Geography & Environmental Science

The Department of Geography and Environmental Science encourages students to engage in an internship as part of their academic experience.  Many employers consider an internship to be one of the most important parts of a student’s pre-employment preparation. Students typically complete internships near the end of their academic career to draw on the widest possible range of coursework in completing the internship. It is never too early, however, to begin thinking about and planning for an internship.

For more information, contact your academic advisor or the Department of Geography and Environmental Science chair Colin Belby, cbelby@uwlax.edu.

Steps to Obtaining GEO 450 Internship Credit

1. Locate an internship through Handshake, announcements sent to the Geography Majors and Minors Google Group, or a contact you have personally made.
2. Discuss the internship with the Geography faculty member that will serve as your GEO 450 supervisor. The internship must meet the following criteria for its suitability as a Geography and Environmental Science internship:
   1. The internship placement must involve an opportunity for the acquisition and/or application of academically relevant field experience.
   2. The placement agency must be able to provide field supervision of the student.
   3. The placement must involve an area of career interest to the student.
3. To enroll for credit in GEO 450, complete and submit a “Request an Experience” survey through Handshake. The Career Service’s Internship Coordinator will receive a notice and review the internship information. Please note the following when completing the request:
   1. Earning GEO 450 credit is predicated on the student completing the internship during the semester for which they are enrolling for credit.
   2. GEO 450 credits are accumulated at approximately 40 hours of work per 1 credit hour.
   3. No more than 3 credit hours of GEO 450 can be applied towards a Geography and Environmental Science major or minor, but the course is repeatable for up to 12 credits.
4. The Geography faculty member listed by the student to be their faculty internship supervisor will be sent an email notice from Handshake notifying them they have an experience to review and approve*.
5. Once approval is given by the faculty internship supervisor, an email notice will be sent to the Department of Geography and Environmental Science chair for review and approval*.
6. After these approvals are completed, the Internship Coordinator will register the student for the internship course and the requested number of credits.

*PLEASE NOTE: Some individuals have had issues with the Handshake email notices going to “Clutter” or “Junk”.  Please add the address notifications@joinhandshake.com to your address book to prevent this from happening. 

Students interested in enrolling in Independent Study (GEO 490/590) through the Department of Geography and Environmental Science must complete this form prior to registering for the course. Be sure to discuss your plan with your independent study instructor prior to filling out the form. Within the form, you will enter a project title and a description of your plan for the semester. These items should be completed in consultation with your advisor/instructor.

Students interested in enrolling in Undergraduate Research (GEO 499) through the Department of Geography and Environmental Science must complete this form prior to registering for the course. Be sure to discuss your plan with your research advisor prior to filling out the form. Within the form, you will enter a project title and a description of your plan for the semester. These items should be completed in consultation with your advisor/instructor.

All Geography majors are required to complete the Geography and Environmental Science Department's exit survey during their last semester of enrollment in order to graduate. This exit survey allows faculty and staff to hear from majors about their experiences as a student in the Department of Geography and Environmental Science. The Department takes your feedback seriously. Your input helps us to expand on what we are doing well, improve on what we are doing not-so-well, and receive suggestions on what we could do differently. Please feel free to say whatever is on your mind. Responses to questions will only be  following degree completion.

The survey will be distributed to graduating majors during the final semester. It can also be accessed by clicking this link. You will need to contact Anita Willis-Frels to obtain the password to begin the survey. We really do want to hear your comments and appreciate you taking the time to take the survey!

Eligible Geography and Environmental Science majors are encouraged to apply for the department's Honors Program. Eligibility requirements can be found at this link. Visit this link to apply for the Geography and Environmental Science Honors Program. Please consult with your academic advisor or the department chair if you have questions about the honors program.

Student posters can be printed by the Geography Department by request of a Department faculty member. If you are a Geography or an Earth Science major and need a poster printed for a Geography/Earth Science related conference or presentation, please coordinate with your instructor or research advisor. The GIS Lab Manager (Cowley 241) can assist you with printing your poster or you can schedule a time to print it with your instructor or research advisor by contacting Susan Hall (shall@uwlax.edu) to schedule a date / time to utilize the printer. At least two full business days of lead time is required to print your poster. 

Transportation geography is the study of the movement of people and commodities across the earth's surface. It deals with the spatial interactions between people and places. This course is designed to introduce you to the study of transportation systems from a geographic perspective. One can think of transportation as a service that the transportation industry offers travelers to insure mobility. The relation between the supply for transportation and the demand for moving people and goods characterize the performance of the transportation system. Such performance is extremely important for our sustainability as it relates to the well being of our economy, society and environment. Studying a transportation system and its performance entails the analysis of various aspects that relate to infrastructure, vehicles, and operations by which vehicles are operated using the available infrastructure. The effective management of transportation systems requires an understanding of various concepts and analytical methods that are often used by transportation professionals to make informed decisions about transportation policy. While transport geographers study a wide range of topics, the focus of this introductory course is on: theoretical and practical concepts of transport geography, current transportation issues and problems, and analytical methods for describing, analyzing and modeling transportation systems using GIS software. Offered Annually.

For the website for Transportation Geography, please click the link.

Building upon lessons learned in GEO 305, this course focuses on geospatial analysis and database development. The course includes both theoretical and applied aspects of GIS analysis. GIS software, with an emphasis on ArcGIS, will be used to explore geographic questions. Hands-on exercises pertaining to environmental science, natural resource management, business, and urban planning will be used to complement lecture material. Topics will include data organization, database structure, input and output, data quality, and geographic analysis of spatial and attribute data. This course is taught largely at an undergraduate level. Graduate students will have additional course requirements/expectations. Lect. 2, Lab 2. Prerequisite: GEO 305; STAT 145; junior standing. Offered Fall, Spring.

To view the website for GISS II, please follow the link.

This course covers advanced theories in geographic information systems database structures, advanced applications, database transfers, database management, use of census data, spatial analysis, and decision-making. There will be an emphasis on ARCGIS and its applications and integration of GIS with remote sensing and GPS. This course is taught largely at an undergraduate level. Graduate students will have additional course requirements/expectations. Lect. 2, Lab 2. Prerequisite: GEO 405; STAT 145; junior standing.  Offered Spring.

To view the website for GISS III, please click the link.