Geography Major

Four Core Courses

Core courses emphasize fundamental geographic concepts over four distinct areas of study.  Courses in the core are designed to build frameworks for understanding the earth, space, and place in a physical and human context.

We strongly encourage students to take the core courses early in your program, not only because it will provide a more thorough understanding of the different areas of study in Geography, but also because core courses are often prerequisites for 200-level courses.

Majors must select at least one course from each of the following four core areas. Minors must select at least two courses from any of the following four core areas.

• Human Environmental Geography (also referred to as Nature Society)
• Urban Economic Geography (also referred to as Globalization, Cities and Development)
• Earth System Science (ESS)
• Geographic Information Science (GIS)

One Skills Course

Skills courses give students the opportunity to acquire and apply research, literacy, numeracy, and mapping skills for generating and interpreting knowledge. Our goal is for students to become critical thinkers and to have an understanding of how knowledge is created. Skills courses must be either offered by the Geography Department or offered by other departments with a Geography attribute.

Four Specialization Courses

Specialization courses are a collection of courses that form a coherent combination (a collaborative effort between you and your advisor). Specialization courses give you an opportunity to explore a specific subject area in depth. Majors are required to take four specialization courses, three of which must be at a 200-level and one of which may be either at a 100-or 200-level.

It is not a requirement that students determine a specialization within Geography, but it is typically a path followed by many students as they take their core courses and generally become particularly interested in one of the four areas. To specialize in one of the four areas in Geography, students must take their four specialization courses within that subject matter.

For example, if a student wants to specialize in GIS as a Geography major, they would take the following:

• 4 Core Courses (as normal)
• 1 Skills Course (GIS related)
• Research Methods (GEOG 141, as normal)
• 4 Specialization Courses within the GIS field
• Capstone (GIS related)

Specializing in a subject area within Geography does not waive the requirement to take a core course in that subject area. All Geography students must take the 4 core courses (1 in each area) to begin, and then they may continue through the major and choose a specialization if they wish to do so.

Research Methods

GEOG 141   is required for all students majoring in Geography. It is advised that you to complete this course before taking 200-level courses in Geography, preferably during your sophomore year (particularly if you plan to study abroad). Research Methods is offered at least once per year, typically in the spring semester.

Comparable courses in other departments may be subject to substitution for the Geography Research Methods course with the approval of the advisor and the Chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee. However, this does not reduce the total number of Geography courses required for the major. Thus, majors for whom a substitution has been granted will need to take an additional Geography course to ensure that a total of 11 Geography courses are taken.

Capstone

One Capstone credit is required for the major. To meet the Capstone requirement, the student must earn a 200-level credit that relates to the student’s specialization that includes at least one of the following:

• Graduate Level Course (as indicated by a combined 200/300 level status)
• Human Environment Regional Observatory program (HERO/IDND 299)
• Directed Study with a faculty advisor (GEOG 299)
• Internship or Research Experience (GEOG 299)
• Honors Thesis (GEOG 297)

The student’s faculty advisor is the judge to determine whether any particular credit satisfies the capstone criteria. The advisor will make the judgment based on the purpose of the capstone, which is for the student to integrate content and skills in Geography, as applied to a particular topic.

The student must obtain their advisor’s permission on the Capstone Form, and then deliver the form to the Progam Administrator before beginning the qualifying activity and before registration for the credit. This capstone credit should be coded as GEOG (e.g. GEOG 299) unless it is a graduate level course, or otherwise noted/requested by the faculty advisor.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the student’s responsibility to coordinate all processes necessary outside of the departmental requirements (i.e. internship-for-credit registration, and/or any additional forms required by the University).

Upon completion of the Capstone credit, the student must obtain on the Capstone Form the permission of the professor/supervisor who awards the Capstone credit and then submit the form to the Program Administrator.

Double Majoring

All majors must complete 11 Geography courses in accordance with the plan described in the Guide to the Major. Two credits at most can count simultaneously for a first and a second major, subject to the approval of the faculty advisor in each department.

University rules that dictate Double majors are in the University’s Blue Book.