Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Geography, B.A.


About the Geography Bachelor’s Program


The Bachelor of Arts in Geography combines a liberal arts education with the technical skills necessary to be successful in the modern workforce. The undergraduate program also provides a solid foundation for those students who wish to pursue graduate study in geography or a related professional field.

As a discipline, Geography provides a unique framework for understanding our world based on location. Geography is concerned with where things are located, why they are located where they are, and how these work together to form a tapestry of human and physical landscapes across the surface of the Earth. The degree program emphasizes coursework in both the social and physical sciences to provide students with a broad understanding of the world’s physical environment and the human experience in that world.

Students completing the degree program will have the knowledge, tools and technical skills necessary to understand and address many of the social and environmental problems facing society and the planet at large. This allows students in geography to pursue their interests in a wide variety of topics including social and cultural change, globalization, urbanization, impacts of climate change, natural resource management, natural hazards, food and water security, resilience and sustainability.

Students in the geography program are strongly encouraged to pursue a minor in Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST). When taken together, the GIST minor provides students with knowledge and technical expertise in geographic information science. Courses in the minor cover geographic information systems (GIS), database design, spatial analysis, satellite remote sensing, cartographic design and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).

The geography major consists of 31 hours of coursework in geography plus MATH 2300  or MATH 2345 . Required courses are GEOG 1401 , GEOG 2300 GEOG 4300 , GIST 3300 , and 18 hours of junior- and senior-level GEOG courses. ATMO 3310  and GEOL 3322  may apply for 6 hours of the electives. Students majoring in geography must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours of geography courses from Texas Tech.

Communication Literacy Requirement. Geography graduates will develop the skills necessary to communicate with the public and their peers in a professional work environment. Geography majors will be competent in written and oral communication, data analysis, and both graphic and cartographic representation. Courses in the Communication Literacy Plan for the B.A. in Geography are GEOG 4300  and two from: GEOG 3351 , GEOG 3353 , GEOG 4301 , and GEOG 4357 .

Sample Curriculum (B.A. in Geography with GIST minor)


First Year


Fall


Total: 16

Spring


Total: 16

Second Year


Fall


Total: 16

Spring


Total: 16

Third Year


Fall


  • Creative Arts 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • GEOG Jr./Sr. Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Junior/Senior Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
Total: 15

Spring


  • Creative Arts 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • GEOG Jr./Sr. Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Junior/Senior Elective 2 Semester Credit Hours
Total: 14

Fourth Year


Fall


  • GEOG Jr./Sr. Electives 6 Semester Credit Hours
  • GIST Jr./Sr. Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Junior/Senior Elective 6 Semester Credit Hours
Total: 15

Spring


Total: 12

Total Hours: 120


Note:


GEOG 4310  (Internship) is open to seniors with a 3.0 GPA or better.

Multicultural Requirement


GEOG 2300  counts as a Multicultural requirement.

Foreign Language


A student must complete 6 hours at the sophomore level or above in a single language. The prerequisite for all sophomore language courses is credit for the freshman level. This credit can be determined through a credit by examination. The score attained on the exam will determine whether the student is placed in a second-year course, a 5-hour review course, or in some cases the first or second semester of a beginning (first-year) language course. See Arts and Sciences General Degree Requirements  for further explanation.