2010-2011 CATALOG

This is an archived copy of the 2010-2011 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.miracosta.edu

Geography

Geography is the study of the earth, including the distribution and interconnectedness of all natural and cultural phenomena, and how places are particular expressions of nature and culture. Students take courses to prepare for a major in geography or to fulfill general education requirements. With a bachelor's degree, students find career options in teaching and research, natural resource management, meteorology (weather), cartography (map-making), urban/regional planning, location analysis, and geographic information system (GIS) work.

Contact Information

Department Chair: Herschel Stern

Dean: Ric Matthews

www.miracosta.edu/GEOG

Department: Social Science

Office: Building 3100, (760) 795-6871

Full-Time Faculty

Herschel Stern

Associate Degree

Associate in Arts Degree

Geography

The Geography Program offers lower-division preparation for students who plan on transferring to pursue a bachelor's degree in geography. Students planning to transfer and/or earn this associate degree may also need to complete additional requirements or electives required by the transfer institution, as many CSUs and UCs have unique admissions and preparation-for-the-major requirements. Students should meet with a MiraCosta College counselor to identify required courses and to develop a written plan for their targeted university.

Required courses:
GEOG 101	Physical Geography	3
GEOG 101L	Physical Geography Laboratory	1
GEOG 102	Cultural Geography	3
or GEOG 104	World Geography
Select two elective courses from different disciplines:		6-10
CHEM 110	General Chemistry
CS 111	Introduction to Computer Science I: Java
CS 150	C++ Programming
ECON 102	Principles of Economics: MICRO
GEOG 102	Cultural Geography
GEOG 104	World Geography
GEOG 124	Geographic Information Science and Spatial Reasoning
MATH 103	Statistics
or PSYC/SOC 104	Statistics for Behavioral Science
MATH 150	Calculus and Analytic Geometry I
PHYS 111	Introductory Physics I
Select two elective courses from the following:		8-10
CHNS 101	Elementary Chinese (First Semester)
CHNS 102	Elementary Chinese (Second Semester)
FREN 101	Elementary French (First Semester)
FREN 102	Elementary French (Second Semester)
FREN 201	Intermediate French (Third Semester)
FREN 202	Intermediate French (Fourth Semester)
GRMN 101	Elementary German (First Semester)
GRMN 102	Elementary German (Second Semester)
GRMN 201	Intermediate German (Third Semester)
ITAL 101	Elementary Italian (First Semester)
ITAL 102	Elementary Italian (Second Semester)
ITAL 201	Intermediate Italian (Third Semester)
JAPN 101	Elementary Japanese (First Semester)
JAPN 102	Elementary Japanese (Second Semester)
JAPN 201	Intermediate Japanese (Third Semester)
JAPN 202	Intermediate Japanese (Fourth Semester)
SPAN 101	Elementary Spanish (First Semester)
SPAN 102	Elementary Spanish (Second Semester)
SPAN 201	Intermediate Spanish (Third Semester)
SPAN 202	Intermediate Spanish (Fourth Semester)
Total Units		21-27

Additional foreign language may be required for a four-year degree depending on the university.

How to Read Course Descriptions

Courses listed in this catalog apply to the fall 2010, spring 2011, and summer 2011 terms. Courses are numbered numerically within alphabetically arranged subject areas.

The bolded first line indicates the official course number, a descriptive title, and the number of units. The next lines indicate prerequisites, corequisites, advisories, repeatability rules, enrollment limitations, UC/CSU credit acceptance, and lecture and lab hours followed by a Taxonomy of Program number in parentheses.

