DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Undergraduate Department of Geography

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PUBLIC POLICY

Chair: Anne Chin; Professors: Horner, Mesev, Yang; Associate Professors: Billo, Fotheringham, McCreary, Uejio, Zhao; Assistant Professors: Chang, DeJohn, Johnson, Li, Velasquez; Affiliate and Adjunct Faculty: Cofield, Doel, Hart, Lewers, Miller, Molina, Quinton, Weisman

The Department of Geography offers two separate degrees reflecting the discipline's position straddling the social and natural sciences: one is the bachelor's in Geography and the second, a STEM bachelor's in Environment & Society. While these programs overlap to some extent, they differ in how society interacts with the natural environment: Geography examines how location and scale affect human behavior within urban, rural, and natural environments, while Environment & Society explores how humans both affect and are affected by changes in the natural environment. Students may double major in Geography and Environment & Society; with a maximum of six credit hours allowed to overlap. The Department also offers Pathways programs from both the Geography major and the Environment & Society major to the Applied Master's program in Geography Information Science.

Geographers are concerned with mapping how changes to the landscape, vegetation, animals, and climate impact where humans live, socialize, work, trade, and form cultural and nationalist identities. They examine industry, environmental health, boundary disputes, urban financialization and decay, political ecology, social movements, race and indigeneity, Black geographies, cultural identities, and how these relate to the protection, justice, and concern for the environment, including climate change and recycling/sustainability practices. On the other hand, Environmentalists work as policy analysts and natural resource conservationists, dealing with issues as wide-ranging as food production, marine exploitation, soil pollution, land use planning, coastal protection, severe storm mitigation, waste disposal, environmental health, and urban sustainability. Many of these are mapped and monitored using geographic information systems (GIS), including remote sensing and spatial statistics. Students are encouraged to use the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy's GIS laboratory, running the market-leader ArcGIS software. The two degrees provide access to jobs that help determine where public facilities, infrastructure, and environmental resources are located, counted, measured, and evaluated so that they provide benefit to as many people as possible within the best interests of the natural environment. Amongst the breadth of jobs, students are employed as planning and development surveyors, environmental consultants, real estate appraisers, land use analysts, park rangers, market researchers, cartographers, GIS analysts, foresters, demographers, natural resource managers, tour guides, soil scientists, and teachers.

For a complete education in Geography or Environment & Society, all students are given the opportunity to take courses that reflect the Department's research strengths in transportation optimization, land use/land cover change, urban growth, population mapping, regionalization and location theory, political ecology, race and identity, environmental conflict and policy, urban sustainability, environmental health, hurricane forecasting, tropical forests and grasslands, coastal and estuarine ecosystems, energy consumption and conservation, and biodiversity and resource management. Visit the department website (https://geography.fsu.edu) or contact Undergraduate Program Director, Dr. Rachael Cofield (rcofield@fsu.edu) or Academic Program Coordinator, Allison Young (aryoung@fsu.edu) in Bellamy 313.

Digital Literacy Requirement

Students must complete at least one course designated as meeting the Digital Literacy Requirement with a grade of “C–” or higher. Courses fulfilling the Digital Literacy Requirement must accomplish at least three of the following outcomes:

Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information
Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications
Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology
Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications
Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively
Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically

Each academic major has determined the courses that fulfill the Digital Literacy requirement for that major. Students should contact their major department(s) to determine which courses will fulfill their Digital Literacy requirement.

State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites for Geography

The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) houses the statewide, internet-based catalog of distance learning courses, degree programs, and resources offered by Florida's public colleges and universities, and they have developed operational procedures and technical guidelines for the catalog that all institutions must follow. The statute governing this policy can be reviewed by visiting https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2021/1006.73.

FLVC has identified common program prerequisites for the degree program in Geography. To obtain the most up-to-date, state-approved prerequisites for this degree, visit: https://cpm.flvc.org/programs/29/192.

Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites but may not be admitted into the program.

Geography Major

Geography bridges the social sciences and physical sciences in the pursuit of how humans affect, and are affected by, natural environment. Geographers examine many social/physical issues at every scale, such as housing development and habitat loss, insurance premiums and storm damage, commercial fishing and marine sustainability, transport flow and air pollution, energy needs and mineral exploitation, and intensive farming and deforestation. Geography is the study of place and space, in the same sense that history is the study of time. Geographers ask: Where are things located? Why are they located where they are? And how do we map them? Geographers are concerned with mapping how changes to the landscape, vegetation, animals, and climate impact where humans live, socialize, work, trade, and form cultural and nationalist identities. They examine agricultural practices, industry, boundary disputes, urban decay, political ideologies, religious principles, and how these relate to perceptions of the environment, concern for global warming, and recycling/sustainability practices. All of these can be mapped using computer-based GIS, GPS, and satellite surveillance techniques with ever-improving geographic accuracy and precision.

