DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
GEOG 111: Introduction to Physical Geography
The course is designed to examine the problems of the physical environment including climate,
soils and vegetation as a foundation for GEOG 202 and GEOG 301. Specific areas include nature
and scope, rocks, weathering and mass wasting, slopes, introduction to soils, Vegetation (types
and distributions), and the atmosphere (origin, vertical divisions and composition).
GEOG 112: Introduction to Human Geography
The course seeks to expose students to the dominant themes which form important segments of
Geography as a discipline. Question such as What is Geography? (what, where, why and when
questions) and What is human Geography? (various approaches to the study of Human Geography
– systematic and regional approaches) will be covered. In addition, man and environment
interaction (man as a modifier and the influence of the environment on man), agriculture in
human geography (world agricultural systems, world population – the history of population
growth, world population distribution and key characteristics of population of a country), World’s
urbanization (processes and characteristics of urbanization in tropical Africa and Ghana) and the
environment (degradation of the environment in the world, Africa and Ghana in particular) will be
focused on.
Course Code Course Title Credits
GEOG 450 LONG ESSAY 3
GEOG 452 Techniques of Regional Science 3
GEOG 454 Spatial Organization 3
Elective Courses 3
GEOG 456 Rural Development Experiences 3
GEOG 458 Population and Development 3
GEOG 462 Transport and the Space Economy 3
GEOG 464 Cities in Economic Development and Problems of Urban
Management
3
GEOG 466 Historical Geography of North Western Europe 3
GEOG 468 Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the Developing World 3
GEOG 472 Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Health and Development 3
GEOG 474 Industrialisation in the developing World 3
GEOG 478 Tropical Biogeography 3
GEOG 482 Tourism Development in the Third World 3
GEOG 484 Climatic Change: Arid and Semi arid Lands (Formerly,
Climatology of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands)
3
GEOG 486 Applied Geomorphology 3
GEOG 488 Soil Survey 3
GEOG 4922 Environmental Hydrology 3
GEOG 494 Geopolitics of Africa 3
GEOG 496 Policies and Strategies for Integrated Environmental Health
(IEH) And Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Urban Areas
3
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GEOG 211: Introduction to Geographic Thought
Topics to be covered include the development of geographic thought from Greek times to the
present, the contradictions and shifting positions in the geographic perspective prior to the
development of the scientific method, and the contributions of the Greeks, Romans and Moslems
to the development of Geographic Thought. Others are the Age of Discovery and its impact on the
development of geographic thought, Geography in the seventeenth century, Geography in the
eighteenth century, divergent views in the late nineteenth century, including environmental
determinism, possibilism and probablilism, as well as Geography and the geographical method
and the region and regionalism.
GEOG 213: Introduction to Weather and Climate
This is an introductory survey of weather components and processes and their measurements. It
will examine climate elements and their control factors, data aggregation and representation,
geographic classification of climatic and vegetation types, scope and purpose of climatology, the
atmosphere: structure and composition, Structure of climatological networks, Basic concepts in
the study of climatology, weather elements, their measurements and units of statistical
aggregation. Physical environmental factors and their controls on weather and climate, as well as
representation of climatic data: the Station Model, Global distribution of climates and vegetation
will be looked at.
GEOG 212: Geomorphological Processes and Landforms
Topics to be treated include earth materials, structure and endogenic processes and forms, origin
and mode of occurrence of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, rock forming minerals,
tectonic effects on rocks and their landform expressions, faulting and faults; jointing and joint
topographic expressions and volcanicity.
GEOG 214: Principles and Methods of Cartography
The course is designed to introduce students to the principles and methods of map making and to
equip them with the skills for interpreting the features on maps and extracting information from
maps. The approach will include practical sessions on map interpretation and measurements and
Computer assisted cartography. Students will also be introduced to the use of the Global
Positioning System (GPS) as a modern method of cartographic data collection.
GEOG 321: Soils and Biogeography
This will cover an analysis of world variations and distribution of soils and vegetation and the
associated climates as well as the distribution of some animal populations. Field trips provide
local illustrations for factors of soil formation, physical and chemical properties of soils and the
soil map of Ghana. In addition factors influencing the global distribution of vegetation, selected
vegetation types in the major climatic zones of the world; vegetation and their associated animals
will be examined.
