Course Offerings

ES101: Introduction to Environmental Studies

A multidisciplinary introduction to environmental studies with an emphasis on natural resources and environmental conditions. Topics may include ecological systems, sustainability, environmental worldviews and ethics, economic systems, and policy and decision-making. Canadian and international examples are discussed.

GG101: Introduction to Physical Geography

Topics include weather and climate, hydrology, geomorphology and biogeography. Laboratory exercises address geographic methods and techniques and illustrate human-environment relations through case studies.

GG102: Introduction to Human Geography

Topics include population and development, cartography and GIS, economic geography, cultural geography and political geography. In laboratory exercises, students learn methods and techniques used by geographers.

GL101: The Anatomy of the Earth

This course provides an introduction to the geological processes operating inside Earth. Topics include the identification of minerals and rocks, their structural arrangement and tectonic processes responsible for their global distributions. Human use of earth materials and the environmental impact of geophysical processes will also be addressed. 

GESC251: Cartography

An introduction to the theory, practice and critique of cartography, emphasizing the basics that should be understood by all map users and map makers. Topics will include: the history of mapping, the purpose of maps, mental mapping, cartographic design, map projections, thematic map types, online mapping and virtual globes.

GESC254: Geographic Information and Analysis

This course provides hands-on experience with the application of computers in geography and environmental studies to the manipulation, analysis and graphic presentation of geographic information. Students are introduced to elementary descriptive statistics and to techniques of exploratory data analysis as well as to geographic information and its properties, acquisition and analysis.

GESC290: Global Resource and Environmental Issues

A multidisciplinary introduction to the administrative, management and conceptual context for resource and environmental management, introducing topics such as environmental governance, systems approaches, and environmental thought, drawing on a few in-depth cases from across Canada.

GESC291: Development and the Environment

An examination of the forms and challenges of development, and its interactions with the natural environment, in local, rural, and remote contexts in Canada and internationally. Socio-political, economic and ecological perspectives will be used to understand change in the context of land, water and forest resources, agriculture and food security, coastal environments, rural livelihoods and urban systems.

GG273: Geographies of Health and Disease

This course introduces theories, concepts, methods and public health issues pertaining to the geographies of health, illness and disease, including the emergence of new infectious diseases.

GG281: Atmosphere and Hydrosphere

This course systematically examines the major concepts of climatology and hydrology. (Physical Geography)

GG294: Geography of Tourism

Consideration of tourism in terms of its functional system; study of the impacts of tourism on regions, communities and landscapes; introduction to development and management of resources for tourism and tourism planning. 

GESC362: Global Food Systems

This course examines global economic, socio-cultural, environmental and political influences on food systems. Topics may include various threats to, and impacts on, food systems and sustainable food projects.

GESC391: Wildlife and Rural Land Resources Management

The study and application of techniques of use to the geographer in the management of forestry, range and farmland species of wildlife. Included will be discussions on conflicts in land use and private versus public forms of management.

GESC399: Third Year Field Studies

This course provides an introduction to field research. Students will work in the classroom learning how to design, undertake and report on a comprehensive research project. Data will be collected outside the local region and this will involve extended field research.

GG333: Field Surveying

The course begins with basic measurement of vertical and horizontal angles, differential and profile levelling, closed traverse and total station surveying, coordinate geometry, and topographic surveys. The students are then introduced to Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) based surveying methods. Students will gain practical experience in the use of automatic and laser levels, theodolites, total station, RTK GPS systems, and UAV.

GG336: Coastal Processes and Landforms

The course provides students with knowledge of the processes active in the coastal environment. Waves, tides and currents and their effects on the development of landforms on hard and soft coastlines will be the focus of study. (Physical Geography)

GG361: Spatial Analysis

This course provides an introduction to the characteristics of different types of spatial data and examines how they may be represented and analyzed. Emphasis is placed on procedures which can be implemented in a GIS environment and on their application to real world problems.

GG365: Canadian Urban Spaces

This course examines the social, economic, political and environmental processes affecting the Canadian urban system and the internal structure of cities.

GG369: Geographical Information Systems

The purpose of this course is to develop skills and knowledge in concepts and techniques of GIS by studying its application to a variety of geographic and environmental problems (e.g., resource management, crime, business, public facilities, health and disease). For each application, the topics studied include the sources and properties of the data contained in the GIS, the functions and analysis used in the application, as well as the types and uses of graphic, tabular and data products of the application. Students will gain hands-on experience in the use of GIS software including ArcGIS.

GG381: Hydrology

An overview of hydrological processes with emphasis on Canadian examples; the hydrological cycle; surface hydrology; groundwater hydrology; measurement techniques. (Physical Geography) 

GESC494: Northern Resources and Environments

An examination of northern ecosystems and environments in the context of resources management. The primary focus is on Canada and Alaska.

GG465: Capstone Urban Sustainability Fall/Winter 2017-2018

In this capstone course students will work on a project within a problem-based learning context that deals with aspects of urban planning and development. Students will research, analyze and resolve a local issue identified by a community partner and propose solutions grounded in principles of sustainability. 

Projects differ each year and have included the assessment of downtown streetscape improvements, heritage mapping, and the repurposing of places of worship.  At the end of the course, your team will be invited to compete in front of a panel of planning practitioners and will be adjudicated on the basis of your professional practice.  Cash prizes are awarded.

