Undergraduate Curriculum

Environment & Society

Undergraduates who are interested in the Environment and Society specialization will need to meet the following requirements and complete the required course work to earn a B.A. in Geography. Undergraduates also will be interested in the acquired skill sets as a part of this course work, the types of issues and topics that are addressed, and the career opportunities that are available within this field.

Semester Curriculum, for students declaring this specialization Summer 2012 or later.

For students declaring the major prior to this time, please see your degree audit or the Geography Undergraduate Advisor for information on requirements.

Issues and topics

The following is an example of the types of issues and topics students will study within the Environment and Society specialization.

Global challenges

• Global challenges
• Deforestation
• Global climate change
• Pollution
• Ozone depletion
• Desertification

Law and policy issues

• Environmental management
• Legislation
• Conservation
• Socioeconomics

Ecological systems (human-environmental impact)

• Soil degradation
• Landform change
• Hydrology
• Plant distribution
• Climatology

Field research

• Interviews
• Cartography and GIS
• Spatial analysis

History and philosophy

Acquired skill sets

Students can expect to acquire and perform the following skills sets within this specialization. Students also should have a solid background in mathematics and the physical sciences.

• Critical thinking
• Critical writing
• Research
• Strong organizational skills

Technical skills

• Quantitative and qualitative data analysis
• Graphic communication (including map reading and development)
• Graphics and statistical software packages

Career opportunities

Geographers can find career opportunities in many fields both within and outside the field of geography. Below is a partial listing of careers that students within the Environment and Society specialization are well-suited and where previous graduates have found employment.

• Environment analyst
• Planner: transportation, energy, water, hazardous waste, etc.
• Manager/planner for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Flood plain manager
• Environmental policy
• Attorney: environmental law
• Natural hazards specialist
• Cultural ecologist
• Water/air quality specialist
• Government: Natural resources
• Environmental monitor for state health departments
• Location expert
• Business consultant