Campuses:
Twin Cities campus
This is archival data. This system was retired as of August 21, 2023 and the information on this page has not been updated since then. For current information, visit catalogs.umn.edu.
|
Twin Cities Campus
Geography B.A.Geography, Environment, Society
College of Liberal Arts
The geography major offers integrated study of a globalized world, as made by human and non-human forces alike. The major synthesizes approaches in the humanities and the social, biophysical, and information sciences to study social, political, economic, and ecological processes and especially the role of space, place, and geographic networks in shaping them. Geography attempts to interpret how these phenomena are perceived and what meanings they hold. Geographers offer insight into pressing challenges of the day, from climate change and social-environmental justice, to the uneven effects of globalization and urban transformation, to the skillful and responsible use of geographic information.
Depending on their specific interests, geographers employ one or more of a variety of research techniques, including field observation, legal and archival analysis, participant observation, interviewing, textual analysis, ethnography, mapping, and spatial statistics and modeling.
Many geographers are interested in the intersections of science, technology, and information, such as the impact of geographic information science (GISci) on decision-making.
Geography majors have an opportunity to specialize in one of several study tracks, or sub-plans, offered by the department. They may also craft a course of individualized study. The sub-plans include environmental geography, geographic information science, globalization and uneven development, the urban world, and environment and society. Descriptions can be found under sub-plan Requirements.
There are a variety of opportunities for graduates having degrees in geography. Governmental agencies of the federal, state, regional, and local levels of government seek geographers for city and regional planning, park service, law enforcement, and transportation department positions. Private industry consulting, environmental and marketing firms, and local, national and transnational organizations, NGO's, and the nonprofit sector also seek geographic skills. Many geography undergraduate majors obtain careers in education and many go on to graduate school.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
Admission Requirements
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the
Office of Admissions
website.
General Requirements
All students in baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete general University and college requirements including writing and liberal education courses. For more information about University-wide requirements, see the
liberal education requirements.
Required courses for the major, minor or certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward the major, minor or certificate (including transfer courses).
Program Requirements
Students are required to complete 4 semester(s) of
any second language.
with a grade of C-, or better, or S, or demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) as defined by the department
or college.
Special policies on counting courses: in some cases, geography courses fulfill requirements of other academic programs. In such cases, majors may apply up to three geography courses toward meeting requirements of their declared double or triple major. Up to one GEOG 1xxx may count toward the major. Typically, students complete this course as part of the 15 credits of specialty coursework in their chosen sub-plan. Qualifying students may substitute a 5xxx-level course for its 3xxx-level cross-list. See major adviser for final approval. Students may earn up to one undergraduate degree in the geography program: a B.A. or a B.S. or a minor.
Beginning fall 2012, all incoming CLA freshmen must complete the appropriate First Year Experience course sequence. Specific information about this collegiate requirement can be found at: http://class.umn.edu/degree_requirements/index.html
Preparatory Courses
Though not required for the major, preparatory courses in geography introduce students to the exciting themes and topics in the discipline. Students may count up to one GEOG 1xxx toward the major. See note on 1xxx-level courses above.
Take 0 - 1 course(s) from the following:
·
GEOG 1301V {Inactive}
[SOCS, GP, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 1301W - Our Globalizing World
[SOCS, GP, WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 1372 - Geography of Global Cities
[SOCS, GP]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 1403 - Biogeography of the Global Garden
[BIOL, ENV]
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 1403H - Honors: Biogeography of the Global Garden
[BIOL, ENV]
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 1425 - Introduction to Weather and Climate
[PHYS, ENV]
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 1502 - Mapping Our World
[TS, SOCS]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 1904 {Inactive}
[GP]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 1905 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 1973 - Geography of the Twin Cities
[SOCS]
(3.0 cr)
Breadth Requirement
Take one course in four of the following five themes.
Take 4 or more course(s) totaling 13 or more credit(s) from the following:
Theme 1: Urban World
·
GEOG 3371W - Cities, Citizens, and Communities
[DSJ, WI]
(3.0 cr)
or
GEOG 3373 - Changing Form of the City
[HIS, GP]
(3.0 cr)
·
Theme 2: Environmental Geography
·
GEOG 3401W - Geography of Environmental Systems and Global Change
[ENV, WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
Theme 3: Geographic Information Science
·
GEOG 3511 - Principles of Cartography
(4.0 cr)
or
GEOG 3531 - Numerical Spatial Analysis
(4.0 cr)
or
GEOG 3561 - Principles of Geographic Information Science
(4.0 cr)
·
Theme 4: Globalization and Uneven Development
·
GEOG 3331 - Geography of the World Economy
[SOCS, GP]
(3.0 cr)
or
GEOG 3381W - Population in an Interacting World
[SOCS, GP, WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
Theme 5: Environment and Society
·
GEOG 3379 - Environment and Development in the Third World
[SOCS, ENV]
(3.0 cr)
or
GEOG 3361W {Inactive}
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
Ways of Knowing Requirement
GEOG 4001 - Modes of Geographic Inquiry
(3.0 cr)
or
GEOG 4002W - Environmental Thought and Practice
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
Senior Project
Take a minimum of two credits by choosing one of the following three options. Honors students should enroll in the honors version of each option. [Note: enrollment in GEOG 3997/3997H requires concurrent registration in a required or elective course related to the chosen area of specialization.] Students are strongly encouraged to begin planning their senior project with potential faculty mentors and/or the departmental adviser at least one semester prior to registering for academic credit.
