GES Graduate Courses

Starting FALL 2025: Graduate Forum on Geographic Research and Professional Development - This student-led forum provides a space for graduate students to share geographic research, exchange feedback, and build professional networks. The course fosters a collaborative environment for academic and professional growth by encouraging students to take leadership roles in discussions, presentations, and events. The course includes student-determined speaker events, professional development activities, and mentorship opportunities. Student participation and leadership are central to the success of the course. The forum serves as a platform for geography and environmental graduate students to share their research progress and receive feedback from peers and faculty, explore professional development, career trajectories, and collaborate. Prer., Graduate Students only or permission of instructor.

• 1 Credit

Research-oriented quantitative methods seminar. Advanced data analysis techniques for use in geographic and environmental research. Meets with GES 4000.

• 4 Credits

An analysis of research topics and methodologies in geography. Students will define a research topic, review literature in their field of interest, and prepare a research proposal. Prer., BA or BS.

• 3 Credits

The course provides theoretical and practical experience in qualitative methods commonly used in geography and other social sciences. Methods covered include interviewing, participatory action research, observation, discourse analysis, questionnaires, and historical research. Req., GES 1990 or consent of instructor. Meets with GES 4020.

• 3 Credits

Information Systems (GIS) as a research tool. Students will use ESRI software to complete a series of geographic projects and pursue the application of GIS to their own research areas. Prer., GES 3030 or consent of instructor. Meets with GES 3030.

• 4 Credits

Spatial database is essential to any geographic information system (GIS). The first half of this course will be dedicated to database design with an emphasis on relational databases, relational database theory, structured query language (SQL), and relational database management using both GUI and SQL commands. The second part of the course will focus on spatial databases including spatial database construction and management, and geodatabase data models.  Students are expected to spend at least 10 hours/week outside the classroom to complete lab assignments and prepare for quizzes.  The learning objectives are: (1)  gain an understanding of fundamentals in database design and management, (2) develop the skills to design an effective database, (3) develop the skills to implement and manage databases, (4) gain some proficiency in the writing of SQL queries, and (5) gain some proficiency in using PostgreSQL/PostGIS for spatial database. Meets with GES 4040.

• 4 Credits

This course introduces the basic principles of image interpretation and analysis. Through lab and project work, students will explore a variety of data sources and examine the methodological and logistical considerations central to the acquisition and interpretation of aerial photography and digital imagery. Req., GES 2050 or consent of instructor. Meets with GES 4060 and ENSC 4060.

• 4 Credits

Students will learn the principles, concepts, methods and applications of geovisualization. Students will have hands-on experience in using highly interactive, dynamic and multidimensional geovisualization systems that offer high levels of user experience.

• 4 Credits

Continued application of GIS for spatial analysis. Students will learn ESN software and complete original research projects in their field of interest. Prer., GES 4050, GES 5050 or instructor consent. Meets with GES 4080.

• 4 Credits

This is a writing intensive course which provides an introduction to the advanced methods of environmental and natural resource data analysis using remotely sensed imagery. Emphasis will be placed on digital image analysis of freely available data sources. This is a project-oriented course in which students will work through the remote sensing process in entirety – from the design of a research question to presentation of results. No previous programming experience required. Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Writing Intensive. Prereq., GES 4060 or consent of instructor. Meets with ENSC 4090 and GES 4090.

• 4 Credits

Explores the theory of GPS, provide practical experience using GPS units, and explore the interaction between GIS and GPS through use of ESRI, and Trimble Pathfinder software. Req., GES 2050 or consent of instructor. Meets with GES 4100.

• 3 Credits

Students will learn the fundamentals of Internet GIS technology and develop hands-on experience in programming and implementing Internet mapping applications using various tools including ESRI ArcServer, Google Maps, and JavaScript APIs. Prer., Introduction to GIS (GIS 4050/5050) or consent of instructor. Meets with GES 4120.

• 4 Credits

The fundamental concepts of customizing and programming GIS. Students will develop hands-on experience in creating custom and more usable GIS applications using various tools including ESRI’s Arcgis and GIS programming languages such as Python. Prer., GES 4050 or GES 5050. Meets with GES 4130.

• 4 Credits

Practicum and/or tutorial, by special arrangement only, in the teaching of geography (for example, serving as small-group leaders or proctors in introductory courses, or developing and/or testing curriculum materials). Students work closely with faculty in developing new instructional materials and interact with students using those materials. Open to graduate students only. Instructor Consent Required.

• 2 to 4 Credits

A course outlining methods of teaching geography in K-12. Includes discussion of important geographic concepts and their integration into the classroom. Students will develop teaching activities and materials for incorporation into their curriculum. Prer., Consent of instructor.

• 0.5 to 4 Credits

Intensive work in using various forms of data and field investigation for analysis of geographic problems. Case studies and field experience. Meets with GES 4460.

• 2 to 4 Credits

An examination of the distribution of life on the Earth’s surface. The relationship between environmental factors and plant and animal distributions will be the central theme. Changes in distributions through time will also be examined. Required field trip. Prer., GES 1000 or consent of instructor. Meets with GES 4260.

• 4 Credits

Covers vegetation dynamics and forest ecosystems, with a focus on the western U.S. Emphasizes forest dynamics and their relation to human societies and management problems. Prer., Graduate students only. Meets with GES 4280.

• 4 Credits

An examination of plant assemblages in Colorado. Major plant communities will be examined in the context of environmental factors such as climate and land forms. Required field trip. Prer., GES 4260, GES 5260 or instructor permission. Meets with GES 4290, BIOL 4290, and BIOL 5290.