Major Requirements

A major in Geography consists of 34 credit hours. All courses must be completed with a grade of “C–” or better.

These Required Core Courses (19 Hours)

GEA 1000 World Geography (3) (Diversity)

GEO 1400 Human Geography (3) (Diversity)

GEO 2200C Physical Geography (3)

GEO 4162C Spatial Data Analysis (3)

GIS 3015 Map Analysis (3)

GIS 4043 Geographic Information Systems (3)

AND

GIS 4043L Geographic Information Systems Lab (1)

Human Geography (3 Hours)

Select one course from the following:

GEO 3502 Economic Geography (3)

GEO 4344 Environmental Disasters & Apocalypse (3)

GEO 4355 Geography: Food and Environment (3)

GEO 4357 Environmental Conflict & Economic Development (3)

GEO 4404 Black Geographies (3)

GEO 4412 Environment and Gender (3)

GEO 4421 Cultural Geography (3) (Diversity) (Upper-Division Writing)

GEO 4450 Medical Geography (3)

GEO 4471 Political Geography (3)

GEO 4503 Globalization (3)

GEO 4505 Fossil Fuels and Environmental Conflict (3)

GEO 4602 Urban Geography (3)

GEO 4700 Transport Geography (3)

GEO 4804 Geography of Wine (3)

IDS 2180 Dead Cities (3)

IDS 2492 Sport: Place, Competition, and Fairness (3) (Ethics) (E-Series & “W” State-Mandated Writing)

IDS 3336 “Great” Britain? Geography, Imperialism, Industry, and Culture (3) (Diversity) (E-Series & “W” State-Mandated Writing)

IDH 3404 Environmental Justice (3) (Honors)

Physical Geography (3 to 4 Hours)

Select one course from the following:

GEO 4210 Landforms and Landscapes (3)

GEO 4251 Geography of Climate Change & Storms

GEO 4280 Geography of Water Resources (3)

GEO 4300 Biogeography (3)

GEO 4376 Landscape Ecology (3)

GEO 4392 Geography of Marine Resources (3)

GEO 4114 Environmental Field Methods (3)

GIS 4006 Computer Cartography (3)

GIS 4035 Introduction to Remote Sensing (3)

AND

GIS 4035L Introduction to Remote Sensing Lab (1)

IDS 2471 Glaciers, Geysers, and Glades: Exploring U.S. National Parks (3)

IDS 2473 Putting Science into Action: Field Methods in Plant Ecology (3)

General Geography Courses (8 or 9 Hours)

Students must select additional geography courses (GEA/GEO/GIS) at the 3000/4000 level to bring the total credits in the major to thirty-four; coursework may include a maximum of nine credit hours of GEO 4930 (Special Topics) classes. A maximum of three credit hours may be used from GEO 4905 DIS or GEO 4941 Internship.

No credit for geography courses with a grade below “C–” will be applied towards completion of the major.

Minor Coursework

Geography majors are required to complete a minor in any departmental or interdisciplinary area of interest. Minors must be at least 12 hours but can range up to 18 hours.

Minor in Geography

The Geography minor consists of 15 credit hours of coursework in geography from the following choices:

GEA 1000 World Geography (3) (Diversity)

GEO 1400 Human Geography (3) (Diversity)

GEO 1330 Environmental Science (3)

GEO 2200C Physical Geography (3)

GEO 4162C Spatial Data Analysis (3)

GIS 3015 Map Analysis (3)

Any GEA/GEO/GIS 3000 or higher elective

All courses must be completed with a grade of “C–” or better. If the Geography minor is combined with the Environment & Society major, GEO 2200C counts toward both the major and the minor. For more information contact the Department of Geography or visit the department's website at https://geography.fsu.edu.

Environment & Society Major

Environment & Society is an interdisciplinary STEM program of study that explores how humans affect and are affected by changes in the natural environment. It combines courses from the social sciences and the natural sciences to investigate today's pressing environmental issues, such as ecosystem management, climate change, natural resource conservation, food production, marine exploitation, urban sustainability, land use planning, severe storm mitigation, and environment health—including how these issues are debated, measured, evaluated and then formulated into public policy. The major is highly flexible and allows students to explore a wide variety of classes when choosing how to study how humans interact, control, and live in harmony with nature. It requires 41 credit hours with a grade of “C–” or better in each course; at least 18 credit hours must be taken in upper-level (3000- and 4000-level) courses. A maximum of three credit hours may be used from GEO 4905 DIS or GEO 4941 Internship.

