Geography -- the study of the earth and its physical and cultural features -- is one of the more enduring disciplines. Concerned with the spatial distribution and significance of phenomena, and ways people create places to sustain themselves, geographers study the earth using five themes:

. Location -- Answers the basic question "where?" in both absolute and relative terms.
.Place -- Describes the character and shape of the land and its physical and cultural features.
· Human Environment Interactions -- Interprets the relationship that people have to the environments and ecology of the earth and places on it.
· Movement -- Addresses the mobility of people, goods, and ideas, including the establishment of transportation and communication systems, such as trails, roads, railroads, airways, and the telecommunication systems.
· Regions -- Identifies and interprets places that have unifying characteristics over relatively large areas, such as the Greater Southwest, the South, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, etc.

As part of their studies at The University of Texas at Arlington, undergraduates can minor in geography. While the geography minor is designed to broaden a Liberal Arts student's appreciation of their surroundings, it can also supplement many areas of study -- including business, science, and communications. Many of the UTA's geography minors have received teacher certification and are educators. Other geography minors have applied their skills to careers in business and government, including decision-making roles in corporations and planning agencies.

In minoring in geography, students take 18 credit hours from the following courses:

1455. THE EARTH'S CLIMATE (3-3) 4 hours credit. Past, present, future climatic patterns of the world with emphasis on processes that control climate locally and globally. Effect of human activity on present and future climate. Also listed as GEOL 1455; credit will not be given for both. $5 lab fee.

1465. THE EARTH'S LANDFORMS (3-3) 4 hours credit. The Earth's surface processes and resulting landforms. Rock types, weathering processes, formation of soils, and the effects of human activity on landscape evolution. Also listed as GEOL 1465; credit will be given for only one of GEOG 1465 and GEOL 1435, 1445, 1465. $5 lab fee.

3305. INTRODUCTION TO METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY (3-0) 3 hours credit. Dynamics of the atmosphere: examination of processes that control weather; long-term climatic cycles and geological record of global climate change; atmospheric pollution and its effects on climate. Prerequisites: six hours of science and junior standing, or permission of the instructor. Also listed as GEOL 3305; credit will be granted for only one of GEOG 3305, GEOL 3305, GEOL 4405.

3309. LANDSCAPE EVOLUTION (3-0) 3 hours credit. Geomorphology involving a study of the processes and products of landform and landscape evolution. Geologic evolution, rocks, weathering, soils, and landscapes. Prerequisites: six hours science and junior standing. May not be used to satisfy any of the requirements for BS degree in geology but will count toward a BA degree. Also listed as GEOL 3309; credit will be granted only once.

3343. ECOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY (3-0) 3 hours credit. The world's geographical regions. The ecological adaptations which populations of the world, nomadic or sedentary, have made to the circumstances of their geographical, topographical, economic, and climatic environments. Also listed as ANTH 3343; credit will be granted only once.

3350. READING THE LANDSCAPE (3-0) 3 hours credit. How historians and geographers identify and interpret clues in the landscape (such as place names, architecture, vegetation, transportation, field and street patterns) that reflect historical change and its social, economic, environmental and geographic consequences. Also listed as HIST 3350; credit will be granted only once.

3355. ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES (3-0) 3 hours credit. People and the natural environment from the colonial period to the present. Ecological change, conservation movements, and artistic and literary interpretations of landscape and nature. Also listed as HIST 3355; credit will be granted only once.

3371. IMAGES OF THE SOUTHWEST (3-0) 3 hours credit. Examines the changing culture, architecture, and landscapes of the American Southwest as depicted in literature, art, film, television, and advertising, including the role of popular culture and commerce in creating and marketing a regional "Southwestern style." Also listed as HIST 3371; credit will be granted only once.

4301. HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY AND CARTOGRAPHY (3-0) 3 hours credit. Cultural and historical geography with an emphasis on cartography and the use of maps in research and teaching. Also listed as HIST 4301; credit will be granted only once.

4310. GEOGRAPHY OF THE GREATER SOUTHWEST (3-0) 3 hours credit. Geography of the Greater Southwest to include Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Mexico. How the natural environment, cultural environment, and space itself have affected the history and development of the Southwest.

4350. SPECIAL TOPICS IN MODERN GEOGRAPHY (3-0) 3 hours credit. Selected topics in an identified area of geography. The course may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: approval of instructor.

4391, 4291, 4191. UNDERGRADUATE CONFERENCE COURSE (Variable credit as arranged). Topics assigned on an individual basis covering personal research or study in designated areas. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

Are you interested in minoring in Geography at UTA? If so, contact Dennis Reinhartz, History Department, the University of Texas at Arlington, Box 19529, Arlington, Texas 76019 phone (817) 272-2907; or Richard Francaviglia, Center for Southwestern Studies, The University of Texas at Arlington, Box 19487, Arlington, Texas 76019 phone (817) 272-3997.