To become a major a student should have completed TWO geography courses with a QPA of 2.0. Applicants must also have an overall (UB) QPA of 2.0. Applications are available in the Geography main office at 105 Wilkeson Quad.Applicants with an overall (UB) QPA 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, 115 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 four areas of specialization, plus a “general” major in Geography. These clusters have been developed to reflect professional employment requirements, faculty expertise, and expressed student interests. Completion of any one of the clusters 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 cluster will be recognized with a Departmental Certificate upon graduation.
The following four clusters are offered within the department:
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: 3.25 QPA in all Geography courses

With High Distinction: 3.50 QPA in all Geography courses

With Highest Distinction: 3.75 QPA in all Geography courses

REQUIRED COURSES FOR GRADUATION

____ GEO 101 Intro to Physical Geography

____ GEO 102 Human Geography OR ____ GEO 103 Geography of Economic Systems

____ GEO 120 Maps and Mapping

____ GEO 410 Univariate Statistics (or approved substitute*)
 

One Computer Science Course:

____ CSE 101 Computers:A General Introduction OR ____ CSE 113 Intro to Computer Science I
 
 
One Int’l Business and World Trade Course:
One Urban/Regional Geography course:
____ GEO 330 Dynamics of International Business
____ GEO 366 Urban Geography
____ GEO 333 Bases of World Commerce
____ GEO 367 Urban-Social Geography
____ GEO 334 Intl’ Environments/Commercial Problems
____ GEO 418 Population Geography
____ GEO 419 Transportation and Society
____ GEO 419 Transportation and Society
____ GEO 425 Industrial Geography
____ GEO 460 Geography of Development
   
One GIS/Cartography Geography course:
One Physical Geography Course:
____ GEO 381 Cartography
____ GEO 347 Climatic Geomorphology
____ GEO 389 Business Geographics
____ GEO 348 Landform Development
____ GEO 420 Transportation and Spatial Information
____ GEO 350 Landform Field and Lab Techn.
____ GEO 450-453 Special Topics
____ GEO 352 Introduction to Soils
____ GEO 479 GIS & Environmental Modeling
____ GEO 355 Landscape Ecology
____ GEO 481 Geographic Information Systems
____ GEO 356 Environmental Change
____ GEO 483 Remote Sensing
____ GEO 449 Fluvial Geomorphology
____ GEO 485 Cartography and Geo. Visualization
____ GEO 454 Soils Laboratory Methods
____ GEO 486 Spatial Decision – Support Systems
____ GEO 479 GIS & Environmental Modeling
____ GEO 488 GIS Design
____ GEO 483 Remote Sensing
____ GEO 489 GIS Algorithm and Data Structures
____ GEO 444 Earth Systems Science
____ GEO 497 Geostatistics
 ____ GEO 470 Integrated Environmental Management
____ GEO 475 Landscape modeling with GIS


IMPORTANT: There are a few courses listed above that appear on two different lists.Completion of these courses will fulfill only ONE requirement.

 
Worksheet for upcoming semesters

Fall_____Spring_____Fall_______Spring_____

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

*Approved subs for GEO410:CEP207, PSC408, PSY207,SOC294,STA119, ECO480, EAS308. The Department of Geography requires that all students, regardless of the cluster specialization, complete a minimum of 39 hours in Geography.Students who take a course outside Geography that is equivalent to GEO410 must complete an additional Geography course to fulfill the 39 hour minimum requirement.

All Geography majors must complete a minimum of 39 hours in Geography to be eligible to graduate.

üNo more than two Independent Study courses (GEO499) may be counted toward your required 39 hours, although additional Independent Studies may be taken if desired.

üTransfer 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 GEO102 or GEO103.

üA minimum QPA of 2.0 in all Geography courses and an overall QPA of 2.0 is required at the time of graduation.

üAll 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 440 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

1. Advisement
All incoming majors are given an opportunity to select faculty advisors. Students are strongly encouraged to maintain contact with their advisor.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.

2. 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 four specialized clusters.These clusters represent programs within the main areas of expertise in the Department.Completion of any one of the four clusters will provide students with strong backgrounds.Successful completion of the course requirements in a cluster will be recognized with a Departmental Certificate.

Even if students do not choose to follow one of the special clusters, they may still find it helpful when planning their own programs to examine the clusters for recommended course sequence and electives.

3. Formal Degree Programs Involving Geography

The Department also offers two formal joint programs:

1. Joint Geography/MBA Program

2. 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 440, 490, or 499

Geography 440 (Internship), 490 (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.

 

Email Undergraduate Questions
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Department of Geography, 105 Wilkeson Quad, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14261 Phone: (716) 645-2722
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