Geography and Geospatial Science Undergraduate Major (BS, HBS)
Also available via Ecampus.
Kuuipo Walsh, Director
GIScience Program
134 Wilkinson Hall
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331
541-737-3795
Email: kuuipo.walsh@oregonstate.edu
Website: https://ceoas.oregonstate.edu/geography-and-geospatial-science
Geography is a scientific approach to understanding people’s relationship with their environment and resources. Geography is central to many important issues, including planning for land-use change, global studies, and adaptation to climate change. Geospatial science applies techniques, including web mapping, geovisualization, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS), to address these issues. Geographic thinking and geospatial technology are present in every aspect of modern life, and career opportunities abound for students trained in geography and geospatial science.
Major Code: 896
- Use terminology and basic principles to describe and explain (a) physical geography, (b) human geography, and (c) geospatial science and technology.
- Apply spatial reasoning and critical thinking to create, synthesize and analyze data; model human-environment interactions; and evaluate contemporary issues in geography.
- Communicate findings and their implications, including ethical aspects, in visual, oral and written form.
Students majoring in Geography and Geospatial Science complete work in five major areas:
- OSU's baccalaureate core
- Basic statistics and math
- Geography and Geospatial Science core
- Electives
- Experiential learning (field courses and internship or research)
The major consists of 85 credits of course work. In addition to baccalaureate core courses, the major consists of:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Supporting mathematics and statistics | 12 | |
| Foundational skills in geography and geospatial science | 17 | |
| Upper-division geospatial science | 12 | |
| Experiential learning | 9 | |
| Seminar | 1 | |
| Upper-division electives | 31 | |
| Capstone course | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 85 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Baccalaureate Core | ||
Select 51 credits | ||
| Supporting Skills | ||
| MTH 112 | *ELEMENTARY FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| ST 351 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 4 |
| ST 352 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 4 |
| Foundational Skills | ||
| GEOG 102 | *PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY | 4 |
| or GEO 202 | *EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE | |
| GEOG 103 | *HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| or GEOG 203 | *HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOG 105 | *GEOGRAPHY OF THE NON-WESTERN WORLD | 3 |
| or GEOG 106 | *GEOGRAPHY OF THE WESTERN WORLD | |
| GEOG 201 | *FOUNDATIONS OF GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE AND GIS | 4 |
| GEOG 240 | *HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE | 3 |
| or GEOG 250 | *LAND USE PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | |
| or GEOG 251 | *GEOGRAPHY OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT | |
| Upper-Division Geospatial Science Techniques and Problem-Solving | ||
| GEOG 360 | GISCIENCE I: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND THEORY | 4 |
| GEOG 370 | GEOVISUALIZATION: CARTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| GEOG 480 | REMOTE SENSING I: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS | 4 |
| Seminar | ||
| GEOG 407 | SEMINAR | 1 |
| Experiential Learning | ||
| GEOG 295 | INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC FIELD RESEARCH | 3 |
| GEOG 410 | INTERNSHIP | 3 |
| or GEOG 401 | RESEARCH | |
| or GEOG 403 | THESIS | |
| GEOG 495 | FIELD GEOGRAPHY OF OREGON I | 3 |
| Capstone | ||
| GEOG 464 | GEOSPATIAL PERSPECTIVES ON INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY AND ETHICS | 3 |
| Upper-Division Geography and Geospatial Science Electives | ||
| GEOG 323 | ^CLIMATOLOGY | 4 |
| or GEOG 324 | ^ECOLOGICAL BIOGEOGRAPHY | |
| Select 27 credits from the following lists with at least five courses at 400 level: | 27 | |
| Geospatial Science | ||
| QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS AND MODELING | ||
| GEOVISUALIZATION: WEB MAPPING | ||
| GISCIENCE III: PROGRAMMING FOR GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS | ||
| GISCIENCE IV: SPATIAL MODELING | ||
| GEOVISUALIZATION: GEOVISUAL ANALYTICS | ||
| SATELLITE IMAGE ANALYSIS | ||
| International Studies | ||
| *GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA | ||
| *GEOGRAPHY OF ASIA | ||
| *GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA | ||
| *^GEOGRAPHY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBALIZATION | ||
| GLOBAL RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT | ||
| Water Resources | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY | ||
| SNOW HYDROLOGY | ||
| HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| INTERNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| Resources, Hazards, and Planning | ||
| *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ||
| *POPULATION, CONSUMPTION, AND ENVIRONMENT | ||
| *GEOGRAPHY OF NATURAL HAZARDS | ||
| RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| *GEOGRAPHY OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE | ||
| LAND USE IN THE AMERICAN WEST | ||
| PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES | ||
| SUSTAINABLE SITE PLANNING | ||
| Total credits required for graduation | 180 | |
| * | Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC) |
| ^ | Writing Intensive Course (WIC) |
Major Code: 896
Sample Four-Year Plan: Geography and Geospatial Science
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 102 or GEO 202 | *PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY or *EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE | 4 |
| GEOG 103 or GEOG 203 | *HUMAN GEOGRAPHY or *HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| GEOG 105 or GEOG 106 | *GEOGRAPHY OF THE NON-WESTERN WORLD or *GEOGRAPHY OF THE WESTERN WORLD | 3 |
| MTH 112 | *ELEMENTARY FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| GEOG 201 | *FOUNDATIONS OF GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE AND GIS | 4 |
| GEOG 240 | *HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE or *LAND USE PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES or *GEOGRAPHY OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| GEOG 295 | INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC FIELD RESEARCH | 3 |
| ST 351 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 4 |
