BS in Geography

The BS in Geography is ideal for students who want a more quantitaive and analytical engagement with the three subfields of geography: Environmental Geography, Geographic Information Sciences, and Human Geography. It is more structured that the BA and provides students with a deeper engagement with geographic analysis The BS also serves as thorough preparation for graduate school and careers in environmental science, natural resources management, biogeography, climate science, or similar technical fields.

Instead of the second language courses required to earn a BA, students in the BS program take a minimum of four classes in biological and physical sciences, math, or statistics.

Geography BS Tracks

As a geography BS student, you will focus on the biophysical and information sciences to study social, political, economic, and ecological processes and the role of space, place, and geographic networks in shaping them. You also have the option to choose an emphasis on GIS and/or environmental systems. Within this emphasis, students may further specialize in urban or rural environments, climate change, or socio-environmental issues.

To fulfill the BS, you must choose one of two tracks. The required courses differ between the two tracks. Students can choose either to focus on:

1. Environmental systems, or;
2. Geographic information sciences
3. Human Geography

Requirements for the BS

To fulfill the requirements for a BS in geography, you must complete the following:

Core Requirement

The core is common to the three sub-plans. It ensures that students gain experience across the three geographic subfields, have foundations in statistics, and an engagement with how research helps build applied problem solving skills that can be used across a variety of fields.

Supporting Courses

Students are required to take five courses outside of geography. These courses are situated in cognate disciplines and are designed for students to get additional training that builds on the courses they are taking within geography. The courses represent a variety of fields of expertise. Students should consult with their major adviser to get a sense of which courses would best fit their personal and professional goals. If there is coursework that is not covered in the listed courses, students may petition to have other courses count to fulfill the requirement that better fit their needs. Two of these courses may be taken at the 1xxx level.

Environmental Geography Track

Environmental geography is the study of patterns and processes in the natural world. Environmental patterns include the distribution of forests and prairies, the courses of rivers and the extent of their floods, and the tracks of hurricanes and tornadoes. The processes that shape these patterns range from forest fires to erosion to cloud formation. Such phenomena must be understood to help us manage natural resources, immediate risks and hazards, and conserve valued places and species.

Students who choose the environmental systems track are required to take Geography 1403: Biogeography of the Global Garden, two additional environmental geography classes, and two additional GIS courses.

Geographic Information Science Track

Geographic information science (GIS) courses cover many aspects of geographical information, including the theory and skills involved in collecting, storing, manipulating, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data. These courses provide grounding in spatial geography encompassing GIS, cartography, remote sensing, spatial data science, spatial analysis, and numerical modeling.

Students explore the relationship between society and GIS: Where does geographic information come from? How can society make use of such information? This thematic area exposes students to GIS and cartography applications; including land use and land cover change, environmental justice, transportation improvements; urban, regional, and environmental planning; resource conservation; and society-technology relations.

For the GIS track, students take at least two principles courses, one advanced GIS course at the 5xxx level, and two additional GIS courses. 

Human Geography Track

Human Geography explores the spatial manifestation of human systems such as politics, economics, and culture. At the University of Minnesota, our Human Geography is grounded in four areas: 

• Places, Power, and Justice 
• Urban Worlds 
• Environmental Studies and the Geographies of Health 
• Global Inequalities and the World Economy.

Students on the Human Geography track take an additional methodology course from Geography or a cognate discipline, and four additional human geography courses.