Geography
majors must complete a minimum of 40 units in geography courses with a
grade equivalent of 2.00 or higher. Of these 40 units, 19 units of core
courses are required plus 3 units of regional courses. The
remaining 18 units in the major are selected from 100-400 level
geography electives reflecting the student’s areas of interest. A
maximum of 3 units of these electives may be taken at the 100 level and 3 units at the 200 level, or 6 units at the 200 level.
Core
Requirements (19 units)
GEOG 101
Physical Geography (3)
GEOG 109
Human Geography (3) or GEOG 102 World Regional Geography (3) or GEOG 105 Geography of International Affairs (3)
GEOG 221
Interpretation of Maps (3)
GEOG 232Introduction to GIS (4)
GEOG 375
Quantitative Methods in Geography (3)
GEOG 401
Growth of Geographic Thought (3)
Regional Course
Requirement (3 units)
Majors
must select at least one regional
course. This course may be selected from the following:
GEOG 420
Geography of Anglo America (3)
GEOG 423
Geography of Maryland (3)
GEOG 424
Historical Geography of Atlantic Canada (3)
GEOG 427 The Global Economy (3)
GEOG 431 Geography of Africa (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)
GEOG 462 The Two Down Unders (3)
GEOG 463 The Silk Road (3)
Electives (18
units)
Majors
must complete at least 18 units of electives at the 100-400 level. A maximum of 3 units may be taken at the 100 level and 3 units at the 200 level, or 6 units at the 200 level. Regional courses, aside from those taken to meet the Regional Course Requirement, may count as electives.
GEOG 223 Physical Geography Applications (3)
GEOG 230 Understanding and Communicating Through Maps (3)
GEOG 251 Introduction to Planning (3)
GEOG 315 Geomorphology (4)
GEOG 317 Energy Resources (3)
GEOG 319 Soils and Vegetation (3)
GEOG 321 Interpretation of Aerial Photographs (3)
GEOG 323 Cartography and Graphics I (3)
GEOG 324 Cartography and Graphics II (3)
GEOG 329 Medical Geography (3)
GEOG 355 Historical Geography of Urbanization (3)
GEOG 356 Geography of Crime (3)
GEOG 357 Cultural Geography (3)
GEOG 359 Economic Geography (3)
GEOG 373 Climatology (3)
GEOG 377 Descriptive Meteorology (3)
GEOG 381 Political Geography (3)
GEOG 383 Natural Resources and Society (3)
GEOG 385 Population Geography (3)
GEOG 391 Urban Systems
GEOG 393 Transportation and Infrastructure Planning (3)
GEOG 405 Comprehensive Planning (3)
GEOG 407 Geography of the Aged (3)
GEOG 409 Applied Climatology (3)
GEOG 410 Environmental Geography (3)
GEOG 411 Studies in Natural Hazards (3)
GEOG 414 GIS Applications (3)
GEOG 415 Geographical Aspects of Pollution (3)
GEOG 416 Principles of Remote Sensing (3)
GEOG 417 Outdoor Recreation Planning and Management (3)
GEOG 418 Computer Mapping (3)
GEOG 481 Environmental Impact Analysis (3)
GEOG 484 Land Use Planning (3)
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 taken at CCBC will
transfer. However, Towson University will only accept a maximum of 64
total units in transfer. Any GenEd requirements not completed prior to
enrollment will be completed at Towson University. Students beginning the program at Towson University will complete their last year at CCBC to complete the requirements for the A.A.S. in Land Surveying.
The
program of study follows the guidelines for a major in Geography and
Environmental Planning. A total of 40 units with a grade of 2.0 or higher in each course are required for the major. A total of 6 units can be met by transfer to satisfy the GEOG
101 and GEOG 102, GEOG 105 or GEOG 109/110 requirements. Elective units (a minimum of 18) should be selected in
consultation with the advisor, 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
CCBC Catonsville (410-455-4965), or the chair of the Department of
Geography and Environmental Planning at Towson University
(410-704-2973).
Core Requirements (19 units)
GEOG 101 Physical Geography* (3)
GEOG 109 Human Geography* (3) or GEOG 102 World Regional Geography* (3) or GEOG 105 Geography of International Affairs* (3)
GEOG 221 Interpretation of Maps (3)
GEOG 232Introduction to GIS (4)
GEOG 375 Quantitative Methods in Geography (3)
GEOG 401 Growth of Geographic Thought (3)
*Courses may be transferred
Regional Course Requirement (3 units)
Majors must select at least one regional course. GEOG 423 Geography of Maryland is preferred, but any regional course is acceptable.
Electives (18 units)
Majors must complete at least 18 units of electives at the 200-400 level. The electives listed below are ecommended for Land Surveying Majors. Other electives, aside from those listed below, may be available within the department, but students should consult with their advisor before enrolling.
GEOG 251 Introduction to Planning (3)
GEOG 315 Geomorphology (4)
GEOG 319 Soils and Vegetation (3)
GEOG 321 Interpretation of Aerial Photographs (3)
GEOG 323 Cartography and Graphics I (3)
GEOG 383 Natural Resources and Society (3)
GEOG 391 Urban Systems
GEOG 405 Comprehensive Planning (3)
GEOG 410 Environmental Geography (3)
GEOG 411 Studies in Natural Hazards (3)
GEOG 481 Environmental Impact Analysis (3)
GEOG 484 Land Use Planning (3)
COMBINED 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 combined 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 combined
major option, see the department chair in Sociology, Anthropology and
Criminal Justice.
