Geography
Undergraduate Majors
Undergraduate
Programs
MAJOR IN
GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
Geography
majors must complete a minimum of 39 units in geography courses with a
grade equivalent of 2.00 or higher. Of these 39 units, 18 units of core
courses are required plus 6 units of prescribed group courses. The
remaining 15 units in the major are selected from 200-400 level
geography electives reflecting the student’s areas of interest. A
maximum of 6 units of these electives may be taken at the 200 level.
Core
Requirements (18 units)
GEOG 101
Physical Geography (3)
GEOG 109
Human Geography (3) or GEOG 102 (3) or 105 (3) or 110 (3)
GEOG 221
Interpretation of Maps (3)
GEOG 223
Physical Geography Applications (3)
GEOG 375
Quantitative Methods in Geography (3)
GEOG 401
Growth of Geographic Thought (3)
Group
Requirements (6 units)
Majors
must select at least one techniques course and at least one regional
course. These courses may be selected from the following:
Technical
Courses
Select at
least one:
GEOG 321
Interpretation of Aerial Photographs (3)
GEOG 323
Cartography and Graphics I (3)
GEOG 412
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3)
GEOG 416
Principles of Remote Sensing and Digital Image Processing (3)
GEOG 418
Computer Mapping (3)
Regional
Courses
Select at
least one:
GEOG 420
Geography of Anglo America (3)
GEOG 423
Geography of Maryland (3)
GEOG 431
Geography of Africa (3)
GEOG 424
Historical Geography of Atlantic Canada (3)
GEOG 443
Geography of East Asia (3)
GEOG 445
Geography of South and Southeast Asia (3)
GEOG 447
Geography of the Middle East (3)
GEOG 448
Conflict in Ireland (3)
GEOG 451
Geography of Europe (3)
GEOG 453
Geography of the former U.S.S.R. (3)
GEOG 461
Geography of Latin America (3)
Electives (15
units)
Majors
must take 15 units of geography electives at the 200-400 level. A
maximum of 6 units may be taken at the 200 level.
Top of Page
MAJOR IN GEOGRAPHY
AND LAND SURVEYING
The major
in Geography and Land Surveying is based on a transfer articulation
agreement between the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville
and Towson University. Most students electing to major in Geography and
Land Surveying will complete the A.A.S. degree in Land Surveying at CCBC-Catonsville
prior to enrollment at Towson University. All surveying courses will
transfer. However, Towson University will only accept a maximum of 64
total credits in transfer. Any GenEd requirements not completed prior to
enrollment will be completed at Towson University. Current Towson
Geography majors interested in this program should see the department
chair.
The
program of study follows the guidelines for a major in Geography and
Environmental Planning. A total of 39 units are required as indicated
above. A total of 6 units can be met by transfer to satisfy the GEOG
101, GEOG 102, GEOG 105, and GEOG 109/110 requirements. The techniques
requirement must be met by completing one of the following courses: GEOG
321, GEOG 412, GEOG 416, or GEOG 418. The preferred course for
fulfilling the regional requirement is GEOG 423 The Geography of
Maryland. Elective units (a minimum of 15) should be selected in
consultation with the adviser, as some are more preferable than others.
GEOG 491 Internship is strongly recommended for those with little or no
work experience. Students may not substitute past work experience, nor
use concurrent work to meet internship requirements, without permission
of the department. A non-major requirement for this program is calculus,
which may be taken at Catonsville or Towson, and which must be passed
with a grade of C or higher. For further information on this program,
contact James E. Lobdell, coordinator of the Surveying Program at
CCBCCatonsville (410-455-4965), or the chair of the Department of
Geography and Environmental Planning at Towson University
(410-704-2973).
Top of Page
DOUBLE MAJOR IN GEOGRAPHY AND SOCIOLOGY-ANTHROPOLOGY
The
departments of Geography and Environmental Planning and Sociology,
Anthropology and Criminal Justice offer a program leading to a
bachelor’s degree with a double major in Geography and Environmental
Planning and Sociology-Anthropology, with a concentration in Sociology
or Anthropology. The Sociology Concentration course requirements are
listed below. For information on the Anthropology Concentration double
major option, see the department chair in Sociology, Anthropology and
Criminal Justice.
I. The following
lower-division courses must be taken:
A.GEOG
101 Physical Geography (3)
B. SOCI
101 Introduction to Sociology (3)
(Both A
and B count toward General Education requirements.)
II. One of the
following statistics courses must be taken:
A.GEOG
375 Quantitative Methods in Geography (3) OR
B. PSYC
212 Behavioral Statistics (4) OR
C.MATH
231 Basic Statistics I (3)
(Any of
these courses will count as 3 units in either Geography or Sociology and
satisfy the statistics requirement in both programs. Students cannot
receive unit in both the first and second major for more than one of
these courses.)
