Description
Geography is especially appealing to those having interests in travel, learning about other peoples and cultures, and understanding the environment from a systems perspective. Students may specialize in one of many areas, including climate and weather, cultural/human geography, geographic information systems, historical geography of the Great Plains, natural resources, physical geography, pre-community and regional planning, regional studies, or remote sensing.
An education in geography prepares students for careers in government agencies as well as those involved with foreign service, land management, tourism, health care delivery systems, environmental assessment, transportation development, land use planning, air traffic control, GIS and cartographic analysis, and in a wide variety of businesses, particularly those concerned with environmental mapping, geographic information systems, and planning. A geography major also prepares students for graduate-level degrees in geography, law (especially environmental law), international business, urban and regional planning, and teaching at all levels.
Program Assessment. In order to assist the department in evaluating the effectiveness of its programs, majors will be required to complete written and oral examinations in the Senior Seminar, GEOG 402, over knowledge in all components of the major, as well as over more detailed knowledge in the student’s area of focus. Students will be informed of the scheduling and format of assessment exams in the Senior Seminar. Students will also be given exit interviews prior to graduation to gather their views on the effectiveness of the major. Results of participation in this assessment activity will in no way affect a student’s GPA or graduation.
College Requirements
College Admission
College Admission
The entrance requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences are the same as the University of Nebraska–Lincoln General Admission Requirements. Students who are admitted through the Admission by Review process may have certain conditions attached to their enrollment at Nebraska. These conditions are explained under “Removal of Deficiencies.”
In addition to these requirements, the College of Arts and Sciences strongly recommends a third and fourth year of one foreign language. Four years of high school course work in the same language will fulfill the College of Arts and Sciences’ language requirement. It will also allow students to continue language study at a more advanced level at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and provide more opportunity to study abroad.
Transfer Students
To be considered for admission as a transfer student, Nebraska resident or nonresident, students must have an accumulated average of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) and a minimum C average in the last semester of attendance at another college. Transfer students who graduated from high school January 1997 and after must also meet the University of Nebraska–Lincoln General Admission Requirements. Those transfer students who graduated before January 1997 must have completed in high school, 3 years of English, 2 years of the same foreign language, 2 years of algebra, and 1 year of geometry. Transfer students who have completed less than 12 credit hours of college study must also submit either their ACT or SAT scores.
Ordinarily, hours earned at a similarly accredited college or university are applicable to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln degree. The College, however, will evaluate all hours submitted on an application for transfer, and reserves the right to accept or reject any of them, based upon its exclusion and restriction policies. Sixty (60) is the maximum number of hours the University will accept on transfer from a two-year college or international institution. Transfer credit in the major or minor must be approved by the departmental advisor on a Request for Substitution Form to meet specific course requirements, group requirements, or course level requirements in the major or minor. At least half of the hours in the major field must be completed at the University regardless of the number of hours transferred.
The College of Arts and Sciences will accept no more than 15 semester hours of C- and D grades from other schools. The C- and D grades cannot be applied toward requirements for a major or minor. This policy does not apply to the transfer of grades from UNO or UNK to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. All D grades may be transferred from UNO or UNK, but they are not applicable to a major or minor.
Readmitted Students
University of Nebraska–Lincoln students who choose not to take courses for more than two consecutive terms, must reapply to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Students readmitted to the College of Arts and Sciences will follow the requirements stated in the catalog for the academic year of readmission and re-enrollment as a degree-seeking student in Arts and Sciences. In consultation with advisors, a student may choose to follow a catalog for any academic year in which they are admitted to and enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Nebraska in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year. Beginning in 1990-1991, the catalog which a student follows for degree requirements may not be more than 10 years old at the time of graduation.
Admission Deficiencies/Removal of Deficiencies
Students must remove entrance deficiencies in geometry and foreign language as soon as possible, and before graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences. For questions and more information, students should consult a college advisor in the Academic and Career Advising Center in 107 Oldfather Hall.
Removing Foreign Language Deficiencies
Students must complete the second semester of a first year language sequence to clear the deficiency and the second semester of the second year language sequence to complete the college graduation requirement in language.
Removing Geometry Deficiencies
A deficiency of one year of geometry can be removed by taking high school geometry courses through an approved independent study program, or by completing a geometry course from an accredited community college or a four-year institution. Neither of these options will count for college credit.