Note: Some of the following courses have prerequisites.

Basic Core Curriculum: All the Following Courses (Total of 14 Credit Hours)

BSC 1005 (or higher) General Biology for Non-Majors (3)

AND

BSC 1005L (or higher) General Biology for Non-Majors Lab (1)

CHM 1020C (or higher) Chemistry for Liberal Studies (4)

GEO 1330 Environmental Science (3)

GEO 2200C Physical Geography (3)

Natural Science Courses: Three Courses (Total of 9 Credit Hours)

At least one from the following Core List (3 to 9 hours):

GEO 4210 Landforms and Landscapes (3)

GEO 4251 Geography of Climate Change and Storms (3)

GEO 4280 Geography of Water Resources (3)

GEO 4300 Biogeography (3)

GEO 4340 Living in a Hazardous Environment (3)

GEO 4376 Landscape Ecology (3)

GEO 4392 Geography of Marine Conservation (3)

IDS 2471 Glaciers, Geysers, and Glades: Exploring U.S. National Parks (3)

Elective List (0 to 9 Hours)

BOT 3143 Field Botany (4)

BSC 3016 Eukaryotic Diversity (3)

BSC 3052 Conservation Biology (3)

BSC 3312 Marine Biology (3)

BSC 4821C Biogeography (3)

CHM 4080 Environmental Chemistry I (3)

CHM 4081 Environmental Chemistry II (3)

GEO 4930 Special Topics in Geography (3) (Note: content varies and not all GEO 4930 courses will count as electives)

GLY 1030 Environmental Issues in Geology (3)

GLY 2010C Physical Geology (3)

GLY 3039 Energy, Resources, and the Environment (3)

IDS 3232 Living Green, Theory to Action (3)

ISC 2003 Global Change, Its Scientific and Human Dimensions (3)

MET 1010 Introduction to the Atmosphere (3)

MET 1050 Natural Hazards & Disasters: From Hurricanes to Meteorites (3)

MET 2101 Physical Climatology (3)

MET 3231 Introduction to Thermodynamics and Dynamics (3)

OCE 1001 Elementary Oceanography (3)

OCE 4008 Principles of Oceanography (3)

OCE 4017 Current Issues in Environmental Science (3)

OCE 4265 Coral Reef Ecology (3)

OCE 4930 Special Topics Oceanography: Needs Dept Approval (3)

PCB 3043 General Ecology (3)

PCB 4402 Ecology of Infectious Diseases (3)

Social Science Electives: Four of the Following Courses (Total 12 Credit Hours)

At least one from the following Core List (3 to 12 hours)

GEO 3502 Economic Geography (3)

GEA 3563 The Mediterranean (3)

GEA 4250 Great Britain and Ireland (3)

GEO 4344 Environmental Disasters & Apocalypse (3)

GEO 4355 Geography: Food and Environment (3)

GEO 4357 Environmental Conflict & Economic Development (3)

GEO 4404 Black Geographies (3)

GEO 4412 Environment and Gender (3)

GEO 4421 Cultural Geography (3) (Diversity) (Upper-Division Writing)

GEO 4450 Medical Geography (3)

GEO 4471 Political Geography (3)

GEO 4503 Globalization (3)

GEO 4505 Fossil Fuels and Environmental Conflict (3)

GEO 4602 Urban Geography (3)

GEO 4700 Transport Geography (3)

GEO 4804 Geography of Wine (3)

IDH 3404 Environmental Justice (3) (Honors)

IDS 2180 Dead Cities (3)

IDS 2227 Sustainable Society (3) (Honors)

IDS 2492 Sport: Place, Competition, and Fairness (3) (Ethics) (E-Series & “W” State-Mandated Writing)

IDS 3336 “Great” Britain? Geography, Imperialism, Industry and Culture (3) (Diversity) (E-Series & “W” State-Mandated Writing)

Elective List (0 to 6 Hours)

AMH 2097 Nationality, Race, and Ethnicity in the United States (3)

AMH 4630 North American Environmental History (3)

AMH 4634 Florida Environmental History (3)

CTE 4470 Sustainability & Human Rights in the Business World (3)

ECP 3113 Economics of Population (3)

ECP 3302 Econ of Natural Resources, Energy, & the Environment (3)

EVR 4314 Energy and Society (3)

GEO 3423 Sports Geography (3)

GEO 4930 Special Topics in Geography (3) (Note: content varies and not all GEO 4930 courses will count as electives)

IDS 2240 Sustainable Food (3)

