Departments & Programs

Geography

Major in Geography—B.S.

Purpose

The B.S. degree provides additional science and quantitative requirements that prepare science-oriented students for graduate school and science-related jobs at the bachelor's degree level.

Required Courses

General requirements

• Writing: English composition (3 cr.) and Intensive Writing (3 cr.)
• Foreign Language: 3 credit hours at the second-year level
• Arts and Humanities: two courses
• Social and Historical Studies: two courses, including at least one course from Geography
• Natural and Mathematical Sciences: fulfilled by major
• Critical Approaches course: 3 credit hours
• One Public Oral Communication course
• Electives to fulfill remaining credits

Students must complete all degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Major Requirements

1. A minimum of 30 credit hours in Geography, including at least 18 credit hours at the 300-400 level with at least 6 credit hours at the 400 level.
2. G208.
3. G237 or G338.
4. G250.
5. G488.
6. ASCS-Q 299 College to Career III: Market Yourself for the Job and Internship Search.
7. G498 Capstone Seminar.
8. Students may choose
   1. the Comprehensive option. Courses are chosen from across the breadth of the Geography curriculum such that all requirements above are met, or
   2. the Concentration option. At least 15 credit hours are chosen from a single concentration area as detailed below. When the topic is relevant, G450 and G460 may be used as part of the concentration area. The selected concentration must be declared with the undergraduate advisor and will appear on the official transcript.
9. Mathematics: M119-M120 or M211-M212.
10. At least 9 credit hours in
    • Biology, including L111 and L473, or
    • Chemistry, including C117 and at least one course at the 300-400 level, or
    • Computer Science, including at least one course at the 300-400 level, or
    • Economics, including at least one course at the 300-400 level, or
    • Statistics, including at least one course at the 300-400 level.

Concentration Areas

Students may select one of the following concentration areas. Participating faculty are listed below with the appropriate specialties. Alternatively, the comprehensive option detailed above may be chosen by students who want to draw courses from the full breadth of geography.

A. Climate, Land and Environmental Change

Select from G221 (subject to approval of topic), G250, G304, G305 (subject to approval of topic), G307, G315, G320, G336, G341, G343, G350, G405, G407, G444, G449, G450, G451, G452, G460, G461, G477, G478, G488, and G489. (Evans, Ficklin, Hwang, Maxwell, Robeson, Roy Chowdhury).

B. Food and Agriculture

Select from G220 (subject to approval of topic), G306 (subject to approval of topic), G315, G320, G343, G369, G380, G411, G417, G441, G448, G449, G450, G460, G461, G478, and G488. (Akhter, Dunn, Evans, Knudsen, Roy Chowdhury)

C. Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing

Select from G250, G305 (subject to approval of topic), G306 (subject to approval of topic), G336, G350, G436, G438, G439, G448,  G450, G460, G488, and G489. (Evans, Ficklin, Hwang, Maxwell, Robeson, Roy Chowdhury)

D. Globalization, Development and Justice

Select from G220 (subject to approval of topic), G306 (subject to approval of topic), G314, G315, G316, G320, G323, G325, G326, G332, G341, G343, G369, G380, G411, G415, G417, G425, G427, G428, G441, G448, G449, G450, G460, G478, and G488. (Akhter, Ashutosh, Dunn, Evans, Knudsen, Lave, Roy Chowdhury)

E. Water Resources

Select from G221 (subject to approval of topic), G250, G305 (subject to approval of topic), G316, G341, G343, G350, G411, G440, G449, G450, G451, G460, G461, G478, and G488. (Akhter, Evans, Ficklin, Hwang, Lave)