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Department of Geography

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
Geography Major

The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in geography requires the completion of 124 units, at least 42 of which shall be in geography. The major is so designed that students can emphasize that area in geography in which their interest lies; or which conforms to their career objectives.


Major requirements (42 units)
Lower-division courses: GEOG 2, 4, 7, and 5 or 10 (12 units)
Upper-division breadth requirements (see Advising Notes) (30 units)

General Education (51 units)

Electives and remaining degree requirements* (31-34 units)
(See Degree Requirements); may be used toward a dual major or minor

Total (124 units)

________

*This total indicates that GEOG 2 or 4 in G.E. Breadth D3 also may be applied to the geography major. Consult the department chair or faculty adviser for additional details.

Advising Notes

1. Geography majors can select either a Technical or a General emphasis for their major.
   For the Technical emphasis, select:
   (a) 12 units from Geographic Techniques
   (b) Either 9 units from Physical-Environmental Studies and 3 units from Human-Systematic or 9 units from Human-Systematic and 3 units from Physical-Environmental Studies
   (c) 3 units from Regional Geography courses
   (d) 3 units of electives from upper-division Geography courses.
   For the General emphasis, select:
   (a) 4 units from Geographic Techniques
   (b) 12 units from one of the categories: Physical-Environmental, Human-Systematic, or Regional Geography
   (c) 6 units from each of the two remaining categories: Physical-Environmental, Human-Systematic, and Regional Geography
   (d) 2 units of electives from the upper-division Geography courses.
2. No more than 3 units of GEOG 195 may be applied to the geography major.
3. No General Education Integration or Multicultural/International course offered by the Department of Geography may be used to satisfy the General Education requirements for geography majors.
4. CR/NC grading is not permitted in the geography major with the exception of GEOG 192 and 195.
5. General Education and elective units may be applied to a second major or a minor (see Dual Major or departmental minor). Consult the appropriate department chair, program coordinator, or faculty adviser for further information.
6. It is strongly recommended that students interested in professional careers complete coursework in Geographic Techniques and City and Regional Planning (if applicable) and complete a minor in a related field.
7. Students must regularly consult with their academic adviser. Such consultation will facilitate course selection and enable the student to develop a program consistent with individual interests and needs.
8. The selection of an emphasis will be strongly influenced by career goals, interests in graduate study, and related matters. Whether one's interest focuses on environmental protection, planning, cartography, GIS, locational analysis, or any one of a wide array of geographic competencies, the department can provide current applicable information. Inquiries are welcomed.

Geography Minor

Elect from GEOG 2, 4, 5, or 7 (9 units)
Elect from upper-division geography* (12 units)
Total (21 units)

________

* No more than 3 units earned in GEOG 195 may be applied to the minor. Students completing a Minor in Geography are encouraged to seek faculty advice relative to course selection and program planning.

Urban Studies Minor (Interdisciplinary)

The interdisciplinary Urban Studies Minor provides exposure to the analysis of urban and regional problems and serves as an excellent supplement to other academic degree programs offered throughout the university. A special major in urban studies may be designed to meet the needs of students with an interest in this area. See Special Major, undergraduate and graduate.

Coordinator: Wayne V. Merchen, Professor of City and Regional Planning, Geography Department.

Faculty Advisers: Mary A. Ludwig, Anthropology Department; Edward E. Nelson, Sociology Department.

REQUIRED COURSES

Concepts and Issues* (9 units)
ANTH 108, GEOG 160, or SOC 163 (3 units)
PL SI 181 (3 units)
C R P 100 (3 units)

Methods and Techniques* (6-9 units)
Select from the following list of courses: C R P 103, 135; GEOG 101, 110; PL SI 90; SOC 175

Electives (3-6 units)
With the approval of a program adviser, elect 3-6 units with no more than 3 lower-division units from the following list of courses: AF AM 135; ANTH 108, 172; B A 120, 154; C R P 103, 110T, 111, 135, 190, 192; CLS 3; CRIM 2; ECON 40, 50; ETH S 1, 104W; FIN 180, 186; GEOG 101, 107, 108, 109, 128, 146, 160; HIST 137; PL SI 90, 103, 160, 163; SOC 2, 25, 111, 131, 163. Senior students may elect internship by registering for S SCI 185, 1 to 3 units.

