School of Geography & Earth Sciences

Graduate Courses Description

Please refer to the current Graduate Calendar for complete information.

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are half courses. Courses marked with a plus sign (+) differ in content from year to year and may be taken a second time for credit. The following courses are offered for graduate credit and are also available to senior undergraduate students.

Graduate students registered in 600-level courses will be required to complete additional work (e.g. additional paper, project, or more indepth analysis of course material) as determined by the course instructor.

Human Geography Courses

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*Geog 6ET3 /Special Topics in Environments Issues/ N. Yiannakouolias
An exploration of current issues in environmental policy, ethics and law.
Offered Term 2

*Geog 6GI3 / Advanced Vector GIS / D. Scott
Advanced treatment of GIS focusing on vector data models and techniques. Real-world problem solving emphasizes health, business, public sector and transportation applications. Topics include geodatabase design, modifiable areal unit problem, geocoding, linear referencing and dynamic segmentation, networks and network applications, location-allocation modeling and spatial interaction modeling.
Offered Term 1

*Geog 6GP3 / Project in GIS / D. Scott
This independent project requires students to incorporate all of the information learned in the previous GIS courses to solve a real world problem, under the supervision of a faculty member.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 6HC3 Public and Community Health / A. Williams
Changing types of care provided in the community to groups including the physically and mentally challenged, the elderly, the dying and those with chronic conditions. Emphasis is placed on the grographies of care, spatial location, and access and quality differences across jurisdictions.
Offered Term 2

*Geog6HD3 Geographies of Disabilities / R. Wilton
Competing theories on the social and spatial marginalization of persons with disabilities in western countries; contemporary and historical case studies are used to illustrate the medical, social, political and cultural determinants of disability.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 6HH3 / Environment and Health (C/L Health Studies 4M03)/ N. Yiannakoulias
Models and methods for research and policy on environment and health.
Offered Term 2

*Geog 6HP3 / Population Distribtion & Migration
Introduction of important theories, models, and facts in the field of population distribution and internal and international migration processes.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 6LP3 / Transport Policy / H.A. Paez
Policy development at the local, provincial and federal level in Canada and its manifestation in passenger transportation and the movement of goods; emphasis will be placed on the development of transport policy in the ERA of globalization and the rise of multimodal transportation
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 6LT3 / Analysis of Transportation Systems (C/L Civ Eng. 6H03)/ H.A. Paez
An introduction to the use of models in transportation planning. Topics include data issues, the four-stage approach to modeling transportation systems, discrete choice models and contextual factors
such as land use.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 6UF3 / Geography of Gender / V. Chouinard
This course provides an advanced treatment of key themes and issues in the geography of gender. Emphasis is placed on the ways in which society and space are ‘gendered’ and on critical assessment of the geography of gender literature and reflection on pressing issues facing women and men today. Topics include gender and global change, the global sex trade, gender and the city, gender and sexuality, domestic violence and violence in conflict zones.
Offered Term 2

*Geog 6UH3 / Urban Housing / R.S. Harris
The geography of housing, including the effects of land development, construction, municipal planning and public policy on the urban landscape of housing and homelessness.
Offered Term 2

*Geog 6UT3 / Special Topics - Urban Geography / S. Mills
Advanced treatment of selected topics in urban geography; specific topics will vary from year to year, with emphasis placed on the economic, political and social complexity of contemporary cities.
Offered Term 1 (Not a 600 level course)

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Physical Geography and Earth & Environmental Science Courses

*Earth Sci 6B03 / Watershed Ecohydrology / J.M. Waddington
A course that emphasizes a watershed ecosystems approach to interactions of hydrological, ecological and biogeochemical processes in the study of the natural ecohydrological function and response to disturbance of stream, riparian and wetland ecosystems. A mandatory field trip will occur.
Offered Term 1

*Earth Sci 6C03 / Advanced Physical Climatology / A.M. Arain
This course develops energy and mass exchange processes in the near surface layer, the lower atmosphere and at the earth-atmosphere interface. Sensitivities of these processes to environmental change and feedback mechanisms are examined (seminars and individual presentations are emphasized).
Offered Term 2

*Earth Sci 6CC3 / Environmental Reconstruction using Stable Isotopes / S.T. Kim
Stable isotopes are widely used in modern earth and environmental sciences because of their unique chemical properties that enable us to trace past and current environmental processes. This course will discuss the basic principles of stable isotope geochemistry and their applications to paleo and modern climate and environmental reconstruction.
Offered Term 2