| ST 352 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 4 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | Credits | |
| GEOG 300 | *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD or *POPULATION, CONSUMPTION, AND ENVIRONMENT or *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY | 3 |
| GEOG 360 | GISCIENCE I: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND THEORY | 4 |
| GEOG 370 | GEOVISUALIZATION: CARTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| Credits | 11 | |
| Winter | ||
| GEOG 300 | *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD or *^GEOGRAPHY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBALIZATION or *GEOGRAPHY OF NATURAL HAZARDS | 3 |
| GEOG 361 | QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS AND MODELING | 4 |
| GEOG 371 | GEOVISUALIZATION: WEB MAPPING | 4 |
| GEOG 423 | SNOW HYDROLOGY or HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT or INTERNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOG 300 | *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD or *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY or WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES | 3 |
| GEOG 323 or GEOG 324 | ^CLIMATOLOGY or ^ECOLOGICAL BIOGEOGRAPHY | 4 |
| GEOG 431 or GEOG 432 | GLOBAL RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT or *GEOGRAPHY OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE | 3 |
| GEOG 462 or GEOG 472 | GISCIENCE III: PROGRAMMING FOR GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS or GEOVISUALIZATION: GEOVISUAL ANALYTICS | 4 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GEOG 407 | SEMINAR | 1 |
| GEOG 440 or GEOG 463 | WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES or GISCIENCE IV: SPATIAL MODELING | 3 |
| GEOG 480 | REMOTE SENSING I: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS | 4 |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Winter | ||
| GEOG 410 | INTERNSHIP or RESEARCH or THESIS | 1-16 |
| GEOG 423 | SNOW HYDROLOGY or HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT or INTERNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT or PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES | 3 |
| GEOG 481 | SATELLITE IMAGE ANALYSIS | 4 |
| Credits | 8-23 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOG 452 or GEOG 472 | SUSTAINABLE SITE PLANNING or GEOVISUALIZATION: GEOVISUAL ANALYTICS | 3 |
| GEOG 464 | GEOSPATIAL PERSPECTIVES ON INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY AND ETHICS | 3 |
| GEOG 495 | FIELD GEOGRAPHY OF OREGON I | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 96-111 | |
| * | Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC) |
| ^ | Writing Intensive Course (WIC) |
Sample Two-Year Plan: Geography and Geospatial Science
Up to 29 transfer credits may be accepted representing the equivalent of:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 102 | *PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY | 4 |
| or GEO 202 | *EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE | |
| GEOG 103 | *HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| or GEOG 203 | *HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOG 105 | *GEOGRAPHY OF THE NON-WESTERN WORLD | 3 |
| or GEOG 106 | *GEOGRAPHY OF THE WESTERN WORLD | |
| GEOG 201 | *FOUNDATIONS OF GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE AND GIS | 4 |
| GEOG 240 | *HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE | 3 |
| or GEOG 250 | *LAND USE PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | |
| or GEOG 251 | *GEOGRAPHY OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT | |
| MTH 112 | *ELEMENTARY FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| ST 351 & ST 352 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS and INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 8 |
| Total Credits | 29 | |
| Third Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| GEOG 295 | INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC FIELD RESEARCH | 3 |
| GEOG 300 | *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD or *POPULATION, CONSUMPTION, AND ENVIRONMENT or *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY | 3 |
| GEOG 360 | GISCIENCE I: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND THEORY | 4 |
| GEOG 370 | GEOVISUALIZATION: CARTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| GEOG 300 | *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD or *^GEOGRAPHY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBALIZATION or *GEOGRAPHY OF NATURAL HAZARDS | 3 |
| GEOG 361 | QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS AND MODELING | 4 |
| GEOG 371 | GEOVISUALIZATION: WEB MAPPING | 4 |
| GEOG 423 | SNOW HYDROLOGY or HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT or INTERNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOG 300 | *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD or *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY or WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES | 3 |
| GEOG 323 or GEOG 324 | ^CLIMATOLOGY or ^ECOLOGICAL BIOGEOGRAPHY | 4 |
| GEOG 431 or GEOG 432 | GLOBAL RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT or *GEOGRAPHY OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE | 3 |
| GEOG 462 or GEOG 472 | GISCIENCE III: PROGRAMMING FOR GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS or GEOVISUALIZATION: GEOVISUAL ANALYTICS | 4 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GEOG 440 or GEOG 463 | WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES or GISCIENCE IV: SPATIAL MODELING | 3 |
| GEOG 480 | REMOTE SENSING I: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS | 4 |
| GEOG 407 | SEMINAR | 1-16 |
| Credits | 8-23 | |
| Winter | ||
| GEOG 410 | INTERNSHIP or RESEARCH or THESIS | 1-16 |
| GEOG 423 | SNOW HYDROLOGY or HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT or INTERNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT or PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES | 3 |
| GEOG 481 | SATELLITE IMAGE ANALYSIS | 4 |
| Credits | 8-23 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOG 430 | RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT or WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES or SUSTAINABLE SITE PLANNING or GEOVISUALIZATION: GEOVISUAL ANALYTICS | 3 |
| GEOG 464 | GEOSPATIAL PERSPECTIVES ON INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY AND ETHICS | 3 |
| GEOG 495 | FIELD GEOGRAPHY OF OREGON I | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 67-97 | |
| * | Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC) |
| ^ | Writing Intensive Course (WIC) |