Geography and Geospatial Science Undergraduate Major (BS, HBS)
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.
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 | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Hours | 85 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 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 105 | *GEOGRAPHY OF THE NON-WESTERN WORLD | 3 |
| or GEOG 106 | *GEOGRAPHY OF THE WESTERN WORLD | |
| GEOG 102 | *PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY | 4 |
| or GEO 202 | *EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE | |
| GEOG 103 | *HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| or GEOG 203 | *HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOG 201 | *FOUNDATIONS OF GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE AND GIS | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| *CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER AND SOCIETY | ||
| *LAND USE PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | ||
| *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 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| INTERNSHIP | ||
| RESEARCH | ||
| 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 | GEOGRAPHY OF LIFE: SPECIES DISTRIBUTIONS AND CONSERVATION | |
| Select 27 credits from the following lists with at least five courses at 400 level: | 27 | |
| Geospatial Science | ||
| GISCIENCE II: ANALYSIS AND APPLICATIONS | ||
| GEOVISUALIZATION: WEB MAPPING | ||
| GISCIENCE III: PROGRAMMING FOR GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS | ||
| GISCIENCE IV: SPATIAL MODELING | ||
| GEOVISUALIZATION: GEOVISUAL ANALYTICS | ||
| REMOTE SENSING II: DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING | ||
| 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 Hours | 85 | |
| * | Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC) |
| ^ | Writing Intensive Course (WIC) |
Major Code: 896
Sample Four-Year Plan: Geography and Geospatial Science
| First Year | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| GEOG 201 | *FOUNDATIONS OF GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE AND GIS | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| *CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER AND SOCIETY | ||
| *LAND USE PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | ||
| *GEOGRAPHY OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT | ||
| GEOG 295 | INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC FIELD RESEARCH | 3 |
| ST 351 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 4 |
| ST 352 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 4 |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ||
| *POPULATION, CONSUMPTION, AND ENVIRONMENT | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY | ||
| GEOG 360 | GISCIENCE I: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND THEORY | 4 |
| GEOG 370 | GEOVISUALIZATION: CARTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| GEOG 450 | LAND USE IN THE AMERICAN WEST | 3 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ||
| *^GEOGRAPHY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBALIZATION | ||
| *GEOGRAPHY OF NATURAL HAZARDS | ||
| GEOG 361 | GISCIENCE II: ANALYSIS AND APPLICATIONS | 4 |
| GEOG 371 | GEOVISUALIZATION: WEB MAPPING | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| SNOW HYDROLOGY | ||
| HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTERNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY | ||
| RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| GEOG 323 or GEOG 324 |
^CLIMATOLOGY or GEOGRAPHY OF LIFE: SPECIES DISTRIBUTIONS AND CONSERVATION |
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 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GEOG 407 | SEMINAR | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| LAND USE IN THE AMERICAN WEST | ||
| WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| GISCIENCE IV: SPATIAL MODELING | ||
| GEOG 480 | REMOTE SENSING I: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS | 4 |
| Hours | 8 | |
| Winter | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| INTERNSHIP | ||
| RESEARCH | ||
| THESIS | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| SNOW HYDROLOGY | ||
| HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTERNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES | ||
| GEOG 481 | REMOTE SENSING II: DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING | 4 |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| SUSTAINABLE SITE PLANNING | ||
| GEOVISUALIZATION: GEOVISUAL ANALYTICS | ||
| GEOG 464 | GEOSPATIAL PERSPECTIVES ON INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY, AND ETHICS | 3 |
| GEOG 495 | FIELD GEOGRAPHY OF OREGON I | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 101 | |
| * | 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 | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| *CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER AND SOCIETY | ||
| *LAND USE PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | ||
| *GEOGRAPHY OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT | ||
| MTH 112 | *ELEMENTARY FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| ST 351 & ST 352 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS and INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 8 |
| Total Hours | 29 | |
| Third Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| GEOG 295 | INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC FIELD RESEARCH | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ||
| *POPULATION, CONSUMPTION, AND ENVIRONMENT | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY | ||
| GEOG 360 | GISCIENCE I: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND THEORY | 4 |
| GEOG 370 | GEOVISUALIZATION: CARTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ||
| *^GEOGRAPHY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBALIZATION | ||
| *GEOGRAPHY OF NATURAL HAZARDS | ||
| GEOG 361 | GISCIENCE II: ANALYSIS AND APPLICATIONS | 4 |
| GEOG 371 | GEOVISUALIZATION: WEB MAPPING | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| SNOW HYDROLOGY | ||
| HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTERNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY | ||
| RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| GEOG 323 or GEOG 324 |
^CLIMATOLOGY or GEOGRAPHY OF LIFE: SPECIES DISTRIBUTIONS AND CONSERVATION |
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 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| LAND USE IN THE AMERICAN WEST | ||
| GISCIENCE IV: SPATIAL MODELING | ||
| GEOG 480 | REMOTE SENSING I: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS | 4 |
| GEOG 507 | SEMINAR | 1 |
| Hours | 8 | |
| Winter | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| INTERNSHIP | ||
| RESEARCH | ||
| THESIS | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| SNOW HYDROLOGY | ||
| HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTERNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES | ||
| GEOG 481 | REMOTE SENSING II: DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING | 4 |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
| SUSTAINABLE SITE PLANNING | ||
| GEOVISUALIZATION: GEOVISUAL ANALYTICS | ||
| GEOG 464 | GEOSPATIAL PERSPECTIVES ON INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY, AND ETHICS | 3 |
| GEOG 495 | FIELD GEOGRAPHY OF OREGON I | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 69 | |
| * | Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC) |
| ^ | Writing Intensive Course (WIC) |