Geography, BA

The Geography, BA degree offered by the School of Planning, Policy and Environmental Studies , prepares students to understand the environment around us and interpret human and non-human patterns across the Earth’s surface. The major allows flexibility in course selection while providing a strong foundation in human, physical, and regional aspects of the discipline. Geography at SJSU also features a strong technology component based on applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Geography is essential to the growing need for global literacy and our faculty is committed to working with students to develop the skills that will serve them well in a career or in graduate studies.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3B, 4, UD 3, UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) (3 units)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures
Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Exceptions for University Graduation Requirements including exemptions and waivers, are approved for specific majors and on a case-by-case evaluation only.

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division GE: 19 (12 units may be satisfied by major coursework: Area 5A, 2, 4)

6 units of American Institutions/US 123 are required: 3 units may be satisfied from the LD GE by selecting GE course in Area 3B

Upper Division GE: 9

Physical Education: 2

GWAR / WID: 0 (3 units may be satisfied by GEOG 100W )

Major Preparation: 3

Major Requirements: 46-48

University Electives or Minor: 33-35

Total: 120

2. Major Preparation (3 units)

STAT 95 - Elementary Statistics 3 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4) (UNVS 15 may be used in lieu of the statistics course required by this major.)

3. Major Requirements (46-48 units)

Core Geography Courses (28 units)

GEOG 1 - Physical Geography 3 unit(s) (GE Area 5A / Formerly Area B1)
GEOG 10 - Cultural Geography 3 unit(s) (GE Area 4 / Formerly Area D)
GEOG 12 - World Regional Geography 3 unit(s) (GE Area 4 / Formerly Area D)
GEOG 100W - Writing Workshop 3 unit(s) (WID)
GEOG 105 - Urban Geography 3 unit(s)
GEOG 135 - Research Methods in Geography 3 unit(s)
GEOG 70 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 4 unit(s)
GEOG 186 - Field Methods in Geography 3 unit(s)
GEOG 199 - Senior Seminar 3 unit(s)

Major Electives (18-20 units)

GEOG 92 , GEOG 124 , GEOG 180 , and GEOG 197 (no more than 12 units) may be substituted for core courses and major electives only with prior advisor approval.

Human Geography (minimum of 6 units)

Students must complete two human geography courses.

GEOG 112 - Nations, Cultures & Globalization 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
GEOG 113 - Global Cities 3 unit(s)
GEOG 115 - Global Development 3 unit(s)
URBP 101 - The City 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
URBP 136 - Introduction to Land Use Planning 4 unit(s)

Physical Geography (minimum of 6 units)

Students must complete two physical geography courses.

GEOG 107 - Mapping the World 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)
GEOG 121 - Population and Global Change 3 unit(s)
GEOG 130 - Natural Resources 3 unit(s)
GEOG 165 - National Parks 3 unit(s)

Regional Synthesis (minimum of 3 units)

Complete one regional geography course.

GEOG 110 - Urbanization in the Global South 3 unit(s)
GEOG 140 - The United States 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
GEOG 160 - East and South Asia 3 unit(s)

Geographic Information Science (minimum of 3 units)

Complete one GIS course.

GEOG 171 - Advanced Geographic Information Systems 4 unit(s)
GEOG 172 - Cartography and Data Visualization 3 unit(s)
GEOG 181 - Introduction to Remote Sensing 3 unit(s)

4. University Electives or Minor (33-35 units)

Declaring a minor is recommended.

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