III. Two of the
following sociology courses must be taken:
SOCI 313
Introduction to Social Psychology (3)
SOCI 320
Military Sociology (3)
SOCI 323
Social Change (3)
SOCI 327
Urban Sociology (3)
SOCI 329
Demography (3)
SOCI 331
Deviance and Organizations (3)
SOCI 333
Political Sociology (3)
SOCI 335
Medical Sociology (3)
SOCI 341
Class, Status and Power (3)
SOCI 359
Social Gerontology (3)
SOCI
470-479 Special Topics in Sociology (3) (Topics offered here may be
accepted with approval of the Department of Geography and Environmental
Planning adviser.)
IV. Two of the
following geography courses must be taken:
GEOG 329
Medical Geography (3)
GEOG 351
Urban Design (3)
GEOG 355
Historical Geography of Urbanization (3)
GEOG 357
Cultural Geography (3)
GEOG 381
Political Geography (3)
GEOG 383
Natural Resources and Society (second writing course) (3)
GEOG 385
Population Geography (3)
GEOG 391
Urban Systems (3)
GEOG 405
Comprehensive Planning (3)
GEOG 407
Geography of the Aged (3)
GEOG
470-479 Seminar: Selected Topics in Geography (3) (Topics offered here
may be accepted with approval of the Department of Sociology,
Anthropology and Criminal Justice adviser.)
GEOG 494
Travel Study (3)
GEOG 495
Directed Reading in Geography (with approval of Department of Sociology,
Anthropology and Criminal Justice adviser) (3)
GEOG 496
Independent Study in Geography (with approval of the Department of
Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice adviser) (3)
154
V. The following
courses are required to complete the Geography major portion of the
double major:
A. Core Courses
GEOG 102
World Regional Geography (3) OR
GEOG 105
Geography of International Affairs (3) OR
GEOG 109
Human Geography (3)
GEOG 221
Interpretation of Maps (3)
GEOG 223
Physical Geography Applications (3)
GEOG 401
Growth of Geographic Thought (3)
B. Techniques
Course (only one of the following)
GEOG 321
Interpretation of Aerial Photographs (3)
GEOG 323
Cartography and Graphics I (3)
GEOG 47x
Computer Mapping (3)
GEOG 412
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3)
GEOG 416
Principles of Remote Sensing and Digital Image Processing (3)
C. Regional
Geography Course (one 400-level regional course)
D. Elective
Geography Course (one upper-level course)
VI. The
following courses are required to complete the Sociology Concentration
in the double major:
A. Core Courses
SOCI 381
Sociological Theory (3)
SOCI 391
Research Methods (3)
B. Electives
Students
must complete 18 units of electives in sociology, at least 12 of which
must be upper division. Two elective coures (6 units) may be in
anthropology.
Top of Page
DOUBLE
MAJOR IN GEOGRAPHY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
Completion of individual
majors in Political Science and Geography requires the successful
completion of 75 credits (36 in Political Science, 39 in Geography).
However, by electing the double major in Political Science and
Geography, students will be able to complete both majors with a total of
65 credits. Students interested in this double major should consult
with an advisor in either department to review requirements. See
Department of Political Science
for details.
Top of Page
DOUBLE MAJOR IN ECONOMICS AND GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
Completion of individual majors in Geography and Environmental Planning
and Economics requires the successful completion of 72 units (39 in
geography and environmental planning and 33 in economics). However, by
electing the double major in Geography and Environmental Planning and
Economics, students will be able to complete both majors with a total of
60 units.
I.
In economics, students must complete all requirements for
the major.
II.
One of the following statistics courses must be taken:
ECON 205
Statistics for Business and Economics (3) OR
GEOG 375
Quantitative Methods in Geography (3)
III.
Students may substitute two of the following courses in
geography and environmental planning toward fulfillment of the required
12 units of upper-level economics electives:
GEOG 355
Historical Geography of Urbanization (3)
GEOG 381
Political Geography (3)
GEOG 385
Population Geography (3)
GEOG 391
Urban Systems (3)
GEOG 393
Transportation and Infrastructure Planning (3)
GEOG 405
Comprehensive Planning
GEOG 427
The Global Economy (3)
GEOG
470-479 Seminar: Selected Topics in Geography* (3)
GEOG 481
Environmental Impact Analysis (3)
GEOG 484
Land Use Planning (3)
*
Approval from Department of Economics depending on course topic.
IV. In geography
and environmental planning, students must complete all requirements for
the major. In addition, they may substitute two of the following
upper-level courses in economics toward fulfillment of the required
upper-level elective courses in geography and environmental planning:
ECON 323
Comparative Economic Systems (3)
ECON 325
Economic Development (3)
ECON 333
Poverty and Discrimination (3)
ECON 351
Urban Economics (3)
ECON 421
International Economics (3)
ECON 423
International Monetary Theory and Policy (3)
ECON
470-479 Topics in Economics* (3)
*Approval
from Department of Geography and Environmental Planning depending on
course topic.
For
further information on this program contact the chairperson of the
Department of Economics, or Dr. James DiLisio of the Department of
Geography and Environmental Planning.
