GEO 466/566: The Profession of Geography

Course Topics and Readings


Below you will find the topics for lecture and discussion for the semester, along with the dates of the exams and breaks. You should read the materials indicated in parentheses before coming to class, since we will discuss the issues highlighted in these articles and book chapters.

Course Schedule

August 28 W Introduction and Course Overview
September 2 M Geography and the Internet
September 4 W Geography's Early Origins in the Near East
September 9 M No Class
September 11 W Greek and Roman Contributions
September 16 M Discussion: "The Four Traditions of Geography" (Pattison)
September 18 W The Middle Ages and the Age of Exploration
September 23 M After the Discoveries
September 25 W Von Humbolt and Ritter
September 30 M The Beginning of the Modern Era
October 2 W Germany, France, and Great Britain
October 7 M The United States (Abler, Marcus, & Olson, pp. 9-26)
October 9 W Professional Societies and Organizations
October 14 M The "Quantitative Revolution"
October 16 W Midterm Exam
October 21 M Fieldwork in Geography
October 23 W Oral Presentations: "Dos and Don'ts" (Kenzer, pp. 32-41)
October 24-26 West Lakes/East Lakes AAG Meeting
October 28 M Internships (Abler, Marcus, & Olson, pp. 342-362)
October 30 W Resumés
November 4 M Influential Geographers
November 6 W Geographic Information Systems (Gaile & Willmott, pp. 776-796)
November 11 M Applying to Graduate Schools (Kenzer, pp. 10-16)
November 13 W Government Employment (Kenzer, pp. 75-85)
November 18 M Job Searches and Job Banks
November 20 W Discussion: "The Education of a Geographer" (Sauer)
Thanksgiving Break
December 2 M The Subfields of Geography
December 4 W Student Presentations
December 9 M Student Presentations
December 11 W Conclusion and Course Evaluation
December 18 W Final Exam (3:30 - 5:30 p.m.)


Course Readings

Because of the wide array of topics we'll be considering this semester, no single book will serve as a text. Instead, we will be reading a variety of articles and book chapters from a great many sources. Many of these are on reserve in Moellering Library; others will be distributed to you. The dates for reading assignments appear on the course schedule above. While not all of the books on reserve contain required reading, you will find all of them useful in your assignments this semester, so consult them freely.

Books on reserve include:

Ronald F. Abler, Melvin G. Marcus, and Judy M. Olson, eds. Geography's Inner Worlds: Pervasive Themes in Contemporary American Geography. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1992.

Brian W. Blouet, ed. The Origins of Academic Geography in the United States. Hamden, CT: Archon Books, 1981.

Gary L. Gaile and Cort J. Willmott, eds. Geography in America. Columbus, OH: Merrill Publishing Company, 1989.

Eric Fischer, Robert D. Campbell, and Eldon S. Miller. A Question of Place: The Development of Geographic Thought. Arlington, VA: Beatty, 1969.

Martin S. Kenzer, ed. On Becoming a Professional Geographer. Columbus, OH: Merrill Publishing Company, 1989.

George Kish. A Source Book in Geography. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978.

Geoffrey J. Martin and Preston E. James. All Possible Worlds: A History of Geographical Ideas, 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1993.

Articles to be distributed include, among others:

William D. Pattison. "The Four Traditions of Geography." Journal of Geography 63 (1964): 211-216.

Carl O. Sauer. "The Education of a Geographer." Annals of the Association of American Geographers 46 (1956): 287-299.


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Last revised November 20, 1996, by JTK.