*Earth Sci 6EA3 Environmental Assessment / M. Padden
Technical and Policy issues involved in the production and the appraisal of environmental impact assessments.
Offered Term 1

*Earth Sci 6E03 / Coastal Environments / J. Boyce, E. Reinhardt
Topics in coastal systems evolution with an emphasis on the Holocene. A mandatory field trip (5 to 7 days in duration) to collect data followed by laboratory analysis will be included.
Offered Term 1

*Earth Sci 6FE3 / Aquatic Biogeochemistry Field Camp / L. Warren
In this field course, held in Algonquin Park, students will carry out a geochemical survey of Lake Opeongo, collecting, analyzing and interpreting physical, geochemical and biological data directly on site at the Harkness Research Station. The second half of the course will permit students to carry out individual research projects on some aspect of aquatic biogeochemistry. Most of this course occurs outside the regular academic term, usually the first two weeks of August; details are available in March
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 6GH3 / Geomatics of Health & Urban Social Problems / N. Yiannakoulias
This course will introduce the ways in which geographic information and analysis can be applied to a variety of topics in health and urban social problems, particularly crime. Topics include risk estimation, hot-spot detection and investigation, and geographic profiling of serial crime.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 6G03 / Glacial Sediment & Environment / J. Maclachlan
The development and movement of glaciers, glacial depositional processes and sedimentary successions in terrestrial, lacustrine and marine environments. A mandatory one day, local field trip will be included.
Offered Term 1

*Earth Sci 6L03 / Envi. Microbiology & Geochemistry / L. Warren
Bacteria are found in almost every environment and are often profoundly important for key geochemical processes. The geomicrobiology of ancient and modern environments, the roles of bacteria in important elemental cycles and the emerging tools to characterize such interactions will be examined.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 6N03 / Global Biogeochemical Cycles / G.F. Slater
This course will focus on global cycles of elements and energy, the role of biological processes in these cycles and the concurrent influence of these cycles on biology and its environment. Topics will include the use of isotopic analysis to understand modern and past cycles, the interaction between global and local processes, and natural and anthropogenic effects on biogeochemical cycles.
Offered Term 2

*Earth Sci 6T03 / Plate Tectonics and Ore Deposits / A. Dickin
Synthesis of plate tectonics, with application to crustal evolution and genesis of ore deposits.
Offered Term 2

*Earth Sci 6V03 / Mineral Exploration Geophysics / W. Morris
Principles of geophysical methods employed in mineral exploration. Use of gravity, magnetic and radiometric methods for surface and sub-surface geological mapping. Application to specific mineral deposit types.
Offered Term 2

*Earth Sci 6WB3 / Contaminant Hydrogeology / J.E. Smith
Physical and chemical aspects of the fate and transport of contaminants in soils and groundwater, including multiphase flow.
Offered Term 2

*Earth Sci 6W03 / Hydrologic Modeling ( C/L Civ Eng. 6M03)/ P. Coulibaly
Principles of numerical modelling and examination of selected hydrologic models including deterministic, conceptual and statistical models.
Offered Term 2

*Earth Sci 6Z03 / Marine Geophysics / J. Boyce
Principles of subsurface exploration using seismic, magnetic and borehole geophysical methods. Applications in geological research and oil and gas exploration.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

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The following 700-level courses are offered for graduate credit only:

Human Geography Courses

Individual reading course on an advanced level topic. A student may register only once in this course with the permission of The School of Geography and Earth Sciences.

*Geog 714 / Applied Data Analysis for Geographers and Earth Scientists / N. Yiannakouolias
This course will introduce students to data analysis and statistics with an emphasis on applications in geography and the earth sciences. Topics will include multiple regression, cluster analysis, factor analysis, analysis of variance, data visualization, data management and the principles of statistical inference. Students will meet in weekly seminars over one term. Each seminar will consist of one hour of lecturing by either the instructor or a presentation by the students, with the remainder of the class consisting of applied case studies in which the instructor and students will collaboratively analyse and interpret a data set. Students will need their own copy of statistical analysis software (ideally, SAS).
Offered Term 1

*Geog 715 / Special Topics / Faculty
Individual reading course on an advanced level topic. A student may register only once in this course with the permission of The School of Geography and Earth Sciences.
Offered Term 3

