Requirements for the Geography Major

The geography major program is organized around three areas of emphasis.

• Globalization: A focus on the geographies of globalization and its political, cultural, and economic dimensions. Includes course work in geopolitics, economic and cultural globalization, international development, migration, and regional geographies.
  
• Community, Development, and Culture: A focus on how people living in specific places and regions experience and affect social, cultural, economic, and environmental processes. Includes course work in planning and urban geography, local development processes and policies, race and place, human-environment relationships, and regional geographies
  
• Nature and Society: A focus on the climatologic, geomorphic, biogeographic, and social processes that shape the natural environment and affect human life. Includes course work in physical geography, human-environment relationships, and regional geographies.

Geography Major Requirements

Introductory Courses

Three courses (11 credits) that include: GEOG 101: World Regional Geography OR GEOG 102: Human Geography GEOG 110: Physical Geography I AND GEOG 111: Physical Geography II (GEOL 112 can be substituted for GEOG 111)

Methods

Two courses (at least 6 credits), at least one in geography and one at the 300-level or higher; these classes should be selected according to your area of emphasis with the help of an advisor. The choices include:

GEOG 250: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Cartography
GEOG 255: Mobile GIS and Global Positioning Systems
GEOG 340: Remote Sensing and Air Photo Interpretation
GEOG 351: Spatial Analysis with GIS
GEOG 365: Field Methods in Geography
GISC 200: Introduction to GIS
ANTH 200: Ethnography
MATH 200: Introduction to Statistics
SOCG 364: Quantitative Research Methods and Analysis
SOCG 365: Qualitative Research Methods and Analysis or other courses approved by an advisor.

Advanced Courses

Three courses in geography (9 credits) chosen from GEOG 300-339, 360, 410, 485, or 491. These will be chosen by the student in consultation with her/his academic advisor to reflect the student's area of emphasis (see listing of courses below.)

Electives

Two additional courses (6-8 credits), chosen by the student in consultation with her/his academic advisor to reflect the student's area of emphasis. Any geography course or approved course in related fields fulfills this requirement.

Minimum required credits = 35 (with a maximum of two classes taken outside the discipline).

Click here for a downloadable copy of the major requirements (pdf format.)

 

Geography Courses by Area of Emphasis

Globalization	Community, Development & Culture	Nature and Society
GEOG 300: Australia, NZ, & the South Pacific	GEOG 221: Eastern North America	GEOG 221: Eastern North America
GEOG 301: Latin America & Caribbean	GEOG 222: Western North America	GEOG 222: Western North America
GEOG 303: Europe	GEOG 301: Latin America & Caribbean	GEOG 240: Natural Hazards
Geog 304: Middle East	Geog 304: Middle East	GEOG 300: Australia, NZ, & the South Pacific
GEOG 305: Sub-Saharan Africa	GEOG 305: Sub-Saharan Africa	GEOG 301: Latin America & Caribbean
GEOG 307: Asia	GEOG 331: Race and Place in America	GEOG 310: Human Environment
GEOG 332: Migration Politics in a Globalizing World	GEOG 330: Introduction to Planning	GEOG 325: Dynamic Climatology
GEOG 336: Globalization and Local Development	GEOG 336: Globalization and Local Development	GEOG 327: Climate Change
GEOG 338: Geopolitics	GEOG 337: The Nature of Cities	GEOG 337: The Nature of Cities
GEOG 339: Geography and Development	GEOG 339: Geography and Development	GEOG 485: Readings
GEOG 360: Study Abroad	GEOG 485: Readings	GEOG 491: Individual Study
GEOG 485: Readings	GEOG 491: Individual Study	Study Abroad *
GEOG 491: Individual Study	Study Abroad *

*Relevant study abroad courses may be used to fulfill requirements in these areas of specialization, but must be approved by the Department prior to a student's departure.

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Related links

Complete listing of Geography courses

Click here to download the old (before 2007) Requirements for the Geography Major (pdf format)

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