Degrees, Certificates, & Transfer Programs

Geography 2020-2021

The Greek derivation of the word geography is "earth description." Geography studies natural features such as mountain ranges, rivers, valleys, forests, deserts, and grasslands, as well as man-made features such as cities, roads, dams, and bridges. Geography is truly an integrated discipline. It helps us to understand our natural environment and its capacity to maintain life. Is this capacity of supporting human civilization unlimited? If not, how much more can we abuse our physical environment without diminishing its capacity to sustain life? Geography is central to an understanding of the international global arena and provides an exciting and challenging way to examine our planet.

Program Learning Outcomes:

-Students will be able to interpret spatially distributed data and draw valid conclusions by using maps, graphs and/or Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
-Students will be able to evaluate core concepts in cultural and physical geography and apply them to contemporary events and issues.

Career Opportunities:

Geography serves as an excellent undergraduate major. City, county, and state governments are hiring geographers in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), urban planning, and environmental studies because of their broad training. The national mapping division of the United States Geological Survey traditionally needs geographers in map making and its related job openings such as photo-interpretation, satellite image analysis, land use and land cover mapping. In addition, the analytical skills gained through a geography major provide a strong foundation for graduate study in law, urban planning and architecture. Geographers with advanced degrees are also in demand in colleges and universities around the world. Students should enhance their major with a strong array of courses in the international arena, statistics, physical sciences, computer science, and basic business principles.

Units Required

Degree Requirements:

-English proficiency: ENGL 1A, 1AH, 1S & 1T, or equivalent.
-Mathematics proficiency: MATH 105, 180, or any MATH course approved for Foothill GE Area V, Communication & Analytical Thinking.
A minimum of 90 units is required* to include:
-Completion of one of the following general education patterns: Foothill General Education, CSU General Education Breadth Requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
-Core courses (21 units)
-Support courses (16 units)

*Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.

NOTE: All courses pertaining to the major must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, a grade of "C" or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree.

Additional Information:

NOTE: Students having difficulty attaining an associate degree because of timing or availability of classes should consult with a counselor to submit a petition for course substitution.

Core Courses (21 units)

GEOG 1 Physical Geography (5 units)
GEOG 2 Human Geography (4 units)
GEOG 5 Introduction to Economic Geography (4 units)
GEOG 10 World Regional Geography (4 units)
GEOG 11 Introduction to Mapping & Spatial Reasoning (4 units)
or GIST 11 Introduction to Mapping & Spatial Reasoning (4 units)

Support Courses (16 units)

Select 8 units from the following:
ANTH 2A Cultural Anthropology (4 units)
or ANTH 2AH Honors Cultural Anthropology (4 units)
or ANTH 2B Patterns of Culture (4 units)
ECON 25 The Global Economy (4 units)
GEOG 12 Introduction to Geospatial Technology (4 units)
or GIST 12 Introduction to Geospatial Technology (4 units)
GLST 1 Introduction to Global Studies (4 units)
GLST 2 Global Issues (4 units)
HIST 4A History of Western Civilization to 800 CE (4 units)
or HIST 4B History of Western Civilization: 700-1800 (4 units)
or HIST 4C History of Western Civilization 1789-Present (4 units)
or HIST 4CH Honors History of Western Civilization 1789-Present (4 units)
POLI 15 International Relations/World Politics (4 units)
or POLI 15H Honors International Relations/World Politics (4 units)

And 8 units* from the following:
ANTH 6 Peoples of Africa (4 units)
BIOL 9 Environmental Biology (4 units)
BIOL 15 California Ecology/Natural History (5 units)
GEOG 70R Independent Study in Geography (1 unit)
GEOG 71R Independent Study in Geography (2 units)
GEOG 72R Independent Study in Geography (3 units)
GEOG 73R Independent Study in Geography (4 units)
HIST 8 History of Latin America (4 units)
HIST 18 Introduction to Middle Eastern Civilization (4 units)
HIST 19 History of Asia: China/Japan (4 units)
HIST 20 History of Russia & the Soviet Union (4 units)
POLI 2 Comparative Government & Politics (4 units)
or POLI 2H Honors Comparative Government & Politics (4 units)

* Students may also use courses listed in the first section of support courses to fulfill the requirement for the second section of support courses.

Control Information:
2020-2021 | Status: Approved | Modified: 2020-04-27 14:02:30 | Dept Code: GEOG