*Geog 726 / Feminist Geography / V.A. Chouinard
This course examines recent work in feminist geography, with emphasis on issues of theory, method, praxis, and critical assessment of research studies. An introduction to origins of and changing directions in this field is followed by an examination of research in: changing geographies of cities and regions; women and work; housing and household survival strategies; state intervention in women's lives; women, disability and disabling environments; women, space, sexuality and violence; place, politics and identity; methodological issues; and future research directions.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 727 / Disability and Space / R.D. Wilton, V.A. Chouinard
Disability and space is a rapidly developing substantive sub-field in critical social geography. In this course, we examine geographic and other research concerned with disability, space and disabling environments. Different approaches to explanation and to social change are highlighted and assessed.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 728 / Urban Historical Geography / R.S. Harris
Study of internal characteristics and external relations of places in nineteenth century eastern North America with particular reference to Southern Ontario.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 729 Applied Social Theories in Human Geography / V. Chouinard
This course provides an overview of different theoretical traditions within human geography, and the ways in which they are used to engage with, and make sense of, empirical data. This course will consist primarily of seminars. Students will complete a series of readings before each seminar. The instructor will provide a short introductory statement and will assign 1-2 students to lead the discussion each week, with assistance where required. Heavy emphasis will be placed on active participation in seminar discussion. Towards the end of term, students will make short presentations in seminar, summarizing the focus and content of their term paper.
Offered Term 2

*Geog 730 Urban Social Geography / R. Harris
This course focuses on geographical patterns of residence and activity, primarily in Canadian and U.S. urban areas. It will draw substantially on both empirical research and theoretical conceptualisations, while emphasizing the interrelation between the two. This course will be run in a seminar format. Some discussions will be led by the instructor, others by students, sometimes singly and sometimes in pairs.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 733 / Integrated Urban Models: Design, Structure and Applications / P.S. Kanaroglou
A review of location and transportation models used in integrated urban models. The performance of known computer implementations of integrated urban models will be evaluated in this course.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 734 Qualitative Approaches to Research in Human Geography / A. Williams, B. Newbold, R. Wilton
This course introduces various qualitative approaches , research designs and concerns specific to rigour and ethics. Students will gain familiarity with a range of qualitative data collection methods (interviews, focus groups, participant observation) employed by human geographers. Students will also learn about data analysis and research communication skills. A combination of lecture and student led discussion based on choosen peer-reviewed research articles.
Offered Term 2

*Geog 735 / Topics in Urban Geography / Faculty
Discussion of selected aspects of urban spatial structure and location theory.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 736 / Geographies of Health / J.D. Eyles
This course initially reviews the social theories that underpin the apparently a theoretical geographies of health. Specific modules will emphasize key research areas, including but not limited to, environment, place and space, boundaries and access to resources, population characteristics and the role of different actors in shaping health geographies. These actors, including government, business, civil society, will also be examined with respect to their impacts on health status, health inequities and the distribution of costs and benefits to health. Will include seminars and seminar discussions.
Offered Term1

*Geog 737 / Activity Analysis: Advanced Travel Behaviour Analysis and Modeling / D.M. Scott
Theory, data and methods underlying the activity-based approach to travel behaviour analysis and modeling. The application of activity analysis to future models of urban travel demand is also emphasized.
Offered(not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 738 / Discrete Choice and Policy Analysis / A. Páez
Discrete choice methods are studied as the technical foundation for the analysis of public and private policy. A particular emphasis is placed on urban policy issues, including travel behavior, energy consumption, and locational decisions. The course covers the microeconomic foundations of discrete choice theory, model specification and estimation, including modern simulation techniques, and applications.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 739 / Spatial Population Analysis / K.B. Newbold
Theories and models of migration; characteristics of contemporary migration; movement in space and models of spatial interaction.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 743 / International Housing / R.S. Harris
Trends in housing and housing policy internationally since 1945. Economic, social and political aspects.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Geog 746 / Advanced Statistical Methods in Geography / B. Newbold, P. Kanaroglou, A. Paez, D. Scott, P. Deluca
This problem-oriented course focuses on developing the ability to use statistics and data analysis for generating a better understanding of substantive problems of geographical interest. The course is taught in modules with spatial analysis faculty members in the School. Each module will cover a relevant topic and examples of spatial analysis in practice. Topics include analysis of point patterns, continuous variables, areal data.
Offered Term 1

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Physical Geography and Earth & Environmental Courses

