Undergraduate Majors and Minors in Geography

The Department of Geography offers two separate majors reflecting the discipline's position straddling the social and natural sciences: the Geography major and the Environmental Studies major. While these programs overlap to some extent, they differ in their substantive focus:

• The Geography major is oriented more towards social and global concerns, using geographic information science and spatial statistics, while,
• The Environmental Studies major revolves more explicitly around human interactions with the natural, physical, and biological environment, with a stronger interdisciplinary focus.

Students may double major in Geography and Environmental Studies; a maximum of 11 credit hours may be double counted toward both majors.

Note that the Geography department, like most in the College of Social Sciences, requires a minor approved by the department undergraduate advisor. The requirements for minors vary, but generally consist of 12 credit hours in a given discipline. Minors are not listed on diplomas. Up to 7 credits can overlap between the Geography major and the Environmental Studies minor. Up to 7 credits can overlap between an Environmental Studies major and a Geography minor.

 

Major in Geography

If you entered the Geography major before Fall 2010 then please click here for the appropriate program of study. A major in Geography consists of 34 semester hours. All courses must be completed with a grade of "C-" or better to count towards the major, including the following required 6 core courses (19 credit hours):

Effective Fall 2010
GEA 1000 (3) World Regional Geography
GEO 1400 (3) Human Geography
GEO 2200c (3) Physical Geography
GEO 4162c (3) Spatial Data Analysis
GIS 3015 (3) Map Analysis
GIS 4043 (4) Geographic Information Systems and lab

At least one additional course is required in both the core areas of Human Geography and Physical Geography

Human Geography electives (3 credit hours):
GEO 3502 (3) Economic Geography*
GEO 4357 (3) Environmental Conflict and Economic Development
GEO 4421 (3) Cultural Geography
GEO 4450 (3) Medical Geography
GEO 4471 (3) Political Geography*
GEO 4700 (3) Transport Geography
GEA courses 2000+ level (3)

Physical Geography elective (3-4 credit hours):
GEA 4213 (3) U.S. National Parks
GEO 4300 (3) Biogeography
GEO 4114 (3) Field Methods
GEO 4375 (3) Landscape Ecology
GEO 4035 (4) Remote Sensing + Lab

General Geography electives (8-9 credit hours):
Students must choose nine additional hours of Geography (GEA/GEO/GIS courses) at the 3000/4000 level, including GEO 4930 special topics courses. A maximum of 3 credit hours may be taken as either GEO 4905 DIS or GEO 4941 Internship.

Note: The Geography major, like most in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, requires a minor approved by the department undergraduate advisor. The requirements for minors vary, but generally consist of 12 credit hours in a given discipline. Minors are not listed on diplomas. Students are encouraged to choose a minor from the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. More information on minors and their requirements can be found at: http://www.academic-guide.fsu.edu/minors.html

*Courses available until Spring 2011.

 

Minor in Geography

Program Office: 323 Bellamy, 644-1706

A Geography minor consists of 12 semester hours of course work in the department, including GEO 1400 Human Geography; GEO2200c Physical Geography or GEO 1330 Environmental Science; GEO3015 Map Analysis or GEO4162c Spatial Data Analysis; and one additional GEO/GEA/GIS course at the 3000 or 4000 level. All courses must be completed with a grade of "C-" or better. Courses that satisfy the minor requirements cannot be transferred from other institutions. A total of 6 hours may overlap between the environmental studies major and the geography minor.