Field Geography Courses for Undergraduates

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students in a field course classroom

GEOG 295 - Geographic Field Research (3 credits), Corvallis Campus

Introduction to field research in geography. Practice skills including observation, posing questions, and collection and analysis of data. Focus on theory-based geographic study design, proposal development, and research critiques.

Location, Facilities, and Accommodations

Oregon Coast – various locations near Florence and Newport
Cascade Range - HJ Andrews Forest (near Blue River)
High Desert - Bend

Dates of Camp

On-Campus Day: September 16, 2024
Camp Days: September 16-22, 2024

Course Details

“The principal of training the geographer should come, whenever possible, by doing fieldwork.” -Carl Sauer, (1956:296) The Education of a Geographer

This course is designed to provide undergraduates with an introduction to field research question formulation and some of the different methods and approaches (ways of collecting and analyzing data) used in Geography to answer questions. Students will be encouraged to observe the world around them while identifying research questions and discovering ways to answer these questions. The overall objective of the course is to help students understand what theory based geographic data collection and research design involves, enabling them to assess the research of others and develop their own research proposals.

Syllabus

Cost

Course Fee = $314 plus some meals, plus tuition

Gear

Field gear, sleeping bag (complete GEOG 295 gear list)

For More Information

Dr. Demian Hommel, hommeld@oregonstate.edu, 541-221-9290


GEOG 295 - Geographic Field Research (3 credits), Ecampus

Location, Facilities, and Accommodations

TBA

Dates of Course

Spring term 2024

Course Details

“The principal of training the geographer should come, whenever possible, by doing fieldwork.” -Carl Sauer, (1956:296) The Education of a Geographer

This course is designed to provide undergraduates with an introduction to field research question formulation and some of the different methods and approaches (ways of collecting and analyzing data) used in Geography to answer questions. Students will be encouraged to observe the world around them while identifying research questions and discovering ways to answer these questions. The overall objective of the course is to help students understand what theory based geographic data collection and research design involves, enabling them to assess the research of others and develop their own research proposals.

Cost

Tuition and textbooks

Gear

TBA

For More Information

Dr. Demian Hommel, hommeld@oregonstate.edu, 541-221-9290

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students in the field

GEOG 495 - Field Geography Synthesis (3 credits), Corvallis Campus

Explore how geographers use field work to investigate landscapes such as mountains, forests, coasts, tundra and desert to understand how they were formed and explain how they have changed over time.

Location, Facilities, and Accommodations

TBA

Dates of Camp

Spring term 2024
Three weekend field trips required, dates TBD

Prerequisite

GEOG 295

Course Details

Learn techniques for finding out how landscape processes impact humans and, in turn, how humans impact the environment around them. Apply geographic theories and concepts to synthesize, analyze and interpret the relationship between human communities and the environment through the planning and execution of field work.

Cost

$102 plus tuition

Gear

Field gear, sleeping bag (complete GEOG 495 gear list)

For More Information

Aaron Wolf, aaron.wolf@oregonstate.edu, 541-737-2722


GEOG 495 - Field Geography Synthesis (3 credits), Ecampus

Location, Facilities, and Accommodations

TBA

Dates of Camp

Fall 2024

Prerequisite

GEOG 295

Course Details

This course is designed as a capstone experience. The content of this course challenges you to utilize your geographic knowledge and geospatial skills and experience to design a program of primary geographic data collection and analyses that assesses an aspect of the relationship between the human and physical components of their local environment of your choosing.

By the end of GEOG 495, you will be able to:

  • Describe the breadth of geospatial tools used in the practice of field geography and their application to field geography.
  • Identify and obtain geospatial field data distinguishing between primary and secondary data sources.
  • Identify and describe health and safety risks and wiser risks to the completion of field research and the range of actions necessary to avoid, remedy or mitigate these risks.
  • Identify and describe resource requirements needed to conduct practical field research and prepare project budgets.
  • Create an independent program of primary data collection using best field practices.
  • Identify ethical issues and apply ethical guidelines for conducting field research.

Cost

Tuition

Gear

None

For More Information

Michael Harte, michael.harte@oregonstate.edu, 541-737-0452