Geography Major

Major Requirements

The geography major consists of nine courses. The classes comprising the major will be selected in a manner that builds from the introductory classes to the advanced seminars and will include the following:

• One foundation course: GEOG 111 - Human Geography of Global Issues  or GEOG 113 - World Regional Geography: People, Places and Globalization  

Note:  Students can earn credit equivalent to GEOG 111 or GEOG 113 by scoring a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam in Human Geography. Students who do so are still required to take nine geography courses for the major.

• Two research methods courses: GEOG 225 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems  and GEOG 378 - Statistical Research Methods in Geography  
• One area studies course, which may be satisfied through one of the following:
  • A regional geography course in the department (e.g., GEOG 242 - Regional Geography of the US and Canada , GEOG 243 - Geography of Africa: Local Resources and Livelihoods in a Global Context , GEOG 244 - Geography of Asia: the Political Economy , or GEOG 249 - Environment and Society in Latin America )
  • An approved study abroad program
  • The student may petition to count a comprehensive area studies course in another department for regions not covered by the geography department 

If the student fulfills the area studies requirement through a study abroad program or a non-geography course, they must still take nine geography courses for the major.

• Four intermediate courses – 200 or 300 level
• One research seminar course: 
  • GEOG 472 - Global Urbanism 
  • GEOG 475 - Medical Geography Seminar 
  • GEOG 476 - Transportation Geography Seminar 
  • GEOG 477 - Comparative Environment and Development 
  • GEOG 478 - Cities of the 21st Century: The Political Economy of Urban Sustainability 
  • GEOG 479 - Migrants, Migration and the Global Landscape of Population Change  

The senior capstone requirement in geography will be satisfied by completing one 400-level research seminar course. GEOG 377 - Qualitative Research Methods in Geography  is strongly recommended for majors planning to attend graduate school.

The department supports four types of emphases within the major: 1) urban and economic geography, 2) nature-society geography, 3) cultural and political geography, and 4) geographic information sciences (GIS). Majors should take care to sample a breadth of courses across the discipline, while striving to develop depth in one of these areas through a few courses. That said, it is not a requirement to have a specific focus within the geography major.