The Geography major is housed in the Department of Anthropology and Geography. Through coursework and internship opportunities, majors are provided with a broad background in geographic thinking. The major emphasizes interactions between humans and the environment in an era of rapid global change. Critical study of diverse relationships between space, place, humans, built and natural environments allows students to interpret geographic features, patterns and processes.
The Geography curriculum also concentrates specifically on mountain ecosystems and human-environment interactions. Coursework takes advantage of faculty expertise in these areas of study, some of which are specific to the state of Colorado. Geography faculty use a wide range of research methods, including geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, spatial modeling, spatial statistics, participatory methods and ethnography to address applied research questions in Colorado, the Rocky Mountains, Patagonia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Melanesia, and Africa. Undergraduate majors can expect to gain knowledge of and/or participate in faculty research related to:
- Climate change implications for society and ecosystems
- Land-use and land-cover change
- Critical human geography
- Critical Health geographies
- Biogeography
- Livelihood systems
- Conservation
- Cultural geography
- Urban geography
- Economic geography
- Political/electoral geography
- Geography of virtual worlds
The Geography major is built on the core values the Department of Anthropology and Geography promotes. These values emphasize experiential training, primary research, public engagement, and education.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will demonstrate:
- Mastery of the unifying themes of human and physical geography, as well as knowledge of the diverse conceptual and methodological approaches present in the discipline of geography.
- The ability to identify, describe, and interpret spatial patterns and structures.
- A critical understanding of relationships between humans and the environment, with a specific focus on mountain systems and local cultures.
- An ability to present geographic concepts, approaches, methodologies, and applications in written, oral, cartographic, and other visual forms.
- An understanding of the discipline’s relevance to everyday life.
- An ability to communicate effectively and respectfully, including critical thinking and discussion skills.
Potential Occupations:
Like many other majors in Liberal Arts, the Geography major provides students with a broad academic background suitable for a variety of jobs in the public and private sectors. Geography majors are trained to think independently and critically, communicate effectively, and function in a multicultural world. Careers for graduates vary depending upon your focus in Geography. Geographers often work in international development, Foreign Service, education, conservation/natural resource management, urban and regional planning, data analysis, data management, GIS analyst, marketing, and business. Graduates who go on to advanced studies can pursue academic careers in geography.
Effective Spring 2021
Freshman | |||
---|---|---|---|
AUCC | Credits | ||
ANTH 120 | Human Origins and Variation (GT-SC2) | 3A | 3 |
ANTH 121 | Human Origins and Variation Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | 1 |
ANTH 140 | Introduction to Archaeology (GT-HI1) | 3D | 3 |
CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | 1A | 3 |
GR 100 | Introduction to Geography (GT-SS2) | 3C | 3 |
Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||
Cultures and the Global System (GT-SS3) | 3E | ||
Geography of Europe and the Americas (GT-SS2) | 3E | ||
GR XXX not taken in another category | 8 | ||
Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |
Quantitative Reasoning | 1B | 3 | |
Total Credits | 30 | ||
Sophomore | |||
GR 210/ESS 210 | Physical Geography | 3 | |
GR 220 | Mapping, Cartography, and Spatial Thinking | 3 | |
Advanced Writing | 2 | 3 | |
Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |
Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 3 | |
Select one from the following: | 3 | ||
3C | |||
3A | |||
Additional Humanities1 | 3 | ||
Additional Natural Sciences2 | 6 | ||
Additional Social Sciences3 | 3 | ||
Total Credits | 30 | ||
Junior | |||
ANTH 400/GR 400 | History of Theory-Anthropology and Geography | 4B | 3 |
GR 320 | Cultural Geography | 3 | |
Select one of the following Human Geography courses not taken in another category: | 3 | ||
Climate Migrants | |||
Geography of Global Health | |||
Urban Geography | |||
Geography of Farming Systems | |||
Geography of Hazards | |||
The Geography of Commodities | |||
Political Geography | |||
Select one of the following Physical Geography courses not taken in another category: | 3 | ||
Sustainable Watersheds (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||
Mountain Geography | |||
Biogeography | |||
Climate Change: Science, Policy, Implications | |||
Land Change Science and Remote Sensing | |||
Forest Biogeography and Climate Change | |||
Select one of the following Geospatial Methods courses: | 3-4 | ||
GIS for Social Scientists | |||
Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation | |||
Spatial Analysis with GIS | |||
Select one of the following Quantitative Methods courses: | 3 | ||