Option 1
GEOG 3985W {Inactive}
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
GEOG 3985V {Inactive}
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
Option 2
GEOG 3996 {Inactive}
(3.0-4.0 cr)
or
GEOG 3996H {Inactive}
(3.0-4.0 cr)
or
Option 3
GEOG 3997 {Inactive}
(2.0 cr)
or
GEOG 3997H {Inactive}
(2.0 cr)
Program Sub-plans
Students are required to complete one of the following sub-plans.
Honors UHP
This is an honors sub-plan.
Students admitted to the University Honors Program (UHP) must fulfill UHP requirements, in addition to degree program requirements. Honors courses used to fulfill degree program requirements will also fulfill UHP requirements.
Current departmental honors course offerings are listed at: http://www.honors.umn.edu/academics/curriculum/dept_courses_current.html
Honors students complete an honors thesis project in the final year, most often in conjunction with an honors thesis course, or with an honors directed studies, or honors directed research course. Students select honors courses and plan for a thesis project in consultation with their UHP adviser and their departmental faculty adviser.
Globalization and Uneven Development
This track focuses on a key concern of our time: increasing global connectivity coupled with persistent inequality. Through coursework studying the world economy and population, land use, land cover, and climate change, uneven development in the global north and south, and interacting systems of belief, students gain knowledge of an interconnected but continually differentiated world. Does globalization promise a future of fair and open access to resources and markets? Will it ensure the global spread of democracy? Are "global" problems, from climate change to water quality to energy resources, truly global? These are some of the important questions students take up in this study track.
Breadth requirement "gateway" course for this track: GEOG 3331 or GEOG 3381W (must petition adviser). Students may use courses not taken for the breadth requirement to fulfill sub-plan requirements. Students may not use a single course to fulfill both a breadth and a sub-plan requirement.
Required Courses
A maximum of one 1xxx course may count, see the major adviser for final approval. Note: some students may need to take more than 15 credits of coursework in order to satisfy the 35-credit graduation requirement.
Take 5 or more course(s) totaling 15 or more credit(s) from the following:
·
GEOG 3141 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3161 - Europe: A Geographic Perspective
[GP]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3212 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3331 - Geography of the World Economy
[SOCS, GP]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3378 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3379 - Environment and Development in the Third World
[SOCS, ENV]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3381W - Population in an Interacting World
[SOCS, GP, WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 4121W {Inactive}
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5385 - Globalization and Development: Political Economy
(4.0 cr)
Environmental Geography
Environmental geography is the study of patterns and processes in the natural world. Environmental patterns include the distribution of forests and prairies, the courses of rivers and extent of their floods, and the tracks of hurricanes and tornadoes. The processes that shape these patterns range from forest fires to erosion to cloud formation. Such phenomena must be understood to help us manage natural resources, mediate risks and hazards, and conserve valued places and species. The challenges faced by our society--mitigating the effects of climate change, maintaining water supplies, and securing energy, can only be addressed with a deep understanding of the geography of the environment.
Breadth requirement "gateway" course for this track: GEOG 3401 or GEOG 3431 (must petition adviser). Students may use courses not taken for the breadth requirement to fulfill sub-plan requirements. Students may not use a single course to fulfill both a breadth and a sub-plan requirement.
Required Courses
A maximum of one 1xxx course may count, see the major adviser for final approval. Note: some students may need to take more than 15 credits of coursework in order to satisfy the 35-credit graduation requirement.
Take 5 or more course(s) from the following:
·
GEOG 3361W {Inactive}
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3401W - Geography of Environmental Systems and Global Change
[ENV, WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3431 - Plant and Animal Geography
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5393 {Inactive}
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5421 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5423 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5426 - Climatic Variations
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5565 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
URBS 3751 - Understanding the Urban Environment
[ENV]
(3.0 cr)
Geographic Information Science
This track concerns the theory and skills involved in collecting, storing, manipulating, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data. It includes geographic information science, geographic information systems, cartography, remote sensing, spatial analysis, and numerical modeling. It also explores the relationship between society and GIS/GISci: Where does geographic information come from? How can society make use of such information? This track exposes students to GIS/GISci and cartography applications, including land use and land cover change, environmental justice, transportation improvements, urban, regional and environmental planning, resource conservation, and society-technology relations.
