The Major
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 GEOG 314.
Requirements for B.A. Degree:
Introductory Courses (8 cr)
GEOG 110 Global Environmental Change plus one of the following:
GEOG 102 Intro to Human Geography
GEOG 150 The Earth Transformed: World Environmental Issues
Skills and Techniques (12 cr)
GEOG 314 Junior Year Writing (required)
GEOG 340 Quantitative Methods (required; may substitute equivalent statistics course) plus one of the following:
GEOG 352 Computer Mapping
GEOG 426 Introduction to Remote Sensing
GEOG 468 Introduction to GIS
GEOG 486 Field Methods in Geography (required; fulfills integrative experience requirement)
Upper-Division Elective Courses (21 cr)
Students take 21 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 (12 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:
GEOG 110 Global Environmental Change (4 credits)
GEOG 150* The Earth Transformed: World Environmental Issues (4 credits)
GEOG 102* Intro to Human Geography (4 Credits)
*GEOG 150 is recommended; GEO-SCI 102 will be accepted
300-500 level (12 credits)-Four of the following Environmental Geography courses:
GEOG 362 Conservation Geography
GEOG 372 Urban Issues
GEOG 420 Political Ecology
GEOG 450 Indigenous Peoples and Conservation
GEOG 458 Climate Change
GEOG 497E Geography, Policy and the Environment
GEOG 497W Water Geographies: Conflict & Sustainability
GEOG 492NP National Parks and Protected Areas
2. Methods and Skills Courses (12 credits)
Three 300-500 level courses are required
GEOG 314 Writing in Geography
GEOG 340 Quantitative Methods or an equivalent statistics course
GEOG 486 Field Methods in Geography (required; fulfills integrative experience requirement)
Plus one of the following:
GEOG 352 Computer Mapping
GEOG 468 GIS and Spatial Analysis
GEOG 426 Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation
GEOG 636 Advanced Remote Sensing
GEOG 678 Spatial Data Analysis
3. Elective Courses (9 credits)
Nine 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:
GEOG 354 Climatology
GEOG 560 Geomorphology and an advanced physical geography course, such as:
GEOG 591C Introduction to Climate Modeling
GEO-SCI 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)
GEOL 101 The Earth
CMPSCI 121 Introduction to Problem Solving with Computers
