The syllabus to Introduction to Human Geography at the University of Minnesota states that geography is more than just lines on a map. The first objective of a geography syllabus should be to inform students that geography is not the measuring and drawing of land on paper, but the way human beings conceive of space, distance, maps and the cultural biases of viewing landscapes. For example, instead of knowing what Manhattan is as a city, geography should teach students what Manhattan means to residents, to the cultural viewpoint of the United States and the world, and what Manhattan means to the view of what a city should be. (See Reference 1.)
The syllabus for the University of South Carolina's Introduction to Geography points out that students need to look at geography through an interdisciplinary lens. This means that geography borrows many insights from other academic fields. For example, studying a piece of land could reveal that the land is rich in natural resources. Therefore, thinking about how geography influences the economic decisions of countries and corporations is an important learning goal to achieve. Another example is the idea of borders. Geography utilizes political insight on how countries create their borders and why countries often go to war and expand their geographic boundaries. (See Reference 2.)
An introductory course in any subject can never go into too much detail concerning current research in the discipline. There is usually never enough time in a semester for a professor to teach beyond-basics ideas to students. However, giving students some knowledge on what contemporary trends exist in geography may help students want to focus their academic careers in the field. For example, the University of Washington's Introduction to Human Geography teaches students the ideas of globalization. With globalization, geographers argue that human society, even with all the physical boundaries of land and sea, is coming closer together with technology and economic markets. Highlighting contemporary trends is an important aspect to a geography syllabus. (See Reference 3.)
According to the syllabus for Geography 101 at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the environment and the way the environment influences geographic landscapes need to be important objectives in any geography course. Learning about the environment and how landscapes are formed by the weather, climate and tectonic plate shifts helps students understand the natural science end of geography. Although social implications are seen in geography, natural science discussions, including geology, climatology and other earth sciences are needed for a fuller understanding of geography. A syllabus must show students that geography is a combination of social and natural sciences, not just social. (See Reference 4.)