Prerequisites: This is a requirement that must be met before a student can enroll in the course.
Corequisites: This is a course the student must take in the same semester.
Advisories: This is recommended preparation the student is advised but not required to have before or in conjunction with the course.
Repeatability Rules: When a course belongs to a group of related courses, students can complete one course or a combination of courses within the group for a maximum of four completions.
Enrollment Limitations: Some courses place limitations on enrollment. These limitations prevent students from duplicating course work or from enrolling in two sections of the same course in any given semester.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU means the course is accepted for transfer at any California State University (CSU) campus; UC means it is accepted for transfer at any University of California (UC) campus. Some courses can be used to satisfy general education or major requirements while others transfer as elective credit. UC Credit Limitation means credit for the course may have UC transfer restrictions; these restrictions are identified at the end of the course description.
Lecture and Lab Hours: These are the number of hours the course meets for lecture and/or lab per week.
Taxonomy of Program (TOP) Number: The TOP number is identified in parentheses after the lecture and lab hours. This number serves an administrative purpose and is not intended for student use.

The course description summarizes the purpose and key topical areas of the course, and it includes special requirements if any exist. Some course descriptions end with information about whether the course was "formerly" another course, how many times the course may be repeated, if the course is offered pass/no pass, or what the UC credit limitation is.

How to Read Course Descriptions

Courses

GEOG 101: Physical Geography

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours. (2206.00)

An introduction to the natural environment from a spatial perspective. Examines processes, distributions, and interrelationships of climate, water, life forms, soil, and landforms, and their significance in environmental issues.

GEOG 101L: Physical Geography Laboratory

Units: 1
Prerequisites: GEOG 101.
Corequisite: GEOG 101 if prerequisite not met.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Laboratory 3 hours. (2206.00)

Designed to accompany GEOG 101. Emphasizes map reading and the collection, presentation, and interpretation of physical geographic data.

GEOG 102: Cultural Geography

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours. (2206.00)

A broad view of geographic patterns of human behavior, including the development, distribution, ecological relationships, and landscapes of cultural features, at scales ranging from local to global. Topics include population dynamics, economic activity, politics, language, religion, folk and popular culture, and urban settlement.

GEOG 104: World Geography

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours. (2206.00)

A global survey examining the distinguishing features of major culture regions and the interrelationships among culture regions set in the context of physical and human geography. Principal areas of focus include economic development, geopolitics, ecological relationships, socio-cultural issues, and globalization.

GEOG 124: Geographic Information Science and Spatial Reasoning

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Advisory: MATH 101 or MATH 101B with a grade of C or better or qualification through the Math Competency Exam or approved equivalent.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours. (2206.00)

This course introduces the fundamental concepts, calculations, and applications of modern geographic information science, including geographic information systems, cartography, remote sensing, spatial analysis and statistics, and global positioning systems. The course also examines the use of critical technologies in addressing human and environmental problems.

GEOG 292: Internship Studies

Units: 0.5-3
Prerequisites: Complete 6 units at MCC prior to internship; permission of instructor and department chair required.
Corequisite: Must currently be enrolled in 3 units and complete 60 hours of non-paid or 75 hours of paid work per unit of credit.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
(2206.00)

Individualized study linking classroom learning to the workplace. Approval form must be signed by instructor and department chair before registration. (May be taken for a total of 12 units.)

GEOG 293: Topics in Geography

Units: 1-3
Prerequisites: None
Repeatability Rule: Allow four completions in any combination of GEOG 293, GEOG 296.
Lecture 1 hour.
Lecture 2 hours.
Lecture 3 hours. (2206.00)

A study of relevant topics in the discipline not covered in the current selection of courses. Designed to meet special needs; content determined by participating faculty members in consultation with students and the community. Non-transfer topics only.

GEOG 296: Topics in Geography

Units: 1-3
Prerequisites: None
Repeatability Rule: Allow four completions in any combination of GEOG 293, GEOG 296.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 1 hour.
Lecture 2 hours.
Lecture 3 hours. (2206.00)

GEOG 298: Directed Studies in Geography

Units: 1-3
Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and department chair.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Laboratory 3 hours.
Laboratory 6 hours.
Laboratory 9 hours. (2206.00)

Individualized study, project, or research in area of particular interest to the student and not included in the regular courses of the college. Approval form must be signed by instructor and department chair before registration. (May be taken for a total of 3 units.)