GEOG 323: Regional Geography of Africa (One region outside West Africa)
The course will deal with the physical environment and its challenges, the patterns of human
activity and the geographical basis of regional co-operation. Other aspects of the physical
environment including geology, soils, relief, climate and vegetation; patterns of economic activity
such as mining, agriculture, pastoralism, pransportation, industrialization and trade; population
characteristics and distribution and the geographical bases of regional and continental cooperation
will be treated.
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GEOG 325: Theory and Practice of Geography
The course will focus on the scientific method and its adoption in Geography, philosophy and
logic in the social sciences, laws, theories and models and their application in geography and the
Science of Geography (Is Geography a science).The quantitative revolution and its explanation in
geography, the role of laws, theories and models in geography and problems of application wil
also be examined.
GEOG 327: Introduction to Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems
(GIS)
The course will deal with photographic and scanner remote sensing; basic principles of remote
sensing; electromagnetic spectrum; the multiband concept of imagery interpretation; photographic
remote sensing and its application in urban and rural land use studies. In addition it will deal with
the definition and types of remote sensing; a historical review of the development of
environmental remote sensing, the physical basis of remote sensing (the electromagnetic
spectrum), aerial photographs, characteristics, types, flying for cover and types, scale, overlaps,
stereo-vision, relief displacement; photo evaluation (photo reading, analysis and interpretation);
principles of object recognition: shape, size, texture; project procedure (including library search,
reconnaissance survey, fieldwork, analysis and recording); application in urban and rural
inventories; and principles of Geographic Information Systems.
GEOG 331: Arid Lands
We will look at the location and extent of arid and semi-arid lands and bases of delimitation,
causes and types of arid lands, the physical background and natural resources of arid lands,
problems of occupance of arid lands, and the arid and semi-arid lands of the world and the
physical environment and natural resources. Other topics are the population of arid lands; Man
versus aridity: early cultures and their adjustments to arid environments.
GEOG 322: Introduction to Resource Analysis
The course will deal with the growing concern about natural resources, development and the
environment within the broad context of the ecology of resource processes and analyses of socioeconomic
and environmental implications of natural resources use. Concept and analytical
dimensions of resources, the scarcity debate, the role of natural resources in development, Surveys,
organization and use of resources information, ecology of the resource processes, natural resources
and population relationships, conservation and sustainable development as well as resource policy
issues will be treated.
GEOG 324: Regional Geography of West Africa, with Special Reference to Ghana
West Africa as a region will be examined, as will physical environmental challenges and the
human responses as well as the patterns of economic activity with emphasis on Ghana. The
prospects of access: there will be a detailed study of West Africa as a geographical and political
region, and of Ghana in particular, with regard to the following topics: the physical background;
population characteristics and distribution; agriculture, pastoralism and forestry; transportation
and industrialization.
GEOG 326: Research Methods
The course will teach the design and formulation of research projects and the methods and
procedures for handling data, questionnaire design and coding, data collection techniques and
problems and report writing. Inferential statistics and introduction to multivariate techniques,
problem formulation in scientific research the basic requirements of a research proposal, literature
review and hypotheses formulation will be covered. Others areas include report writing; sampling
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theory and methods of sampling; tests of hypothesis and significance; parametric and nonparametric
statistics, e.g., chi-square, spearman rank correlation; review of frequency distributions,
frequency polygons, histograms and other forms of cartographic representations, e.g., charts and
bar graphs, measures of location and dispersion.
GEOG 328: Geography of Gender and Development in Africa
The course looks at gender and the dynamics of socio-economic change within the context of spatial
systems as well as the gender-neutral development theory and the concept of feminism in geography
as applied to regional patterns of development as countries become more industrialized. Africa
provides the basis for the course, though spatial aspects of development from other countries will be
used for comparative purposes: The concept of feminism in geography; population, agriculture and
nutrition; spatial patterns of women’s economic activities; technology, women and development;
gender and development planning.
