Geography Requirements

Required for the Major: The geography major consists of 10 courses. All students who elect to major in geography must complete: GEOG 0100; GEOG 0120; five elective courses at the 0200-level; one course at the 0300-level; one 0400-level seminar; and GEOL 0112 or GEL 0170.  Only one of the 0200-level courses may be numbered 0250 or above.  An additional 0300-level course can be used as a substitute for an 0200-level elective. The electives and the seminar must be selected in consultation with, and approved by, the major advisor.
 
Required for a Joint Major: A joint major in geography requires 7 courses: GEOG 0100; GEOG 0120; three 0200-level courses (none of which may be numbered 0250 or above); one course at the 0300-level; and one 0400-level seminar. In addition, all joint majors must complete joint senior work in Geography or an equivalent, approved by the advisor. The electives, the seminar, and the joint senior work must be selected in consultation with, and approved by, the major advisor.
 
Required for a Minor: GEOG 0100, one 0400-level seminar, and three additional courses.
 
Advanced Placement: One course credit will be awarded for an advanced placement (AP) score of 5 in human geography. Geography majors who receive a 5 on the AP exam may count this course credit as one 0200-level equivalent toward their major requirements, but are still required to complete GEOG 0100. The AP credit may not be used to satisfy joint major or minor requirements.
 
Geography Specialization in International Studies: GEOG 0100; GEOG 0120; 3 courses from GEOG 0207, GEOG 0210, GEOG 0214, GEOG 0215, GEOG 0220, GEOG 0223, GEOG 0225; and one GEOG 0400-level seminar. Students writing a thesis must also take GEOG 0325 (formerly GEOG 0310) or GEOG 0339.
 
Departmental Honors: Students who seek to earn honors are required to maintain a B+ average in the major and write a two-credit, honors thesis. In order to complete a senior thesis, students must have a proposal approved by a primary thesis advisor and a secondary departmental reader prior to registering for the first 0700-level credit. Upon completion of the thesis, thesis students will present their work in a public seminar and defend the thesis in front of the departmental faculty. Thesis presentations and defenses will typically take place during the final week of classes or the examination period. Upon completion of the presentation and defense, the primary advisor and secondary departmental reader will be responsible for evaluating and grading the thesis. It is strongly encouraged that students considering a thesis discuss their ideas with an advisor during the semester prior to registering for formal thesis credits. Honors will be conferred or denied on the basis of an evaluation of the thesis by the faculty.