College Degree Requirements
College Distribution Requirements
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science (16 hours + Language)
The College of Arts and Sciences distribution requirements are designed to further the purposes of liberal education by encouraging study in several different areas within the College. All requirements are in addition to University ACE requirements. A student may not use a single course to satisfy more than one of the following five distribution requirements. A student cannot use a single course to satisfy both an ACE outcome and a College distribution requirement. A student cannot use a course from their primary major to satisfy the Breadth Requirement (F), but may apply an ancillary requirement of the primary major or a course from their second major toward this requirement. Independent study or reading courses and internships cannot be used to satisfy distribution requirements. To see a complete list of excluded courses, run a degree audit through MyRED.
Courses from interdisciplinary programs will count in the same area as courses from the home/cross-listed department(s).
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| College Distribution Requirements | ||
| CDR A - Written Communication | 3 | |
| Select from courses approved for ACE outcome 1. | ||
| CDR B and BL - Natural, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences with Lab | 4 | |
| Select from biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, geology, meteorology, mathematics, physics and statistics. Must include one lab in the natural or physical sciences. Lab courses may be selected from biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, geology, meteorology and physics. | ||
| Some courses from geography and anthropology may also be used to satisfy the lab requirement above. 1 | ||
| CDR C - Humanities | 3 | |
| Select from classics, English, history, modern languages and literatures, philosophy, and religious studies. 2 | ||
| CDR D - Social Science | 3 | |
| Select from: anthropology, communication studies, geography, political science, psychology, or sociology. 3 | ||
| CDR E - Language | 0-16 | |
| Fulfilled by the completion of the 6-credit-hour second-year sequence in a single foreign language in one of the following departments: Classics and religious studies, modern languages and literatures, or anthropology. Instruction is currently available in Arabic, Chinese, Czech, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, Omaha, Russian, and Spanish. A student who has completed the fourth-year level of one foreign language in high school is exempt from the languages requirement. | ||
| CDR F - Additional Breadth | 3 | |
| Select from: natural, physical and mathematical sciences (Area B), humanities (Area C), or social sciences (Area D). Cannot be a course from the primary major. | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 16-32 | |
| 1 | See degree audit or a College of Arts and Sciences advisor for approved geography and anthropology courses that apply as natural science. |
| 2 | Language courses numbered 210 or below apply only for the foreign language requirement. |
| 3 | See degree audit or College of Arts and Sciences advisor for list of natural/physical science courses in anthropology, geography, and psychology that do not apply as social science. |
Scientific Base
Bachelor of Science Only (60 hours)
The bachelor of science degree requires students to complete 60 hours in mathematical, physical and natural sciences. Approved courses for scientific base credit come from the following College of Arts and Sciences disciplines: actuarial science, anthropology (selected courses), astronomy, biochemistry (excluding BIOC 101), biological sciences (excluding BIOS 203), chemistry (excluding CHEM 101), computer science (excluding CSCE 10), geography (selected courses), geology, life sciences, mathematics (excluding courses below MATH 104), meteorology, microbiology, physics and statistics.
See your degree audit or a College of Arts and Sciences advisor for a complete list including individual classes that fall outside of the disciplines listed above. Up to 12 hours of scientific and technical courses offered by other colleges may be accepted toward this requirement with approval of a college advisor.
Foreign Languages/Language Requirement
Languages Exemption Policy
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the College of Arts and Sciences will exempt or waive students from the Nebraska entrance requirement of two years of the same foreign language or from the College’s language distribution requirement based on documentation only. The following are the options and procedures for documentation:
High School Transcripts
For the University entrance requirement, students must show an official high school transcript with two or more years of the same foreign language.
For the College of Arts and Sciences College Distribution Requirement E-Language, students must show an official high school transcript with four or more years of the same foreign language in high school, or show evidence of graduation from a non-English-speaking foreign high school. Students whose native language is not English must show English as a Second Language study on an official high school transcript. Four years of ESL at the high school level (9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades) will be the basis for a waiver of the CDR E Language requirement.
Proficiency Examination at UNL
For the University entrance requirement, students who do not have transcript documentation can request to take a proficiency exam in the language. (This is not the same test as the Modern Languages Placement Exam.) However, the University will provide testing only in the languages it teaches. Currently, these languages are: Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Czech, Japanese, Chinese.
