2015-2016 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Geography
Requirements for a Major in Geography
Students majoring in geography are required to complete a minimum of 36 credits. Majors are required to complete four core courses:
- GPY 100 - Physical Geography (3 credits)
- GPY 220 - Cultural Geography (3 credits)
- GPY 300 - Research Methods in Geography and Planning (3 credits)
- GPY 495 - Senior Thesis (3 credits)
The remainder of the requirements (24 credit hours) is comprised of electives that students select in close consultation with their academic advisor. Of the remaining 24 credit hours students must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours offered through the Department of Geography and Planning. The remaining 9 hours may be selected from cognate courses from other departments listed below.
Students generally focus their electives beyond the core courses in certain areas of academic interest (for example, geographic methods (GIS remote sensing and image processing and cartography), urban and regional planning, environmental geography, or regional/global studies). However, it is suggested that a certain breadth across these areas is desirable to provide flexibility and marketability in the search for employment and/or acceptance in graduate school. No more than six hours of 399 and 499 combines may count toward the major.
All Bachelor of Arts degree programs must include at least three courses that focus on culture, arts, philosophy, or language. At least two courses must be outside of the General Education Foundations category. All Bachelor of Arts programs must require third-semester proficiency in a classical or modern language.
When incorporated into the major three sciences courses will lead to Bachelors of Science Degree in geography and planning. Notice, STA 215 and GPY 300 are required science courses for the BS degree. The third course should be selected in close consultation with your advisor.
Required:
- STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics Credits: 3
- GPY 300 - Research Methods in Geography and Planning Credits: 3
Third Course:
- STA 216 - Intermediate Applied Statistics Credits: 3
- GPY 407 - Advanced GIS Credits: 4
- GPY 410 - Landscape Analysis Credits: 3 / ENS 410/ PA 410
- GPY 412 - Global Environmental Change Credits: 3 /[[permalink=2571|dynamic:{'title':1}]]%prefix% %code%[[/permalink]]
- GPY 470 - Digital Image Processing Credits: 3
- PA 495 - Community Analysis (Capstone) Credits: 3
Urban and Regional Planning Courses:
- GPY 209 - Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning Credits: 3 / PA 209
- GPY 310 - Land Use Planning Credits: 3 / PA 313
- GPY 312 - Urban and Regional Environmental Planning Credits: 3 / PA 312
- GPY 314 - Land Use and Planning Law Credits: 3 / PA 314
- GPY 316 - Introduction to Transportation Planning Credits: 3 / PA 316
- GPY 324 - Urbanization Credits: 3 / PA 324
- GPY 335 - Globalization and Development Credits: 3
- GPY 365 - GIS for Economic and Business Decision-Making Credits: 3 / MKT 365 / PA 365
- GPY 385 - Economic Geography of the United States Credits: 3
- GPY 410 - Landscape Analysis Credits: 3 / ENS 410 / PA 410
Courses from other departments that count as electives toward urban and regional planning:
- ECO 345 - Environmental and Resource Economics Credits: 3
- ECO 336 - Urban and Real Estate Economics Credits: 3
- PA 307 - Local Politics and Administration Credits: 3 / GPY 308
- PA 495 - Community Analysis (Capstone) Credits: 3
Environmental Geography Courses:
- GPY 363 - World Forests and Their Use (3 credits)
- GPY 410 - Landscape Analysis (3 credits) / ENS 410/ PA 410
- GPY 412 - Global Environmental Change (3 credits) / ENS 412
Courses from other departments that count as electives toward environmental geography:
- ECO 345 - Environmental and Resource Economics (3 credits)
- GEO 320 - Geomorphology (Earth Science Capstone) (4 credits)
- NRM 240 - Principles of Climatology (4 credits)
Geographic Techniques Courses:
- GPY 200 - Computer Cartography (3 credits)
- GPY 307 - Introduction to Computer Mapping/Geographic Information Systems (0 or 3 credits)
- GPY 365 - GIS for Economic and Business Decision-Making (3 credits)/MKT/ PA 365
- GPY 370 - Introduction to Remote Sensing (3 credits)
- GPY 385 - Economic Geography of the United States (3 credits)/ECO/ PA 385
- GPY 407 - Advanced GIS (4 credits)
- GPY 470 - Digital Image Processing (3 credits)
Courses from other departments that count as electives toward geographic techniques:
- CIS 160 - Programming with Visual Basic (3 credits)
- CIS 162 - Computer Science I (4 credits)
- CIS 260 - Application Development in Visual Basic (4 credits)
- CIS 230 - Hardware and Software (3 credits)
- NRM 250 - Resource Measurement and Maps (3 credits)
- NRM 395 - GIS Applications in Resource Management (3 credits)
Regional Studies and Global Study Courses:
- GPY 235 - World Regional Geography (3 credits)
- GPY 335 - Globalization and Development (3 credits)
- GPY 351 - Geography of Africa (3 credits)
- GPY 345 - Geography of Michigan/Great Lakes Region (3 credits)
- GPY 350 - Geography of Russia and Its Neighbors (3 credits)
- GPY 352 - Geography of Latin America (3 credits)
- GPY 353 - Geography of the United States and Canada. (3 credits)
- GPY 354 - Geography and Globalization of Asia (3 credits)
- GPY 355 - Geography of Southwest Asia (The Middle East). (3 credits)
- GPY 356 - Geography of Europe (3 credits)
- GPY 361 - People, Environment, and Development in the Amazon (3 credits)
- GPY 362 - Farmers, Crops, and Our Challenging Agricultural World (3 credits)
- GPY 381 - Study Abroad I (3 to 9 credits)
- GPY 481 - Study Abroad II (3 to 9 credits)
Courses from other departments that count as electives toward regional and global studies:
Suggested Order of Coursework for a Major in Geography
First Year, Fall Semester
- CIS 150 - Introduction to Computing (3 credits)
- GPY 100 - Physical Geography (3 credits)
- GPY 220 - Cultural Geography (3 credits)
- MTH 110 - Algebra (4 credits)
- General education course
First Year, Winter Semester
- GPY 200 - Computer Cartography (3 credits)
- GPY 235 - World Regional Geography (3 credits)
- General education course
- General education course
- WRT 150 - Strategies in Writing (4 credits)
Second Year, Fall Semester
- General education course
- STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics (3 credits)
- Minor course
- GPY 307 - Introduction to Computer Mapping/Geographic Information Systems (0 or 3 credits)
- General education course
Second Year, Winter Semester
- General education course
- General education course
- Minor course
- STA 216 - Intermediate Applied Statistics (3 credits)
- General education course
Third Year, Fall Semester
- Geography focus area course
- Geography focus area course
- General education course
- General education Issues course 1
Third Year, Winter Semester
- General education Issues course 2
- GPY 425 - Field Research Project (3 credits)
- GPY 300 - Research Methods in Geography and Planning (3 credits)
- Geography focus area course
- Minor course
Fourth Year, Fall Semester
- GPY 495 - Senior Thesis (3 credits)
- Geography focus area course
- Elective course
- Minor course
- Minor course
Fourth Year, Winter Semester
- Geography focus area course
- Geography focus area course
- Minor course
- Minor course
- General education course