Geography

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Undergraduate Programs

Geography stresses the importance of understanding “where things are located” and the processes that create and change the distribution of an access to physical and human resources, such as clean water and health care. Students learn to better understand how natural and human environments become organized geographically by institutional decisions and the consequences of human actions. Geography students study a number of contemporary problems, among them physical resource development, racial/ethnic patterns, urban decay, business geography and pollution. Geography stresses strategies for solving locational and environmental problems. Mapping, Global Positioning Systems and Geographic Information Systems are important tools that geographers learn to apply and solve problems.

The department offers a number of curricular options that permit a general education or the choice of a more specialized focus, such as environmental or urban planning analysis, the use of maps and geographical information systems, or natural resource management. All options provide preparation for graduate work and careers in public and private planning agencies. The courses emphasizes the problem approach, both theoretical and applied. Double majors are encouraged, and special programs may be designed on request.

Geography courses suitable for freshmen include all 100-level courses, plus GEOG 211, 212, 221 and 259. Recommended for students with a general interest in geography and specific issues of global importance, including development, demographic change, urbanization and migration, and international conflict is GEOG 151; for those interested in physical in racial/ethnic geography, GEOG 103.

 

The Geography Department views the grade of D as passing but unsatisfactory. Courses passed with a grade of D, or P, do not fulfill requirements for the major.

Grievance Procedure: Resolution of student-faculty grievances should be worked out in accordance with the departmental grievance procedure, available from the department office.

Independent study courses (GEOG 497) count toward the major tracks only with the approval of the director of undergraduate studies. Each track requires a minimum of five upper-division (300 or 400 level) geography courses.

BA, Track 1: General Geography

TOTAL: 10 courses (40 hours). Credit is granted for equivalent courses.

BA, Track 2: Computer Applications in Human-Environmental Analysis

TOTAL: 10 courses (40 hours). Credit is granted for equivalent courses.

BA, Track 3: Environmental and Resource Management

TOTAL: 10 courses (40 hours). Credit is granted for equivalent courses.

BA, Track 4: Urban and Regional Planning

TOTAL: 10 courses (40 hours). Credit is granted for equivalent courses.

BA, Track 5: Urban: Economic/Retailing Emphasis

TOTAL: 10 courses (40 hours). Credit is granted for equivalent courses.

BA, Track 6: Urban-Environmental Planning

*No double counting with ES internship

TOTAL: 10 courses (40 hours) Credit is granted for equivalent courses.

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Honors in Geography

1.         The student must be an undergraduate geography major with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA and 3.5 GPA in geography.

2.         The student must submit a report based on a project that is completed during his or her last year.

3.         This project may be based on any one of the following:

4.         The project must be completed under the direction of a faculty adviser and must be approved by at least two other faculty members in the Geography Department.

5.         Designation of honors will depend on creativity, technical analytical soundness and the overall quality of the final product.

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High Honors in Geography

1.         The student must be an undergraduate geography major with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA and 3.5 GPA in geography.

2.         The student must write an honors thesis to be completed in the last semester of his or her undergraduate studies.

3.         The student must register for GEOG 499.

4.         The student must talk to his or her faculty adviser about intentions and topic.

5.         The thesis must represent original research on a geographic theme and/or technique.

6.         The thesis must be approved by the faculty adviser and an honors thesis committee of one or two faculty members.

7.         The thesis must be completed two weeks prior to the end of the semester in which the student plans to graduate.

 

Inability to complete the work will result in a grade for GEOG 499, but no honors recognition.

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Requirements for Geography Minors

Geographical Information Systems

The six courses required for this minor are:

Environmental Resource Management

The six courses required for this minor are:

Physical Geography

The six courses required for the minor are:

Urban Planning

The six courses required for the minor are:

Two of the following:

One of the following:

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Course Offerings: Undergraduate

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all undergraduate courses carry four credits and are offered every year.

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