Geography & Geographic Information Science: Geographic Information Science, BSLAS
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Geographic Information Science Concentration
A Bachelor of Science in Geography & Geographic Information Science with Geographic Information Science concentration prepares students to use cutting-edge geospatial technologies and data to examine environmental and social issues; support business decisions; protect the environment; and manage the massive amounts of spatial data generated from mobile devices and sensor networks. The GIS concentration provides in-depth practical and field training, preparing students for geospatial careers- one of the fastest-growing domestic job sectors.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Geographic Information Science 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 | |
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours
Minimum required major and supporting course work: A minimum of 36 credit hours of Geography and 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 | |
fulfilled by GGIS 371 and any other course approved as Quantitative Reasoning I | ||
| 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 | ||
Geographic Information Science (GIS) Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Concentration Hours | 30-35 | |
| GIS Core Courses: | ||
| GGIS 371 | Spatial Analysis | 4 |
| GGIS 379 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GGIS 380 | Geographic Information Systems II | 4 |
| Computer Science Course (Select 1): | 3 | |
| Intro Computing: Non-Tech | ||
| Introduction to Computer Science I | ||
or equivalent course approved by the Department’s Advisor | ||
| GIS Elective Courses (Select 3): | 9-12 | |
| Business Location Decisions | ||
| Intro to Social Statistics | ||
| Enterprise GIS | ||
| Geographic Information Science and Systems | ||
| Foundations of CyberGIS & Geospatial Data Science | ||
| Geospatial Technologies & Society | ||
| Earth Systems Modeling | ||
| Health Applications of GIS | ||
| 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 | ||
| Human and/or Physical Geography Courses (Select 2): | 6-8 | |
| Cities of the World | ||
| Social & Environmental Issues | ||
| Landscapes, Ecosystems and Environmental Change (if not taken to satisfy the Physical Core course requirement in the major) | ||
| Geographies of Global Conflict (if not taken to satisfy the Human 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 | ||
| People, Places, and Environments of the US (if not taken to satisfy the Human Core course requirement in the major) | ||
| Environment and Society | ||
| Sustainability and the City | ||
| Water Planet, Water Crisis | ||
| Population Geography | ||
| Watershed Hydrology | ||
| Geography Field Course | ||
| Fluvial Geomorphology | ||
| Humans and River Systems | ||
| Green Development | ||
| Urban Geographies of Migration | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Geography of Health Care | ||
| Sustainable Planning Seminar | ||
| Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa | ||
| Ecohydraulics | ||
| Transportation &Sustainability | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| Modern Geographic Thought | ||
| Challenges of Sustainability | ||
| Urban Geography | ||
| Advanced Topics in Geography | ||
| Climate & Social Vulnerability | ||
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Geographic Information Science 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 | Free elective course | 4 |
| Free elective course | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| GGIS 371 | 4 | GGIS 379 | 4 |
| General Education course | 3 | Geographic Informational Science Concentration course | 4 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| Free elective course | 3 | Free elective course | 3 |
| 13 | 14 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| GGIS 380 | 4 | Geographic Information Science Concentration course | 3 |
| Human and/or Physical Geography course | 4 | CS 105 or 124 | 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 |
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Geographic Information Science Concentration course | 3 | Human and/or Physical Geography course | 4 |
| 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 | 2 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Major in Geography & Geographic Information Science, Geographic Information Science 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, Geographic Information Science Concentration
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