For the College of Arts and Sciences College Distribution Requirement E-Language, the Department of Modern Languages will oversee the test at the 202 level. If the student passes the test, the department will sign the College Request for Waiver form and indicate the level of proficiency. The form is then forwarded to the Arts and Sciences Advising Center for approval.
The Department of Modern Languages will oversee the test and provide written documentation to the Arts and Sciences Advising Center the level of proficiency passed.
Distance Education
For the University entrance requirement, students without transcript documentation who claim proficiency in a language not taught at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, have the option of seeking out a distance education program in languages. If the student completes the equivalent of 102 from an approved distance education program, the student will meet the University's entrance requirement. The student must have the course work approved before he/she takes/completes the course as equivalent to 102 by a College advisor. The student then completes the course and has the distance education program send the transcript to the Admissions Office.
For the College of Arts and Sciences College Distribution Requirement E-Language, the student can seek out a distance education program and complete the equivalent of the 202-level course. The student must submit the request on the College Request for Substitution form and have the course work approved by a College advisor. The student then completes the course and has the distance education program send the transcript to the Admissions Office.
Third Language Option
If a student demonstrates knowledge of two foreign languages at the 102 level, the College of Arts and Sciences may consider waiving two semesters of the four semester College Distribution Requirement E-Languages requirement. If this waiver were granted, the student would then be required to complete 101 and 102 in another, 3rd foreign language at Nebraska.
Minimum Hours Required for Graduation
A minimum of 120 semester hours of credit is required for graduation from the College of Arts and Sciences. A total grade point average of at least 2.0 is required.
Grade Rules
Restrictions on C- and D Grades
The College will accept no more than 15 semester hours of C- and D grades from other schools except for UNO and UNK. No transfer C- and D grades can be applied toward requirements in a major or a minor. No University of Nebraska–Lincoln C- and D grades can be applied toward requirements in a major or a minor.
Pass/No Pass Privilege
University regulations for the Pass/No Pass (P/N) privilege state:
- The Pass/No Pass option is designed for your use by seeking to expand your intellectual horizons by taking courses in areas where you may have had minimal preparation.
- Neither the P nor the N grade contribute to your GPA.
- P is interpreted to mean C or above.
- A change to or from a Pass/No Pass may be made until mid-term (see academic calendar for specific dates per term).
- The Pass/No Pass or grade registration cannot conflict with the policy of the professor, department, college, or University governing the grading option.
- Changing to or from Pass/No Pass requires using the MyRED system to change the grading option or filing a Drop/Add form with the Office of the University Registrar, 107 Canfield Administration Building. After mid-term of the course, a student registered for Pass/No Pass cannot change to a grade registration unless the Pass/No Pass registration is in conflict with the policy of the professor, department, college, or University governing Pass/No Pass.
- The Pass/No Pass grading option cannot be used for the removal of C- or D or F grades.
Pass/No Pass privileges in the College of Arts and Sciences are extended to students according to the following additional regulations:
- Pass/No Pass hours can count toward fulfillment of University ACE requirements and college distribution requirements up to the 24-hour maximum.
- Most Arts and Sciences departments and programs do not allow courses graded Pass/No Pass to apply to the major or minor. Students should refer to the department’s or program’s section of the catalog for clarification. By college rule, departments can allow up to 6 hours of Pass/No Pass in the major or minor.
- Departments may specify that certain courses of theirs can be taken only on a P/N basis.
- The college will permit no more than a total of 24 semester hours of P/N grades to be applied toward degree requirements. This total includes all Pass grades earned at the University and other U.S. schools. NOTE: This 24-hour limit is more restrictive than the University regulation.
Grading Appeals
A student who feels that he/she has been unfairly graded must ordinarily take the following sequential steps in a timely manner, usually by initiating the appeal in the semester following the awarding of the grade:
- Talk with the instructor concerned. Most problems are resolved at this point.
- Talk to the instructor’s department chairperson.
- Take the case to the Grading Appeal Committee of the department concerned. The Committee should be contacted through the department chairperson.
- Take the case to the College Grading Appeals Committee by contacting the Dean’s Office, 1223 Oldfather Hall.
