2023-2024 Schoolcraft Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Geography
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Schoolcraft offers a variety of courses in this discipline, including environmental science, physical and world geography, and geographic information systems to give students a better understanding of climates, cultures, ecology, economics, and population studies. Course topics range from the study of human impact on the natural environment to the study of water resources and economic policies around the world.
Some or all of the courses listed below may be required/recommended or applied toward a certificate or degree program in another area of study such as Earth and Environmental Science . These courses may also be taken for personal or professional interest or for transfer to a four-year college or university.
Students interested in studying Geography should talk to their Academic Advisor about transfer guides and articulation agreements with Schoolcraft College. Students interested in studying Geography at a 4-year university may be interested in completing the Associate of Science degree at Schoolcraft College.
Degrees
Transfer Degrees
Programs
Transfer Programs
Geography
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GEOG 133 - World Regional Geography
Credits: 4
Lecture Contact Hours: 4
Description: World Regional Geography includes a systematic study of the world’s geographic realms, including Europe, United States-Canada, Russia, Middle America, South America, Southwest Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Subsaharan Africa and Australia-New Zealand. Geographic concepts, such as map reading and spatial analysis, are first introduced. Then, the world is classified into geographic realms using both physical and social criteria. Each realm results from a unique interaction between the human societies and the physical and biological environment. The physical, cultural, political and social features of each realm are studied, along with any special regional concerns or problems.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: None.
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Social Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
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Course Competencies
- Use a map to identify major countries, major cities, rivers and landforms.
- Differentiate geographic concept terms, such as site and situation, devolution, formal and functional regions that are used to describe regions.
- Develop map reading skills.
- Interpret both global and regional thematic maps.
- Classify the world into realms, areas of similarity, using physical, cultural and economic factors.
- Explain global patterns of topography, climate, vegetation, soils and hydrography.
- Analyze the global and regional distribution of people.
- Analyze spatial problems using geographic methodology.
- Apply the geographic methodology to each world region by integrating relevant physical, economic, cultural and political data.
- Explain the major geographic characteristics for each of the world’s major realms.
- Explain some of the positive and negative characteristics of globalization.
- Compare the world’s realms in terms of physical, economic and cultural geography.
- Evaluate geographic models that describe the relationship between the natural environment and human modification of the landscape.
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GEOG 212 - Environmental Science
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course is an introductory environmental science course with no prerequisites. The course offers an in-depth examination of a variety of local, regional and global environmental concerns. The course focuses on the effects that human societies have on the physical environment and the global biosphere. Topics include human population distribution, growth rates and population explosion, biodiversity and deforestation, erosion and contamination of soil resources, degradation of water resources, air pollution, conventional and alternative energy sources, global climate change and waste management.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: None.
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Winter, Spring, Fall
Check Course Availability
Course Competencies
- Analyze the current environmental issues, such as human population growth, soil erosion, species extinction, global warming, air pollution and water pollution.
- Explain the complexity of the current environmental concerns.
- Explain the need for an interdisciplinary approach to the solution of these complex problems.
- Explain the difficulty in developing universally acceptable solutions to the existing problems.
- Construct a simple model and a more complex model of relationships among population, resource use, technology, environmental degradation and pollution.
- Integrate economics into the formulation of environmental policy.
- Evaluate the ecosystem approach and the species approach that can be used to preserve biodiversity.
- Summarize trends in global food production and food distribution.
- Analyze spatial data using geographic information system computer models.
- Evaluate the pros and cons of energy resources, including the use of fossil fuels, solar power, wind conversion energy, and biomass.
- Analyze demographic, economic, natural resource, and transportation data to recommend a sustainable development strategy for a country.
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GEOG 217 - Water Resources
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course is a survey of water resources which includes a study of the occurrence, movement, and behavior of water in the hydrologic cycle. Discussions on the ways in which these resources can be contaminated and remediated will be held. The course includes a study of watershed management, which is a holistic, integrated method of managing all water resources located within a naturally occurring watershed. Data and hydrologic studies completed for the Rouge River Watershed provide a model for watershed management. The course offers demonstrations of hydrologic computer models and limited field experience.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: None.
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Winter Only
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Course Competencies
- Explain the unique properties of water, including thermal properties, viscosity, surface tension, capillarity, and electrical properties.
- Explain how humans have modified the components of the hydrologic cycle.
- Explain the physical connection between surface water and groundwater.
- Explain basic concepts of hydrogeology and the hydrogeologic profile.
- Complete a habitat assessment for a stream.
- Examine sources of contamination for both surface water and groundwater.
- Conduct water quality tests, including pH, nitrates, coliform, phosphates, temperature, and turbidity, for a local stream.
- Examine the value of water resources, and the need for both protection and conservation of these resources.
- Apply principles of watershed management analysis to the study of the Rouge River Watershed.
- Explain processes of fluvial erosion, transportation, and deposition.
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GEOG 230 - Energy Resources
Credits: 3
Lecture Contact Hours: 3
Description: This course presents an overview of energy resources and policies. Learners will analyze the global distribution and use of energy resources. They also will examine the advantages and disadvantages of different energy resources, including exploration of sustainable energy systems and alternative energy sources. Course topics include energy units, energy conservation, fossil fuels, renewable energy sources, nuclear power, electricity, air pollution, energy policies and global climate change.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended: None.
Course Category: Liberal Arts | Science
This course counts toward Schoolcraft’s General Education Requirements.
This course counts toward a Michigan Transfer Agreement General Education Requirement.
This Course is Typically Offered: Fall Only
Check Course Availability
Course Competencies
- Describe energy units.
- Analyze the global distribution of the four (4) forms of coal (lignite, subbituminous, bituminous and anthracite).
- Analyze the global distribution of crude oil, oil shale and oil sand reserves.
- Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of using natural gas as an energy source.
- Distinguish active from passive solar energy.
- Evaluate the potential for alternative energy sources, such as wind power, biofuels and geothermal energy to meet global energy needs.
- Evaluate methods individuals can employ to conserve energy.
- Compare new energy technologies developed in the transportation sector.
- Explain the relationship between energy use and air pollution.
- Compare energy resources to determine what resources should be used to promote sustainable development.
- Develop a sustainable energy plan that includes a varied energy portfolio of conventional and alternative sources of energy.
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