Courses

• CAS FR 342: Field Placement I
  Students work independently on a project while placed in a development agency, educational institution, or other setting. Students are required to keep daily logbooks and write a final paper. Placements depend on the student's past experience, language ability, and available opportunities in any given semester, so flexibility is essential. Students spend six to ten hours per week at their field placements for approximately the final ten weeks of the semester. Past placements have included the following organizations: USAID, the National Museum, AFRICARE, the Peace Corps, Niamey City Hall, CARE, and the National Hospital.
• CAS FR 343: Field Placement II
  Students work independently on a project while placed in a development agency, educational institution, or other setting. Students are required to keep daily logbooks and write a final paper. Placements depend on the student's past experience, language ability, and available opportunities in any given semester, so flexibility is essential. Students spend six to ten hours per week at their field placements for approximately the final ten weeks of the semester. Past placements have included the following organizations: USAID, the National Museum, AFRICARE, the Peace Corps, Niamey City Hall, CARE, and the National Hospital.
• CAS FR 344: The Performing Arts in Niger I
  Focuses on the traditional musical and theatrical arts as they manifest themselves in the Niamey area. In addition to academic work, students are required to specialize in performance on a traditional Nigerian musical instrument, and to apprentice themselves to a musician during the semester and/or join a Nigerian traditional dance troupe.
• CAS FR 400: Francophone Literature of West Africa I
  A chronological survey of West African francophone literature. Authors and works covered include: L'Enfant noir, Camara Laye; Coups de pilon, David Diop; Une si longue lettre, Mariama Ba; and Sous l'orage, Seyou Badian. Taught in French.
• CAS FR 401: Francophone Literature of West Africa II
  A continuation of CAS FR 400, this course studies two novels and two plays of West Africa. Authors and works include: Le Vieux Nègre et la médaille, Ferdinand Oyono; Les Soleils des indépendancs, Amadou Kourouma; Thogo-Gnini, Bernard Dadie; and L'Exil d'Albouri, Cheik Ndao. Taught in French.
• CAS FR 440: Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa
  Focuses on the importance and unique qualities of Islam and moslem African cultures in Sub-Saharan Africa. Encourages reflection on the dynamics of African culture, and the relationship of secular Africa with the Moslem world. Lectures are in French.
• CAS GE 100: Introduction to Environmental Science
  Introduction to basic physical, ecological, and environmental concepts underlying the relationship between human society and the natural environment. Evaluation of problems and options available in dealing with the areas of natural resources, pollution, environmental degradation, and population growth.
• CAS GE 101: Natural Environments: The Atmosphere
  An introduction to weather and climate. Topics include the controls of weather and climate, day-to-day variations in weather, severe storms, climates of the world, urban climate and air pollution, past climates and climatic change, and the impact of climatic variations on society.
• CAS GE 102: The Cultural Landscape
  Study of the human imprint on the physical world. Introduction to current world patterns of population, settlement, land use, and political organizations of space. Humanity's role in changing the face of the earth. Symbolic qualities of the cultural landscape.
• CAS GE 103: Economic Geography
  Factors influencing the spatial organization of economic activity, including the spatial structure of urban regions, principles of regional trade and interaction, transportation networks, and spatial diffusion systems. Emphasis on the location of economic activity and spatial aspects of area development.
• CAS GE 104: Natural Environments: The Physical Landscape
  Introduction to controls that shape the ecosystems and landscape of the earth. Vegetation and soils of the forests, deserts, grasslands, and tropics. The work of rivers, glaciers, oceans, and volcanoes in sculpturing the earth's surface. History of the national landscape. (NS) (lab)
• CAS GE 110: Our Changing Planet: The Perspective from Space
  An integrated treatment of the various components of the earth system: the atmosphere, lithosphere, ecosphere, and hydrosphere, as well as how they are changing. Extensive use of observations and measurements from space. Emphasis on global environmental change and human impact on earth. (NS) (lab)
• CAS GE 150: Sustainable Energy: Technology, Resources, Society, and Environment
  Examines the social, environmental, and technological aspects of renewable and nonrenewable energy systems. Discusses energy issues in context of globalization, climate change, and sustainable development. Explores lifestyle and policy decisions related to energy issues.
• CAS GE 201: World Regional Geography I
  Overview of the special combination of environmental, historical, economic, and organizational qualities of the regions of the Old World, including Western and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, East and South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Emphasis on current issues of regional and global development.
• CAS GE 202: World Regional Geography II
  Geographic themes and concepts are used to examine the developed countries in North America, Australia, and New Zealand, and developing countries in Central and South America. Emphasis is on the current issues in their environmental, social, demographic, and resource bases, as well as other aspects of regional development.
• CAS GE 226: Geography of the Boston Region
  An overview of the Boston region from a geographer's perspective. Particular emphasis is placed on themes from human geography, including spatial interaction and spatial variation within the region. Students apply what they learn through field assignments.
• CAS GE 250: The Fate of Nations: Climate, Resources, and Institutions
  Relationships among environment (e.g. climate), natural resources (e.g. energy, water), and human societies (hunter-gatherers to industrial economies). Principles from thermodynamics, climatology, ecology, and economics used to evaluate the role of environment and resources in the success and failure of societies.
• CAS GE 300: Geography of World Commerce
  Introduction to the components and flows of international commerce. Examines the spatial nature of the world economy and offers explanations for the forces that affect trade, environment, and development.
• CAS GE 302: Remote Sensing of Environment
  Introduction to satellite remote sensing of the Earth environment. Examines the physical basis and methods of the remote sensing process, as well as basics of digital image processing and analysis. Applications in Earth system science and natural resource management are considered.
• CAS GE 304: Environmentally Sustainable Development
  Traces the emergence of sustainable development as the defining environmental challenge of our times. Surveys and evaluates policies for balancing ecological sustainability and economic development in various parts of the world and at the global level. Also offered as CAS IR 304.

Note that this information may change at any time.

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