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The major combines a solid grounding in required courses with the maximum opportunity to shape an individual program serving personal interests and career intentions. Students should consult with their faculty adviser to ensure that a sound individual program is developed.

A minimum of a 2.000 average in the courses applied to the Geography major is required for graduation. The Junior Year Writing requirement is fulfilled by enrolling in GEO-SCI 314.

Requirements for B.A. Degree:

Introductory Courses (8 cr)
100 Global Environmental Change plus one of the following:
102 The Human Landscape
150 The Earth Transformed: World Environmental Issues

Skills and Techniques (9 cr)
314 Junior Year Writing (required)
340 Quantitative Methods (required) plus one of the following:
352 Computer Cartography
392Q Qualitative Methods and Ethics in Geography
426 Introduction to Remote Sensing
468 Introduction to GIS

Upper-Division Elective Courses (24 cr)
Students take 24 credits in Geography courses numbered 200 and above. These courses are chosen in consultation with the student’s individual adviser and the chief undergraduate adviser.

Requirements for a B.A. Degree with a Concentration in Environmental Geography:

Core Courses (20 Credits)
Methods and Skills (9 credits) (including Writing in Geography)
Elective Courses (12 credits)

1. Core Courses (20 credits)

Two 100 level core courses (8 credits) and four 300-500 level core courses (12 credits) in Geography are required as follows:

100 level (8 credits)-two of the following three geography courses:

GEO-SCI 100 Global Environmental Change (4 credits)
GEO-SCI 150* The Earth Transformed: World Environmental Issues (4 credits)
GEO-SCI 102* The Human Landscape (4 Credits)

*GEO-SCI 150 is recommended; GEO-SCI 102 will be accepted

300-500 level (12 credits)-Four of the following Environmental Geography courses:

GEO-SCI 362 Conservation Geography
GEO-SCI 372 Urban Issues
GEO-SCI 420 Political Ecology
GEO-SCI 450 Indigenous Peoples and Conservation
GEO-SCI 458 Climate Change
GEO-SCI 497E Geography, Policy and the Environment
GEO-SCI 497W Water Geographies: Conflict & Sustainability
GEO-SCI 592N National Parks and Protected Areas

2. Methods and Skills Courses (9 credits)

Three 300-500 level courses are required

GEO-SCI 314 Writing in Geography
GEO-SCI 340 Quantitative Methods

Plus one of the following:

GEO-SCI 352 Computer Mapping
GEO-SCI 468 GIS and Spatial Analysis
GEO-SCI 426 Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation
GEO-SCI 591D Spatial Data Analysis
GEO-SCI 594Q Advanced Remote Sensing

3. Elective Courses (12 credits)

Twelve additional credits.  At least 6 of these elective credits must be in Geography courses.  Students may choose electives from the 300-500 level core courses or methods and skills courses (see lists above) which they have not used to fulfill those requirements and may also take elective courses outside of the Geosciences Department with the approval of the undergraduate advisor.  Up to 3 credits may be independent study and an additional 3 credits may be senior thesis credits.

Requirements for B.S. Degree in Physical Geography

In addition to the courses required for the B.A. degree:
Three advanced physical geography courses (9 credits), including:
354 Climatology
560 Geomorphology and an advanced physical geography course, such as:
591C Introduction to Climate Modeling
595D Oceans and Climate
(These courses may count for three of the required upper-division courses in Geography.)

General Science Courses (18-24 credits)
Calculus (6-8 cr)
General college physics (6-8 cr)
General college chemistry (6-8 cr)

General Geoscience Courses (7 credits)
101 The Earth
CMPSCI 121 Introduction to Problem Solving with Computers