Spinning Earth Environmental Studies - Geography Option Spinning Earth

The Department of Geography offers an option area of study within the interdisciplinary Environmental Studies undergraduate degree program at SOU. The goal of the Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies is to provide the education and training necessary to understand the increasing complexity of natural resource management so graduates can understand and implement policy decisions which are ecologically credible, socially acceptable, and economically viable. The degree responds to student demand and employment opportunities in environmentally related careers that are aligned with current national, state, and local priorities. The environmental studies degree, with its four options (biology, chemistry, geography, and geology), is designed to provide its majors a broad background necessary for understanding environmental systems. The program is intended to develop reasonable comprehensive approaches to environmental thought, issues, and problems.

The Geography option area is broad in scope. In consultation with an advisor, students can choose from a variety of course subjects including natural resources, conservation, land use planning, tourism, economic geography, weather and climate, cartography, geomorphology, and geographic information systems. Also, seminars, practicums, and topics courses may be woven into a Geography option program.

Option Advisors

Advisor
Office
Phone
Email
Dr. Greg Jones
TA 101A
552-6758
gjones@sou.edu
Dr. John Richards
TA 119
552-6281
richards@sou.edu

Requirements for Environmental Studies Major - Geography Option

1. Fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements.

2. Maintain a 2.5 GPA in all courses taken for the major. Note: Course work in the major is to be taken for a letter grade (not P/NP grading).

3. Complete the core Environmental Studies requirements.

4. Complete specified requirements for one track/option.

Core Requirements (16-20 credits)

1. Environmental Studies Introductory sequence Environmental Resources I, II (Sc/SSc 210 & 310)

2. Principles of Microeconomics (Econ 201)

3. Environmental Studies Capstone. (4-8 credits) Select one course from the following :

a. ES Capstone (Sc/SSc 494) or a capstone class in the option area with approval of advisor, or

b. ES Honors Capstone (Sc/SSc 495)....(4-8 Cr.)

Geography Option Requirements

1. Lower division science (20-21 credits)

a. Complete introductory sequence & associated labs Geography (Geog 101, 107, and 111, or 112)

b. Also complete at least one course and associated lab from each of the following (8-9 credits): Biology (Bi 101, or 211) and Chemistry (Chem 100, 101 or 201)

2. Lower division Social Science (8-12 credits) Select an Exploration sequence from Anthropology, Political Science, Economics or Sociology plus one additional introductory course from another of the above disciplines. (Note: Students taking Econ 201-202 must select one additional course from another department.)

3. Ethics & Moral Issues (Phil 205).

4. Mathematics (8 credits) Elementary Statistics (Mth 243). Plus one of the following: Elementary Functions (Mth 112), Calculus I (Mth 251), or Quantitative Methods in Geography (Geog 386).

5. Upper Division Science (6-8 credits) Complete two of the following from two different areas:

6. Upper Division Social Science (12 credits)

a. Choose one of the following:

b. Choose two of the following (some may have prerequisites). Students must select courses from at least 2 department:

7. Geography Courses (36 credits) Complete 36 credits (approved by the geography option advisor) from the following. At least 28 credits must be upper division: