The concepts and problems involved with spatial information systems, especially those with a mapping component. * Geography 45.583W1 Remote Sensing and Image Analysis 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. * Geography 45.584F1 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 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. * Geography 45.590F1, W1, S1 Graduate Tutorial 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. Coordinator: Supervisor of graduate studies. * Geography 45.599F4, W4, S4 M.A. Thesis Thesis supervision will be given in all areas of specialization of the department, as listed in the calendar section identifying departmental specialization. Coordinator: Supervisor of graduate studies. Courses Not Offered in 1994-95 45.530 Soil Thermal and Hydrologic Regimes 45.555 Tourism and International Development 45.579 Research and Development in Outdoor Recreational Geography 45.581 Seminar in Map Design 45.582 Seminar in Historical Cartography