Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to footer content

Geography and City and Regional Planning

B.A. in Geography

Degree Requirements

Geography is an integrative discipline that bridges the natural and social sciences. Its distinctiveness is as much a product of its unique approach to the study of the earth and its human inhabitants as it is the subject matter itself. Thus, geography employs a spatial framework for organizational purposes that compares to the chronological framework employed in history.

The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in geography requires the completion of 120 units, at least 36 of which shall be in geography.

1. Major requirements (36 units)

Core courses (18 units)
GEOG 2, GEOG 4, GEOG 5, GEOG 7, GEOG 30, GEOG 141

Approved geography electives (18 units)
Any geography or city and regional planning courses; however, at least 12 units must be upper-division.

2. General Education requirements (48 units)

3. Other requirements (9 units)*
American Government and Institutions (PLSI 2), Multicultural and International (MI), and Upper-division writing 

4. Sufficient elective units to meet required total units (varies)
(See Degree Requirements); may be used toward a double major or minor

5. Total (120 units)**

* Students must complete an approved upper-division writing course at this university with a grade of CR or letter grade of C or better.

** G.E. and MI courses can be double-counted with major requirements. See advisor for details This total reflects the use of GEOG 4 in G.E. Breadth D2. Consult the department chair or faculty advisor for additional details and guidance on electives.

Advising Notes

  1. No more than 3 units of GEOG 195 may be applied to the geography major.
  2. General Education courses offered by the Department of Geography may be used to satisfy the General Education requirements for geography majors.
  3. CR/NC grading is not permitted in the geography major with the exception of GEOG 192
    and 195.
  4. General Education and elective units may be applied to a second major or a minor (see double major or departmental minor). Consult the appropriate department chair, program coordinator, or faculty adviser for further information.
  5. Students must complete a minimum of 12 upper-division units in the major as part of the requirements to earn a B.A.
  6. It is strongly recommended that students interested in professional careers in geography complete a minor in a related field.
  7. Students must regularly consult with their academic adviser. Such consultation will facilitate course selection and enable the student to develop a program consistent with individual interests and needs. Please consult with an adviser for guidance on electives.
  8. The selection of electives within the major should be strongly influenced by career goals, interests in graduate study, and related matters. Whether one's interest focuses on environmental protection, planning, cartography, GIS, locational analysis, or any one of a wide array of geographic competencies, the department can provide current applicable information. Inquiries are welcomed. The department will facilitate course selection and enable the student to develop a program consistent with individual interests and needs. Please consult with an advisor for guidance on electives.
  9. Students may use GEOG 167 to satisfy the Multicultural/International requirement.

Please reach out to the College of Social Sciences Advising Center for:

  • Advising on majors, minors, and certificates within the COSS
  • Academic Plans
  • Class Registration Assistance
  • General Education Requirements
  • Degree Requirments/Grad Checks
  • How to read your Degree Progress Report (DPR)
  • Clearing Registration Holds
  • Change of Major (within the COSS)
 

Follow us on social media!

Username:

fsgeogplanning