Arts & Sciences Geography
Description
Geography is a comprehensive discipline that, via spatial patterns analysis, reveals the intricate attributes and connectivity of human cultures and the natural environment. As such, geography is critical to understanding the complexities of global change. 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, and 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 GEOG 402 Geography Capstone 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 GEOG 402. 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 Admission
The entrance requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), including any of the majors or minors offered through the college, are the same as the University of Nebraska–Lincoln General Admission Requirements. In addition to these requirements, the College of Arts and Sciences strongly recommends a third and fourth year of one foreign language in high school. Four years of high school coursework 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.
Academic and Career Advising
Academic and Career Advising Center
Not sure where to go or who to ask? The Advising Center team in 107 Oldfather Hall can help. The Academic and Career Advising Center is the undergraduate hub for CAS students in all majors. Centrally located and easily accessed, students encounter friendly, knowledgeable people who are eager to help or connect students to partner resources. Students also visit the Advising Center in 107 Oldfather Hall to:
- Choose or change their major, minor, or degree program.
- Check on policies, procedures, and deadlines.
- Get a college approval signature from the Dean’s representatives.
CAS Career Coaches are available by appointment (in-person or zoom) and located in the CAS Academic and Career Advising Center, 107 Oldfather Hall. They help students explore majors and minors, gain experience, and develop a plan for life after graduation.
Assigned Academic Advisors
Academic advisors are critical resources dedicated to students' academic, personal, and professional success. Every CAS student is assigned an academic advisor based on their primary major. Since most CAS students have more than just a single major, it is important to get to know the advisor for any minors or additional majors. Academic advisors work closely with the faculty to provide the best overall support and the discipline specific expertise. They are available for appointments (in-person or zoom) and through weekly virtual drop-ins. Assigned advisors are listed in MyRED and their offices may be located in or near the department of the major for which they advise.
Students who have declared a pre-health or pre-law area of interest will also work with advisors in the Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center (Explore Center) in 127 Love South, who are specially trained to guide students preparing to enter a professional school.
For complete and current information on advisors for majors, minors, or pre-professional areas, visit https://cas.unl.edu/major-advisors, or connect with the Arts and Sciences Academic and Career Advising Center, 107 Oldfather Hall, 402-472-4190, casadvising@unl.edu.
Career Coaching
The College believes that Academics + Experience = Opportunities and encourages students to complement their academic preparation with real-world experience, including internships, research, education abroad, service, and leadership. Arts and sciences students have access to a powerful network of faculty, staff, and advisors dedicated to providing information and support for their goals of meaningful employment or advanced education. Arts and sciences graduates have unlimited career possibilities and carry with them important career competencies—communication, critical thinking, creativity, context, and collaboration. They have the skills and adaptability that employers universally value. Graduates are prepared to effectively contribute professionally and personally with a solid foundation to excel in an increasingly global, technological, and interdisciplinary world.
Students should contact the career coaches in the Arts and Sciences Academic and Career Advising Center in 107 Oldfather Hall, or their assigned advisor, for more information. The CAS career coaches help students explore career options, identify ways to build experience and prepare to apply for internships, jobs, or graduate school, including help with resumes, applications, and interviewing.
ACE Requirements
Students must complete one course for each of the ACE Student Learning Outcomes below. Certified course choices are published in the degree audit, or visit the ACE website for the most current list of certified courses.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACE Student Learning Outcomes | ||
ACE 1: Write texts, in various forms, with an identified purpose, that respond to specific audience needs, integrate research or existing knowledge, and use applicable documentation and appropriate conventions of format and structure. | ||
ACE 2: Demonstrate competence in communication skills. | ||
ACE 3: Use mathematical, computational, statistical, logical, or other formal reasoning to solve problems, draw inferences, justify conclusions, and determine reasonableness. | ||
ACE 4: Use scientific methods and knowledge to pose questions, frame hypotheses, interpret data, and evaluate whether conclusions about the natural and physical world are reasonable. | ||
ACE 5: Use knowledge, historical perspectives, analysis, interpretation, critical evaluation, and the standards of evidence appropriate to the humanities to address problems and issues. | ||
ACE 6: Use knowledge, theories, and research perspectives such as statistical methods or observational accounts appropriate to the social sciences to understand and evaluate social systems or human behaviors. | ||
ACE 7: Use knowledge, theories, or methods appropriate to the arts to understand their context and significance. | ||
ACE 8: Use knowledge, theories, and analysis to explain ethical principles and their importance in society. | ||
ACE 9: Exhibit global awareness or knowledge of human diversity through analysis of an issue. | ||
ACE 10: Generate a creative or scholarly product that requires broad knowledge, appropriate technical proficiency, information collection, synthesis, interpretation, presentation, and reflection. | ||
College Degree Requirements
College Distribution Requirements – BA and BS
The College of Arts and Sciences distribution requirements are common to both the bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees and are designed to ensure a range of courses. By engaging in study in several different areas within the College, students develop the ability to learn in a variety of ways and apply their knowledge from a variety of perspectives. All requirements are in addition to University ACE requirements, and no course can be used to fulfill both an ACE outcome and a College Distribution Requirement.
