Geography Major (BA)
College: College of Social Sciences & Professional Studies
Preparation for Graduate School
A major in geography provides excellent preparation for students seeking graduate study and degrees in geography, urban planning, environmental studies, international affairs, resource management, and other related fields.
Those opting for a concentration in anthropology are likewise qualified to enter graduate programs in a variety of fields, including historic preservation, cultural resource management, forensic anthropology, museum studies, global studies, international development, as well as find work in a range of public and private settings, such as in nonprofit social organizations, government agencies, and businesses.
Internships
The department is strengthened by an internship program with placement in local public or private sector locations, as well as the GIS Lab. Students can gain valuable experience in a variety of real-world settings which increases their skills and adds to their resumes.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Knowledge: [global perspective and individual accountability] Apply fundamental geographic and anthropological knowledge and concepts in the major areas of physical geography, human geography, and anthropology; analyze the interrelationships between the environment/nature and human activities.
- Analytical and Technical Skills: [analytical skills; information technology competence] Utilize a variety of tools: maps, statistics, field methods, geographic information systems; global positioning systems in geography; and anthropological field methods such as archaeological excavation and ethnographic interviewing as well as analysis of material culture or meanings and social relationships; analyze and use appropriate technologies where available.
- Synthesize and Communicate: [critical thinking; literacy and oral communication] Demonstrate critical thinking skills to conduct research and solve problems, such as review literature, collect and analyze data using a variety of methods, and present the results.
Requirements for the Geography Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses 1 | ||
| Required Core Courses | ||
| GEOG 100 | Physical Geography and the Environment | 3 |
| GEOG 108 | Culture and Environmental Sustainability | 3 |
| GEOG 110 | Introduction to Geography: World Regions | 3 |
| GEOG 323 | Climate Change | 3 |
| GEOG 350 | Cartography and GIS | 3 |
| GEOG 360 | Urban Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 495 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| ANTH 357 | Livelihoods, Exchange, and Globalization | 3 |
| Elective Core Courses | ||
| Human Geography Elective | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Geography of American Ethnicity and Race | ||
| Contemporary Human Geography | ||
| Elective Statistics Course 2 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Biostatistics | ||
| Statistics for the Social Sciences | ||
| Core Courses Subtotal | 31 | |
| Choose one Major Completion Option | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 40 | |
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Geography majors are required to complete the following courses or their equivalents; geography majors choosing a concentration in anthropology have a different set of required core courses and electives to allow for a heavier focus on anthropology. The full list of requirements for the geography major with a concentration in anthropology are listed together under the anthropology concentration section (B.4.).
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A substitution of an appropriate statistics course for student’s interest may be chosen in consultation with advisor.
Major Completion Options
General Geography Major
The general major is designed to provide students a broad background in geography.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select nine credits of 300-level and above GEOG courses 1 | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
- 1
GEOG 494 (Internship) and GEOG 499 (Independent Study) may be counted towards these credits in consultation with the department.
Concentration in Planning
The concentration in planning is for geography majors interested in careers or graduate study in urban and regional planning, business planning, environmental planning, or related fields.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GEOG 365 | Geography in Land Use Planning | 3 |
| GEOG 375 | Geography of Transportation | 3 |
| Required Courses Subtotal | 6 | |
| Elective Course 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Natural Disasters and Society | ||
| Conservation of Cultural and Natural Resources | ||
| GIS and Planning | ||
| Landscape Ecology | ||
| Elective Course Subtotal | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
- 1
GEOG 494 (Internship) and GEOG 499 (Independent Study) may be counted towards these credits in consultation with the department.
Concentration in Applied Environmental Geography
This concentration allows geography majors to emphasize physical geography and environmental analysis through a combination of classroom, lab, and field experiences. A career in environmental management is one example of where this concentration could be used.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following: 1 | 9 | |
| Environmental Anthropology | ||
| Natural Disasters and Society | ||
| Conservation of Cultural and Natural Resources | ||
| Landforms and Environmental Processes | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Soil Ecosystems and Resources | ||
| Landscape Ecology | ||
| Field Methods in Geography | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
- 1
GEOG 494 (Internship) and GEOG 499 (Independent Study) may be counted towards these credits in consultation with the department.
Concentration in Anthropology
This concentration allows students to emphasize anthropology. This concentration takes a four-field approach, covering cultural, linguistic, biological anthropology and archaeology. The core course requirements for the anthropology concentration differ from the other geography major completion options to allow for more appropriate anthropology courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| GEOG 100 | Physical Geography and the Environment | 3 |
| or GEOG 105 | Contemporary Human Geography | |
| GEOG 350 | Cartography and GIS | 3 |
| GEOG 495 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| Required Core Courses Subtotal | 9 | |
| Required Overview Courses | ||
| ANTH 100 | Introduction to Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 200 | Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 201 | Introduction to Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH 202 | Human Evolution | 3 |
| Required Overview Courses Subtotal | 12 | |
| Methods, Theory, and Fieldwork Courses | ||
| SOCA 250 | Statistics for the Social Sciences 1 | 4 |
| or BIOS 210 | Biostatistics | |
| SOCA 295 | Social Science Research Methods | 3 |
| ANTH 300 | Topics in Data Collection and Analysis: | 3 |
| ANTH 302 | Anthropological Theory | 3 |
| ANTH 491 | Anthropology Fieldwork | 3 |
| Methods, Theory, and Fieldwork Courses Subtotal | 16 | |
| Regional Ethnographic Elective | ||
| ANTH 227 | North American Indians | 3 |
| or ANTH 228 | Peoples of Southeast Asia | |
| Regional Ethnographic Elective Subtotal | 3 | |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Forensic Anthropology | ||
| Anthropology of Language | ||
| Archaeology of North America | ||
| Livelihoods, Exchange, and Globalization | ||
| Migration and Immigration | ||
| Environmental Anthropology | ||
| Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
| International Development and Change | ||
| Special Topics in Anthropology | ||
| Internship in Anthropology | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Urban Geography | ||
| Elective Courses Subtotal | ||
| Total Credits | 46 | |
- 1
A substitution of an appropriate statistics course for student’s interest may be chosen in consultation with advisor.
General University Degree Requirements (Bachelor's Degree)
In addition to individual program requirements, students must also fulfill the following requirements:
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Skills | 7-8 |
| General Education | 36 |
| Foreign Language** | 6-8 |
| Ethnic Diversity | 3 |
| Total | 52-55 |
** Transfer students in sustainable management, and health information management and technology collaborative, online degree-completion programs, the business management online degree-completion program, and the flexible option degree-completion program will be exempt from the university’s foreign language requirement. See appropriate academic section for further information.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | ||
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Reading | 3 |
| Computational Skills | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4-5 | |
| Survey of Mathematics | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| College Algebra I | ||
| Total Credits | 7-8 | |
Degree Requirements
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Minimum Total Credits | 120 |
| Upper Level Credits (300 level or above) | 36 |
| Residency | 30 |
Cumulative Degree GPA: 2.0 minimum