GG474: Seminar in Cultural Geography

In this seminar course, students will investigate a selection of sociospatial processes and transformations pertinent to everyday experiences. 

Contemporary cultural geography encompasses a wide range of theories and methods and various strands of research that explores the spatiality of culture.  Our seminar will allow students to reflect upon the terrain of contemporary cultural geographies as influenced by the cultural turn in the 1990s (feminism; poststructuralism; anti-racism; post-colonialism) and the ‘material’ re-turn of the 2000s (performativity and practice; affect, emotion and sensual geographies; more-than-representational).  Our goals are to develop and apply critical reading, writing, viewing and listening skills as geographers. 

GG481: Seminar on Cold Regions

This course examines periglacial, permafrost, hydrological and oceanographic processes active in the cold regions ecosystems. (Physical Geography)

GG482: Hydrology of Cold Regions

This course provides a detailed overview of the hydrology of cold regions. (Physical Geography) 

The course examines the nature of danger and disasters, the scope of the human vulnerability and responses to them. It will look at risk and damaging events associated with extreme natural forces, technological accidents, epidemic diseases and human conflict.

The course will examine our role as consumers to understand changes in the geography of the global economy. Issues explored will draw upon various examples including anti-sweatshop movement, second hand goods, fair trade, buycotting, hyper-consumption and the role of social processes in the circulation, use and demand for commodities.

This course addresses the need to harmonize Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledges, especially as they relate to environmental thought and management. This harmonization process of the development of environmental management strategies are more likely to promote responsible and respectful relationships with the environment over the long term. 

This course examines the geographical factors that make the Canadian North a unique region. Physical, economic and cultural/historical themes will be considered in light of current environmental and social issues. (Online Learning course)

This course examines spatial analytical methods and techniques appropriate to a range of urban problems including market analysis, consumer behaviour and location analysis, commercial structure, crime mapping, residential segregation and transportation modelling. The method of instruction involves lectures, problem-based exercises and a research project.

Urban Analysis examines how to solve a variety of urban problems. However, unlike traditional courses where students sit in class listening to lectures, students will spend class time working to solve authentic problems facing cities.

Students will work in groups each class to apply what has been learned in their readings using an approach called Team-Based Learning.  The approach requires regular attendance and hard work during class time for each student. In return there will no mid-term or final exam. 

An in-depth examination of biogeochemistry at global and catchment scales. Biogeochemistry is the study of the biological, geological, and physical processes and reactions of biologically important elements, such as carbon and nitrogen, through the natural environment. Topics such as the global carbon cycle and the fate of nutrients in rivers and lakes will be addressed. Students learn about how the ‘small watershed technique’ and ‘whole-ecosystem manipulation’ are used to predict the many ways human impacts will affect large-scale biogeochemical cycles.

Students from previous years tell us about the following highlights of their Capstone Urban Sustainability Project (CUSP) experience:

• learning involves a combination of in-class workshops, field-based research in the city, team collaboration, independent research, and presentations both to professionals and to the public
• professional development workshops are led by practicing planners, developers, lawyers, and experts in the assigned project
• problem-solving requires students to apply interdisciplinary approaches that draw on skills from across different specializations
• through multiple field experiences students discover and become familiar with the local community
• practical experience is gained in the issues and practices of urban planning
• student work is judged by planning professionals

In GG465 you will undertake a year-long consultation with our community partner, the City of Cambridge, Ontario.   Collaborating with others in your consulting team, you will seek to resolve an aspect of urban planning and development with a solution grounded in principles of sustainability and professional practice.  Your team will bring together skills in project management, written communication, graphic design, mapping, public speaking, research analysis, and community engagement.  Projects differ each year and have included the assessment of downtown streetscape improvements, heritage mapping, and the repurposing of places of worship.  At the end of the course, your team will be invited to compete in front of a panel of planning practitioners and will be adjudicated on the basis of your professional practice.  Cash prizes are awarded.

For first-hand accounts of CUSP check out the following video: Capstone Urban Sustainability Project

CUSP and the C3 Innovation Labs:

The Capstone Urban Sustainability Project (GG465) is an experiential learning and lab-styled course.  The course is a key partner with the C3 Innovation Labs (C3IL), which offer the use of specialized facilities, coaching resources and collaborative initiatives and experiences. Explore the opportunities and possibilities available to you through C3 Innovation Labs! 

LEARN MORE AT:  wlu.ca/c3-innovation

The Cold Regions Research Centre (CRRC) at Laurier is offering an intensive field-based course on the physical principles of cold regions eco-hydrology and water resources. Factors governing eco-hydrological processes in cold regions landscapes will be discussed including precipitation, interception, energy balance, snow accumulation and redistribution by wind, plant physiology, plant-snow interactions, over-winter moisture redistribution in vegetation, snow and soil properties, and coastal/lake processes. Each will be framed within the context of the subarctic Boreal Shield, a distinctly Canadian landscape. Students will be exposed to an overview of each subject, with recent scientific findings and new cutting edge theories, tools and techniques. Admission into this courses is restricted and an application is required please see our fieldwork page for details.