This course is an upper-level social studies course that introduces students to the patterns and processes that have shaped our understanding and use of Earth. Through studies of population, cultural patterns, cities and urban land use, and economic development, students will gain an understanding of what happens when cultures and people interact with one another and how people adjust to the land around them. The class will investigate how geopolitical policies are formed and how they affect our world today. Students will be expected to understand and analyze maps and spatial data, recognize the different regions of the world, and understand how events and processes influence one another. Prerequisite: departmental approval.