Top of Page
GEOGRAPHY SECONDARY
EDUCATION PROGRAM
Required
in major (39 units): lower-division (100-200) courses (12-18);
upper-division (300-400) courses (21-27), at least 12 units of which
must be courses designated as systematic or technique courses. Required
in related subjects (33 units): history courses: HIST 145, HIST 146,
HIST 101, plus 6 units of history electives; political science: POSC
103: sociology: SOCI 101; economics: ECON 201 and ECON 202;
anthropology: either ANTH 207, ANTH 208, or ANTH 209; and a specified
topics in social science course.
Note:
The standards for students enrolled in Teacher Education
Programs require a GPA of 2.75 in academic majors prior to student
teaching. Please be aware that this GPA is higher than that required by
the department for its majors. Students must contact the Department of
Secondary Education about admission to the Secondary Teacher Education
Program.
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY
Geography
and Environmental Planning majors may transfer up to 12 credits toward a
major, and Geography minors may transfer up to 6 credits. All transfer
credits require department approval.
Top of
Page
DEPARTMENTAL
HONORS IN GEOGRAPHY (Major)
Departmental Honors is the ideal way for students to take away a sense
of individual accomplishment at graduation. These students will have
completed an intensive research project in their area of interest and
have gained a firm grounding for graduate school and the job market.
Requirements
Admission
-
To be admitted
to the Honors program in Geography, students must present a
cumulative grade point average of 3.25, and a 3.50 in their major,
or have the consent of their faculty advisor.
-
Students may be
admitted to the program no sooner than the Spring of their Sophomore
year.
Credit Hours:
Minimum 39 hours
total:
-
18 Credits Core
-
6 Credits Group Requirement (at
least one techniques and one regional course)
-
15 Credits 200-400-level electives
-
Minimum 6 Credits of Honors Directed
Reading (GEOG 498) and Honors Thesis (GEOG 499), which may also
serve to satisfy 6 of the 15 upper-level elective credits needed for
the major.
This program includes six to nine
credits in seminars, directed readings, and research projects in the
student's major. A senior thesis is required, as is an oral defense.
Thesis proposal:
A Departmental Honors Application Form and an attached Honors Thesis
Proposal must be delivered to the Honors College Office, Cook Library,
room 524, prior to enrolling in this Honors Thesis course. This form is
available in the Departmental Honors Handbook.
Most Honors Thesis
Proposals are five to six pages, plus a bibliography. They represent the
product of a semester of carefully supervised analysis, reading, and
research in the Honors Directed Reading. The thesis advisor should be
certain that the proposal is feasible in aim and appropriate to the
student’s ability and time constraints.
Thesis Committee:
The
thesis committee is composed of the thesis advisor, two departmental
representatives and a visiting examiner. The members should be chosen in
consultation with the thesis advisor. Members of the committee are
responsible for reading and responding to the thesis and evaluating the
student’s work, the public presentation, and the oral examination. At
the end of the colloquium, the members must sign the 2 required copies
of the thesis, which will be kept in the Special Collections of Cook
Library.
Honors Colloquium:
The
Honors Colloquium is a public defense of the thesis project. The
audience is composed of interested students, invited guests, the thesis
advisor and the thesis committee members. The advisor will introduce the
student to the audience. The studen will then give a brief,
approximately 10-20 minute, synopsis of the work, followed by an oral
examination by the thesis committee. The typical oral examination lasts
approximately one hour.
Final Requirement:
An
UNBOUND signed original and an additional signed copy of the thesis on
WHITE PAPER must be delivered by the student to the Honors College
Office in Cook Library, room 524, by the last day of the final exam
period.
Please see the
Departmental Honors Handbook for complete details and forms
New courses for the
Honors Program
Geography 498: Honors
Directed Reading
This new course will
be one of two courses in the new Departmental Honors program in
Geography.
Course Description:
This course is provides for the development of an independent reading
program as preparation for undertaking an Honors thesis in Geography.
The course will be arranged and conducted on a one-to-one basis between
a student and a member of the Geography faculty. The topic and readings,
as well as specific outcomes to be accomplished, will be chosen through
consultation between the student and the instructor. It is normally
expected that this course will result in the production of a portion of
the Honors Thesis. The course may be repeated for a maximum of 6
credits. Grading will be on the A-F scale, with the expectations and
requirements varying by individual case. A prerequisite for this course
is admission to the Departmental Honors program in Geography.
Geography 499: Honors
Thesis
This course is part
of the new Departmental Honors program in Geography. An Honors thesis is
required for this program. It is during this course that the student is
expected to produce a completed thesis.
Course Description:
This course is provides for the research and writing of an Honors thesis
in Geography. The topic shall be chosen in consultation between the
student and a faculty advisor from the Department of Geography. The
course may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits. An oral presentation
and thesis defense follows the the completion of the Honors thesis. The
thesis will be judged on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. A
prerequisite for this course is admission to the Departmental Honors
program in Geography.
Top of
Page
|