Course Level Requirements
Courses Numbered above 299
Thirty of the 120 semester hours of credit must be in courses numbered above 299. Of the 30 hours above 299, 15 hours (1/2) must be completed in residence at UNL.
Graduate Courses
Seniors in the University who have obtained in advance the approval of the dean for Graduate Studies may receive up to 12 hours credit for graduate courses taken in addition to the courses necessary to complete their undergraduate work, provided that such credits are earned within the calendar year prior to receipt of the baccalaureate. For procedures, inquire at the Office of Graduate Studies.
Course work taken prior to receipt of the baccalaureate may not always be accepted for transfer to other institutions as graduate work.
Residency
Residency Requirement and Open Enrollment and Summer Independent Study Courses
Students must complete at least 30 of the 120 total hours for their degree at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Students must complete at least 1/2 of their major course work including 6 hours above 299 in their major, and 15 of the 30 hours required above 299 in residence. Credit earned during education abroad may be used toward the residency requirement if students register through the University and participate in prior-approved education abroad programs. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln open enrollment and summer independent study courses count toward residence.
ACE Requirements
Consistent with the mission and values of the University, ACE is based on a shared set of four institutional objectives and ten student learning outcomes. The ACE program was approved by faculty in all eight undergraduate colleges and endorsed by the Faculty Senate, the student government, and the Academic Planning Committee in January 2008 for implementation in the fall 2009. ACE aligns with current national initiatives in general education.
Key characteristics of ACE demonstrate the benefits of the program to students:
- Students receive a broad education with exposure to multiple disciplines, critical life skills and important reasoning, inquiry, and civic capacities.
- ACE is simple and transparent for students, faculty and advisors. Students complete the equivalent of 3 credit hours for each of the ten student learning outcomes.
- Students connect and integrate their ACE experiences with their selected major.
- Students can transfer all ACE certified courses across colleges within the institution to meet the ACE requirement and any course from outside the institution that is directly equivalent to a University of Nebraska–Lincoln ACE-certified course. Courses from outside institutions without direct equivalents may be considered with appropriate documentation for ACE credit (see academic advisor).
ACE allows faculty to assess and improve their effectiveness and facilitate students’ learning.
ACE Institutional Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes
To meet the ACE Program requirement, a student will complete a minimum of 3 credit hours for each of the ten ACE Student Learning Outcomes (a total of 30 ACE credit hours). See the ACE website at: http://ace.unl.edu for the most current information and the most recently certified courses.
Catalog Rule
Students must fulfill the requirements stated in the catalog for the academic year in which they are first admitted to and enrolled as a degree-seeking student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In consultation with advisors, a student may choose to follow a subsequent catalog for any academic year in which they are admitted to and enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Nebraska in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year. Beginning in 1990-1991 the catalog which a student follows for degree requirements may not be more than 10 years old at the time of graduation.
Learning Outcomes
Majors in geography will be able to:
- Understand spatial variations in physical geography—climate, vegetation, and soils—on the surface of the earth.
- Understand and appreciate the spatial, ecological, and regional dimensions of human life on the surface of the earth.
- Understand how to use geospatial techniques, such as cartographic representation, GIS, and remote sensing in order to analyze and interpret geographic dimensions of life in the world.
- Appreciate how the global and local are connected.
- Have an appreciation of the history and philosophy of geography, both past and present.
Major Requirements
Thirty (30) hours of geography, of which 14 hours must be numbered 300 or above. Of the 6 hours of techniques courses, 3 hours must be at the 400 level.
Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 140 | Introductory Human Geography | 3 |
| or GEOG 120 | Introductory Economic Geography | |
| GEOG 155 | Elements of Physical Geography | 4 |
| GEOG 181 | Quality of the Environment | 3 |
| GEOG 272 | Geography of World Regions | 3 |
| GEOG 402 | Undergraduate Seminar (Senior Seminar) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 16 | |
Specific Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Geography Techniques Courses | ||
| Select two courses from the following, with at least 3 hrs at the 400 level. 1 | 6-8 | |
| GIS in Archaeology | ||
| Advanced Spatial Analysis with GIS | ||
| Selected Topics in Community and Regional Planning | ||
| Mapping Science in the 21st Century | ||
| Introduction to Geospatial Information Sciences | ||
| Cartography I: Introduction to Cartography | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Quantitative Methods in Geography | ||
| Introduction to Computer Mapping | ||
| Cartography II: Electronic Atlas Design and Production | ||
| Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
| Applications of Remote Sensing in Agriculture and Natural Resources | ||
| Digital Image Analysis of Remote Sensing Data | ||
| Field Techniques in Remote Sensing | ||
| Advanced Techniques in Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Scientific Visualization in Cartography | ||
| Introduction to the Global Positioning System (GPS) | ||
| GIS Programming for Advanced Spatial Analysis and Modeling | ||
| Geo-demographic and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | ||
| Geospatial Approaches in Digital Humanities and Social Sciences | ||
| Cognitive Processes in Map Comprehension and Use | ||
| Advanced Special Problems | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 6 | |
| Additional Geography Courses | ||
| Typically, 6-8 hours of additional geography courses remain after the core and techniques courses are completed to meet the 30-hour major requirement. | 6-8 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 8 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 14 | |
| 1 | Students may choose to specialize in one of many areas, including climate and weather, cultural/human geography, geographic information systems, historical geography of the Great Plains, natural resources, physical geography, pre-community and regional planning, regional studies, or remote sensing. The faculty advisor can help identify those courses. |
ADDITIONAL MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Grade Rules
C- and D Grades
A grade of C or above is required for all courses in the major and minor.
Pass/No Pass
No more than 6 hours of courses taken Pass/No Pass will be counted toward the major or minor.
Course Level Requirement
Of the total 30 hours, 14 hours must be numbered 300 or above. Of the 6 hours of techniques courses, 3 hours must be numbered 400 or above.
Requirements for Minor Offered by Department
Eighteen (18) hours of geography courses, including 10 hours in courses numbered 300 or above.
Grade Rules
C- and D Grades
A grade of C or above is required for all courses in the major and minor.
Pass/No Pass
No more than 6 hours of courses taken Pass/No Pass will be counted toward the major or minor.
Recommended for any student considering a career and a major or minor in Geography. The course is required for declared Geography majors. Letter grade only.
Description: An orientation to the field of Geography, discussion of career opportunities, an overview of requirements for the major, and an introduction to resources available at UNL and in the Lincoln community. Learn about unique contributions that geographers are making to address issues in management of natural resources, public health, water and food security, international trade, immigration and other areas.
Description: Introduction to the scientific, social, and economic dimensions of historical and contemporary water systems. Students will develop an understanding of hydrologic systems and analyze and engage in decision-making about complex challenges associated with water resource use.
This course is a prerequisite for: SCIL 300
Description: Basic factors influencing the location of economic activity. Influence of space and location on the evolution and development of economic systems. World and regional patterns of economic activities.
Students who have previously taken GEOG 100 may not receive credit for GEOG 140.
Description: Human populations, cultures, and landscapes, with particular attention to human-environment relations and global interconnections.
Students who earn credit toward the degree in GEOG 155 may not earn credit toward the degree in GEOG 150 or in the combination of GEOG 150 and 152.
Description: Investigation of the basic elements of the physical environment of the earth and its atmosphere. Includes atmospheric processes, temperature distributions, weather systems, severe weather, climates, water balance, vegetation and soil distributions, landforms and their processes, and natural hazards. Modifying influences that humans have on the physical environment and atmosphere examined.
Description: Interdisciplinary study of the natural environment, social environment, human heritage, arts and humanities of the Great Plains.
Description: Analysis of human's role in altering the quality of the environment through their impact on eco-health, transformation of the landscape, and spatial organization and behavior.
Description: Offered from time to time by faculty members who wish to examine current problems in geography. May take a variety of forms including the freshman seminar and the minicourse.
Description: Values and processes in human landscapes and natural environments. Concepts and tools to understand the context of local and global environments and significant historical landscapes. Landscape as an indicator of aesthetic quality, design principles and processes as integrators of humans and nature, and the garden as a model for creating sustainable landscapes.
Description: Introduction to modern mapping sciences. Interpret and use both traditional and digital maps. Fundamentals of thematic mapping, topographic map analysis, interpretation of aerial and satellite imagery, principles of geographic information systems (GIS), fundamentals of the global positioning (GPS), and mapping on the Internet.
Description: Introduction to the regional geography of the United States. Attention to the significance of location, advantages and limitations of the natural environment, population distribution, and economic development considered regionally.
