Nov 22, 2024

2013-2014 CU Denver Catalog

2013-2014 CU Denver Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Geography BA

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Requirements for Major in Geography

Students must declare a major by the time they have completed 60 semester hours of course work. The geography program (within the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences) offers a BA degree that includes a full range of courses in the fundamentals of geography taught mainly by full-time faculty. Five degree options are available for the major in geography: general, environmental science, environmental studies, urban studies and planning and earth science. Total semester-hour requirements vary among the five options, but all options require a minimum of 24 hours of upper-division credit. In addition, for each option, at least 15 semester hours must be taken at CU Denver.

Option 1—General Geography
Option 2—Environmental Science
Option 3—Environmental Studies

Option 4—Urban Studies and Planning
Option 5—Earth Science

Option 1—General Geography

Option Advisors: Frederick B. Chambers and Brian Page

OPTION 1 REQUIREMENTS

Lower division

Upper division

Total: 18 Hours

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Choose six additional courses, including at least one course from each of the following subfields:

Physical Geography

Human Geography

Regional Geography

Techniques for Geographical Analysis

Total: 18 Hours

OPTION TOTAL: 36 HOURS

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Option 2—Environmental Science

Option Advisor: Frederick B. Chambers and Casey Allen

Option 2 allows geography majors to concentrate on course work in environmental science.

ANCILLARY COURSES

Option 2 students must take one general biology and one general chemistry course (both with labs), OR a sequence of either (BIOL 2051 and 2061 with labs or CHEM 2031 and 2061 with labs). If applying to the MS in Environmental Sciences program, students must have taken both sequences. Course choices with descriptions are below:

BIOL 2051 - General Biology I
and BIOL 2071 - General Biology Laboratory I
(4 semester hours total), followed by:
BIOL 2061 - General Biology II
and BIOL 2081 - General Biology Laboratory II
(4 semester hours total)
CHEM 2031 - General Chemistry I
and CHEM 2038 - General Chemistry Laboratory I
(4 semester hours total), followed by:
CHEM 2061 - General Chemistry II
and CHEM 2068 - General Chemistry Laboratory II
(5 semester hours total)

OPTION 2 REQUIREMENTS

Lower division

Upper division

Total: 22 Hours

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Choose six additional courses:

Environmental Science

Plus one class from the following list:

Upper-Division Environmental-Oriented Biology or Chemistry (3 Hours)

One upper-division biology or chemistry course related to the student’s environmental science interest must be taken as part of the environmental science option.

Techniques for Environmental Analysis

Quantitative methods (choose one course from the following):

Total: 18 Hours

OPTION TOTAL: 40 HOURS

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Option 3—Environmental Studies

Option Advisors: Rafael Moreno, Deborah Thomas and Gregory Simon

Option 3 gives geography majors the opportunity to concentrate on the topic of human-environmental interaction, emphasizing environmental policy, sustainability and social issues.

OPTION 3 REQUIREMENTS

Lower division

Upper division

Total: 22 Hours

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Choose six additional courses:

Environmental Studies

Choose three courses from the following:

Environmental Policy and Planning

Choose two courses from the following:

Techniques for Environmental Analysis

Choose one course from the following:

Community/Professional Experience

(optional but highly recommended)

Total: 18 Hours

OPTION TOTAL: 40 HOURS

Note: Up to 4 semester hours of honors thesis course work or up to 3 semester hours of internships may be counted toward the 18 hours of additional requirements. Such substitutions must be approved by a program option advisor.

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Option 4—Urban Studies and Planning

Option Advisors: Brian Page and Amanda Weaver

Option 4 allows geography majors to concentrate on social and spatial aspects of metropolitan growth and change. Students are given the opportunity to take advanced planning courses in their junior and senior years.

OPTION 4 REQUIREMENTS

Lower Division

Upper division

Total: 21 Hours

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Choose six additional courses:

Urban Studies, both of the following (4000 or 5000 level):

Urban Planning (choose three courses from the following list):

Techniques for Urban Analysis

Choose one course from the following:

Community/Professional Experience

(optional but highly recommended)

Total: 18 Hours

OPTION TOTAL: 39 HOURS

Note: Up to 4 semester hours of honors thesis course work or up to 3 semester hours of internship may be counted toward the 18 hours of additional requirements. Such substitutions must be approved by a program option advisor.

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Option 5—Earth Science

Option Advisor: Ryan Sincavage

Option 5 allows geography majors to concentrate on studying natural and physical processes within and on the surface of the planet.

OPTION 5 REQUIREMENTS

Lower division

Upper division

Total: 20 Hours

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Choose six additional courses:

Earth Science

Techniques for Earth Science Analysis

Choose one course from the following:

Total: 20 Hours

OPTION TOTAL: 40 HOURS

NOTE: Any upper division course used to fulfill requirements for the geography major, option 5 cannot also be used for the geology minor.

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