GEOG 342: Climatology
The course will examine regional climates and anomalies with particular emphasis on the
temperate and tropical regions. Evapotranspiration, water balance concepts and Koeppen’s
classification system will be looked at. General circulation: models, principal airmasses, local
wind systems; mid-latitude climates: fronts, cyclones, anticyclones and their associated weather;
tropical climates, tropical disturbances and squall lines; the inter-tropical discontinuity (ITD) and
weather zones of Ghana and West Africa; water balance climatology and regional classification of
climates in detail will also be covered.
GEOG 344: Geographic Information Systems
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has become an important integrating component of
Geography. The purpose of this course is to further expose student to the theory and applications
of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The course will build on knowledge gained in Geog.
307 (Introduction to Remote Sensing and GIS), which will be a pre-requisite. The Remote Sensing
component of the course will comprise “Information extraction” from remotely sensed data for
incorporation into the GIS database. The course covers theory and practicals involving laboratory
sessions with the objective of giving students a deeper insight into defining and implementing GIS
problems in natural and socio-economic resource management. GIS software is introduced for
input, analysis and display of spatial data.
GEOG 450: Long Essay
This course is spread over 2 semesters. Students are encouraged to conduct an independent
research -based study on a topic approved by the Department on the basis of which they will write
an essay of not more than 10,000 words.
GEOG 451: Regional Development
The course will deal with basic theories of development and under-development and theories of
regional development. It will also explore politics and strategies of regional planning and elements
of planning theory. The course is essentially comparative but the focus is Ghana and the Third
World: the concept of development; theories of regional development; strategies of regional
planning; planning theory, regional planning models and development plans.
GEOG 453: Geography of the Developing World
The course will focus on concepts, theories and problems of development and under-development;
social and economic challenges; external relations and trends in inter-dependence in the
geographical regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America. The concept and practical issues of
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development; physical and cultural resources in spatial development; population dynamics;
Economic, social and political development within the framework of spatial organization; spatial
diffusion theories and application; trends interdependence, international trade and aid will also be
explored.
GEOG 455: Rural Resources Development: Theories and Policies
The course will cover theoretical concepts and policies of rural resources utilization for development
with special reference to Sub-Saharan Africa and provide an overview of rural problems and their
inter-related nature and the rationale of rural development. It will also look at rural resources and
development defined, resource base for rural development and policy planning and implementation
methodologies.
GEOG 457: Political Geography
Topics to be examined in this course The meaning and scope of political geography; elements of
political geography; basic principles and key concepts of the interactions between geographical
space and political process; formation of states, nature and functions of boundaries; demarcation
of administrative areas and constituencies; introduction to the geography of elections and
international organizations. The course aims to develop an understanding of the nature of political
geography, consider the meanings and interactions of territory and political activity and provide an
overview of contemporary work in political geography. The course work will include: the nature
of Geography, politics and political geography, the elements of political geography, Approaches to
the study of political geography, the nature and functions of boundaries and frontiers, nation, state
and nation-state, types of states and governments, the structure of the state and administrative
reform, the viability of states, national integration, colonialism and decolonization, Introduction to
global geo-political theories, the heartland theory, sea versus air power, introduction to electoral
geography, international organizations:ECOWAS, EAC, SADC, EU, AU, UN etc., neocolonialism
and globalization.
GEOG 459: Population Studies
The course will examine the concept of organization of space from the point of view of population
(i.e. recognition of spatial patterns and dynamics, with population as the focus) and the relevance of
the study of population dynamics with special reference to their spatial implications for development.
Examples from both the developed and the developing world will be used to treat an Introduction to
population geography, data, spatial measures and mapping, population characteristics (Age, sex,
nuptiality, households, urban-rural patterns, socio-economic etc), components of population change,
Population distribution, world population growth and distribution
GEOG 463: Transportation Studies
The course will deal with transportation and the organization of human society, the theory of
transportation development and planning and the utility of specific models, network formation and
analysis and introduction to transport economics. It will look at definition of transportation
geography and its role and practical importance in the geographical system, covering areas such as
the historical development of the various modes of transport, basic concepts and generative forces of
transportation, models and theories in transportation geography, traffic census, theories and network
analyses, principles of transportation planning and introduction of transport to economics.
GEOG 465: The City: Origins, Internal Structure and Economic Function
The course employs a cross-cultural approach in discussing the broad patterns, trends and dynamics
of world urbanization. There will be an analysis of the internal spatial organization of cities with
special reference to land identification of the major differences and similarities of urban phenomena
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between the developed and under-developed world and the relevance of these themes to urban
planning: history of world urbanization; internal structure of cities/land use analysis and turban
economic analysis.
