Geography

A comprehensive list of undergraduate courses and course descriptions offered by the Department of Geography and the Environment is available on the Geography BA Course Catalog page.

Geography major

Have you ever wondered why the world works the way it does? So do geographers, who study everything from economic, political, and cultural relations within and between countries, to environmental practices of different people, to the physical and biological processes of the planet - in brief, the spatial aspects of human life and the natural environment. At Syracuse University, geographers study globalization, environmental change and history, mapping and spatial techniques, immigration, urban and cultural politics, social movements, and surface processes of the physical environment. As a major, geography gives you a range of skills AND a new perspective on the world. Because geographers research issues such as sustainable development, gender equity, and environmental change, geography provides tools not only to understand the world but also to change it!

Geography is easy to pair with another major, such as international relations or biology, or a degree from another college, such as the Newhouse School of Public Communications or Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science. After graduation, geography students find jobs in emergency management, federal and state environmental agencies, GIS and cartography, urban planning, non-profit organizations, community and international development, teaching and research, journalism, real-estate analysis, environmental consulting, and other fields. The Geography Department also offers research opportunities for undergraduates. Our majors work with community groups to address concerns like hunger, and public transportation. They complete senior theses on topics from political change in East Africa to water management in Central America. Finally, majors can take advantage of internships or study-abroad opportunities to obtain course credits while gaining valuable work and international experience.

Major Requirements

The program leading to a B.A. in geography requires at least 30 credits in geography, 21 of which must be at the upper division (i.e. 300-level or above)

Majors must take the following THREE lower-division courses:

1. GEO 103 - Environment and Society

2. GEO 155 - The Natural Environment

3. GEO 171 - Human Geographies

Majors must take ONE of the following five techniques courses:

1. GEO 323 - Quantitative Methods in Human Geography

2. GEO 381 - Cartographic Design

3. GEO 383 - Geographic Information Systems

4. GEO 386 - Quantitative Geographic Analysis

5. GEO 482 - Environmental Remote Sensing

Majors may select the remainder of their credits from any 300+ GEO courses, listed on the Course Catalog page.

Minor in Geography

To complete a minor in geography, students must complete 18 credits in geography courses, of which a minimum of 12 credits must be upper division (i.e. 300-level or above).

To declare a major, minor, or have other questions, contact:
Undergraduate Director geoundergraddirector@syr.edu