UW Oshkosh Geography & Urban Planning Department Recruitment Brochure

1. Geography
&
Urban
Planning
What is Geography, exactly?
To write the earth, to describe the place
In elementary school we learn geography as “Facts about the
world” and specific things to memorize, like states and
countries, capital cities and if their major exports are textiles
or bauxite. We are told that knowledge of natural
geographical features: the longest river, the biggest freshwater
lake, the highest mountain range in South America, etc. are
valuable trivia. That’s geography!
Readers of National Geographic think of geography as a sort
of travelogue, or explorer's view of the world: a survey of
wild, exciting, and exotic “different” places, inhabited by
people different from me.
Many commercial and political organizations view geography
as a set of tools for managing and manipulating geographical
“information” or simplified models of spatial laws, and
geographers as the people who interpret and share that data.
Geography is all these things, but the study of geography is
also so much more! Those students who are courageous,
compassionate, and persistent enough to look at the whole
world (the people and the environment) and the complex
ways each piece interacts with the others are prime
candidates to become Geographers.
Geography delves into the questions of how we understand,
interpret, and sometimes propose improvements to our
world and the people that live in it. As a Social Science,
Geography can be accessed from either of two, related but
distinct, research avenues.
Thinking about Geography or Urban Planning (or
both) as your Major or Minor?
Geography is the scientific study of spatial relationships &
patterns in both human & physical worlds and how those
patterns affect each other. This broad focus allows students
to pursue diverse interests within the field.
Human geography: How did configurations of people, their
employment, their identities, cultures and ages come into
being in a particular place at a particular time, and how
might they change in the future? An ever-growing social
science that seeks to explain, understand, question, interpret,
and sometimes propose improvements to the world and the
people who live in it.
Physical geography: What are the biophysical processes that
shape the different environments on the planet and how did
they come to be? How are these processes changing over
time due to biophysical and human influences? How do we
measure and represent that change?
Urban Planning is a multidisciplinary field of study,
incorporating many of the theories and techniques used in
Geography, Sociology, Engineering, Political Science, and
Design, that offers insight into the features, systems and
concerns affecting growing, or shrinking, cities & suburbs.
Cities & suburbs are home to over 80% of Americans and
53% of people world-wide. Urban areas are not just
concentrations of people but concentrations of power &
opportunity. Cities & suburbs face growing issues of traffic
management and mass transit, the provision of affordable
housing, crime rates, and racial tension, as well as renewable
energy development, promotion of cultural diversity, and
micro ecology movements.
From the Greek: geo - graphy
ge meaning earth, soil, surroundings
graph denoting a process of writing, drawing, or describing

2. Field or Career Geography Electives Offered
Environmental
Biological
Natural Resources
Conservation
Alternative Energy
Chemical
Emergency Response
Hazardous Waste
211 Geographies of Climate Change
304 Soils
314 Environmental Conservation
332 Intro to River Systems
335 Climatology
363 Biogeography
364 Water Resource Management
377 Population & Environment
414 Natural Resource Management
419 Natural Hazards
Techniques & Data
Mapping
GIS
Data Collection
Engineering
Weather
Land Use
Urban Planning
324 Urban Geography
371 Thematic Cartography
382 Remote Sensing/Environment
471 GIS II: Fundamentals of GIS
472 GIS III: Advanced GIS
Cultural
International Rltns
Public Policy/Law
Relief
Design
Journalism
Supply Chain
Marketing
Social Media
213 Population Geography
311 Economic Geography
316 Ethnic Landscapes of America
321 Political Geography
333 Gender, Place, & Culture
313 Wisconsin
317 United States & Canada
319 Latin America
331 Europe
353 Sub-Saharan Africa
354 Middle East & North Africa
Research & Education
Teaching/Training
Data Analysis
Lab/Experimentation
Contract Mngmnt
Technical Writing
444 Geography Internship
446 Independent Study
451 Adv Topic Human Geography
461 Adv Topic Physical Geography
Faculty Research&Collaboration Opportunitiesfor Students
The Geography & Urban Planning Department at
UW Oshkosh provides students with learning opportunities
both in and out of the classroom. Students work closely with
professors on collaborative research projects, to gain
valuable knowledge of Geographic concepts and real-world
experience on projects ranging from a study of wetlands in
the Winnebago Pool Lakes to an analysis of the air cargo
industry in Southeast Asia.
Having among the most desirable student to faculty ratios
you will find in any major anywhere, Geography students
benefit from small class sizes, individual advising and one-
on-one mentorship.
Along with teaching, Geography & Urban Planning
professors are actively engaged in many research endeavors.
We have received several research grants from the U.S.
National Science Foundation, Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources and the UW Oshkosh Faculty
Development Program, all of which encourage student
participation in faculty research.
Geography Major Requirements
(48 credits)
Geography Minor (32 credits)
Geography Core
102 World Regional Geography
202 Human Geography
121 Physical Geography: Weather & Climate
221 Physical Geography: Landforms & Soils
215 Map Reading and Analysis
391 GIS I: Mapping and Visualization
490 Geography Senior Seminar
Geography Electives
Choose from at least two groups:
 Human Geography (see Environmental & Cultural fields)
 Physical Geography (see Environmental & Techniques fields)
 Regional Geography (see Cultural field)
 Human-Environment Interaction (see Environmental field)
 Geographic Techniques (see Techniques & Research fields)
 Exciting Opportunities such as Study Abroad, Geography
Internships, Independent Study, & Honors Thesis
Urban Planning Major Requirements
(46 Credits)
Urban Planning Minor 25 credits)
Urban Planning Core
99-131: Introduction to Urban Studies
50-221: Physical Geography II
99-300: Introduction to Urban Planning
99-310: Comprehensive Planning
99-317: Land Use Regulation
99-320: Housing
99-350: Planning History and Theory
99-351: Planning Seminar
99-425: Computer Uses in Urban Analysis
99-480: Internship
50-324: Urban Geography
Urban Planning Electives
Choose one from each group:
 Statistics
 Planning Politics
 Human Geography
 Human-Environment Interaction
*see uwosh.edu/geography for all course descriptions

