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GEOG 203Environment and Development in a Global Perspective

Units
0.50
Faculty
Environment
Subject
Geography and Environmental Management

Not in the current Undergraduate Calendar. Shown as it appeared in 2025–26.

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 3 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Examines the interface between human development and the environment in a global context. Various perspectives are explored to link environmental issues to wealth, poverty, consumption, population, and economic globalization. Case studies, with an emphasis on developing countries, are used to illustrate linkages.

Prerequisites

  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • ENVS195 - Introduction to Environmental Studies (0.50)
    • ENVS205 - Sustainability: The Future We Want (0.50)
    • GEOG101 - Human Geographies: People, Space and Change (0.50)

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

Reviewed on UW Flow

55% liked it75% easy47% useful

From 62 ratings and 14 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Evil evil course... if you're not religious pick a religion and start praying.

    Dec 2025 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • If you are taking this course it is likely required for your program or minor, but don't worry because this course is great! The lectures are quite straight forward and the readings for each week are often short. Come to class (even if it starts at 8:30am), especially when there are guest lectures because it will really help with the midterm and final. Dr. Helena Shilomboleni is a great prof and truly wants her students to succeed in the course. If you attend class she provides some example questions that will be on the midterm and the exam verbatim

    Nov 2024 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Lecture side of the course was great. Content was ok, prof was ok, midterm and final were simple and pretty easy thanks to prof giving out answers/questions in class. The tutorial side? oh boy do I have some choice words for the TA's. 45% Grant assignment that has practically nothing to do with lecture content and fully relies on your groupmates and work ethic. Following exact feedback from the TA's does not, in fact, net you higher grades!.. because that makes perfect sense... course assignments on this side need a complete makeover. Not a great introduction to any facet of human geography. Take this with hardworking friends that you know well and you'll probably breeze through it.

    Jan 2026 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • grant assignment does not reflect what you learn in the course and it counts for 45% of your grade. thankfully, midterm and final exam were super easy.

    Dec 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Not hard, 90+ achievable with Dr helena, she gives you test questions and their answers in class.

    Dec 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

20 posts and comments in 16 threads mention GEOG 203, August 2014 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Fall 2024

Fall 2023

UW geomatics vs WLU computer science 1 point, 15 comments

“Hey everyone, so Im currently in WLU cs right now and Im not really enjoying the campus or environment at WLU, and the program is so so in my honest opinion mainly because of the lack of proper co op …”

u/birdie1113: “do you like geography? if yes, then do geomatics. if you don’t care for it then don’t. it’s not computer science. it’s nothing like it.”

u/birdie1113: “I don’t know, but I’d assume if you have the space in your plan to take electives you can take whatever you want. I would recommend geog 101 and geog 203”

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Spring 2021

Fall 2019

New friends on campus? 13 points, 9 comments

u/throwaway_777_: “I'm too autistic to meet up but I'm a fellow GEM student. How is your term going and what are your geography related interests in?”

u/Silent_Effect: “… My other GEOG courses are 201, 294, 310, and i'm also in GEOG 203. I get the pain with 203 though, i'm not a big fan of human geography either so its definitely one of my less interesting courses. …”

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Spring 2019

What’s the first class you did bad in or failed? Why? What should you have done differently? 26 points, 60 comments

u/-MrGoose-: “Courses mentioned in this thread: ECE240 MATH128 CS360 MATH239 CS246 GEOG101 MATH138 MATH237 CS115 CS135 ECON201 SCI238 CS350 CS240 STAT330 PHYS115 GEOG203”

u/memectzen: “GEOG 203 Honestly during that term when I had the course I was a bit distracted with gaming and couldn't concentrate on studies, plus it was an 830am class and my ass couldn't handle waking up that early (probs because I slept late) And obviously this term I left my gaming …”

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Fall 2018

Fall 2017

Any way to disable UWCourseLinker from posting? 16 points, 26 comments

“posting a reply to my comment I find the bot annoying.”

u/Jackhofmann: “PSYCH 483 PSYCH 484 PSYCH 485 PSYCH 486 PSYCH 490R PSYCH 499A PSYCH 499B PSYCH 499C PSYCH 621 PSYCH 630 PSYCH 677A PSYCH 704A PSYCH 704B PSYCH 707 PSYCH 710 PSYCH 714 PSYCH 717 PSYCH 720A PSYCH 721A …”

u/Jackhofmann: “… GENE 501 GEOE 299 GEOE 400 GEOE 498 GEOG 100 GEOG 101 GEOG 102 GEOG 181 GEOG 187 GEOG 201 GEOG 203 GEOG 215 GEOG 222 GEOG 233 GEOG 281 GEOG 293 GEOG 294 GEOG 303 GEOG 309 GEOG 310 GEOG 311 GEOG 316 GEOG 319 GEOG 340 GEOG 356 GEOG 371 GEOG 374 GEOG 387 GEOG 404 GEOG 405 GEOG 428 …”

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Spring 2017

Easiest/Most Bird GEOG Courses (Mainly for Fall 2017) 1 point, 10 comments

u/ChinaBBG: “Hello, So I'm currently looking for about 1-2 GEOG courses (above the 200 level) to take as some electives for the Fall 2017 term. Any suggestions? I was thinking GEOG 203 so far”

u/Waterwoogem: “GEOG 203 involves weekly reading quizzes, midterm, final, group presentation (avoid with S. Scott) GEOG 209 (typically 3 labs [participation based], midterm, group report, final). …”

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Fall 2016

GEOG 203 Midterm 3 points, 0 comments

u/ayylmaogeomatics: “Has anyone taken GEOG 203? My midterm is tomorrow and the prof hasn't been helpful on what exactly to study. The format is "four or five short answer questions worth five points then one or two long answer questions worth ten points on everything you were suppose to learn". …”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar