Commercial activities are a significant and visible part of our social system. We are what we consume, and our consumption priorities describe our society. Consumption practices are mediated through the action of retailers and the preference of consumers. The course examines the organization of the retail economy and considers relationships between retail practices and environmental, ethical and social justice concerns. Likewise it explores how social, environmental and ethical beliefs of consumers influence their purchasing practices, the connections between consumer behaviour and the practices of retailers and the possibilities for developing a retail economy that better aligns with societal concerns for social justice, ethical production and environmental sustainability.

In this course students will be introduced to contemporary development and health issues by examining historical experiences, social, political, economic and environmental processes. This approach will help highlight the vast diversity and address some of the many questions about the region including: What processes underlie famine and food insecurity? What are the underlying causes of the conflict and genocide in some regions? What processes explain spatial disparities in health, or regional and gender differences in HIV rates and the outbreak of rare diseases like Ebola? The course will rely on case studies from the Sub-Saharan (SSA), one of the most diverse and intriguing regions in the world, to provide an understanding of the complexity in each topic.

Introduction to the study of geographical phenomena using descriptive and inferential statistics. Fundamentals of geographic data and statistical problem solving using non-spatial and spatial descriptive statistics. Decision making using evidence gathered from inferential statistical analysis. Graphical summary, geographic visualization and mapping of analytical results. Application of state of the art software for statistical analysis. Provides background for future studies in geographic information systems and advanced statistical analysis. The course strikes a balance between developing an understanding of core non-spatial and spatial statistical concepts, while demonstrating technical proficiency in the application of software to the study of geographical questions.

This course introduces students to the range of social research methods and approaches used in the field of human geography. The course will cover research design, research ethics, data collection methods including interviews, focus groups, surveys, etc., ethics in conducting research with human subjects, and data analysis and interpretation. This course fulfills 1 field day.

Introduction to models of representation and management of geographical data for scientific analysis. Basic quantitative methods and techniques for geographic data analysis, including collection, manipulation, description and interpretation. Practical exercises using GIS and statistical software packages with examples drawn from both physical and human geography.

This course explores a particular area within human geography. Topics will vary from year to year. See department website for details. The contact hours for this course may vary in terms of contact type (L,S,T,P) from year to year, but will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable.

Through an interdisciplinary lens, this course will examine the unequal distribution of health outcomes during pandemics and how social, economic, and political factors contribute to these disparities. In doing so, this course will explore existing and historical political, social, and systemic inequalities that have persisted and widened during pandemics and health crises with a particular focus on marginalized populations that are disproportionately affected by pandemics and social inequities. Using case studies and contemporary examples, this course will analyze how socioeconomic factors, including access to healthcare, education, housing, and economic stability influence and worsen health outcomes and wellbeing during pandemics. Students will also explore the science that inform local and global interventions and policy responses aimed at reducing disparities and promoting resilience in communities facing the dual burden of pandemics and social inequities.

Tree rings are a powerful natural archive for addressing research questions across a range of spatial and temporal scales, owing to the fact that they are annually resolved, long-lived (e.g., multi-century) and cover a large portion of the Earth's surface. Tree-rings reflect changes in their local environment, and they are sensitive to factors that limit biological processes such as light, soil moisture, temperature and disturbance. Environment changes are 'encoded' in the physical properties of tree-rings (e.g., ring-width, wood density or isotopes). This course will provide students with the theoretical background and technical skills needed to cross-date, measure, analyse and interpret tree-ring data, and use this information to address practical research questions.

Analysis of past and present plant and animal distributions, and of the environmental and biological constraints involved. The course emphasizes the impact of continental drift, Quaternary climatic changes and human interference on contemporary patterns.

Soils play critical roles in sustaining life. They support plants and agriculture, serve as home to a plethora of organisms, recycle organic matter and nutrients, provide materials for construction, art, and medicine, preserve paleoecological and archaeological records, regulate global climate through the exchange of greenhouse gasses, and filter contaminants in water and waste. This course introduces fundamentals of soil formation, physical, chemical and biological characteristics, and classification schemes. It explores the role of, and how humans interact with, soils in Canadian forests, wetlands, agricultural systems, and industrial and urban settings. Aspects of carbon, nutrient, and pollutant biogeochemistry in soils are explored in detail. This course fulfills 2 field days.

Wetlands are an integral part of our biosphere, playing fundamental roles in the modification of water quality, biodiversity, and the global carbon cycle. This course focuses on the classification, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecology of wetland systems. The latter part of the course builds on this physical foundation by introducing management issues associated with wetland preservation, restoration and creation. This course fulfills 4 field days.

A geographical, multi-scale perspective on the relationship between the physical landscape and the distribution, movement, dispersal, and abundance of select animal species. Landscape measures including (but not limited to) fragmentation indices, habitat metrics, and estimates of animal movement will be considered. Emphasis is placed on understanding the biology of the species being studied, the physical structure of the landscape, and the intricacies of various modeling software. Students should expect to develop a well-rounded set of skills in analyzing animal movement, and producing relevant and usable results towards the management of varied landscapes and the conservation of species.

In this course students will be introduced to approaches in social geography that examine the links between gender and urban environments. Specific topics and issues to be covered include, for example, poverty, work, sex trade, human trafficking and safety. Topics will be explored across multiple scales including bodies, home, neighbourhood and community. This course fulfills 1 field day.

This course centres on the advanced treatment of the physical principles involved in the occurrence and movement of water on and beneath the Earth's surface. Watershed-scale hydrologic systems are investigated, along with basic principles of fluid mechanics. Open channel hydraulics, soil water, and groundwater processes are investigated. The importance of understanding water movement in the environment by exploring the relationship of hydrology to other environmental sciences is stressed. This course fulfills 2 field days.