3. Research Facilities:
Soils Research Lab
Equipped with a variety of state-of-the-art instruments to
collect and analyze soil samples and conduct landscape-scale
analyses in field settings. In the laboratory, equipment is
available to analyze basic soil properties using either discreet
soil samples or soil cores and prepare samples for analysis at
external labs.
Environmental Lab
The focus of this lab is the analysis of lake sediment in order
to reconstruct past environmental conditions including
vegetation and disturbances such as fire. Equipment
includes a Barrington MS2c magnetic susceptibility core
logging sensor, pollen and charcoal reference collections, a
variety of microscopes, sediment sieves, sampling equipment
for field work and laboratory core analysis, and refrigerated
core storage.
Human Geography Research Lab
This lab is home to a number of resources to develop
human geography research at UW Oshkosh, providing the
research space for undergraduate students working with
human geography faculty on projects, including independent
studies and faculty-student collaborative grants. The lab also
serves as a reading library for students, with access a variety
of human geography resources in the lab. The Human
Geography Research lab also provides an informal place for
majors to meet and study.
Paleo-ecology Lab
The Paleo lab is equipped with all sorts of laboratory
equipment, including microscopes, beakers, scales, etc., and
features a fume hood for chemical assays.
Integrated Conservation Research
The Integrated Conservation Lab (ICL) is organized around
the idea that studying conservation takes many forms, and
that effective conservation is most likely to come out of an
awareness of its complexity. As with geography, conservation
combines examination of the physical environment with
attention to social systems and the interplay between them.
In the ICL at UWO, we approach conservation from the
perspective that it is based on a diversity of ways of knowing
the environment, and ask questions about how those forms
of ecological knowledge come into being, are
communicated, and used, and to what effect
GIS Lab
Geographic techniques courses such as Thematic
Cartography, Computer Cartography, Intro & Advanced
GIS, Remote Sensing of the Environment and Urban
Analysis, use the latest equipment for cartography, computer
cartography, digital image processing and GIS.
Our facilities are noted among the best of any university in
the State of Wisconsin. Students can access specialized
printers and plotters for the highest quality output.
Map Libraries
Our department hosts two impressive map libraries: the
Vette/Blust Geography Map Library and the Geography
Wall Map Library contain a wide-variety of maps and aerial
photographs, including complete topographic maps (at a
variety of scales) for the entire state of Wisconsin, as well as
topographic and thematic maps of many other regions
around the world, and a wide-ranging collection of detailed,
large-sized wall maps.
Rock and Soil Collections
Our department has an extensive collection of rocks,
minerals, and soils from around the world.

4. Geography & Urban Planning Department
4461 Sage Hall
800 Algoma Boulevard
Oshkosh, WI 54901
(920) 424-4105
geography@uwosh.edu
uwosh.edu/geography
www.facebook.com/UWOgeography/
Notice of Nondiscrimination: uwosh.edu/non
UW Oshkosh is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC):
uwosh.edu/accreditation
Photography by Adam Bellcorelli
Student Involvement & Collaborative Research
Geography Club &GIS Club are student-led organizations
focused on promoting interest in the various Geographic
disciplines along with other Social and Physical Sciences...
while enjoying pizza. Members have opportunities to
participate in discussions, field trips, professional and
academic conferences, social events and more. Geography &
GIS Clubs provide opportunities for students to engage with
each other as well as faculty and alumni. Our clubs are open
to all students and UWO community members interested in
Geography.
Gamma Theta Upsilon, an international honor society in
geography, was founded in 1920 and became a national
organization in 1931. The UW Oshkosh Chapter of GTU
honors and recognizes the academic excellence of our
Student Geographers. Check out the GTU brochure on the
Geography website for more details and benefits of
membership.
Global Scholar (GS) Certificate is a 12-credit, self-directed
course of study open to all UWO students who wish to
distinguish themselves as emerging global citizens prepared
to navigate an increasingly complex and interdependent
world. This option works wonderfully in conjunction with a
Geography Major or Minor.
Honors & Awards
Along with scholarships and university-wide recognition,
Geography students have the opportunity to compete for
departmental awards each year. See the qualifications on
our website under the Awards & Honors tab.
Warner Geiger Geography Merit Award
In memory of esteemed professor of Geography, Dr
Warner Geiger, the faculty and staff honor a graduating
Geography Major with this prestigious award during the
Geiger Memorial Lecture. This award recognizes a student
who has made significant contributions to the Geography
Department and UW Oshkosh community.
Bruyere Award for Scholarship in Foreign Studies
Presented to a graduating senior who has demonstrated a
comprehensive knowledge of an international dimension of
study, the Bruyere Award highlights a high achieving student
from Geography or other international studies discipline.
Atlas Award
Given in recognition of a Geography Major or Minor who
has shown steady improvement, developed a clear identity as
a Geographer and engaged significantly with the department.
Geography Faculty Scholarship
Awarded to a senior Geography Major or Minor who has
excelled academically in a wide breadth of Geography
course offerings.