Hocbigg - Human Geography
Contents
Summary
The Human Geography curriculum is a complete education in Human Geography using online materials.
Organization
This repository is organized into 2 main components:
- Core Curriculum (this page): the foundational knowledge of the field;
- Advanced Topics: focused study in specific areas;
Process: Learners may work through the curriculum independently or collaboratively, and either sequentially or selectively.
- For simplicity, courses in the Core Curriculum are ordered according to their prerequisites.
- The Core Curriculum provides a shared foundation and is intended to be completed in full.
- Advanced Topics are optional; learners are encouraged to select one area of focus and complete all courses within that topic.
Note: When there are courses or books that don't fit into the curriculum but are otherwise of high quality, they belong in extras/courses, extras/readings.
Communities
- Forums: The GradCafe Geography Forum
- Subreddits:
- Discord servers:
- You can also interact through GitHub issues. If there is a problem with a course, or a change needs to be made to the curriculum, this is the place to start the conversation. Read more here.
-
Join our Discord server (for discussions around this and other curricula):
Curriculum
- Foundations of Human Geography
- Geographic Research Methods & Spatial Evidence
- Core Human Geography Domains
- Regional & Systems Geography
How to use this curriculum
Core Sections
These four sections form the essential backbone of Human Geography. Complete them in this order before moving on to anything else:
-
Foundations of Human Geography
Start here. This section introduces the basic ways geographers think about the world. -
Geographic Research Methods & Spatial Evidence
Next, learn how geographers ask questions and gather evidence. This is the toolkit you will use throughout the rest of the curriculum. -
Core Human Geography Domains
This is the heart of the discipline. Study these major subfields in any order you prefer, but finish all of them before proceeding to specialization tracks. -
Regional & Systems Geography
Finish the core by learning how geographers understand the world as interconnected regions and systems.
Foundations of Human Geography
| Subject | Book | Online Course |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Human Geography | Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts (Nijman et al.) (older edition available for borrowing on Archive.org; recent editions are commercial) | edX – Introduction to AP Human Geography (free to audit) |
| History & Philosophy of Geographic Thought | Geographical Thought: A Contextual History of Ideas (Dikshit) (free PDF download available on educational site) | — |
| Core Spatial Concepts (space, place, scale, territory) | Geographic Thought (Tim Cresswell) (search Archive.org for borrowing; preview on Google Books) | — |
| Cartography & Spatial Representation | How to Lie with Maps (Monmonier) (full borrow on Archive.org) | Esri – Cartography MOOC (free self-paced course) |
Geographic Research Methods & Spatial Evidence
| Subject | Book | Online Course |
|---|---|---|
| Research Design in Human Geography | Research Methods in Geography (Gomez & Jones) (eBook access via subscription/preview; no full free legal PDF widely available) | — |
| Quantitative & Census Data Literacy | — | UK ONS – Population & Demography Methods Hub (official methods guides and resources) |
| GIS Concepts (non-technical) | — | MIT OCW – GIS Tutorial (free introductory levels with materials) |
Core Human Geography Domains
| Subject | Book | Online Course |
|---|---|---|
| Population Geography | Population Geography (Larkin & Peters) | AP Human Geography (population units) (official College Board resources) |
| Cultural Geography | Cultural Geography (Norton) | AP Human Geography (culture units) (official College Board resources) |
| Economic Geography | Economic Geography (Wood & Roberts) | UC Berkeley – Economic Geography lectures (related lectures; direct series may vary) |
| Political Geography | Political Geography (Flint & Taylor) | Class Central – Political Geography (aggregated courses) |
| Urban Geography | Urban Geography: A Critical Introduction (Jonas et al.) | AP Human Geography (urban units) (official College Board resources) |
| Human–Environment Relations | Human-Environment Interactions (Brondizio & Moran) | — |
Regional & Systems Geography
| Subject | Book | Online Course |
|---|---|---|
| World Regional Geography | World Regional Geography (Saylor / Open UMN) (full open textbook) | — |
| Transportation Geography | The Geography of Transport Systems (Rodrigue) (official open online book) | — |
| Agricultural & Rural Geography | An Introduction to Agricultural Geography (Grigg) | — |