Select map forms appropriate to data and audience
Human & Social Systems · Geography & Spatial Studies
GEO-210Cartography & Spatial Reasoning
Builds foundational spatial thinking and cartographic communication across human, environmental, archaeological, and technical questions.
Course outcomes
What students develop
Apply scale, projection, symbolization, and visual hierarchy
Identify spatial patterns and cartographic distortions
Produce accessible maps with documented sources
Course content
Topics and questions
- Coordinate systems and projection
- Visual variables and map design
- Spatial scale and generalization
- Ethics and persuasive mapping
- Web and print cartography
Methods & resources
Tools and environments
- Desktop GIS
- Web mapping tools
- Vector graphics software
Evaluation
Demonstration of learning
- Map critique
- Thematic map series
- Public-facing spatial narrative
Program relationships
Where this course fits
Core
Anthropology, Technology & Society
Studies culture, human difference, technology, institutions, material life, and social change through comparative and field-based inquiry.
Core
Geography, Geospatial Intelligence & Spatial Systems
Combines human and physical geography with GIS, remote sensing, LiDAR, cartography, spatial data, and field interpretation.
Core
Communication, Public Scholarship & Digital Media
Connects writing, research, design, publishing, media, public knowledge, audience, and digital systems.
Core
GIS & Spatial Research
Cartography, GIS, LiDAR, remote sensing, spatial analysis, data quality, and research communication.
Core
Digital Heritage Documentation
3D capture, collections documentation, GIS, metadata, web visualization, archival derivatives, and public interpretation.
Core
Applied Research Methods
Research design, qualitative and mixed methods, spatial analysis, reproducibility, ethics, and public reporting.
Core
Spatial Inquiry & Mapping
A focused undergraduate pathway in spatial reasoning, cartography, GIS, remote sensing, and evidence-based interpretation of landscapes and communities.
Core
Geospatial Intelligence & LiDAR
Point clouds, terrain models, spatial analysis, cartographic communication, and decision-ready geospatial products.
Course inquiry
Connect this course to a program, certificate, or professional objective.
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