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Program Information
(from 2003-2004 JMU
Course Catalog)
Geographic
Science Program
Mission Statement
The Geographic Science Program
will empower, inspire, and motivate students to help them become competent critical
thinkers prepared for lifelong learning, who will respond to intellectual challenges
with interest, excitement, and competence, and who will see themselves as global
citizens actively involved in the world around them.
The program will graduate
majors who are confident in their abilities as geographers, prepared for a lifetime
of learning in geography, who have the skills to make a professional contribution
to the field, to compete successfully in the job market, to successfully pursue
graduate degrees, and who are highly qualified for careers in research and development—equipped
for long term success as professionals in the field of geography.
Program
Goals
Through the study of geography
students will:
- Understand the theories,
models and analytical methods that help explain spatial patterns
- Understand the power
and use of geographic tools such as maps, quantitative methods, aerial imagery,
geographic information systems, and global positioning systems in geographic
analysis
- Develop the ability to
use maps and other geographic representations and technologies to acquire,
process and report geographic information
- Understand the relationship
between cultural and physical processes within the spatial framework
- Understand the major
problems facing humankind through examination of the interactions and relationships
among humans, and between humans and the physical environment
- Develop an awareness
of how cultural similarities and differences are manifested in both the human
and physical environment
- Understand how the physical
environment affects human systems and how the physical environment is modified
by human activities
- Understand the value
of the inter and multi disciplinary nature of geographical study and analysis
- Understand the value
of the geographer’s perspective in explaining global diversity
- Understand the historical
and philosophical development of geography and it’s sub-disciplines
- Understand how to detect
and analyze the spatial structure of phenomena using spatial models
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