BS in Geography: Geographic Information Systems Emphasis (59–60 hours*)
Program Requirements | View MAP
- Complete the following core courses:
GEOG 101 : Global Environment: Understanding Physical Geography.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F, W, Sp, Su |
| DESCRIPTION: | Physical environment, distribution and interrelationships of climates, landforms, ecosystems and their human significance. |
GEOG 212 : Introduction to Geographic Information Systems.
(3:2:1)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F, W; Sp on demand. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Concepts in the use of small- and large-scale digital map data, emphasizing landscape interpretation and feature description. |
GEOG 222 : Quantitative Reasoning.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F, W |
| RECOMMENDED: | Stat 105 or above. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Organizing, acquiring, and using quantitative geographic data and quantitative reasoning within the discipline of geography. |
GEOG 322 : Statistics for Geographers.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F, W, Sp |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 222. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Methodology of spatial analysis. Theory and techniques in geographic data description and population inference. |
- Complete one physical geography course from the following:
GEOG 303 : Biogeography.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 101 or instructor's consent. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Broad-scale distribution of plants and animals. Theoretical and practical applications to conservation and effects of global environmental change. |
GEOG 307 : Landscape Ecology.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 101 or instructor's consent. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Interaction between spatial patterns and spatial processes in an ecological context. Methods, theories, and practical applications of landscapes at various scales. |
- Complete one regional course from the following:
GEOG 245 : Geography of Utah.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | On demand. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Exploring geography of Utah. Topics include land forms, climate, agricultural and recreational economics, historical migration, Mormon cultural landscape, ethnic patterns, and rural-urban contrasts. |
GEOG 250 : United States and Canada.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W |
| DESCRIPTION: | Analysis of the natural environment, historical development, cultural patterns, economic systems, and political structures of geographic regions. |
GEOG 265 : Russia and the Former Soviet Union.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | On demand. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Physical features, resources, political issues, economy and industries, population concerns, and role in world affairs. |
GEOG 271 : Middle East.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F |
| DESCRIPTION: | Physical and cultural geography of Southwest Asia and North Africa, emphasizing the cultural mosaic, geopolitics, environment, and resources of the region. |
GEOG 272 : East Asia.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W |
| DESCRIPTION: | Region of monsoon Asia and its basic human (demographics, nations and ethnic groups, settlement patterns, religious beliefs, transportation and communication systems, political structures), and physical geographic characteristics (land forms, physiography, climatic characteristics, and natural resources). |
GEOG 273 : Southeast Asia.
(3:3.0:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W on demand. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Fundamental issues of geography relating to Southeast Asia, including the extraction and marketing of natural resources, economic development, neighborly relations, and how diffusion has influenced the unique cultural, religious, and linguistic characteristics of the region. |
GEOG 285 : Environment and Development in Africa.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W |
| DESCRIPTION: | Geographical analysis focusing on resource management, political issues, development, environmental problems, economic development, and urban-rural change; case studies from selected countries. |
- Complete one human geography course from the following:
GEOG 306 : Public Land Conservation.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 101 or instructor's consent. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Environmental and social geography of public lands; analyzing historical, planning, management, and ecological issues. |
GEOG 331 : Economic Geography.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F, Alt. term |
| DESCRIPTION: | Introduction to economic processes and spatial patterns, emphasizing theoretical approaches, locational strategies, and changing economic land-use patterns. |
GEOG 341 : Political Geography.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F, W |
| DESCRIPTION: | Spatial analysis of global politics; focus on geopolitics, territory and conflict, nationalism, and the politics of resources. |
GEOG 346 : Population Geography.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W |
| DESCRIPTION: | Spatial perspective on wide field of population studies, focusing on distribution, development, structure, and movement of populations, emphasizing basic demographic measures. |
GEOG 347 : Tourism: A Conceptual Framework.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F |
| DESCRIPTION: | Introduction to tourism as a field of study; four elements of tourism: dynamic, service, functional, and consequential. |
- Complete the following major courses:
GEOG 213 : Earth Observation and Image Interpretation.
(3:2:2)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W |
| DESCRIPTION: | Principles of earth observation: primarily air photo/large-scale satellite imagery interpretation, basic field methods, photogrammetry. |
GEOG 219 : Global Positioning Systems and Geodesy.
(2:2:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 211 or instructor's consent. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Earth coordinate systems, map projections, and global positioning system methods. |
GEOG 311 : Geographic Data Management.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 212 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Nature of geographic information and its practical management in GIS; design of GIS databases, data collection from primary and secondary sources, manipulating data in preparation for analysis, and data exploration. |
GEOG 312 : Cartographic Design.
(4:2:4)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 211. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Graphic perception, layout, typography, color, statistical methods, and symbolization of thematic maps through computer-aided techniques. |
GEOG 313 : Remote Sensing 1.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 211, 212. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Introduction to airborne and spaceborne sensors, including characteristics and image acquisition. Emphasizes land cover mapping applications appropriate for environment monitoring. |
- Complete one course from the following:
LINGC 220 : Linguistic Computing Programming 1.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F, W |
| PREREQUISITE: | LingC 200 or C S 100 or equivalent experience. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Computer programming for language applications: data types, character representation, flow of control, file input/output, string manipulation. |
C S 142 : Introduction to Computer Programming.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F, W, Sp, Su |
| PREREQUISITE: | Knowledge of algebra. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Introduction to object-oriented program design and development. Principles of algorithm formulation and implementation. |
- Complete two courses from the following:
GEOG 411 : Issues in Computer Cartography.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W on demand. |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 312 or equivalent. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Current techniques for compilation, integration, and display of digital map data. |
GEOG 412 : Problem Solving with Geographic Information Systems.
(3:3:1)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F on demand. |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 311 or instructor's consent. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Solving practical geographic problems and performing scientific research using raster and vector analysis tools in GIS. |
GEOG 413 : Remote Sensing 2.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 313. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Computer processing of low-altitude and satellite images for geographic analysis of physical and cultural phenomena on earth. |
GEOG 414 : Applied Urban Environmental Modeling.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | W on demand. |
| PREREQUISITE: | Geog 212, 213, 313. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Complexities of urban environment through use of geographic techniques, including remote sensing, GIS, GPS, aerial photo and map interpretation, and fieldwork. Modeling human impact on the physical environment by examining local case studies and completing group projects. Developing and building technical skills as tools in understanding the urban environment. |
GEOG 495R : Mentored Research.
(1-3:Arr.:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F, W, Sp, Su |
| DESCRIPTION: | Participating in research integrating material learned in major. Emphasizes individual or collaborative research and creative thinking through active learning and reflective analysis. |
GEOG 521R : Geographic Information Practicum.
(3:3:0)
(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)| OFFERED: | F, W, or Sp on demand |
| PREREQUISITE: | GIS major status; Geog 311, 312, 313, 317 (or equivalents); Geog 222 or 223 or equivalent; one 400-level GIS course. |
| DESCRIPTION: | Integration of various geographic technologies to solve a practical problem. Advanced topics in GIS, remote sensing, cartography, and programming as needed. |
- Complete exit assessment and senior survey during final semester, no later than one month before graduation.
*Hours include courses that may fulfill university core requirements.