Total (21 units)

_______

* Students with a course equivalent to one in this category, taken in their major, may, with the ap proval of the coordinator, substitute additional units from the electives list for the units required here.

Note: The minors also require a 2.0 GPA and 6 upper-division units in residence.

Credential Program

See the Social Sciences credential adviser, Department of History, in Social Science, Room 101, for advising, and refer to Secondary Teaching Credential under Social Sciences Programs.

Graduate Program

The Department of Geography offers the Master of Arts degree in Geography. Students may select thesis or nonthesis options, both of which require the completion of 30 units of graduate work. Electives may be chosen that emphasize skills necessary to compete successfully for private or public employment opportunities or that will prepare graduates to teach geography at the community college level. All graduates will be well prepared for entry into doctoral programs in geography or related fields.

Structure and content of the Master of Arts program in Geography reflect the philosophy that all graduates shall be geographically literate. The program provides an education that incorporates a balance between theory and practice, cultural and physical, and technical and regional geography theory and concepts. In order to implement this philosophy, program content ensures that graduates have an opportunity to develop a sound knowledge of geographical theory, concepts, and practice; an awareness of the importance of excellence of communication skills; and an ability to make effective use of verbal, written, computer-based, and graphic media.

The department recognizes the growing demand for new and rapidly expanding technical dimensions in geography and its allied disciplines and thus offers graduate courses in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and city and regional planning. Special program needs of individual students may be met through cooperative agreements with other departments in the College of Social Sciences.

Master of Arts***
Degree Requirements

Applicants to the Master of Arts in Geography who have an undergraduate degree in Geography may be admitted with classified standing if they meet the following requirements:

1. have earned a minimum GPA of no less than 3.0 in the undergraduate geography major and
2. have demonstrated competence in computer applications, statistics, and cartography or computerized mapping.

Applicants who hold an undergraduate degree in geography, but who do not meet these requirements may be admitted at the discretion of the Graduate Committee. At the time of admission, the Graduate Committee will specify the conditions that must be met to achieve classified standing.

Applicants to the degree program for the Master of Arts in Geography who do not have an undergraduate degree in Geography may be admitted with conditional classified standing and must meet the following requirements as a condition for receiving classified standing.

1. Have completed lower-division geography courses, with a grade of B or better, in each of the following areas:
   a. Cultural geography, equivalent to GEOG 2
   b. World regional geography, equivalent to GEOG 4
   c. Physical geography, equivalent to GEOG 5 and GEOG 7
2. Have completed a minimum of 12 upper-division units of geography with a GPA of no less than 3.0.
3. Have demonstrated competence in the following three areas: (1) computer applications, (2) statistics, and (3) cartography, computerized cartography, or other acceptable graphics-oriented area.

(See also Admission to Graduate Standing, Advancement to Candidacy, Program Requirements, and Criteria for Thesis and Project.)

For specific requirements, consult the departmental graduate adviser or the department chair; for general requirements, see the Division of Graduate Studies section in this catalog.

Under the supervision of the department's graduate adviser, each student develops and submits a proposed program of study for approval by the department's Graduate Committee and chair. This 30-unit degree program must include a minimum of 21 units taken from 200-series courses. In addition, programs must include the following elements:

Graduate Core Seminars (9 units)
GEOG 200*, 230, and GEOG 206T or 260T

Electives (15-18 units)
Select from 100- and 200-level geography and other related courses**

Thesis or Project (3-6 units)

Total (30 units)

_________

* GEOG 200 meets the graduate writing skills requirement and must be completed prior to advancement to candidacy.

** Courses must be selected in consultation with the departmental graduate adviser. A maximum of 9 units may be selected from related disciplines.

***As of fall 1998, admission to the M.A. in Geography has been suspended. Suspension is not expected to exceed three years.

Geography Courses

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