Breadth requirement "gateway" course for this track: GEOG 3511 or GEOG 3531 or GEOG 3561. Students may use courses not taken for the breadth requirement to fulfill sub-plan requirements. Students may not use a single course to fulfill both a breadth and a sub-plan requirement.
Required Courses
A maximum of one 1xxx course may count, see the major adviser for final approval. Note: some students may need to take more than 15 credits of coursework in order to satisfy the 35-credit graduation requirement.
Take 5 or more course(s) from the following:
·
GEOG 3511 - Principles of Cartography
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3531 - Numerical Spatial Analysis
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3561 - Principles of Geographic Information Science
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5512 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5530 {Inactive}
(2.0-7.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5562 - GIS Development Practicum
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5563 - Advanced Geographic Information Science
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5564 - Urban Geographic Information Science and Analysis
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5565 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GIS 5555 - Basic Spatial Analysis
(3.0 cr)
·
GIS 5571 - ArcGIS I
(3.0 cr)
·
GIS 5572 - ArcGIS II
(3.0 cr)
·
GIS 5573 - Introduction to Digital Mapping: ArcGIS Basics
(2.0 cr)
·
GIS 5574 - Web GIS and Services
(3.0 cr)
·
GIS 5575 {Inactive}
(2.0 cr)
·
GIS 5578 - GIS Programming
(3.0 cr)
The Urban World
The 21st century is urban, with more than half the world's population living in cities. Throughout history, cities have been places of intense human activity, interaction, innovation, and struggle. This track offers study in the history of cities and urban planning and the many processes by which cities and suburbs are made: governmental and community planning, migration, social movements, capital investment and disinvestment, artistic and cultural production, local and global interconnectedness, planned and unplanned settlement, transportation infrastructures, ecological change and its social impacts. More people live in cities than at any other time in history: find out why this matters.
Breadth requirement "gateway" course for this track: GEOG 3371W or GEOG 3373 (must petition adviser). Students may use courses not taken for the breadth requirement to fulfill sub-plan requirements. Students may not use a single course to fulfill both a breadth and a sub-plan requirement.
Required Courses
A maximum of one 1xxx course may count, see the major adviser for final approval. Note: some students may need to take more than 15 credits of coursework in order to satisfy the 35-credit graduation requirement.
Take 5 or more course(s) from the following:
·
GEOG 3361W {Inactive}
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3371W - Cities, Citizens, and Communities
[DSJ, WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3373 - Changing Form of the City
[HIS, GP]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3374W - The City in Film
[AH, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3377 - Music in the City
[DSJ, AH]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3973 - Geography of the Twin Cities
[SOCS]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3362 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5564 - Urban Geographic Information Science and Analysis
(3.0 cr)
·
URBS 3301W {Inactive}
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
URBS 3751 - Understanding the Urban Environment
[ENV]
(3.0 cr)
·
URBS 3771 - Fundamentals of Transit
(3.0 cr)
·
URBS 3871 - A Suburban World
(3.0 cr)
Environment and Society
This track is a multifaceted curriculum focusing simultaneously on the social transformation of the natural world and the inescapably more-than-human world in which human beings live. Through coursework in this track students learn about important issues standing at the intersection of ecology and politics and that demand a geographical understanding. These include environmental sustainability and prospects for a "greener" society, uneven resource consumption between rich and poor, environmental hazards, risks, and regulation, global land-use and climate change, the emergence of distinctive cultural landscapes, deep-seated cultural discourses regarding "nature" and "society" and more. Students may also use this sub-plan to design an individualized plan of study by selecting five courses with the undergraduate adviser.
Breadth requirement "gateway" course for this track: GEOG 3379 or GEOG 3361W. Students may use courses not taken for the breadth requirement to fulfill sub-plan requirements. Students may not use a single course to fulfill both a breadth and a sub-plan requirement.
Required Courses
A maximum of one 1xxx course may count, see the major adviser for final approval. Note: some students may need to take more than 15 credits of coursework in order to satisfy the 35-credit graduation requirement.
Take 5 or more course(s) from the following:
·
GEOG 3101 {Inactive}
[SOCS, TS]
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3111 - Geography of Minnesota
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3361W {Inactive}
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3376 - Political Ecology
[ENV]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3378 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3379 - Environment and Development in the Third World
[SOCS, ENV]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3381W - Population in an Interacting World
[SOCS, GP, WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3411W - Geography of Health and Health Care
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3561 - Principles of Geographic Information Science
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 4121W {Inactive}
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3362 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5393 {Inactive}
(4.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5423 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5426 - Climatic Variations
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 5565 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
URBS 3751 - Understanding the Urban Environment
[ENV]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3401W - Geography of Environmental Systems and Global Change
[ENV, WI]
(3.0 cr)
or
GEOG 5401W - Geography of Environmental Systems and Global Change
[ENV, WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
GEOG 3431 - Plant and Animal Geography
(3.0 cr)
or
GEOG 5431 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
