COURSE CURRICULUM

The Geography BS degree (120 hours) is designed to build strong skills in understanding the Earth, people, and environments through science, maps, and spatial analysis. In the first part, you complete general education courses in English writing, natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, math, communication, and a capstone structure that ensures you can read, write, speak, and think critically. You must also take science lab courses, a mathematics course, and communication-intensive and speaking-intensive courses to build academic and professional skills. The main geography requirements begin with core subjects like World Geography, Cartography (map reading), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which teach how to analyze spatial data and create maps used in research, government, and industry. You also study Cultural Systems in the Environment (writing-intensive course) and finish with a senior capstone seminar on contemporary geographic issues, which brings together everything learned in the degree. After the core, students take additional upper-level geography electives (around 17 hours) where they can specialize in areas like climate, land use, environment, GIS applications, or regional studies. A major feature of this program is flexibility: students must also complete a minor or related field chosen with an advisor, allowing them to combine geography with interests like environmental science, urban planning, political science, or data analysis. Overall, the degree prepares students for careers in environmental management, GIS and mapping jobs, urban planning, disaster management, government services, and international development, while also providing a strong foundation for graduate studies.