You are in the official 2009-2010 General Catalog for California State University, Fresno.
Department of Geography
The College of Social Sciences
ARIBILOLA S. OMOLAYO, Chair
DIANE JAUREGUI, Administrative Support Coordinator
Science Building, Room 182
559.278.2797
Subject Matter Preparation
for
Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Sciences
Certificate in Geographic
Information Systems (GIS)
*As of fall 1998, admission to the M.A. in Geography has
been suspended.
Suspension is not expected to exceed three years.
Faculty
Aribilola S. Omolayo, Chair
Michelle Calvarese
James Kus
Chi Kin Leung
Stuart K. McFeeters
Segun O. Ogunjemiyo
Derya Ozgoc-Caglar
Instruction at introductory, advanced, and graduate levels is conducted by a faculty whose teaching and research interests are diverse. All major facets of the discipline are represented as are a number of specializations.
Geography
The world of the 21st century is a place where there are very complex interactions between an increasingly fragile environment and the people who make up the many varied and diverse cultures on it. Geographers are uniquely trained to "see the big picture" so that they can more fully understand these complex interactions of the environment and the many cultures of humankind.
Geography, therefore, is an integrative discipline that is composed of
both the physical and social sciences. Its distinctiveness is as much a
product of its unique approach to the study of the earth and its human inhabitants
as it is the subject matter itself. Thus, geography employs a spatial framework
for organizational purposes analogous to the chronological framework employed
in history.
Central to geographic inquiry is a concern with the human occupancy of the
earth, the character of the human environment, and the interrelationships
that link humans and the physical world. In sum, geography seeks to provide
a broad understanding of the world, its people, and its problems. Geography
seeks to provide applied specializations and technical skills that can address
economic, social, and environmental problems at scales that range from local
to global.
Not surprisingly, the subject matter of geography is diverse. Geographers
examine and analyze patterns of rural and urban settlement, resource exploitation,
land use, and social and cultural phenomena. They are concerned with the
natural features and processes of the earth's surface, the ways in which
nature has conditioned the human occupancy of the earth, and the ways in
which people have modified natural landscapes.
The department's instructional programs are designed to address certain
objectives. First, we provide, for both majors and non-majors alike, a greater
understanding of the world as an element of a liberal education which is
becoming an increasingly important component of a complete university education.
Second, we conduct programs that assure a depth of knowledge in subject
matter and technique for majors and minors in geography. Third, we serve
those students in related disciplines who wish to strength-en programs of
study through a selection of courses in geography.
Facilities
Instruction at introductory and advanced levels is conducted by a faculty whose teaching and research interests are diverse. All major facets of the discipline are represented as are a number of specializations, which include medical geography, economic studies of China, urban revitalization, archeological studies, political ecology of natural resource management, environmental monitoring using remote sensing, urban air quality, urban and regional planning, environmental planning, and climate change and global governance.
Two laboratory facilities are available for student use. One laboratory
is a physical geography laboratory that is maintained for the conducting
of research and for instruction in physical geography. It is also used for
the support of the department's atmospheric science research, which primarily
focuses on the study of air quality in the San Joaquin Valley. The second
laboratory is the Urban Planning and Environmental Research Laboratory.
It is a 32-station, state-of-the-art, computer laboratory that is used for
instruction and research in urban planning, Geographic Information Systems
(GIS), environmental studies, remote sensing, and a variety of other applications.
Career Opportunities
Geographers are employed in government and the private sector. Their knowledge and skills have applications in a variety of fields including teaching, planning, cartography, GIS, locational analysis, intelligence and security, land and resource management, policy research, transportation, and industrial development.
Agencies of federal, state, and local governments are major employers
of geographers. At the federal level many agencies employ geographers. At
state and local levels most geographers are involved in planning, land and
resource management, and community development. Because many businesses
and industries have important geographical dimensions to their operations,
there is demand for geographers in the private sector. Geographers are employed
in banking, transportation, international trade, utilities, wholesaling
and retailing, and a number of other fields. Finally, teaching is a major
occupation for individuals with training in geography. The department welcomes
inquiries about career opportunities.
Geography
Courses