Interdisciplinary inquiry in Latin American society and culture.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample Explore prerequisite map →
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The department at a glance
All recorded grades average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
How grades break down
Grades over time
Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison
About these statistics
GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.
Fall 2026
Recorded this termcourses with offerings
instructors recorded
Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.
Find your next class
46 coursesHistorical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Grade sorting prioritizes courses with at least 100 letter grades.
This introductory survey covers African society, culture, polity, and economy from prehistory to contemporary developments using multidisciplinary perspectives.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of James Delehanty, Neil Kodesh: Workload includes heavy reading and essays or exams, but reviewers note these are manageable if students complete the assigned work.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026AFRICAN/ANTHRO/ECON/GEOG/HISTORY/POLISCI 983
Interdepartmental Seminar in African Studies Topics
3 creditsAn interdisciplinary seminar exploring African societies and cultures.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2025 · limited sampleAGROECOL/ATMOCN/BOTANY/ENTOM/ENVIRST/GEOG/ZOOLOGY 953
Introduction to Ecology Research at Uw-madison
1–2 creditsIntroduction to diverse ecological research at UW-Madison, covering graduate school adaptation, professional development, and faculty research presentations.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
ATMOCN/ENVIRST/GEOG 131
Climate Change, Climate Action: the Social Dimensions of Climate Change
3–4 creditsExamines the social, political, and economic factors shaping climate change drivers, impacts, and societal responses.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
ATMOCN/ENVIRST/GEOG/GEOSCI 335 examines climate variability across timescales, focusing on external forcings, earth system feedbacks, and human activity.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course is not too hard, with exams that are manageable if students use the textbook to understand the material covered.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Explores how physical and biological factors affect the distribution of terrestrial biomes, ecosystem types, and biodiversity.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course includes weekly quizzes, readings, group presentations on biological papers, and a final essay, with tests described as clear and straightforward.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025An introduction to Geographic Information Systems focusing on the design and implementation of automated procedures for spatial data storage, analysis, and display.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course is challenging with tough exams and harsh grading. Labs are difficult to follow with general instructions, and the workload includes pop quizzes.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to how the Earth system works and what makes Earth livable.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Workload centers on four non-cumulative exams. Some find exams tough due to content volume, while others report easy tests if attending lectures. Textbook reading is often considered optional.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026ENVIRST/GEOG 127 introduces physical environmental systems and their interconnections through case studies and field work.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Exams are considered difficult and heavily weighted, requiring students to study lecture notes and readings rather than relying solely on posted slides or lab work.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sampleGLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES explores the global and local nature of environmental problems through an interdisciplinary and geographic perspective.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Grades rely on three exams and weekly discussion papers. Exams are frequently described as difficult, specific, or poorly worded, requiring strict attendance and note-taking as slides are often unhelpful.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026NATURE, POWER AND SOCIETY explores links between nature, power, and society, examining resource relationships and environmental justice.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Reviewers describe the course as difficult due to strict grading and expectations to memorize over 200 vocabulary definitions without study guides.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sampleExamines conservation through a geographical lens, analyzing physical and social dimensions of environmental problems and debates.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course is extremely easy, with exams based on provided review sheets. Turner requires reading and application of concepts, and he hosts review sessions before exams.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Examines political, socio-cultural, economic, and ecological aspects of development and human-environment relations in mainland Southeast Asia.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course involves two papers, readings, lectures, and a final exam, with unclear assignment expectations and specific exam questions.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2024 · limited sampleA survey of interactions between people and natural environments in America, covering ecological change, conservation, and public policy.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of William (bill) Cronon: Reviewers note a heavy reading load but manageable overall workload, with fair grading and clear exam guidance. Some students found the essay-style exams and tough six-page papers challenging, preferring paper-based synthesis over fact-cramming for exams.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025This course explores the application of GIS data, analytical tools, and implementation issues within planning contexts.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Fall 2023 · limited sampleAn introduction to key debates in feminist political geography, focusing on power, difference, and social change.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2024–Fall 2024 · limited sampleGEOG 101 introduces human geography by exploring the dynamics that drive spatial interrelationships and divisions in space, society, and politics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Students report a heavy workload with frequent large assignments and weekly quizzes. Quizzes are described as unnecessarily difficult, subjective, and containing confusing short-answer questions that require significant writing.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026An overview of GIScience and its technology, introducing geospatial data collection, representation, and tools like GPS and GIS.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Qunying Huang: Workload is light with very few assignments and exams, but quizzes and exams carry heavy weight and may feature random questions from a test bank.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026GEOG 175
Topics in Geography
3 creditsGEOG 175 explores emerging topics in human geography and people-environment geography.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sampleGEOG 302 covers classic location theory, economic regionalization, and network analysis with a focus on spatial implications of economic development.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026GEOG 340 surveys world regions in global context, examining development, environment, society, and politics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Catherine Cathy Day: Reviewers report the class is very time-consuming, requiring discussion posts, essays, and quizzes, with difficulty rated as high.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026GEOGRAPHICAL TRADITIONS AND PRACTICES introduces the breadth of geography, covering its history, theories, and research methodologies.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Morgan Robertson: The workload is low, with a difficulty rating of 1, and timely submission is sufficient for success.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sampleGEOG 370
Introduction to Cartography
4 creditsGEOG 370 introduces cartography theory and map-making practice, covering scale, projections, and design.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course features a high workload with tough labs and project-based assignments that vary in intensity. Students are advised to start labs early and attend office hours.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Geocomputing focusing on Python scripting for geoprocessing using ArcGIS and open-source libraries.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course is challenging for beginners without coding experience, featuring heavy labs and difficult assignments that require significant effort and practice.
GEOG 379 introduces geospatial technologies like drones, LiDAR, and GNSS for landscape analysis.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Fall 2023 · limited sampleGEOG 475
Topics in Geography
1–4 creditsGEOG 475 explores emerging topics in Geography.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2025 · limited sampleGEOG 510
Economic Geography
4 creditsGEOG 510 covers Economic Geography, focusing on theoretical aspects of spatial economic distributions and locational analysis.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2025 · limited sampleGEOG 523 examines species and ecosystem responses to environmental changes over the last million years, focusing on climate shifts and extinctions.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2022 · limited sampleGEOG 560 covers advanced quantitative methods for analyzing spatial distributions using multivariate techniques.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course is considered tough to understand initially, with deep lectures covering complex formulas. Labs are used to efficiently learn R, supporting those with limited prior experience.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sampleAcross course levels
Recorded this termNo released grades for this term.
Recorded offerings over time
Offering snapshots currently cover Fall 2026. Earlier grade records do not provide a complete offering history.