Quantifying Anthropology | |||
Quantitative Geographical Methods | |||
Additional Social Sciences3 | 3 | ||
GR XXX | 6 | ||
Electives | 1-3 | ||
Total Credits | 28-31 | ||
Senior | |||
GR 493 | Capstone Seminar | 4C | 1 |
Students must take GR 493 concurrently with one of the 4A courses listed in the selection below if not previously taken: | 3 | ||
Mountain Geography | 4A | ||
Climate Change: Science, Policy, Implications | 4A | ||
The Geography of Commodities | 4A | ||
Land Change Science and Remote Sensing | 4A | ||
Additional Humanities1 | 3 | ||
Additional Social Sciences3 | 3 | ||
Electives5 | 20 | ||
Total Credits | 30 | ||
Program Total Credits: | 120 |
1 | Additional Humanities: Select a total of 6 credits, which must include two subject codes from the following: ART, D, CO, E, ETST, L***, MU, PHIL, SPCM, TH, WS. |
2 | Additional Natural Sciences: Select a total of 6 credits, which must include two subject codes from the following: AA, BC, BMS, BZ, CHEM, CS, CT, GEOL, LIFE, MATH, NR, NSCI, PH, SOCR, and STAT. |
3 | Additional Social Sciences: Select a total of 9 credits, which must include at least two subject codes from the following: ECON, HIST, INST, JTC, POLS, PSY, SOC. |
4 | GR 431 may also fulfill this requirement, but GR 431 must be taken concurrently with GR 430. |
5 | Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level). |
Freshman | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Semester 1 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
ANTH 120 | Human Origins and Variation (GT-SC2) | 3A | 3 | ||
ANTH 121 | Human Origins and Variation Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | 1 | ||
GR 100 | Introduction to Geography (GT-SS2) | 3C | 3 | ||
Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||||
Cultures and the Global System (GT-SS3) | 3E | ||||
Geography of Europe and the Americas (GT-SS2) | 3E | ||||
GR XXX not taken in another category | 4 | ||||
Total Credits | 14 | ||||
Semester 2 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
ANTH 140 | Introduction to Archaeology (GT-HI1) | 3D | 3 | ||
CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | 1A | 3 | ||
GR XXX not taken in another category | 4 | ||||
Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |||
Quantitative Reasoning | 1B | 3 | |||
Total Credits | 16 | ||||
Sophomore | |||||
Semester 3 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
GR 210/ESS 210 | Physical Geography | 3 | |||
Additional Natural Sciences (See Requirements Tab) | 6 | ||||
Additional Social Sciences (See Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
Advanced Writing | 2 | 3 | |||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Semester 4 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
GR 220 | Mapping, Cartography, and Spatial Thinking | 3 | |||
Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |||
Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 3 | |||
Select one from the following: | 3 | ||||
3A | |||||
3C | |||||
Additional Humanities (See Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Junior | |||||
Semester 5 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
ANTH 400/GR 400 | History of Theory-Anthropology and Geography | 4B | 3 | ||
GR 320 | Cultural Geography | 3 | |||
Select one of the following Geospatial Methods courses: | 3-4 | ||||
GIS for Social Scientists | |||||
Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation | |||||
Spatial Analysis with GIS | |||||
Select one of the following Quantitative Methods courses: | 3 | ||||
Quantifying Anthropology | |||||
Quantitative Geographical Methods | |||||
Additional Social Sciences (See Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
Total Credits | 15-16 | ||||
Semester 6 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
Select one of the following Human Geography courses not taken in another category: | 3 | ||||
Climate Migrants | |||||
Geography of Global Health | |||||
Urban Geography | |||||
Geography of Farming Systems | |||||
Geography of Hazards | |||||
The Geography of Commodities | |||||
Political Geography | |||||
Select one of the following Physical Geography courses not taken in another category: | 3 | ||||
GR 204/WR 304 | Sustainable Watersheds (GT-SC2) | 3A | |||
Mountain Geography | |||||
Biogeography | |||||
Climate Change: Science, Policy, Implications | |||||
Land Change Science and Remote Sensing | |||||
Forest Biogeography and Climate Change | |||||
GR XXX | 6 | ||||
Electives | 1-3 | ||||
Total Credits | 13-15 | ||||
Senior | |||||
Semester 7 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
Additional Social Sciences (See Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
Electives | 12 | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Semester 8 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
GR 493 | Capstone Seminar | X | 4C | 1 | |
Students must take GR 493 concurrently with one of the 4A courses listed in the selection below if not previously taken: | X | 4A | 3 | ||
Mountain Geography | 4A | ||||
Climate Change: Science, Policy, Implications | 4A | ||||
The Geography of Commodities | 4A | ||||
Land Change Science and Remote Sensing | X | 4A | |||
Additional Humanities (See Requirements Tab) | X | 3 | |||
Electives | X | 8 | |||
The benchmark courses for Semester 8 are the remaining courses in the entire program of study. | X | ||||
Total Credits | 15 | ||||
Program Total Credits: | 120 |