Description: Appraisal of the interaction between the physical environment, the human resources, and economic activities for the major regions of the world. Application of fundamental geographical concepts to regional analysis.
Prerequisites: High school chemistry or one semester college chemistry; one course in geology or physical geography or soil.
Description: Survey of the water science from the perspective of both natural and social sciences. Water budget, precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff and stream flow, groundwater, water quality parameters, economics of water, water policy, water law and water politics.
This course is a prerequisite for: NRES 319
Description: Experiments to help individuals develop awareness of the extent to which their feelings and behavior are influenced by the spatial and environmental dimensions of their surroundings.
Description: Explore human environmental interaction on the Great Plains. Samples a variety of Great Plains cultures and time periods to explore past use of the Great Plains environment. Evaluation of attributes and related data critical to the operation of past social-ecological systems with reference to changing climatic/ecological dynamics, human environmental impacts, and the sustainability of various indigenous and western modes of land use on the Great Plains. Investigate knowledge of these processes and how they can be of relevance to contemporary issues of Great Plains land management and resource utilization.
Biogeography is a highly interdisciplinary science, relying heavily on ecology, geological science, and climatology. It is global in scope and offers the latest knowledge in understanding organism distributions, and the factors that determine those distributions.
Description: Introduction to the basic concepts of biogeography, the study of distributions of plants and animals, both past and present.
Prerequisites: Junior standing; basic computer skills (spreadsheets, word processors, data and file management).
Description: Introduction to the theory and applications of geospatial information technology. Remote sensing, GPS data collection, GIS data types, editing GIS data, and spatial data analysis with emphasis on applications to natural resources using a problem-based learning format.
Prerequisites: 6 hrs geography.
Description: Introduction to maps and mapping with emphasis on applied and theoretical considerations in map design and construction. Students create computer maps from specifications of instructor. Opportunity to actively participate in the technical processes of data collection, cartographic design, and construction normally associated with the actual production of maps.
Description: Traces the sequence of the human occupancy of the Great Plains from prehistoric times to the present. Focus on the changing perception and utilization of the Great Plains environment, leading to the emergence of a distinctive contemporary region.
Description: Geography of cities and metropolitan areas of the past, present, and future. Spatial structures of urban settlements in North America and elsewhere examined both theoretically and descriptively.
Description: Survey of the physical and cultural features of the geography of Nebraska as related to the changing patterns in the human occupance of the geographic regions of the state.
Description: The physical and human geographies of Europe. Population migrations, landscape change, and diversity of culture in Europe and selected sub-regions of Europe.
Description: Patterns of physical features, population, and economic activities and other cultural aspects. Attention to India, China, and Japan.
Description: The intersection of gender, identity, power, and representation throughout time and space in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada.
Description: Introduction to the geography of Mexico, Central America, West Indies, and South America. Advantage and limitations of the natural environment, population distribution, and economic development are considered regionally.
Description: Overview of the major physical and human landscapes in Africa. Prominent past and current events will be placed into a spatial context in an attempt to develop insight into the interrelationships that exist among people, cultures, countries, economies, and the environment, not only within Africa, but between Africa and the rest of the world.
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Selected topic possessing areal implications.
Prerequisites: Permission.
Prerequisites: Permission.
Prerequisites: Junior standing
Serves as the capstone course for the GEOG major.
Description: The history and philosophy of geography. Contemporary issues in geography.
Description: How space, spatial structure, and spatially oriented behavior operate in social systems, emphasizing their influence on interpersonal communication and/or social exchange.
Prerequisites: Junior standing, MATH 106 or equivalent, 5 hrs physics, major in any of the physical or biological sciences or engineering.
Description: Physical factors that create the biological environment. Radiation and energy balances of earth's surfaces, terrestrial and marine. Temperature, humidity, and wind regimes near the surface. Control of the physical environment through irrigation, windbreaks, frost protection, manipulation of light, and radiation. Applications to air pollution research. Instruments for measuring environmental conditions and remote sensing of the environment.
Prerequisites: Junior standing; 12 credit hours in natural resources, environmental studies, or closely related fields, or permission of instructor.
Description: Overview of the human dimensions of natural resources issues. Exploration of the socioeconomic, cultural, and political aspects of human behavior and how these interact with, might influence, or are influenced by the environment.