GEOG 467: Historical Geography of Africa
The various methodological approaches to Historical Geography and the technical and conceptual
advances in the field are examined in relation to spatial analysis. There is also a critical analysis of
the historico-spatial patterns of the Human Geography of Africa from the prehistoric period through
to contemporary times. Northern Africa and Eastern Africa offer specific regions of study in the
course. The outlines includes, methodological development in historical geography, temporal
explanation in geography, the status of historical geography, the dynamic of population growth, the
development of the agricultural landscape, spatial and economic structures in relation to long-term
external influences and development, and an analysis of historico-spatial patterns in Africa.
GEOG 469: Agricultural Land Use Theories and Policies
The course will provide an introduction to general agricultural land use theories and policies and
definitions of basic terms/concepts. Other topics include problems and issues in agricultural land use
and management, factors and basic ideas of agricultural land use, change/evolution of agricultural
landcapes, including agriculture-environment-development interrelationships, ideas of Malthus,
Boserup and others on the relationship, between population and agricultural land use and their
significance for the development process, concept and measurement of carrying capacity of land,
theoretical optimization models of agricultural land use an overview of global agricultural land use
policies and agricultural land use policies in Ghana.
GEOG 471: Geography of Tourism
The course will deal with the concept of tourism and the tourist, the link between geography and
tourism within the framework of resource identification, development and utilization, the role of
tourism planning, development and management and socio-economic and environmental effects of
tourism. Specific topics include the definition of tourism and a tourist, Geography and tourism,
tourism within the framework of systems theory, motivators/determinants of tourism, impediments
to free movement and development of tourism, tourism as a factor of progress in the economy of
developed and developing countries, social and physical impacts of tourism on societies and their
ecological set-ups, basic tenants of tourism planning, a planning model for tourism, development and
management of tourism, and tourism and regional integration.
GEOG 473: Medical Geography
The course will focus on the application of geographical concepts and techniques to health-related
problems and on Studies of local variations of both human and environmental conditions which
are causatively related to human activities. Basically, the course is concerned with describing,
explaining and predicting the etiology, occurrence, transmission and effects of disease in spatial
variation and patterns. Relevant illustration will be drawn from both the developed and
developing world. The outline includes an introduction to medical geography, methodology, rates,
ratios and indicies, ecology of disease causation (agent-host environmental factors), epidemiology
(principles and methods, the physical environment and health, types of diseases and their control,
and environmental health).
GEOG 475: Industrial Location Theory and Practice
The course will explore theories of industrial location and their relevance to the advanced and
developing countries: the various shades of the classical location theory, the behavioural and
empirical approaches, the geography of enterprise and the techniques of industrial location
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analysis, the outline will include the contribution of geographers and economists to industrial
location theory, new developments in industrial location theory (including the application of
systems concept), techniques of industrial location analysis, techniques for measuring industrial
growth and change, industrial location in practice in the advanced market economies and in
developing countries, using Africa as example.
GEOG 477: Pedology
This course will deal with the origin of rocks and minerals, their classification and composition,
weathering of rocks and minerals – soil formation, factors affecting soil formation, soil profile and
horizon differentiation–as well as concepts of soil as a natural resource and a medium for plant
growth and soil classification – brief studies of the U.S. soil Taxonomy, UNESCO/FAO soil map
of Africa and CF Charter’s classification of the soils of Ghana. The outline will include the soil
and the soil profile, composition of soils, factors of soil formation, physical and chemical
properties of soils, the nature and properties of mineral clays, soil water and soil air, soil survey
and classification.
GEOG 479: Environmental Ecology
This course will examine global and national concerns on the problem of environmental
degradation and pollution, from the ecological perspective. Causes of environmental degradation,
solutions for restoring ecological equilibrium and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
techniques will also be dealt with. Student field visits are essential. The outline includes realms of
the physical environment, their general attributes in the unpolluted states, main global and national
environmental concerns, their causes and implications, waste repeated disposal, municipal,
industrial, toxic/nuclear, protecting the earth’s physical environment, global conventions, national
environment laws, non-governmental pressure groups and the conversation versus development
debate.