IDS 2431 Thinking beyond Ourselves: Global Perspectives (3)

IDS 2460 Global Perspective: Communication (3)

IDS 2156 Environment & Society (3)

IDS 3164 Media, Culture, & Environment (3)

IDS 3169 Art & the Environment (3)

INR 2002 Introduction to International Relations (3)

PAD 3003 Public Administration in American Society (3)

PAD 4382 Disaster Recovery and Mitigation (3)

PAD 4391 Foundations in Emergency Management (3)

PAD 4393 Emergency Management Programs, Planning & Policy (3)

PAD 4603 Administrative Law (3)

PHI 2620 Environmental Ethics (3)

PUP 3002 Introduction to Public Policy (3)

PUP 4203 Environmental Politics and Policy (3)

SYD 3020 Population and Society (3)

SYD 4510 Environmental Sociology (3)

URP 3000 Introduction to Planning and Urban Development (3)

URP 4318 Growth Management and Environmental Planning (3)

URP 4402 Sustainable Development Planning in the Americas (3)

URP 4404 River Basin Planning (3)

URP 4423 Environmental Planning and Resource Management (3)

URP 4710 Introduction to Transportation Issues and Transportation Planning (3)

URP 4936 Special Topics in Planning (3) (if approved by advisor; subjects vary)

Methods Electives: Two of the Following Courses (Total 6 to 7 Credit Hours)

At least one from the following Core List Core List (3/4 to 6/7 hours)

GEO 4162C Spatial Data Analysis (3) (cannot take along with SYA 4400)

GIS 3015 Map Analysis (3)

GIS 4006 Computer Cartography (3)

GIS 4035 Introduction to Remote Sensing (3)

AND

GIS 4035L Introduction to Remote Sensing Lab (1)

GIS 4043 Geographic Information Systems (3)

AND

GIS 4043L Geographic Information Systems Lab (1)

GIS 4330 Florida GIS Applications (3)

GIS 4402 GIS Applications for Social Sciences (3)

GIS 4421 GIS & Health (3)

IDS 2473 Putting Science into Action: Field Methods in Plant Ecology (3)

Elective List (0 to 3 Hours)

ENV 4611 Environmental Impact Analysis (3)

GEO 4114 Environmental Field Methods (3)

STA 3024 SAS for Data and Statistical Analysis (3)

SYA 4300 Methods in Social Research (3)

SYA 4400 Social Statistics (3) (cannot take along with GEO 4162C)

Minor in Environment & Society

A minor in Environment & Society consists of a minimum of 15 credit hours, composed of the following:

GEO 1330 Environmental Science (3)

GEO 2200C Physical Geography (3)

One Natural Core Course
One Social Science Core Course
One Methods Core Course

All courses must be completed with grades of “C–” or better. If an Environment & Society minor is combined with a Geography major, GEO 2200C is applied to both the major and the minor.

For more information, contact the Department of Geography, or visit the department's website at https://geography.fsu.edu.

Bachelor's/Master's Pathways

Students in either the Geography major or the Environment & Society major can apply for a pathway to the MS degree in Geographic Information Science by sharing or ‘double counting' up to 12 graduate credit hours with their undergraduate program. This means 12 graduate credit hours can count towards your undergraduate degree AND count towards the 30 graduate credit hours for the master's degree in GIS, leaving you 18 graduate credit hours to complete the master's program after you complete your major. The following course must be completed with a C- or higher (note: this course does NOT double count with the GIScience Master's Degree):

GIS 4043/L Geographic Information Systems & Lab (4)

You must have a desire to improve your skill levels in using computer software, statistics, mapping, and geographic relevance for resource monitoring. You must also maintain a GPA of 3.0. For more information visit https://geography.fsu.edu/programs/undergraduate/bachelorsmasters-pathways or contact the MIS GIS Pathways Program Director, Dr. Xiaojun Yang (xyang@fsu.edu) or the Undergraduate Program Director, Dr. Rachael Cofield (rcofield@fsu.edu) in Bellamy 313 or Allison Young (aryoung@fsu.edu) in Bellamy 301.

Graduate Programs

Graduate programs are available leading to the Master of Arts (MA), the Master of Science (MS), the MS in GIScience, and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Geography. The graduate programs in the Department of Geography lead to an applied or a research-oriented degree centered on geographic information science (GIScience), environmental management, or human-environmental interactions.

Undergraduates contemplating a graduate degree in geography should take the Graduate Record Examination prior to submitting an application. Interested students should contact the Graduate Program Director, Dr. Chris Uejio (cuejio@fsu.edu), 317A Bellamy.