• 4 Credits

Systematic study of rock weathering, mass-wasting, fluvial, glacial, and aeolian processes and the landforms resulting from these processes. Climatic geomorphology, geomorphometry, and data collection technologies (e.g., lidar) are emphasized. Field trips required. Prer., GES 1010 or GEOL 1010 or consent instructor. Meets with GEOL 4630, GEOL 5630, and GES 4310

• 4 Credits

This course for middle and high school teachers will include field work, utilizing terrain and geological formations to compare and contrast earth with other planets. This course does not satisfy any requirements for the GES Master of Applied Geography Degree or the Master of Sciences. Meets with CURR 5540.

• 3 Credits

An investigation of environmental problems with emphasis on land-planning and land use, pollution, water, energy and natural hazards. Prer., Consent of instructor. Meets with GES 4410.

• 3 Credits

Examines the legacy of public lands in the U.S. and whether management policies have evolved from an emphasis on resource extraction to one focused upon conservation. Topics will include national parks, forests, recreation, and wildlife conservation. Meets with GES 4420.

• 3 Credits

Problems associated with development of environmental impact studies. Case examples and field work. Meets with GES 4450.

• 3 Credits

Specific land and resource use problems in Colorado. In-depth analysis of interacting systems of natural resources and human decision-making processes. Meets with GES 4480.

• 3 Credits

Experience of water resource management in the United States, prospects for the future and problem solving techniques. Critical analysis of issues important in the western United States. Meets with GES 4500.

• 3 Credits

Exploration of the principles of hydrology and their applications to environmental investigations. Meets with GES 4510.

• 3 Credits

Considers how ecological conditions and sociopolitical systems are inherently linked. Major topics include environmental narratives, energy development, the role of technology in society, and sustainable development across a range of geographical contexts. Meets with GES 4560.

• 3 Credits

Considers how military activities shape and influence diverse landscapes. Extending from traditional strategic considerations of geography, the course takes a critical look at militarism at home and abroad, and during times of war and peace, and the changing role of sustainability in militarization. Meets with GES 4570.

• 3 Credits

Students will learn to interpret the American cultural landscape, or the everyday surroundings that you frequently take for granted. Emphasis will be placed on learning how the appearance of the world around us, from modifications to the natural terrain to the cities in which we live, provides clues to our culture and society. You will seek to understand meaning in the built environment and learn what landscapes reveal about ourselves as Americans, and how landscapes contribute to a “sense of place.” Meets with GES 4600.

• 3 Credits

Course addresses topics in urban location, urban morphology and design, urban function, and urban social issues. We analyze why cities look as they do and the role cities play in society. Emphasis is on cities in the United States. Meets with GES 4610.

• 3 Credits

This seminar provides a global perspective on the nature of urbanization, the forces behind these patterns, and resulting effects on social, political, economic, and environmental organization and governance of the world’s largest mega-cities (cities with a total population of 10 million+ people). Prer., Graduate students only. Meets with GES 4640.

• 4 Credits

Examines landscapes of restoration and their environmental, economic, ethical, and practical implications in order to develop a robust understanding of restoration, its relationship to geography, and how it takes place across a region. Meets with GES 4650.

• 4 Credits

This course explores the human-environment interactions within urban settings. Special consideration is given to measuring patterns of change, and to social and ecological feedbacks in urbanized lands. This is a field-based course which involves collecting and analyzing primary data. Meets with GES 4660.

• 3 Credits

This course identifies how inequality is defined, measured, studied, and understood by geographers. Students will analyze quantitative and qualitative data sources to explain inequality in the U.S., and will conduct research identifying spaces of inequality in Colorado Springs. Meets with GES 4680, WEST 4680, SOC 4680, and SOC 5680.

• 4 Credits

This course examines international population processes and patterns. First, past, present, and future dynamics of population growth are investigated. Second, varying perspectives on "overpopulation" (neo-Malthusian, cornucopian, distributionist) are discussed. Third, we show how in-depth case studies of the population geography of particular places and spaces shape the world around us. Prer., Graduate students only. Meets with GES 3730.

• 4 Credits

Examines the historical geographies of recreation and tourism, and the environmental and cultural impacts of the ski industry in Colorado, international ecotourism, and contemporary trends of recreational values and activities. Meets with GES 4750.

• 3 Credits

A history of geographical ideas from Greek classical efforts through the 19th century. Meets with GES 4770.

• 3 Credits

This course examines contemporary human migration at a global scale. Drawing from works on world systems, transnationalism, and immigrant assimilation, among others, we will explore how social science perspectives on human mobility can expand our understanding of place, citizenship, and borders. Prer., Graduate students only. Meets with GES 4780, SOC 4780 and WEST 4780.

• 4 Credits

Addresses four geographical topics of food: 1) The political economy of food production; 2) food production and the environment; 3) food and cultures; and, 4) food and nutrition. Students will better appreciate our complex relationship with food. Meets with GES 4920.

• 3 Credits

Advanced data processing using digital image models and Geographic Information Systems. Students will be responsible for extensive individual project design and completion. Prer., GES 5170 or GES 4090/GES 5090.

• 4 Credits

Master’s Thesis. Instructor Consent Required.

• 1 to 6 Credits

Independent work for graduate students. By special arrangement with faculty only. Prer., Consent of instructor.

• 1 to 4 Credits

Independent work for graduate students. By special arrangement with faculty only. Prer., Instructor Consent Required.

• 1 to 4 Credits

Candidate for Degree. Instructor Consent Required.

• 0 Credits