Kent State University Catalog 2010 - 2011

Geography - B.A.

COLLEGE:	College of the Arts and Sciences
DEPARTMENT:	Department of Geography 413 McGilvrey Hall Tel: 330-672-2045 Fax: 330-672-4304 Web: www.kent.edu/cas/geography

Resources:

DESCRIPTION:	The Bachelor of Arts in Geography consists of three concentrations: Environmental Geography, Geographic Information, Social Geography. Environmental Geography provides learning opportunities that exceed the 23-credit-hour geography core requirements. In addition to required upper-division courses (two in geographic information science and one in social geography), students may choose among course offerings in atmospheric science, Climatology, environmental change, polar and glacial environments, natural resources and soils geography. Students who choose this concentration can pursue careers in environmental science and planning, disaster management, conservation of natural resources and environmental education, or they may choose to study these and related fields on a graduate level. Geographic Information provides students with a comprehensive background in the field of geospatial technology. This involves the study and application of theory, method, technology and data knowledge to processes, relationships and patterns in both human and physical geography. This rapidly growing field can be divided into three areas: geographic information sciences (capturing, checking, integrating, analyzing and displaying spatially referenced data); remote sensing (analyzing and interpreting aerial data and satellite imagery); and global positioning systems. Students in this concentration gain quantitative and technical skills to prepare them for jobs in both the public and private sectors, or for further study in graduate school. Social Geography includes courses that involve the social sciences and humanistic aspects of geography. Students choose from a variety of upper-level courses in urban (including planning), economic, political and historical geography. In addition to at least four courses in this concentration, students take three distributional requirements: two in geographic information sciences and one in environmental geography. Potential careers include urban planning, transportation, government at all scales, business, international relations, mapping and geography education. Students may choose to pursue graduate studies in these or related fields.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES:	Geographers can find work in the government or private sector. All levels of government hire geographers as development or planning officers, researchers, mappers, and GIS or satellite image analysts. The private sector hires geographers to apply their ideas, skills and technologies to complex real-world systems. This can include conducting marketing studies, planning transportation routes, understanding international markets, and determining environmental risks associated with landuse change. Currently geospatial technology is the third fastest growing industry in the USA. Surveyors, cartographers, photogrammetrists, and surveying technicians held about 147,000 jobs in 2008. Employment was distributed by occupational specialty as follows: Surveying and mapping technicians 77,000 Surveyors 57,600 Cartographers and photogrammetrists 12,300 (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:	General Admissions for Freshman Students: Students most likely to be admitted and succeed at the Kent Campus are those who have graduated with at least 16 units of the recommended college preparatory curriculum in high school, who have achieved a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), and whose composite ACT score is 21 or better (980 combined critical reading and math SAT score). For more information on admissions, visit the Admissions website for new freshmen. General Admissions for Transfer Students: Generally, a transfer applicant who has taken 12 or more semester hours with a college cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale may be admitted. An applicant who has taken fewer than 12 semester hours will be evaluated on both collegiate and high school records. For more information on admissions, visit the Admissions website for transfer students.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:	Minimum 121 total credit hours and 42 upper-division hours for graduation. Minimum 2.00 GPA overall and 2.00 GPA in major required for graduation.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT:	Yes
STUDY ABROAD/AWAY OPPORTUNITIES:	There are many study abroad/away opportunities, for more information contact the Office of International Affairs.
PROGRAM FEE:	None
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS:	Geography Club; Gamma Theta Upsilon
GRADUATE PROGRAMS:	M.A. in Geography