*Earth Sci 709 / Radiogenic Isotopes in Earth and Planetary Sciences / A.P. Dickin
Radiogenoc isotopes provide a tool for the study of many different types of geological processes. This course focuses on nucleosyn thesis and radioactive decay, mass spectrometry, radiogenic isotopes as chronometers and tracers in crust/mantle evolution and in the study of ore deposits, radiogenic isotopes as environment tracers and origins of the solar system. Instructor gives seminars background and students review case studies and make seminar presentations.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 715 / Special Topics / Faculty
Individual reading course on an advanced level topic. A student may register only once in this course with the permission of The School of Geography and Earth Sciences.
Offered Term 3

*Earth Sci 717 / Palaeoceanography and Palaeoclimatology
The course will focus on the modern physical and chemical structure of the ocean and its role in affecting climate. Ancient oceanic basins, sediment composition and geochemistry (especially stable isotopes) will be discussed in detail to provide an understanding of oceanclimate relationships for reconstructing long-term and short-term
climate change.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 718 / Advanced Hydrology/ A. Arain, P. Coulibaly, J. Smith, M. Waddingtion, S. Carey
This course will examine the fundamentals of hydrology including hydrometeorology, surface water, groundwater, water resources, ecohydrology and hydrological modelling. This course is a required core course for all incoming graduate students in hydrological sciences. The course will provide students an advanced knowledge of theory and applied aspects of all three spheres of hydrology i.e. atmospheric, surface and ground water. The course will also prepare students for hydrological research and communication. Includes assignments/tests (one from each instructor) and a project/paper.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 749 / Advanced Environmental Organic Geochemistry / G.F. Slater
The course will focus on an advanced treatment of the underlying fundamental concepts in environmental organic geochemistry. Primary focus will be on the basic chemical parameters and kinetic and thermodynamic principles that control the distribution and persistence of organic chemicals in the environment and therefore the risk that they pose to human and ecosystem health. The same principles control the transport, fate and biological processing of both organic contaminants and natural organic matter. Therefore this course will provide students with fundamental understanding applicable to both contaminated and natural systems. The primary basis for this discussion will be the seminal text Environmental Organic Chemistry by Schwarzenbach et al, with discussion of the application of these principles as reflected in the recent literature. This course is an inquiry-based course.
Offered Term 3

*Earth Sci 750 / Advanced Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport / J.E. Smith, S. Dickson
(Same as Civil Engineering *770/ S. Dickson)
This course will cover the theory, equations, fundamental principles, and processes of the flow of fluids and transport of contaminants in soils and groundwater at an advanced level.*751 / Environmental Micropaleontology / E.G. Reinhardt Microfossils and biogeochemistry as an environmental tool for studying modern and ancient coastal, shelf and lacustrine environments. The course will examine a range of microfossil groups (e.g. ostracodes, diatoms) concentrating on foraminifera and thecamoebians. Course will include a small research project that will involve microscope work.
Offered TBA

*Earth Sci 751 / Environmental Micropaleontology / E. Reinhardt
Microfossils and biogeochemistry as an environmental tool for studying modern and ancient coastal, shelf and lacustrine environments. The course will examine a range of microfossil groups (e.g. ostracodes, diatoms) concentrating on foraminifera and thecamoebians. Course will include a small research project that will involve microscope work.
Offered Term 2

*Earth Sci 752 / Geomicrobiology / L.A. Warren
This advanced level course will provide an overview of the emerging conceptual framework of microbial geochemistry and discuss the implications of microbial activity, as it relates to geochemical processes of interest in interpreting the earth’s record, as well as contaminant behaviour. Current and emerging techniques available in
this field will also be discussed.Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 753 / Advanced Environmental Geochemistry / G.F. Slater, S. Kim, L. Warren
This course focuses on an advanced treatment of the underlying fundamental concepts in environmental geochemistry of equilibria, kinetics and partitioning, as they apply to both modern and ancient inorganic and organic geochemical processes of interest. It discusses available and emerging techniques for investigating past and modern environmental geochemical processes. Selected primary literature references are drawn from each of the instructors individual areas of geochemistry research expertise (Warren, microbial inorganic geochemistry; Slater, organic geochemistry, Kim isotope geochemistry) as study examples to foster a broader understanding of how fundamental principles apply in environmental geochemical processes of interest. This is a lecture based course.
Offered Term 3

