Minors
The Department of Geography offers two options for the minor: the geography minor and the GIS minor. Students may also pursue the university's interdisciplinary sustainability minor. Each track includes a variety of electives and research opportunities.
Minor in Geography
Graduates with a minor in geography can bring expertise to a variety of careers, from market researchers to health services officials.
The minor may be combined with many Columbian College majors, making it an ideal option for students interested in studying issues as diverse as geopolitics, migration and language, community planning and climate change.
Students complete 19 credits for the general geography minor, drawing from across four geographical subject areas. Elective topics include water resources, military geography, sustainability and cartography.
"I got involved with the environmental nonprofit Clean Water Action [in my junior year]. A lot of the folks who I was training to canvass had little background knowledge about water resources. Knowing many of the issues was incredibly helpful; I felt as though I was one step ahead."
Lucy Hummer
BA ’20
Minor in Geography Course Requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled: 19 credits, including 7 credits in required courses and 12 credits selected from among four groups.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required | ||
GEOG 1001 | Introduction to Human Geography | |
GEOG 1002 | Introduction to Physical Geography | |
One course from each of the following groups: | ||
Group A: Physical Geography | ||
GEOG 2129 | Biogeography | |
GEOG 2134 | Energy Resources | |
GEOG 2136 | Water Resources | |
GEOG 2137 | Environmental Hazards | |
GEOG 3108 | Weather and Climate | |
GEOG 3128 | Geomorphology | |
GEOG 3194 | Special Topics in Physical Geography | |
Group B: Human Geography | ||
GEOG 2124 | Urban Transportation | |
GEOG 2125 | Transportation Systems and Networks | |
GEOG 2127 | Population Geography | |
GEOG 2133 | People, Land, and Food | |
GEOG 2140 | Cities and Societies | |
GEOG 2141 | Cities in the Developing World | |
GEOG 2144 | Explorations in Historical Geography | |
GEOG 2147 | Military Geography | |
GEOG 2148 | Economic Geography | |
GEOG 3145 | Cultural Geography | |
GEOG 3146 | Political Geography | |
GEOG 3195 | Special Topics in Human Geography | |
GEOG 3810 | Planning Cities | |
Group C: Techniques | ||
GEOG 2104 | Introduction to Cartography and GIS | |
GEOG 2196 | Field Methods in Geography | |
GEOG 3105 | Techniques of Spatial Analysis | |
GEOG 3106 | Intermediate Geographic Information Systems | |
GEOG 3107 | Introduction to Remote Sensing | |
GEOG 3196 | Special Topics in Techniques | |
GEOG 4307 | Digital Image Processing and Analysis | |
GEOG 4308 | Programming for Geospatial Applications | |
GEOG 4309 | GIS for Emergency Management | |
GEOG 4310 | Geovisualization and Cartography | |
GEOG 4311 | Open Source Solutions for Geospatial Project Management | |
Group D: Nature and Society | ||
GEOG 1003 | Society and Environment | |
GEOG 2120 | World Regional Geography | |
GEOG 3132 | Environmental Quality and Management | |
GEOG 3133 | Social-Ecological Systems | |
GEOG 3143 | Urban Sustainability | |
GEOG 3154 | Geography of the Middle East and North Africa | |
GEOG 3161 | Geography of Latin America | |
GEOG 3164 | The Geography of Africa | |
GEOG 3165 | Geography of South Asia | |
GEOG 3193 | Environmental Law and Policy | |
GEOG 3197 | Special Topics in Regional Geography | |
GEOG 3218 | Arctic Systems |
Minor in GIS
The minor in geographic information systems (GIS) covers geographic data acquisition, geospatial database construction and management, spatial analysis and geovisualization. Students complete 18 credits in geography courses for the minor.
GIS-trained professionals are sought after across the private and public sectors. Federal government agencies such as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency and NASA routinely recruit geography graduates with strong GIS backgrounds.
Minor in GIS Course Requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled: 18 credits, including 12 credits in required courses and 6 credits in elective courses.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required | ||
GEOG 2104 | Introduction to Cartography and GIS | |
GEOG 3105 | Techniques of Spatial Analysis | |
GEOG 3106 | Intermediate Geographic Information Systems | |
GEOG 3107 | Introduction to Remote Sensing | |
Electives | ||
One of the following: | ||
GEOG 3196 | Special Topics in Techniques | |
GEOG 4307 | Digital Image Processing and Analysis | |
GEOG 4308 | Programming for Geospatial Applications | |
GEOG 4309 | GIS for Emergency Management | |
GEOG 4310 | Geovisualization and Cartography | |
GEOG 4311 | Open Source Solutions for Geospatial Project Management |
Minor in Sustainability
For students eager to learn about sustainable, science-based solutions to environmental problems, the minor in sustainability is a popular choice. Overseen by the Provost and involving several departments across the university (including biology, social justice, law, business and geography), this minor pairs classroom instruction with community-based learning and research. Minors must complete 18 credits from one of three tracks, with Track B offering the deepest focus on geography.
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