Geography, B.S.

Overall Requirements

  • 120 credit hours, to include a minimum of 36 credits at or above the 300 course level.
  • 63-66 credits from the major and concentrations.
  • A minimum of 27 credits in geography above the 100 level. Only grades of C- or higher in GES courses will count toward completion of the major and concentrations.
  • No more than 6 credit hours from GES courses numbered 160-170, 260-289, 360-399, 460-489 may be applied to the major.

Degree Program Requirements

University Requirements
General Education Requirements (MAC)
College of Arts and Sciences Additional Requirements (CIC)

Major Requirements

Select one of the concentrations as detailed following the major requirements.

  • Earth Science
  • Geographic Information Science (GIS)
  • Urban Planning

Electives

Electives sufficient to complete the 120 credit hours required for the degree.

Earth Science Concentration Requirements

A central theme of geography is human interaction with the earth’s physical environment. This concentration permits students to apply the basic scientific principles of physical geography, cartography, and natural resource analysis to the problem of ensuring a high quality of life through maintenance of the natural processes that support human existence. This concentration also provides training to enhance the employment opportunities of students with a strong interest in environmental assessment and resource evaluation.

  • Only grades of C- or higher in GES courses will count toward completion of the concentration.
Earth Science Foundational Courses27
Introduction to Earth Science
and Earth Science Laboratory
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry I Laboratory
General Chemistry II
and General Chemistry II Laboratory
Calculus I
Plus, select three of the following options:
Principles of Biology I
and Principles of Biology I Laboratory
Principles of Biology II
and Principles of Biology II Laboratory
General Physics I
General Physics II
Geographic Techniques7
Introduction to Geographic Information Science
and Intro to Geographic Information Science Laboratory
Plus, select one of the following courses:
Research Methods in Spatial Science
Introduction to Spatial Analysis
Principles of Cartography
Geographic Information Systems
Remote Sensing of Environment
Human Geography3
Select one of the following courses:
Introduction to Human Geography
Cities of the World
Urban Geography: Sustainable Land Use
World Population Problems
Sustainable Transport and Mobility
World Economic Geography
The Geography of World Affairs
Regional Geography3
Select one of the following courses:
The Historical Geography of the Western World
World Regional Geography
Natural Resource Regions of North America
Geography of Europe
Geography of East Asia
Geography of the United States and Canada
Seminar in Regional Geography
Current Topics in Regional Geography
Earth Science Requirement26
Physical Geography: Landscape Processes
and Physical Geography Laboratory
Weather and Climate
and Climatology Laboratory
Biogeography
Select five of the following courses: *
Environmental Change: Its Nature and Impact
Environmental Hazards Assessment
Geomorphology of North America
Introduction to Spatial Analysis
The Water Planet
Elements of Hydrology
Geographic Information Systems
Remote Sensing of Environment
Advanced Weather and Climate-Synoptic Climatology
Applied Physical Geography
*

Courses selected cannot have been taken above.

Geographic Information Science Concentration Requirements

Students with this concentration will develop skills in using maps, geospatial computer programs, and remotely sensed images to answer geographic questions relevant to land use planning, urban development, geomorphic or biogeographic processes, or environmental impact assessment. A capstone course (GES 421), which includes a faculty-directed major project, is completed in the final semester.

  • Only grades of C- or higher in GES courses will count toward completion of the concentration.
Geographic Information Science Foundational Courses15
Introduction to Earth Science
and Earth Science Laboratory
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry I Laboratory
General Physics I
Calculus I
Geographic Techniques7
Introduction to Geographic Information Science
and Intro to Geographic Information Science Laboratory
Research Methods in Spatial Science
Earth Science8
Physical Geography: Landscape Processes
and Physical Geography Laboratory
Weather and Climate
and Climatology Laboratory
Human Geography3
Select one of the following courses:
Introduction to Human Geography
Cities of the World
Urban Geography: Sustainable Land Use
World Population Problems
Sustainable Transport and Mobility
World Economic Geography
The Geography of World Affairs
Regional Geography3
Select one of the following courses:
The Historical Geography of the Western World
World Regional Geography
Natural Resource Regions of North America
Geography of Europe
Geography of East Asia
Geography of the United States and Canada
Seminar in Regional Geography
Current Topics in Regional Geography
Geographic Information Science Requirements27
Introduction to Computer Programming for Non-Majors
Introduction to Spatial Analysis
Principles of Cartography
Geographic Information Systems
Remote Sensing of Environment
Advanced Cartography
Advanced Geographic Information Systems
Advanced Remote Sensing-Imaging
Geographic Information Science *
*

Taken after the completion of the other Concentration Requirements.

Urban Planning Concentration Requirements

The inter-regional shift of people and jobs in the United States and elsewhere over the past decades coupled with the movement away from large central cities has increased the need for formal urban and regional planning. Planners are needed in the private sector as well as in state and local governments to provide the appropriate kinds of economic and community development that will ensure a high quality of life in both developed and developing countries. In a growth region like the Southeast, geographers with a planning background are in increasing demand.

  • Only grades of C- or higher in GES courses will count toward completion of the concentration.
Urban Planning Foundational Courses10
Introduction to Earth Science
and Earth Science Laboratory
Introduction to Human Geography
Select one of the following courses:
Contemporary Topics in Mathematics
Elementary Introduction to Probability and Statistics
Geographic Techniques7
Introduction to Geographic Information Science
and Intro to Geographic Information Science Laboratory
Principles of Cartography
Earth Science4
Select one of the following options:
Physical Geography: Landscape Processes
and Physical Geography Laboratory
Weather and Climate
and Climatology Laboratory
Human Geography3
Select one of the following courses:
World Population Problems
World Economic Geography
The Geography of World Affairs
Regional Geography3
Select one of the following courses:
The Historical Geography of the Western World
World Regional Geography
Natural Resource Regions of North America
Geography of Europe
Geography of East Asia
Geography of the United States and Canada
Seminar in Regional Geography
Current Topics in Regional Geography
Urban Planning Requirements36
Cities of the World
Urban Geography: Sustainable Land Use
Sustainable Transport and Mobility
Geographic Information Systems
Sustainable Urban Planning in an Entrepreneurial Environment
Geography of Livable Cities
Select six of the following courses: *
World Population Problems
World Economic Geography
Tourism Planning and Development
Research Methods in Spatial Science
Introduction to Spatial Analysis
Sustainable Tourism and Transportation
Geography of the United States and Canada
Principles of Cartography
Remote Sensing of Environment
Regional Economic Development
*

Courses selected cannot have been taken above.