GEOG 481: Climate and Society
This course critically examines the links between climatic processes and human activities. It
investigates the physical nature of Earth’s climate and its variability across space and time, and
applies this to patterns of human activities. It explores ways in which climate influences human
activities and how climate is also modified by humans both intentionally and inadvertently.
Critical assessment of future scenarios of climate and human links are also investigated. The
outline includes the climate system, climate variability and climate change, climate and
agriculture, climate risk & health, climate & urban risk management, climate risk and decision
making under uncertainties.
GEOG 483: Tropical Geomorphology
The course describes the tropical area as a morphogenetic region as well as the zonal
morphological processes and forms as modified by the tropical environment. The outline includes
the weathering processes and products, deep weathering profiles, laterite, denudational processes,
depositional processes, domed and boulder inselbergs, hillslopes and pediments, stream channels,
and bioclimatic interruptions.
GEOG 485: Hydrology
The course is designed to highlight some phenomena and conservation measures necessary for the
planning, design and operational phases of water management. The outline includes rudiments of
hydrology and hydrological measurements, intensity and frequency of precipitation at a given
point, estimating evaporation and evapo-transporation from water surfaces and oils, infiltration:
soil moisture, laws governing infiltration, groundwater, types of aquifer, inter-relationship
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between groundwater and surface water, surface runoff: elementary hydrograph, types of runoff,
depth/area/duration relationships, probable maximum precipitation and applications to water
management.
GEOG 493: Theories and Analytical Methods for Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction
(IDRR)
This course will introduce students to concepts of environmental health, disaster events, and
disaster profiling in urban Ghana. It is intended to equip students with a deeper understanding of
concepts on environmental health and disaster risk reduction, thus enhancing their ability to
appreciate and apply the appropriate methods and tools in assessing EH and DRR in urban Ghana.
The course will cover the following topics: Environment and Health Linkages, disaster incidence
and prevention, disaster preparedness and mitigation, notions and perceptions around disaster
management, the global context of IEH and DRR and an introduction to the tools and methods for
assessing urban vulnerability and climate change.
GEOG 452: Techniques of Regional Science
Students will be taken through some techniques for analyzing the structure and functions of
regions and methods of measuring phenomena of particular interest to regional development.
Other aspects of the course include regional science and its relation with Geography,
regionalization, regional spatial analysis techniques (measurement of dispersion, location quotient,
network analysis, diffusion measurement and analysis, linkage flows, etc.), regional economic
analysis (use of input/output tables, shift share analysis, regional multiplier), regional modeling,
including introduction to systems theory, operations research and optimization techniques, data
base (information system) for regional analysis and sources in Ghana.
GEOG 454: Spatial Organisation
Human society is complex and diverse, comprising different elements which are interlinked in
space. This course seeks to explore in detail the various components of these linkages through
interactions by various experts in the respective areas. The outline includes the nature and
perspective of spatial organization, the concept and factors of location (Spatial characteristics and
structure, physical/human resources and location), organization of rural space, (The theory of
agricultural location, Structure of land-use in developing countries, land-use in the interdependent
societies), spatial patterns of development (urban development trends, central place theory, the
theory of industrial location, the growth pole theory, the development of primate cities and their
effect on national and regional organization) and spatial interaction (transport systems, role of
transport in development, dynamics and population growth, migration and mobility, the nature of
spatial diffusion, the theory of diffusion).
ELECTIVES
GEOG 456: Rural Development Experiences
The course involves an analysis of the experiences of developed and developing worlds in rural
resources utilization for better rural development planning, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The
outline includes an overview of experiences of selected development in free market countries (USA
and another country), experiences of selected developed country with a controlled economy
(USSER), experiences of selected Third World countries other than those in Africa (China, India and
Cuba), selected case studies from Africa: Gezira; Western and Eastern Nigeria Resettlement
Schemes; Ujamaa; Land Reform in Ethiopia; Mampong Valley Integrated Experiment; Damongo
Settlement Scheme, etc., History of rural development in Ghana.
