The Geography Major

Geography offers a BA with three concentrations: Environmental, Social, and GIS

Major Requirements

For official documentation see your GPS or the KSU Catalog from your calendar year.

• World Geography or Geography of the United States
• Physical Geography & Lab
• Human Geography
• Mapping our World
• Statistical Methods in Geography
• Seminar in Geography
• GIS
• Nature and Society
• Concentrations require 4 classes in your concentration, plus one class in each of the other concentrations.

Environmental Geography Concentration

The Bachelor of Arts in geography with a concentration in environmental geography focuses on spatial processes of environmental sciences. In addition to required upper-division courses (one in geographic information science and one in social geography), students may choose among course offerings in atmospheric science, climatology, environmental change, polar and glacial environments, natural resources and soils geography. students who choose this concentration can pursue careers in environmental science and planning, disaster management, conservation of natural resources, and environmental education, or they may choose to study these and related fields at a graduate level.

Geographic Information Science Concentration

The Bachelor of Arts in geography with a concentration in geographic information science (GIS) provides students with a comprehensive background in the field of geospatial technology. This involves the study and application of theory, method, technology, and data knowledge to processes, relationships, and patterns in both human and physical geography. This rapidly growing field can be divided into three areas: GIS (capturing, checking, integrating, analyzing, and displaying spatially referenced data); remote sensing (the analyses and interpretation of aerial data and satellite imagery); and global positioning systems (GPS). Students in this concentration will gain quantitative and technical skills that will prepare them for jobs in both the public and private sectors, or for further study in graduate school.

Social Geography Concentration

The Bachelor of Arts in geography with a concentration in social geography includes courses that involve the social science and humanistic aspects of geography. Students can choose from a variety of upper-division courses in urban (including planning), economic, political and historical geography. In addition to at least four courses in this concentration, students take three distributional requirements: one in geographic information sciences and one in environmental geography. Potential careers include urban planning, transportation, government at all scales, business, international relations, mapping and geography education. Students may choose to pursue graduate studies in these or related fields.