Undergraduate Curriculum
Curriculum
Faculty
Environment & Society
Undergraduates who are interested in the Environment and Society specialization will need to meet the following requirements and complete the required course work to earn a B.A. in Geography. Undergraduates also will be interested in the acquired skill sets as a part of this course work, the types of issues and topics that are addressed, and the career opportunities that are available within this field.
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Requirements
| Required Geography credit hours: | 48+ |
|---|---|
| Other Required course: | Statistics 145 or higher |
Required courses
Below are the course requirements for students in the Environment and Society specialization. Please be aware that requirements are subject to change. The definitive version can be found in the Department of Geography Undergraduate Manual.
| Course | Credits | Prerequisites | Quarter(s) Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geog 210: Physical Geography and Environmental Issues OR Geog H410: Global Climate and Environmental Change | 5/5 | None/None | All/Varies |
| Geog 430: Geographical Perspectives on the Environment and Society | 5 | Geog 210 | Autumn |
| Geog 607: Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems | 5 | None | Autumn |
| Geog 683: Intro to Geog Analysis | 5 | Stat 145 or 245 | Autumn |
| Geog 695: Undergraduate Seminar Applied Geography | 5 | 20 hr. in Geography | Spring |
| Course | Credits | Prerequisites | Quarter(s) Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geog 605: Special Problems in the Geography of Latin America | 5 | None | Winter |
| Geog 630: Conservation of Natural Resources | 5 | None | Winter |
| Geog 635: Globalization and Environment | 5 | None | Winter |
| Geog 670: Population Geography | 5 | Geog 240 | Winter |
| Geog 642: Geography of Development | 5 | Non | Spring |
| Geol 210: Energy, Mineral Resources, and Society | 5 | None | Winter, Spring |
| Anthrop 602.03: Environmental Archaeology | 5 | None | Varies |
| Anthrop 610: Ethnobotany | 5 | None | Varies |
| Anthrop 401 | 5 | None | Varies |
| Anthrop 620.05: Cultural Ecology | 5 | Anthrop 202, or Equiv. | Varies |
| Agr Econ 531: Environmental and Natural Resources Economics | 5 | None | Varies |
| Agr Econ 680: Economics of Growth/Sprawl in America's Countryside | 5 | None | Varies |
| NR 367: The Making and Meaning of the American Landscape | 5 | None | All |
| NR 400: Natural Resources Policy | 5 | NR 201 & 203 | Varies |
| Hist 366: Environmental Issues in Historical Perspective | 5 | None | Varies |
| Hist 567: American Environmental History | 5 | Soph. Standing | Varies |
| Comp Std 272: Science and Society | 5 | Eng 100 or Equiv. | Varies |
| Comp Std 535: Gender and Science | 5 | See Master | Varies |
| Rural Soc 678: Women in Rural Society | 5 | See Master | Varies |
| Course | Credits | Prerequisites | Quarter(s) Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geog 280: Map Reading and Interpretation | 5 | None | Varies |
| Geog 580: Introduction to Cartography | 5 | None | All |
| Geog 685: Intermediate GIS | 5 | Geog 607 | Winter |
| Geog 680: Numerical Cartography | 5 | Geog 580, Math 150 | Winter |
| C&E Eng 603: Remote Sensing | 4 | CE 405 or Survey 450 | Winter |
| C&E Eng 604: Terrain Analysis | 4 | CE 405 | Autumn |
| NR 324: Natural Resources Photo Interpretation | 5 | NR 201 or 203 | Winter |
| J Comm. 602: Magazine Writing | 5 | None | Summer |
| Course | Credits | Prerequisites | Quarter(s) Offered | Option 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geog 520: Climatology | 5 | None | Autumn, Winter |
| Geog 597.02: Integrated Earth Systems | 5 | None | Winter |
| AS/Geog 620: Synoptic Lab | 3 | AS 230 or Geog 520 | Autumn | Option 2 |
| EEOB 413: Ecology 413.01 & 413.02 lab | 5 | 10 Hrs in Biological Sciences | Varies | Option 3 |
| EEOB 510: Field Biology | 5 | None | Varies |
| EEOB 502: Plants and People | 4 | See Master Schedule | Varies | Option 4 |
| Soil Sci 300.01 | 4 | None | Winter |
| Soil Sci 300.02: Lab | 4 | Chem 101 or 121 | Varies | Option 5 |
| Geol 550: Geomorphology OR Geol 651: Hydrogeology | 5/4 | None/See Master Schedule | Varies/Various | Option 6 |
| CE 613: Applied Hydrology | 4 | Math 151, Physics 111, CE 510 | Various |
Issues and topics
The following is an example of the types of issues and topics students will study within the Environment and Society specialization.
Global challenges
- Global challenges
- Deforestation
- Global climate change
- Pollution
- Ozone depletion
- Desertification
Law and policy issues
- Environmental management
- Legislation
- Conservation
- Socioeconomics
Ecological systems (human-environmental impact)
- Soil degradation
- Landform change
- Hydrology
- Plant distribution
- Climatology
Field research
- Interviews
- Cartography and GIS
- Spatial analysis
History and philosophy
Acquired skill sets
Students can expect to acquire and perform the following skills sets within this specialization. Students also should have a solid background in mathematics and the physical sciences.
- Critical thinking
- Critical writing
- Research
- Strong organizational skills
Technical skills
- Quantitative and qualitative data analysis
- Graphic communication (including map reading and development)
- Graphics and statistical software packages
Career opportunities
Geographers can find career opportunities in many fields both within and outside the field of geography. Below is a partial listing of careers that students within the Environment and Society specialization are well-suited and where previous graduates have found employment.
- Environment analyst
- Planner: transportation, energy, water, hazardous waste, etc.
- Manager/planner for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Flood plain manager
- Environmental policy
- Attorney: environmental law
- Natural hazards specialist
- Cultural ecologist
- Water/air quality specialist
- Government: Natural resources
- Environmental monitor for state health departments
- Location expert
- Business consultant