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GEOG 458: Population and Development
The course provides an overview of the spatial dynamics of human populations with regard to the
environment they occupy. An analysis of the inter-relationships between population, resources,
environment and development will be addressed. The main focus is on Africa and the Developing
World in general. The population-development interrelationships will be examined against the
view that development must be for the benefit and enhancement of the quality of life of people.
Consequently, the numbers, spatial distribution and characteristics of the population at any point
in time should have an immeasurable impact on the magnitude, trend and pace of development.
The outline includes population and development inter-relationships, population and resource
utilization, population distribution and redistribution policies, population and environment,
population and contemporary social issues, population and health, including reproductive health
and HIV/AIDS, population, gender and development. population dynamics and different societal
groups, e.g., the aged, the youth, adolescents etc., population planning policies and programmes,
population estimates and projections.
GEOG 462: Transportation and the Space Economy
This course will examine transport and economic development within the regional settings of
Africa and North America with special emphasis on Ghanaian and Nigerian situations. The outline
includes the general theme of transport and economic development, the development of the
transportation system in Africa with special emphasis on Ghana and Nigeria, the development of
the transportation system in North America, a critical appraisal of a model of transport
development in under-developed countries, the problem of African land-locked states and
accessibility to the sea, transportation development and urbanization, transportation within the
urban milieu and contributions of improved transportation to overall societal development.
GEOG 464: Cities in Economic Development and Problems of Urban Management
This urban studies course focuses on city systems, rural-urban linkages, regional economic role of
cities and problems of urban management. The relevance of the themes for urban and regional
planning is underscored. The major themes are as follows:-urban hierarchy and city systems,
(Central Place Theory, Urban primacy, Rank Size Rule or Lognormal Distribution, periodic markets,
Central Place System and regional development), regional economic role of cities (Urban Sphere of
Influence, Role of Cities in Economic Development, Centre-Periphery Models, Growth Pole Theory
and Strategy), Problems of Urban Management (Urban Environment and Health, The Model of
Urban Environmental Transition, the Ecological Footprints of Cities, Gender and Environmental
Care in the African City, Principles of Urban Planning).
GEOG 466: Historical Geography of North Western Europe
The course is concerned mainly with environmental, population and socio-economic interrelationships
within North-Western Europe through spatial and historical analysis. The outline
includes the changing environment, population dynamics of Europe, Europe and classical
development, Agriculture and land-use systems, population and settlement patterns, trade, industry
and communication systems.
GEOG 468: Agricultural Land Use Systems in the Developing World
This course will examine agricultural land use systems with special reference to their relative
sustainability, effects upon the physical environment, and efficiency in food production in the
developing world, most especially sub-Saharan Africa. The outline includes the food crisis and
underlying causes, traditional systems of agricultural land use, modern agricultural systems and
sustainable systems.
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GEOG 472: Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Health and Development
Development, entailing as it does modifications of existing circumstances, often affects sectors
other than those intended by the planner. The course focuses on aspects of the improvement of
health levels through the instrument of development. Thus the interrelationships among health,
population and socio-economic development are examined with examples drawn from both
developed and developing countries, with special emphasis on Africa. The outline includes types
of medical practices, medical demography: morbidity, mortality, health and development interrelationships,
maternal child health and family planning, psycho-social stress and mental health, as
well as spatial analytic methods: data, statistical and mapping techniques and models.
GEOG 474: Industrialisation in the Developing World
The focus in this course will be on the process of industrialization in the developing countries of
Africa, Asia and Latin America. A comparison with the industrialization process in the advanced
countries will be made. Special emphasis is on the structure, pattern and processes of
industrialization in Africa in general and West Africa and Ghana in particular. The outline includes
industrialization in the advanced countries, a brief historical perspective, patterns/processes of
industrialization in developing countries: general treatment of opportunities and constraints, models
and strategies of industrialization in developing countries, industrialization in tropical Africa, general
characteristic: a detailed treatment of case studies of three countries outside West Africa,
industrialization in West Africa: a study of two countries, and industrialization in Ghana.
GEOG 478: Tropical Biogeography
In this course we will deal with biogeography processes and vegetation development and
distribution. The soil – vegetation system as a basis for land resource utilization and conservation
in the tropics will be examined. The outline includes the tropical forests and savannas, their
structure, diversity, productivity and distribution, tropical highland vegetation, the soil-vegetation
system and its utilization, the forest savanna gradient in West Africa, and introduction to quadrant
techniques for field survey and analysis.