*Earth Sci 755 / Bio- and Hydro-Meteorology / A.M. Arain
Bio- and Hydro-meteorology studies the effect of the atmosphere on carbon and water cycles. The aim is to teach the theory and practical aspects of the energy, water and carbon exchanges from vegetated surfaces, data analysis techniques and surface exchange modeling.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 756 / Advanced Methods in Sedimentology and Stratigraphic Analysis / Eyles, Boyce, Reinhardt, Morris
The course will focus on the methods used in understanding sedimentological and stratigraphic successions, whether they are modern, or deep-time records. It will be structured as a modular course, consisting 3-5 modules on various topics. Topics include sedimentary environments, geochronology, sequence stratigraphy, magnetic stratigraphy, seismic stratigraphy and biostratigraphy. Each topic will consist of lectures, core papers and research papers. This course will consist of lectures, seminars and discussion sessions. (not all instructors will participate every year)
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 757 / Advanced Statistical & Data Driven Methods in Hydrology/ P. Coulibaly
The objective of this course is to provide a survey of advanced statistical and data-driven methods in hydrology and water resources engineering, and to apply selected methods to hydrologic modeling and water resources problems solving.
Offered Term 1

*Earth Sci 758 / Advanced Structural Geography /
The aim of this course is to acquaint students with the process-oriented interpretation of various structural geological or related data sets as well as major structural geological or tectonic concepts. Each student in this course will individually conduct a project that is based either on a given structural data set or published material, which will be selected together with the instructor in the beginning of the course. The project is expected to be directed towards elucidating a specific geological process based on structural reasoning, calculations or modelling. The progress of the project will be regularly discussed among course participants and the instructor. This allows each student to follow up on the development of other students' projects and, thus, to discuss possible thematic links.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 759 / Numerical Modeling in global Climatology / H. Barker
Numerical modelling of global climate has evolved much over the past 40 years and has become a mainstay in modern climatology. This course will focus on numerical modelling of global climate working up from simple global energy balance to one-dimensional radiative-convective and latitudinal energy budget models. Idealizations such as DaisyWorld and predator-Prey models will be used to illustrate feedback processes. Data analysis methods will also be addressed.
Offered Term 2

*Earth Sci 760 / Exploration Seismology / J. Boyce
This course will examine current methods and recent developments in the field of reflection seismology. A major emphasis will be placed on the principles and practical aspects acquiring and processing multichannel seismic reflection data. Applications for oil and gas exploration and investigation of the shallow subsurface for environmental purposes will also be reviewed through case studies.
Offered Term 2

*Earth Sci 761 / Advanced Glacial Sedimentology / C.H. Eyles
Current issues in glacial sedimentology including examination of glacial processes, environments and sediments in terrestrial and marine settings, the glacial sedimentary record of the Great Lakes basins and relationships between glacial sediments and urban environmental issues.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 762 / Advanced Geophysical Mapping and Modeling / W.A. Morris
Airborne geophysical and satellite imagery for geological mapping application to problems in oil, and mineral exploration and to environmental contaminant mapping.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 764 / Quaternary Dating Methods / W.J. Rink
Introduction to a range of dating methods useful over the last 2 million years of earth history. Physical basis of the methods as well as aspects of their application are the main topics, but can also include aspects of the sedimentary context for certain methodologies. Dating methods include radiocarbon dating, argon-argon dating, electron spin resonance dating and luminescence dating.
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

*Earth Sci 765 / Ecohydrology / J.M. Waddington
An examination of ecology and hydrology interaction through the study of biogeochemical cycling. (Not an inquiry course.)
Offered (not offered in 2012-2013)

Earth Sci*770 / Advanced Analysis of Survey Data / M. Boyle, K. Georgiadis,
(Same as Economics 770, Psychology 770, HRM 790)
This course uses survey data collected by Statistics Canada and maintained in the Research Data Centre to refine student skills in conducting secondary analysis and writing for publication in peerreviewed journals. Students will develop a two-page research proposal on a topic of their choice. The proposal will identify a research question to be addressed using one or more Statistics Canada surveys. The educational methods will be varied, depending on group composition and include lectures, small group tutorials, student presentations and faculty mentorship. The objective is to produce a research report for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. (Students wishing to use other data bases available to them may do so with permission of the instructors.)
Offered Term 3

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NOTE: In addition, certain courses in other departments, notably Biology, Civil Engineering, and Economics may be allowed for graduate credit.

Updated July 09, 2012