Academic Programs
> Undergraduate > Major Requirements
Chair: Dr. Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Dr. Peter Rogerson
Requirements for Admission to the Geography Department
Students can become a major upon completion of any TWO geography courses with a GPA of 2.0. Applicants must also have an overall (UB) GPA of 2.0. Applications are available in the Geography main office at 105 Wilkeson Quad. Applicants with an overall (UB) GPA of less than 2.0 will not be considered. Students will be notified by letter of the department's decision. Soon after, they should make an appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Peter Rogerson, 119 Wilkeson Quad, to discuss academic plans and to select a faculty advisor in the area of specialization that interests them.
Selecting an Area of Specialization
Faculty in the Department of Geography have carefully developed an undergraduate program that consists of three areas of specialization, plus a "general" major in Geography. These concentrations have been developed to reflect professional employment requirements, faculty expertise, and expressed student interests. Completion of any one of the concentrations will give the student a strong preparation either for graduate work in selected areas or for employment in qualified job markets. Successful completion of the courses in a particular concentration will be recognized with a Departmental Certificate upon graduation.
The following three concentrations are offered within the department:
New- Fall 2012 BA in International Trade - This is no longer a concentration, this is a new BA
see link for degree requirements:
Each of these clusters has a specific set of requirements that must be completed before graduation. Handouts listing the specific requirements for each cluster are available in the main office, 105 Wilkeson Quad.
Honors Course
For those interested in the Honors course (GEO 490), please note that it is open only to qualified Geography majors. To be eligible to enroll in Geography 490 students must have completed a minimum of six courses in Geography, have a QPA of 3.0 over all university courses completed and a QPA of 3.5 for all Geography courses completed. Moreover, students enrolled in GEO 490 must complete an honors project under the supervision of a Geography faculty member, and each project is to be read and evaluated by a second faculty member in the department who has expertise in the area of your project.
Students who wish to enroll in this course must make arrangements with the appropriate faculty member by the end of the semester preceding the semester (or summer session) when the student expects to register for the course. Students who receive a grade of B or higher will be awarded a special honors certificate when they graduate.
Department Honors
The Department offers recognition to graduating students who meet the following requirements:
- With Distinction: 3.20-3.49 QPA in all Geography courses
- With High Distinction: 3.50-3.74 QPA in all Geography courses
- With Highest Distinction: 3.75-4.0 QPA in all Geography courses
Required Courses, Geography BA, no concentration:
GEO 101 - Earth Systems Science I
GEO 102 - Human Geography OR GEO 103 Geography of Economic Systems
GEO 120 - Maps and Mapping
GEO 211 - Univariate Statistics (formerly 410)
One Computer Science Course:
CSE 101 - Computers: A General Introduction
CSE 113 - Intro to Computer Science I
MFC101 - Intro Computers & Info Systems
MFC118 - Micro Computer Applications I
MGQ201 - Intro to Computer & Stats
One International Trade Course:
GEO 330 - Dynamics of International Business
GEO 333 - Bases of World Commerce
GEO 334 - Int'l Environments/Commercial Problems
GEO 419 - Transportation and Society
GEO 425 - Industrial/Business Geography
One Urban/ Regional Analysis course:
GEO 366 - Urban Geography
GEO 367 - Urban-Social Geography
GEO 412 - Geography of Health
GEO 418 - Population Geography
GEO 460 - Geography of Development
One Geographic Information Systems course:
GEO 381 - Cartography
GEO 481 - Geographic Information Systems
GEO 483 - Remote Sensing
GEO 485 - Cartography and Geo. Visualization
One Earth Systems Science Course:
GEO 345 - Water Resources
GEO 347 - Climatic Geomorphology
GEO 348 - Landform Development
GEO 350 - Landform Field and Lab Techniques
GEO 352 - Introduction to Soils
GEO 356 - Forest Ecology
GEO 435 - Conservation Biogeography
GEO 444 - Advanced Earth Systems Science
GEO 470- Landscape Environment Management
GEO 475- Landscape Modeling
GEO 479- GIS & Environmental Modeling
GEO 483- Remote Sensing
PLUS ....Additional Geography electives to complete a total of 12 Geography department courses.
STATS SUBSTITUTION:
If you have already completed one of the following Stats courses, you will not need Geo 211.
Approved subs: PSC408, PSY207, SOC294, STA119, ECO480, EAS308. However, students who take a course outside Geography that is equivalent to GEO211 must complete an additional Geography elective to fulfill the requirement of 12 Geography courses.
Other Important Information:
All Geography majors must complete TWELVE Geography courses to be eligible to graduate.
No more than two Independent Study courses (GEO499) may be counted toward your degree, although you may take additional Independent Studies if desired.
Transfer students must complete at least four Geography courses at the University of Buffalo and they must demonstrate that they have successfully completed the course equivalents of GEO101 and either GEO 102 or GEO103.
A minimum QPA of 2.0 in all Geography courses and an overall QPA of 2.0 is required at the time of graduation.
All majors must take Geography courses for a letter grade. Those majors who have previously taken geography courses under the S/U option are required to retrieve their letter grades before graduation. GEO 496 is always taken with Pass/Fail (P/F) grading. In addition, all non-Geography courses that are required must also be taken for a letter grade.
Designing a Major in Geography
Advisement
All incoming majors are strongly advised to meet with a faculty advisor and maintain contact each semester. This relationship is important because it helps students to be appraised of up-to-date departmental policy and information, to receive professional advice on career prospects and program planning, and to secure letters of recommendation for future job placement.
Program Structure and Flexibility
The basic course requirements for a Geography major have been designed to allow maximum flexibility in program design and course selection. For those who prefer a broadly based program, the Department offers a relatively wide range of faculty specialties and course offerings.
Many students have expressed a desire to participate in a more structured Geography program. Accordingly, we have developed three specialized concentrations. These represent programs within the main areas of expertise in the Department. Completion of any one of the concentrations will provide students with strong backgrounds. Successful completion of the course requirements in a concentration will be recognized with a Departmental Certificate.
Formal Degree Programs Involving Geography
Joint Major in Geography-Economics
These programs are described in detail in special handouts available in the Geography office. Note that students may design their own joint major, joint degree, or special major in accordance with University regulations. For further information, please consult a current Undergraduate catalog, DUE advisor, and Directors of Undergraduate Studies in the relevant departments.
Increasing Your Involvement in the Life of the Department
The Undergraduate Geography Student Association
The UGSA is organized and run by and for the undergraduate majors in Geography. The Association can provide opportunities to meet with faculty, other students, and guest lecturers. There are opportunities to take part in field trips and other organized professional functions, and to discuss future employment prospects and graduate school placement options.
The UGSA elects a student representative to serve on various committees described below. Contact your representative via the mailboxes in the Department office.
Join the Undergraduate Geography Association - it could be as active and exciting as you are!
Departmental Committees
The Department of Geography by-laws provide for an undergraduate student representative to attend, vote and serve on the Faculty-Student Committee and on the Grievance Committee. The Faculty-Student Committee is the policymaking unit for the Department in all curriculum and course matters. This represents a great opportunity for students to communicate their ideas and to participate in the governance of the department.
Want a Change from Lecture courses? Try Geography 496, 497, or 499
Geography 496 (Internship), 497 (Honors) and 499 (Independent Study) offer students a different kind of educational experience than does the usual undergraduate lecture course. Students who wish to work on a research project or to become involved in an internship should examine the descriptions in the Undergraduate Catalog. The best procedure to follow in preparing for these options is to formulate your ideas and questions, and to discuss such with your advisor.