GEOG 482: Tourism Development in the Third World
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the various concepts and theories that
underlie tourism development in developing countries. The course also provides insights into
some case studies in the various geographical regions within the Third World. The outline
includes justification for tourism development in the Third World, paradigms and theories on
development that have been associated with Third World tourism development – diffusionist,
dependency, formal and informal sectors, the Butler’s cycle on sustainable development of
tourism resources, Ghana’s tourism resources – spatial distribution, planning and development,
case studies on planning and development of tourism resources in other Third World countries,
i.e., Tunisia and Bali (Indonesia), the role of governments and national tourism organizations
(NTOs).
GEOG 484: Climatic Change: Arid and Semi Arid Lands
Climatic change is one of the most important challenges of the twenty-first century. This course is
offered at a time when key facts about climate change itself are on firm grounds. Warming is
unequivocal. There is very high confidence that the bulk of this warming is caused by human
action. The arid and semi-arid lands are some of the most vulnerable regions to climatic change.
Using examples from the arid and semi-arid lands, this course will examine physical phenomena
observed in the Earth’s climate, providing sufficient scientific and technical background to enable
students to critically examine arguments being discussed by policy makers and the public at large.
The course will include the following topics: overview of global warming, climate as a factor in
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human history, greenhouse effect and radiative forcing, climate projection, vulnerability and
resilience, adaptation in arid and semi-arid lands.
GEOG 486: Applied Geomorphology
The course will treat areas such as a definition of applied geomorphology, drainage basin
morphometry, the calculation of stream frequency, circuity ratio, elongation ratio, basin relief,
ruggedness number, bifurcation ratio, drainage density, graded river, environment and
development, dynamics of beach erosion and deposition, wetland management, deep weathering
and development issues in hot, humid areas: fadama cultivation in savanna, sahel and desert areas.
Atterberg limits and the behaviour of clay minerals, particle shape and its application to coastal
engineering and field studies.
GEOG 488: Soil Survey
Knowledge of soil survey is relevant to agricultural development. The course therefore focuses on
methods of examining, describing and mapping different types of soils. The purpose is to enable
the student have basic knowledge and understanding of the characteristics, distribution and
agronomic values of various soils. The course covers major types of soil survey methods in
Ghana. The outline includes soil survey and types of soil survey, preparation for field work, field
work (methods), plotting and assembling of field data, examination and determination of soils in
the field, Identification and nomenclature of soil horizons, Soil texture, soil colour, soil
consistency, soil reaction organic matter, etc.
GEOG 492: Environmental Hydrology
The study focuses on the impact of hydrological processes on the environment: flooding, erosion
and sediments, urban drainage, salt water intrusion, drought and drought management and
Environmental aspects of water resource projects
GEOG 494: Geopolitics of Africa
The course aims to provide an understanding of the changing political geography of Africa, explain
the contemporary geopolitical scene with regard to intra-state and inter-state relations and explore the
geographical influences on Africa’s external relations: pre-colonial polities and state formation in
Africa; colonialism and partition; interaction between the geographical environments and political
processes and their consequences for the formation, functioning and inter-relations of states in
Africa; colonization and de-colonization, regional co-operation and African unity, Africa’s
geopolitical relations; colonial policies and development; patterns of decolonization; nature of
African boundaries and related problems; nationalism and Pan-Africanism; national integration –
centripetal and centrifugal forces; causes of territorial and boundary disputes; settlement of territorial
and boundary disputes; regional cooperation and African unity; Africa and globalization.
GEOG 496: Policies and Strategies for Integrated Environmental Health (IEH) and
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Urban Areas
This course builds on the first semester course (GEOG 443) by expanding the discussions on
concepts and methods to include relevant legislation, policies and strategic programmes for IEH
and DRR in low income communities in urban Ghana. It will involve field visits to specific
communities as a way of testing the models used during class discussions. The course will cover
the following topics: global and local contexts of IEH and DRR, institutional framework for IEH
and DRR in Ghana, field application of methods and tools for assessing IEH and DRR,
vulnerability assessment in urban communities, climate change modeling and strategies for
building resilient communities.