Geography and Environmental Studies

The Geography and Environmental Studies program prepares students to understand the environment around us and to interpret the patterns found across Earth’s surface. Comprised of 48 units, this major allows flexibility in course selection, while providing a solid background in human, physical and regional aspects of the discipline.

Social Science Subject Matter Program for the Single Subject Credential

Geography and Environmental Studies majors who are interested in teaching social studies at the middle school or high school level may combine their major program with the Single Subject Social Science Subject Matter Program to meet requirements for entering a Single Subject Credential Program. View Social Science Subject Matter Program for Secondary School Teachers (.pdf) for more information. The Geography and Environmental Studies undergraduate advisor also can provide assistance in coordinating the completion of both the major and the subject matter program simultaneously. See also the disclosure statement regarding Programs Leading to Licensure and Credentialing.

1. Lower Division Courses (6 units)

Foundation Courses

Select one course from the following:

GEOG 101A/GEOG 101AL The Physical Environment and Lab (2/1)
or GEOG 103A/GEOG 103AL Weather and Lab (2/1)

Select one course from the following:

GEOG 107 People, Places, and Landscapes (3)
GEOG 108 Earth from Above (3)
GEOG 112/GEOG 112L Climate Change and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 150 World Geography: People, Places, and Globalization (3)
GEOG 170 Water Resources of California (3)

2. Upper Division Courses (42 units)

a. Gateway Course (3 units)

Take the following:

GEOG 300 The Geographer’s Craft (3)

b. Field Studies (3 units)

Select one course from the following:

GEOG 404A-Z Field Studies in Geography (1-3)

c. Content Courses (6 units)

Select two courses from the following:

GEOG 301 Cultural Geography (3)
GEOG 311 The Atmosphere (3)
GEOG 316 Environmental Geography (3)
GEOG 340 Economic Geography (3)
GEOG 351 Cities, Space, and Power (3)
GEOG 364/L Geography of World Ecosystems and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 365/GEOG 365L Geomorphology and Lab (3/1)
GEOG 366 Geography of Environmental Hazards (3)
GEOG 370 Water, Society, and the Environment (3)
GEOG 375 Environment, Economy, and Development (3)

d. Method Courses (9 units)

Select three courses from the following:

GEOG 206/L Introduction to Geographical Information Science and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 304/L Map and Imagery Interpretation and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 305/L Maps and Graphics and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 306/L Intermediate Geographical Information Science and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 449 Mixed Methods for Human and Environmental Geography (3)
GEOG 460/L Introduction to Spatial Analysis and Comparison and Lab (2/1)

e. Regional Course (3 units)

Select one course from the following:

GEOG 318 Europe (3)
GEOG 321 United States (3)
GEOG 322 Latin America (3)
GEOG 323 Canada (3)
GEOG 324 China (3)
GEOG 326 Africa (3)
GEOG 328 Mexico (3)
GEOG 330 California (3)
GEOG 334 Geography of Oceania (3)
GEOG 350 Metropolitan Los Angeles (3)

f. Application Courses (6 units)

Select two courses from the following:

GEOG 402/L Physical Geography Techniques and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 406/L Advanced Geographical Information Science and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 408A/L Human/Cultural Applications in Geographical Information Science and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 408B/L Environmental/Physical Applications in Geographical Information Science and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 408C/L Geospatial Project Management and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 408D/L Spatial Database Management and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 408E/L Geopython and Lab (1/2)
GEOG 408F/L WebGIS and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 408G/L GIS and Decision Making and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 408H/L GIS in Water Resource Management and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 408I/L Geospatial Big Data Analytics and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 409/L Digital Cartography and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 411 World Climate (3)
GEOG 412 Boundary Layer Climatology (3)
GEOG 413 Bioclimatology (3)
GEOG 414 Hydroclimatology (3)
GEOG 415 Air Pollution (3)
GEOG 416 Earth’s Changing Climate (3)
GEOG 444 Conservation (3)
GEOG 451 Advanced Urban Geography (3)
GEOG 452 Urban Land Use Planning (3)
GEOG 453 Housing and Community Development (3)
GEOG 459 Environmental Impact Studies (3)
GEOG 460/L Spatial Analysis and Comparison and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 462/L Computer Applications in Geography and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 465/L Fluvial Geomorphology and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 466/L Glacial and Periglacial Geomorphology and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 467/L Arid Lands Geomorphology and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 468/L Coastal Geomorphology and Lab (2/1)
GEOG 470 The Geography of Aquatic Ecosystems (3)
GEOG 472 Water Transfers in the American West (3)
GEOG 473 Water Quality in the Managed Environment (3)
GEOG 474 Water in Dryland Environments (3)
GEOG 476 Principles of River Restoration (3)
GEOG 482 Population, Migration, and the Environment (3)
GEOG 483 Transportation Planning (3)
GEOG 486 Medical Geography (3)
GEOG 487 Geography of Popular Culture (3)
GEOG 494 Internship (3)
GEOG 497A-F Senior Seminar in Geography (3)
GEOG 550F Forensic Geography (3)

g. Capstone Course (3 units)

Take the following:

GEOG 490 Senior Project (3)

h. Elective Courses (9 units)

Take three additional upper division (300-, 400- or 500-level) Geography courses.

3. General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.

3 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: GEOG 101A or GEOG 103A satisfies B1 Physical Science; GEOG 101AL or GEOG 103AL satisfies B3 Science Laboratory Activity.

If taken, GEOG 311, GEOG 316, GEOG 365 or GEOG 366 satisfies B5 Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning; GEOG 107, GEOG 150, GEOG 170, GEOG 301, GEOG 321, GEOG 330, GEOG 351 and/or GEOG 370 satisfies 3-6 units of D1 Social Sciences; GEOG 206/L satisfies E Lifelong Learning; and GEOG 318, GEOG 322, GEOG 324, GEOG 326 or GEOG 334 satisfies 3 units of upper division F Comparative Cultural Studies. (GEOG 206/L or GEOG 365 also fulfills the Information Competence requirement.)

Total Units in the Major/Option: 48

General Education Units: 45

Additional Units: 27

Total Units Required for the B.S. Degree: 120