Description: Introduction to conceptual foundations and applications of computer-based geographic information systems (GIS). GIS database development, spatial data analysis, spatial modeling, GIS implementation and administration.
Prerequisites: GEOG 317.
Description: Introduction to the tools, techniques, and analytical uses of computer mapping. Programming necessary for producing own computer mapping programs.
Prerequisites: GEOG 317
Description: Computer-map design and production for the purpose of assembling an environmental electronic atlas, using advanced computer hardware and software. Extensive discussions and demonstrations on content, design, and methods used in computer mapping.
Prerequisites: 9 hours of GEOL, NRES or GEOG.
Advanced standing in geography, natural resources, environmental sciences, engineering or agronomy recommended.
Description: Introduction to remote sensing of the earth from aerial and satellite platforms. Aerial photography, multispectral scanning, thermal imaging and microwave remote sensing techniques. Physical foundations of remote sensing using electromagnetic energy, energy-matter interactions, techniques employed in data acquisition and methods of image analysis. Weekly laboratory provides practical experience in visual and digital interpretation of aerial photography, satellite imagery, thermal and radar imagery. Applications in geographic, agricultural, environmental and natural resources analyses.
Description: Principles and methods of digital image processing of remotely sensed data. The biophysical basis of remote sensing and the various sensor systems typically used for monitoring terrestrial and aquatic environments. Algorithms for the preprocessing, enhancement, classification and mapping of digital data for agricultural, urban, geological, environmental, and natural resource management problems.
Prerequisites: GEOG 418/818
Description: Field techniques as they relate to remote-sensing campaigns. Research methods, systematic approaches to data collection, field spectroscopy, collecting ancillary information linked with spectroscopic data sets as well as aircraft or satellite missions and subsequent analyses of acquired data.
Prerequisites: GEOG 412/812.
Description: Vector and quadtree data structures, use of relational database management systems, topologically structured databases, query languages, digital terrain modeling, advanced data analysis methods and research issues in GIS. Extensive practical experience with the current GIS software.
Prerequisites: Junior standing.
Familiarity with mapping and GIS recommended.
Description: Integrated lectures, lab exercises and field experience provide an understanding of GPS technology and applications. Students will learn to collect, correct and use GPS data in a geographic information system (GIS) environment.
Description: The history of cultural geography from von Humboldt through Carl Sauer to the 'new' cultural geographies of Don Mitchell, Gillian Rose and Noel Castree. The current theoretical debates of feminism, post-structuralism, post-colonialism and environmentalism, and the influences of literary and cultural studies in the development of cultural geography and the various methodologies involved.
Prerequisites: GEOG/NRES 412/812.
18 hours of GIS practice may be substituted for prerequisite by permission.
Description: Techniques for Geoprocessing script programming to customize geographic information systems (GIS), utilize GIS tools, and implement application-specific spatial analysis, modeling algorithms and procedures.
Description: Threats against indigenous peoples' lands, resources and cultural patrimony, languages and knowledge systems more than 500 years after Columbus instigated European colonialism, creating the first global world order. The responses of Indigenous peoples to the imposition of Western dominated economic and political systems. Land rights, economic development, and women's rights from the perspective of different Indigenous communities around the world.
Description: Geo-demographic and geographic information system (GIS) analysis, interpretation and mapping of geographical patterns of population size, population composition, and composition change. Theoretical and applied investigation of geo-demographic issues involving marketing research, public facilities planning, public health provision, and small-area population change forcasting. GIS use of TIGER and small-area census data.
Description: Importance of factors of a physical, economic, and human character in political development at local to global scales; international geopolitical aspects of environment, territoriality, core areas, capitals, and boundaries; national geographical patterns of voting, representation, public administration and public policy.
Prerequisites: Senior standing and permission.
Description: Topic varies.
Prerequisites: Junior standing or above.
Offered spring semester of even-numbered calendar years.
Description: Impact of climate and extreme climatic events on society and societal responses to those events. Global in scope and interdisciplinary.
Description: Study of geographic concepts and critical analysis of applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in humanities and social sciences and application of geospatial tools for humanities and social science research; learn how to collect, manage, analyze, and visualize spatial data for real-world projects
Prerequisites: AGRO/SOIL 153.
