Geography & Geographic Information Science: Physical Geography, BSLAS
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Physical Geography Concentration
A Bachelor of Science in Geography & Geographic Information Science with the Physical Geography concentration will prepare students to examine the environmental sciences including patterns of climate, landforms, vegetation, soils, and water.
Graduates will be equipped for careers in environmental science and consulting, land and water resource management, and remote sensing using satellite data and UAVs (drones).
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Physical Geography Concentration
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours
Minimum required major and supporting course work: A minimum of 35 credit hours of Geography & Geographic Information Science courses. Twelve (12) hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus.
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300 and 400 level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | ||
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
| Language Requirement (Completion of the fourth semester or equivalent of a language other than English, or completion of the third semester in two different languages other than English is required) | 0-20 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation and Professional Development | ||
| LAS 101 | Design Your First Year Experience | 1 |
OR | ||
| LAS 100 & LAS 101 | Success in LAS for International Students and Design Your First Year Experience | 3 |
OR | ||
| LAS 102 | Transfer Advantage | 1 |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Geography & GIS Core Requirements | 6-8 | |
| Physical Geography Course (Select one): | ||
| Introduction to Meteorology | ||
| Earth's Physical Systems | ||
| Landscapes, Ecosystems and Environmental Change | ||
| Big Rivers of the World | ||
| Human Geography Course (Select one): | ||
| Global Development & Environment | ||
| Social and Cultural Geography | ||
| Geographies of Globalization | ||
| Social & Environmental Issues | ||
| Geographies of Global Conflict | ||
| People, Places, and Environments of the US | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students must choose one of the following concentrations: | ||
| Geographic Information Science | 30-35 | |
| Physical Geography | 29-31 | |
| Concentration Credit Hours Required | 29-35 | |
Physical Geography Concentration Requirements:
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours
Minimum required major and supporting coursework: A minimum of 35 credit hours of Geography & Geographic Information Science courses. Twelve (12) hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus.
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300 and 400 level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree, including courses outside of GGIS. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
| Language Requirement (Completion of the fourth semester or equivalent of a language other than English, or completion of the third semester in two different languages other than English is required) | 0-20 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation and Professional Development | ||
| LAS 101 | Design Your First Year Experience | 1 |
OR | ||
| LAS 100 & LAS 101 | Success in LAS for International Students and Design Your First Year Experience | 3 |
OR | ||
| LAS 102 | Transfer Advantage | 1 |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Geography & GIS Core Requirements | 6-8 | |
| Physical Geography Course (Select 1): | ||
| Introduction to Meteorology | ||
| Earth's Physical Systems | ||
| Landscapes, Ecosystems and Environmental Change | ||
| Big Rivers of the World | ||
| Human Geography Course (Select 1): | ||
| Global Development & Environment | ||
| Social and Cultural Geography | ||
| Geographies of Globalization | ||
| Social & Environmental Issues | ||
| Geographies of Global Conflict | ||
| People, Places, and Environments of the US | ||
Physical Geography Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Concentration Hours | 29-31 | |
| GIS Courses (Select 1): | ||
| GGIS 371 | Spatial Analysis | 4 |
| GGIS 379 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| 200- to 400-level Geography and Geographic Information Science Courses (at least 8 hours must be at the 300- or 400- level) selected from the following: | 25-27 | |
| Landscapes, Ecosystems and Environmental Change (if not taken to satisfy the Physical Core course requirement in the major) | ||
| Big Rivers of the World (if not taken to satisfy the Physical Core course requirement in the major) | ||
| Geopolitics & Technology | ||
| Environmental Data Science | ||
| Intro to Social Statistics | ||
| Water Planet, Water Crisis | ||
| Spatial Analysis (if not taken to satisfy the GIS Core Course requirement in the major) | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (if not taken to satisfy the GIS Core Course requirement in the major) | ||
| Geographic Information Systems II | ||
| Enterprise GIS | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Honors Independent Study | ||
| Watershed Hydrology | ||
| Geographic Information Science and Systems | ||
| Geography Field Course | ||
| Fluvial Geomorphology | ||
| Foundations of CyberGIS & Geospatial Data Science | ||
| Humans and River Systems | ||
| Geospatial Technologies & Society | ||
| Earth Systems Modeling | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Health Applications of GIS | ||
| Ecohydraulics | ||
| Aerial Photo Analysis | ||
| Digital Cartography & Map Design | ||
| Environmental Remote Sensing | ||
| Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
| Techniques of Remote Sensing | ||
| Advanced Topics in GIS | ||
| Principles of Geographic Information Science | ||
| Programming for GIS | ||
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Physical Geography Concentration
Sample Sequence
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a fourth level of a language other than English. See the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| GGIS 103 (or GGIS 100 or GGIS 222) | 4 | Geography & GIS core course | 4 |
| Free elective course | 1 | General Education course or Composition 1 | 4 |
| Language Other than English (3rd level) | 4 | Language Other than English (4th level) | 4 |
| Composition I or General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| Free elective course | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| GGIS 371 (or GGIS 379) | 4 | 200 - 400- level course from concentration list | 3 |
| 200 - 400- level course from concentration list | 3 | 200 - 400- level course from concentration list | 4 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| Free elective course | 3 | ||
| 16 | 13 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| 200 - 400 level course from concentration list | 3 | 200 - 400 - level course from concentration list | 3 |
| 200 - 400- level course from concentration list | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | Free elective course | 3 |
| Free elective course | 3 | Free elective course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| 300 - 400- level course from concentration list | 3 | 300 - 400- level course from concentration list | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | Free elective course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | Free elective course | 3 |
| Free elective course | 3 | Free elective course | 3 |
| Free elective course | 3 | Free elective course | 4 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Physical Geography Concentration
Undergraduate Degree Programs in Geography & Geographic Information Science
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Major in Computer Science & Geography & GIS, BSLAS
- Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Geographic Information Science Concentration, BSLAS
- Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Physical Geography Concentration, BSLAS
For the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Physical Geography Concentration
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