- A student may not use a single course to satisfy more than one College Distribution Requirement, with the exception of CDR Diversity. Courses used to meet CDR Diversity may also meet CDR Writing, CDR Humanities, or CDR Social Science.
- Independent study or reading courses and internships cannot be used to satisfy distribution requirements.
- Courses from interdisciplinary programs will be applied in the same area as courses from the home/cross-listed department.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| College Distribution Requirements | ||
| CDR: Written Communication | 3 | |
| Select from courses approved for ACE outcome 1. | ||
| CDR: Natural, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences with Lab | 4 | |
| Select from biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, geology, meteorology, mathematics, and physics. 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: Humanities | 3 | |
| Select from classics, English, film studies, history, modern languages and literatures, philosophy, and religious studies. 2 | ||
| CDR: Social Science | 3 | |
| Select from anthropology, communication studies, geography, national security studies, political science, psychology, or sociology. 3 | ||
| CDR: Human Diversity in U.S. Communities | 0-3 | |
| Select from a set of approved courses as listed in the degree audit. | ||
| CDR: 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 or modern languages and literatures. Instruction is currently available in Arabic, Chinese, Czech, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, 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, but encouraged to continue on in their language study. | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 13-32 | |
- 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 220 and below do not fulfill the CDR Humanities.
- 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.
Language Requirement
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the College of Arts and Sciences place great value on academic exposure and proficiency in a second language. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln entrance requirement of two years of the same foreign language or the College’s language distribution requirement (CDR: Language) will rarely be waived and only with relevant documentation. See the main College of Arts and Sciences page for more details.
Experiential Learning Requirement
All undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete an Experiential Learning (EL) designated course. This may include 0-credit courses designed to document co-curricular activities recognized as Experiential Learning.
Scientific Base - BS Only
The bachelor of science degree requires students to complete 60 hours in mathematical, physical, and natural sciences. Approved courses for scientific-based 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 100 or BIOS 203), chemistry (excluding CHEM 101), geography (selected courses), geology, life sciences, mathematics (excluding courses below MATH 104), meteorology, microbiology (excluding MBIO 101), and physics (excluding PHYS 201.)
See your Degree Audit or your assigned academic 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 the College of Arts and Sciences. See your assigned academic advisor to start the approval process.
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 cumulative 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 domestic institutions except for UNO and UNK. All courses taken at UNO and UNK impact the UNL transcript. No transfer of 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. International coursework (including education abroad) with a final grade equivalent to a C- or lower will not be validated by the College of Arts and Sciences departments to be degree applicable.
Pass/No Pass Privilege
The College of Arts and Sciences adheres to the University regulations for the Pass/No Pass (P/N) privilege with 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 of Nebraska–Lincoln 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 at the 300 or 400 Level
Thirty (30) of the 120 semester hours of credit must be in courses numbered at the 300 or 400 level. Of those 30 hours, 15 hours (1/2) must be completed in residence at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Residency Requirement
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 coursework, including 6 hours at the 300 or 400 level in their major and 15 of the 30 hours required at the 300 or 400 level, in residence. Credit earned during education abroad may be used toward the residency requirement only if students register through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Catalog to Use
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 the University of Nebraska–Lincoln 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.
Transfer Students: Students who have transferred from a community college may be eligible to fulfill the requirements as stated in the catalog for an academic year in which they were enrolled at the community college prior to attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This decision should be made in consultation with academic advisors, provided the student a) was enrolled in a community college during the catalog year they are utilizing, b) maintained continuous enrollment at the previous institution for 1 academic year or more, and c) continued enrollment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln within 1 calendar year from their last term at the previous institution. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year and within the time frame allowable for that catalog year.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates with a major in geography will:
- Evaluate space and scale.
- Explain the physical characteristics, processes, and spatial variations of the Earth.
- Interpret the history and philosophy of geography as a discipline.
- Demonstrate proficiency in geospatial analysis, visualization, and communication using spatial data.
- Apply a spatial thinking framework to recognize how humans are influenced by geography.