Introductory Courses (6 units)
The following lower-division courses must be taken:
The following courses are required to complete the Sociology portion of the combined major:
Core Courses
SOCI 381
Sociological Theory (3)
SOCI 391
Research Methods (3)
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.
Completion of individual majors in Political Science and Geography requires the successful completion of 76 units (36 in Political Science, 40 in Geography). However, by electing the combined major in Geograhpy and Political Science, students will be able to complete both majors with a total of 64 units. Students interested in this combined major should consult with an advisor in either department to review requirements.
Political Science Courses (6 units)
The Geography Department will allow two of the following Political Science courses to count toward the Geography major:
POSC 303 Theory of International Politics (3)
POSC 305 Urban Government and Politics (3)
POSC 307 Contemporary International Politics (3)
POSC 337 Comparative Governments of Foreign Powers (3)
POSC 340 Comparative Public Policy (3)
POSC 351 Government and Politics of Latin America (3)
POSC 355 Latin American Policy of the U.S. (3)
POSC 385 Model Organization of American States (3)
POSC 441 Contemporary U.S.-European Relations (3)
POSC 488 Seminar: Topics in Public Policy (3)
Geography Courses (6 units)
The Political Science Department will allow two of the following Geography courses to count toward the Political Science major:
GEOG 317 Energy Resources (3)
GEOG 355 Historic Geography of Urbanization (3)
GEOG 359 Economic Geography (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 (3)
GEOG 427 The Global Economy (3)
GEOG 431 Geography of Africa (3)
GEOG 461 Geography of Latin America (3)
Geography Major (28 units)
The following courses are required to complete the Geography portion of the combined major:
Core Courses
GEOG 101 Physical Geography (3)
GEOG 102 World Regional Geography (3) OR
GEOG 105 Geography of International Affairs (3) OR
The following courses are required to complete the Political Science portion of the combined major:
Core Courses
Majors must select at least 3 of the following courses, of which no more than one may be at the 200 level:
POSC
101 Introduction to Political Science (3)
POSC 102 Honors Introduction to Political Science (3)
POSC 103 American National Government (3)
POSC 105 Governments of the World (3)
POSC 107 Introduction to International Relations (3)
POSC 108 Honors International Relations (3)
POSC 207 State Government (3)
POSC 209 Introduction to Law (3)
POSC 212 Honors in Political Science (3)
POSC 301 Political Research (3)
Seminar Political Science Course (one 400 level approved seminar)
Elective Political Science Courses (three 300-400 level electives)*
*Elective courses must be taken in three of the four topical areas of Political Science
COMBINED MAJOR IN ECONOMICS AND GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
Completion of individual majors in Geography and Environmental Planning
and Economics requires the successful completion of 73 units (40 in
Geography and Environmental Planning and 33 in Economics). However, by
electing the combined major in Geography and Environmental Planning and
Economics, students will be able to complete both majors with a total of
61 units.
Introductory Courses (6 units)
The following lower-division courses must be taken:
COMBINED MAJOR IN ECONOMICS AND GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
Completion of individual majors in Geography
and History requires the successful completion of 73 units (40 in Geography and 33 in History). However, by
electing the combined major in Geography and
History, students will be able to complete both majors with a total of
61 units.
History Requirement (33 units)
Students are to complete 33 units of required courses for HIstory Major
Introductory Courses (6 units)
The following lower-division courses must be taken:
GEOG 101 Physical Geography (3)
GEOG 109/110 Human Geography (3) or 102/112 World Regional Geography (3) or 105 Geography of International Affairs (3)
GEOG 221 Interpretation of Maps (3)
GEOG 232 Introduction to GIS (4)
GEOG 401 Growth of Geographic Thought (3)
Statistics Course (3 units)
Majors must select one statistics course from the following:
GEOG 375 Quantitative Methods in Geography (3)
Regional Courses
At least 1 regional course must be taken:
GEOG 420 Geography of U.S. & Canada (3)
GEOG 423 Geography of Maryland (3)
GEOG 424 Historical Geography of Atlantic Canada (3)
GEOG 427
The Global Economy (3)
GEOG 431 Geography of Africa (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 The Russian Colossus (3)
GEOG 461 Geography of Latin America (3)
GEOG 462 The Two Down Unders (3)
GEOG 463 The Silk Road (3)
History Courses Acceptable for GEOG Credit (6 units)
All upper division history electives (300-400) with specific geographic foci (region, country, continent, or global) are acceptable. Courses on environmental and landscape history are also acceptable. Students should consult with their advisor to ensure that appropriate courses are selected
Upper Division Geograhpy Courses (6 units)
Students must complete at least 6 units of electives at the 200-400 level from Geography (GEOG). Regional Courses, aside from those taken to meet the Regional Course Requirement, may count toward Upper elective units.
Required
in major (40 units): lower-division courses (12-18 units);
upper-division courses (21-27 units), at least 12 units of which
must be courses designated as systematic or technique courses. Required
in related subjects (33 units): History: 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.
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.
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 40 hours
total:
Core Requirements (19 units)
Regional Course Requirement (3 units)
Elective Courses (18 units)
Minimum 6 Units of Honors Directed
Reading (GEOG 498) and Honors Thesis (GEOG 499), which may also
serve to satisfy 6 of the 18 upper-level elective units needed for
the major.
This program includes six to nine
units 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 student 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.
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
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.
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