Systems approach to hillslope geomorphology studies; processes of erosion and deposition; mass wasting; slope forms of humid and arid regions; process-response models; applied aspects.

Snow and ice dominate the Canadian landscape. There is virtually no area in Canada that escapes the influence of snow and ice. We skate on frozen ponds, ski down snow covered mountains, drive through snow blizzards and watch how ice jams in rivers cause rivers to swell and floods to occur. The duration and the thickness of snow and ice increase rapidly northwards, and glaciers are found in mountainous areas and in large parts of the Arctic region. Given that snow and ice impact heavily on the Canadian way of life, this course seeks to understand the dynamics of snow and ice in a hydrological context. This course will examine snow properties, snow cover distribution, glacier hydrology, melt runoff, and ice in its many forms (lake ice, river ice, sea ice, and ground ice). This course will also examine some of the recent observed changes occurring in the cryosphere regions of Canada. This course includes an off campus field trip. This course fulfills 2 field days.

Political geography is concerned with the spatial expression of political entities and events. It involves analysis at a variety of scales ranging from the local to the global. The control and manipulation of territory and the imposition of political boundaries and political ideas are central to this analysis. The course provides discussion on nation building, the emergence of the state system, theories on the state, and the role of the state as provider of services and regulator of activities, and electoral geography and governance. This course fulfills 1 field day.

Grounded in human geography and qualitative methods, this course investigates the meaningful non-tangible relationships between humankind and environment. These relationships include emotional attachment (to place), aesthetics (of landscape), ethics (of environment), and relationships (to place and to other species). We will examine these ideas through exploration of the geohumanities; ways of seeing or apprehending the world; ways of being in place; ways of translating or reproducing the world; and possible paths forward in the relationship between us and the landscapes around us. This course fulfills 1 field day

Problem solving using geographic information systems (GIS). Essential distributed computing aspects of GIS are presented. Among topics covered are the use of logic in spatial analysis, line-of-sight analysis, route selection, site selection, and landscape analysis. Hands-on assignments are emphasized.

The purpose of this course will be to develop an appreciation for the conceptual and methodological intersections that exist between geographical information systems and population health. While population health can include incidence and prevalence of disease and ill-health, as well as concerns about service provision, this course will focus mainly on disease, injury, illness more broadly. The course will include both lectures, where foundational concepts will be introduced and related to practical lab sessions, where students will gain experience using GIS to map and study health information. Topics will include: spatial databases for population health, mapping health data, analyzing the spatial clustering of disease and/or injury, mapping and analyzing environmental and social risk factors.

This course uses economic principles and geographical analysis to help you understand the global economic map of the early 21st century. It aims to show the way in which economic activities are organized within and across countries and how this affects people and communities. Both broad patterns of economic organization and specific case studies will be discussed. Topics covered range from the impact of public policy on regional growth to a case study of the financial services industries. In short, the course attempts to answer the following question about the global economic map: "What is where, and why? and so what?".

A critical discussion of how geographical factors, such as landscape, flora and fauna, might help explain why history unfolded differently on different continents. How geography might have impacted the development of agriculture, complex technologies, writing, centralized government and how, in the process, it has shaped the current world economic map.

A broad survey of humankind's ability to control and manipulate energy. Forms of energy and use; energy eras and transitions; past and present economic and policy debates. Understanding of technical terms, physical principles, creation of resources and trade-offs will be emphasized as a basis for discussions about current energy options.

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the various ways in which remote sensing images have been used for environmental applications among the sectors of government, industry, and academia. A part of the course will be devoted to application projects employing remote sensing and spatial data analysis in natural resources and environmental assessments.

This introductory course emphasizes mastering fundamental remote sensing concepts and utilizing remotely sensed data for monitoring land resources and environmental change. Topics include surface-energy interactions, sensor systems, image interpretation, and applications for examining soil, vegetation and water resources. Upon completion of this course, students should have the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue more advanced work in digital image processing and remote sensing applications.

An application of environmental models to contemporary problems of decision-making. The course demonstrates the relevance of techniques of data management (statistics, computer systems) to issues facing Canada and the global community. 

The internal geography of contemporary cities is in the midst of a series of transitions related to new settlement patterns, immigration, workplace location, transportation and communication technologies, globalization, and shifts in urban governance. This course will examine these transitions and their effects on the social and political geography of the city. Themes include gentrification, spatial mismatch, concentrated poverty, political fragmentation, and the emergence of new urban forms and of the post-modern city.

This course will provide a geographical perspective on patterns of mortality, morbidity and access to health care among populations. It will outline current theoretical and empirical underpinnings in health geography and emphasize the links between health and place. The course covers some traditional themes in health geography including spatial dissuasion of diseases and access to health care. Using illustrations from evolving fields such as Global Health, Aboriginal Health, and Immigrant Health the course delves into the important theme of health inequalities.

This course outlines important concepts and historical milestones involved in the planning and development of cities. It involves examination of urban sprawl, urban intensification efforts, and of the evolution of urban form and the interplay of private and public forces that shape the built-form of Canadian cities. This course fulfills 2 field days.

With a majority of the world's population living in urban areas, nearly all of the problems and possibilities of society and human-environment relations are becoming urban questions. The city is the setting in which broad social, cultural, political, and economic processes unfold, mediated and shaped by local context. Our focus in this course is the internal structure of the city. We examine the ways in which local experiences and conditions of urban life are shaped by social differentiation and processes of change. Our examination includes considerations of race, class, gender, and ethnicity in the context of urban life as a way of exploring how identity and place shape one another. We consider different theoretical frameworks that researchers utilize to make sense of both the persistence of old problems and the emergence of new ones. Instruction will adopt a blended approach in which students will connect the concepts covered in class discussion through field work based exploration of local urban neighbourhoods. This course fulfills 5 field days.