Description: Spatial relationship of soil properties on various parts of landscape typical of the Plains, causal factors, and predictions of such relationships on other landscapes. Grouping these properties into classes, naming the classes, and the taxonomy that results from this grouping. Application of a taxonomy to a real situation through making a field soil survey in a region representative of the Plains border, predicting land use response of various mapped units as it affects the ecosystem, and evaluating the effectiveness of the taxonomic system used in the region surveyed.
Prerequisites: Junior standing; MATH 106; 4 hrs physics; physical or biological science major.
Description: Discussion and practical application of principles and practices of measuring meteorological and related variables near the earth's surface including temperature, humidity, precipitation, pressure, radiation and wind. Performance characteristics of sensors and modern data collection methods are discussed and evaluated.
Prerequisites: Junior standing and permission.
Topical seminar required for all Latin American Studies majors.
Description: An interdisciplinary analysis of topical issues in Latin American Studies.
Description: How cognitive processes help individuals to comprehend the spatial circumstances or arenas they confront when carrying out their daily activities. Awareness of space, spatial knowing, formation of cognitive maps, importance of spatial images in negotiation of surroundings, and the relationship of cognitive maps to orientation and wayfinding.
Prerequisites: Junior or above standing
Description: Seminar on current water resources research and issues in Nebraska and the region.
Description: Group educational tours to specific sites that illustrate aspects of physical and cultural geography. Off-campus travel required.
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Applying geographic training with on-the-job learning.
Topic varies, see course description or registration guide.
PLEASE NOTE
This document represents a sample 4-year plan for degree completion with this major. Actual course selection and sequence may vary and should be discussed individually with your college or department academic advisor. Advisors also can help you plan other experiences to enrich your undergraduate education such as internships, education abroad, undergraduate research, learning communities, and service learning and community-based learning.
Geography (B.A.)
Critical - A minimum 2.00 GPA required for graduation.
- ***Total Credits Applying Toward 120 Total Hours***
- Complete 30 hours in residence at UNL.
4. Complete 30 hours at the 300 or 400 level.
Career Information
The following represents a sample of the internships, jobs and graduate school programs that current students and recent graduates have reported.
Transferable Skills
- Confidently navigate complex, ambiguous projects and environments
- Define problems and identifying causes
- Conduct and present research to large and small groups
- Examine and address social problems, and implement creative solutions
- Analyze and explain data
- Collaborate with a team to develop solutions
- Contextualize political, social, and historical events
- Examine problems from multiple perspectives
- Gain global perspective and high levels of intercultural awareness
- Understand the connection between people, places, and communities
Jobs of Recent Graduates
- Geographer, United States CE, Engineer Research & Development - Alexandria VA
- GIS Technician, GIS Workshop - Lincoln NE
- Archeological Technician, Midwest Archeological Center National Park Service - Lincoln NE
- Space and Missile Officer, United States Air Force - Vandenberg AFB CA
- Project Scientist, Albred Benesch & Company - Lincoln NE
- Intelligence Analyst, BAE Systems - McLean VA
- Police Officer, Omaha Police Dept - Omaha NE
- Geospatial Technician, Terra2 Geospatial Consultants - Omaha NE
- Peace Corps Volunteer, Peace Corps - Washington DC
- Agricultural Statistician, USDA NASS - Lincoln NE
- More...
Internships
- Integrated Management Technical Assistant, Nebraska Dept of Natural Resources - Lincoln NE
- GIS Intern, HDR - Lincoln NE
- NHD GIS Intern, Nebraska Dept of Natural Resources - Lincoln NE
Graduate & Professional Schools
- Master's Degree, Geography, University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Lincoln NE
- Master's Degree, Earth Science, Montana State University - Boseman MT
- Master's Degree, Biological Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Lincoln NE
- Master's Degree, Community and Regional Planning, University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Lincoln NE
- Master's Degree, Divinity, Duke Divinity School - Durham NC
- Master's Degree, Human and Historical Geography, University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Lincoln NE
- Master's Degree, Geographic Information Systems, Penn State University - State College PA
- Master's Degree, Geography, University of Nebraska at Omaha - Omaha NE
- Master's Degree, Commuity and Regional Planning, University of Oregon - Eugene OR
- Master's Degree, Geography, University of Missouri-Columbia - Columbia MO