Advising Guide Brochure in PDF format.  Contact Darla Shatto (303-492-2631) if you are unable to download the pdf file.

Geography Minor

General Information for the Major in Geography (from the Advising Guide)

Geography makes an excellent major for the student interested in a broad, liberal education, one which integrates the study of human activity and the natural environment.  The field’s unique spatial perspective on natural environment and human activity ties to other fields in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.  Geographers are interested in a wide range of phenomena and often work in interdisciplinary teams to focus on environmental change, global science and economic issues, and resource use in an increasingly complex and interdependent world.

 The Department of Geography offers theoretical and practical work in:

·       physical geography, including climatology, geomorphology and biogeography;

·       conservation of natural resources, including environmental education:

·       human geography, including urban, social, economic, political, cultural, and population geography;

·       geographic information science (GIS), including spatial analysis using GIS, remote sensing, computer cartography, GIS and society and geography education;

·       regional analysis, including mountains, natural hazards, and specific regional courses.

 Advising – Geography majors are advised by a professional, primary advisor in the Department.    In addition to technical and Arts and Sciences core advising, the primary advisor is available to:

·       work with students to assist in planning their academic career;

·       discuss potential study abroad programs;

·       refer students to campus resources for academic and personal assistance;

·       determine if transfer credits can be applied toward geography major requirements;

·       determine if an upper division human geography course should be taken in place of one of the lower division requirements;

·       determine how to take courses on a P/F basis.

·       Provide information on course offerings prior to schedule publications;

·       provide recommendations and alert students to available positions in and outside the department.

 Students are encouraged to meet with the primary advisor at least once each semester.  Additionally, faculty members are available to mentor students throughout their academic career in the Geography Department.

 Required Hours -- For a major in geography, the student must complete a minimum of 32, but no more than 45, semester hours in geography. The student must have earned a grade of at least C- or better in all geography courses and a minimum grade point average of C in all CU work. No pass/fail grades in geography courses can be counted in the 32 hours of geography, but mandatory pass/fail grades in approved Study Abroad programs may be accepted if pre-approved by a geography faculty member.  Eighteen hours of upper-division geography course work are required in the major, all with grades of C- or better.  Twelve hours of upper-division geography course work for the major must be taken on the Boulder campus. “Same as” or “cross-listed” courses count for geography hours.  Students will need to be aware of which courses fall into this category. Students may exceed the 45-hour limit for hours taken in the major, but anything over 45 hours will not count toward the A&S 120-hour requirement. Keep in mind that you may still need to take additional classes to meet this 120-hour requirement.

Undergraduate Degree -- The College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Geography offers a bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree in geography.  The geography B.A. degree emphasizes knowledge and awareness of:

·       the unique contributions of the discipline to understanding the spatial components of problems and the diverse factors relating to human interaction with the environment;

·       the spatial distributions of physical and human characteristics on the Earth surface, the general patterns these form, and the processes that have created and are changing these patterns;

·       the major themes of geographical analysis, including absolute and relative location; human and physical characteristics of place; human and environmental relations; movement of people, ideas, and products; and regionalization; and

·       the general geographical principles of human-environment interaction, global change, and human spatial organization.

Basic Skills -- Geography majors are expected to have or to achieve competence in clearly conveying their ideas and perceptions.  Skills in communication methods are considered essential. In addition, students completing the degree in geography are expected to acquire proficiency in:

·       one or more of the geographic skill areas of cartography, air photograph interpretation, remote sensing, and geographic information systems;

·       writing, quantitative methods, computer literacy, and library and field methods of data collection; and

·       identifying the geographic dimensions of a problem and analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating relevant data, and applying geographic principles offering a geographic perspective on that problem.

Students exhibiting deficiencies in writing, speaking, mathematics, statistics, graphics, or computer literacy will be urged to take appropriate remedial action.

Special Notes

 Minor -- A minor in geography is available. 

 Honors -- The department encourages qualified geography majors who wish to graduate with honors in geography to apply for admission to the department honors program. Information on honors is available in the department office.  

 Distributed Studies -- Students with a primary focus in geography must complete all of the courses required of the geography major. Check with Arts and Sciences in Old Main for details.  

 Internship -- The department’s internship program (course GEOG 3930) is an important way to supplement your academic work. Internships are a great way to start building a resume, making connections, and gaining valuable experience.  The Geography Department hosts an annual Career Night in the spring.  This event provides an opportunity to hear from, and talk to, professionals in various occupations about career and internship opportunities available in the field of geography.   Additional information is available in the department office.

 Independent Study -- Undergraduate Independent Study (GEOG 3840) is available only by prior arrangement with a faculty member from whom the student has taken previous formal coursework. No more than 8 hours of geography independent study may be counted toward the major.

Teaching Certificate -- If you are a geography major planning to work for a Colorado teaching certificate, you should know that the Colorado State Department of Education considers the geography major suitable for certification in social studies but not science.  You should work closely with an advisor in the School of Education.

Four-Year Guarantee -- For information on the 4-year guarantee program, see the University of Colorado, Boulder Catalog.

Career Planning -- The range of jobs in geography is astounding!  Follow your intellectual passions, and you can be sure that there is a career in that area of geography.  Do you love mapping?  Hydrology?  Urban planning? Fire ecology? Soil analysis? African development?  Snow?  Business? Travel?  Environmental conservation? Teaching children?   Somewhere there is a job in your area of interest. 

The following sources are a great place to start looking for the ideal job:

·       The Association of American Geographers website http://www.aag.org/.

·       Oklahoma State University website http://www.geog.okstate.edu/careers.htm

·       CU website http://www.colorado.edu/geography/virtdept/resources/jobs/jobs.htm

·       Visit with a Geography professor who works in the area you most enjoy. 

Graduate School -- If you plan to pursue graduate studies in geography, you should take additional course work in your area of concentration and interest.

Possible Concentrations Within The Geography Major

You may choose to follow a general geography major or choose to concentrate your studies in one of four optional tracks:

·       Physical Geography

·       Human Geography

·       Environment-Society Relations

·       Geographic Information Science

 Each of these areas of concentration is described in the Undergraduate Advising Guide.