Major Requirements
At least 37 hours, including geography Core Requirements, Techniques, and Electives with at least 14 hours at the 300 or 400 level and at least one of the Techniques courses at the 400 level.
Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GIST 111 | Academic Success and Decision Making in a Globalized World | 1 |
| GEOG 140 | Introductory Human Geography | 3 |
| or GEOG 250 | Global Economies: Globalization and Economic Development | |
| GEOG 155 | Elements of Physical Geography | 4 |
| GEOG 181 | Global Environmental Issues | 3 |
| GEOG 217 | Principles of GIS | 4 |
| GEOG 272 | Geography of World Regions | 3 |
| GIST 311 | Seminar in Launching Academic and Professional Careers | 1 |
| GEOG 402 | Geography Capstone (ACE 10) | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 22 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 22 | |
Specific Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Technique Courses | ||
| Select two courses from the following, with one at the 400 level. | 6-8 | |
| GIS in Archaeology | ||
| Advanced Spatial Analysis with GIS | ||
| Selected Topics in Community and Regional Planning | ||
| Cartography I: Introduction to Cartography | ||
| Web GIS | ||
| Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
| Applications of Remote Sensing in Agriculture and Natural Resources | ||
| Field Techniques in Remote Sensing | ||
| Advanced Techniques in Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Geovisualization | ||
| Introduction to the Global Positioning System (GPS) | ||
| Programming, Scripting, and Automation for GIS | ||
| Geo-demographic and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | ||
| Geospatial Approaches in Digital Humanities and Social Sciences | ||
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 6-8 | |
| Additional Geography Courses | ||
| Select three additional GEOG courses. | 9-12 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 9-12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 15-20 | |
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.
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.
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
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Offered: | FALL |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 8 Civic/Ethics/Stewardship ACE 4 Science |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 8 Civic/Ethics/Stewardship ACE 4 Science
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 9 Global/Diversity |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 9 Global/Diversity
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.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $15 |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 4 Science |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:ACE 4 Science
Description: Interdisciplinary study of the natural environment, social environment, human heritage, arts and humanities of the Great Plains.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Exploration of urgent global environmental issues and their relationships with physical, social, biological, and economic process. Investigation between human activity, wellbeing, and environmental change. Topics include landscape transformation, climate change, environmental health and disease, and water quality.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Offered: | FALL/SPR |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 6 Social Science ACE 9 Global/Diversity |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 6 Social Science ACE 9 Global/Diversity
Description: Examine current problems in geography.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 9 Global/Diversity ACE 7 Arts |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 9 Global/Diversity ACE 7 Arts
Description: Introduction to theories and methods of Geographic Information Science (GIScience) and Geographic Information Systems (GISystems). Focuses on spatial thinking, analysis skills, and the fundamental knowledge needed to use GIS effectively, accurately, and ethically. Topics include: geodesy, cartography and geovisualization, map projections, geospatial data collection, GPS, spatial data models, spatial databases, and spatial analysis.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Offered: | FALL |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $50 |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
GEOG 140 recommended.
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Introduction to the regional geography of North America. Attention to the significance of location, advantages and limitations of the natural environment, population distribution, and economic development considered regionally.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Groups: | CAS Diversity in the US |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 9 Global/Diversity |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 9 Global/Diversity
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 6 Social Science ACE 5 Humanities |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 6 Social Science ACE 5 Humanities
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Research experience.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 5 Humanities |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 5 Humanities
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 6 Social Science |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 6 Social Science
Description: Examine the intersection of social, economic, and environmental sustainability in the context of rural landscapes in an increasingly urban and globalized world. Topics include the evolution of the rural landscape, associated major social transformations, the history of agricultural consolidation, the growth of rural industrialization, policy implications, and the resilience of rural people.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
| Groups: | Regional Geography |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 6 Social Science |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 6 Social Science
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: The physical and human geographies of Europe. Population migrations, landscape change, and diversity of culture in Europe and selected sub-regions of Europe.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: The intersection of gender, identity, power, and representation throughout time and space in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 5 Humanities ACE 9 Global/Diversity |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 5 Humanities ACE 9 Global/Diversity
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 9 Global/Diversity |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 9 Global/Diversity
Description: Topics vary.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission
Pass/No Pass only.
Description: Experiential learning opportunity related to a discipline within the School of Global Integrated Studies.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Pass No Pass |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Independent reading or research under direction by a faculty member.
| Credit Hours: | 1-3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-3
ACE:
Prerequisites: GEOG major or minor, junior or senior standing.
Description: The history and philosophy of geography. Contemporary issues in geography.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 10 Integrated Product |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 10 Integrated Product
Description: Exploration of the concept of environmental justice, which describes how the impacts of the natural and built environment differ according to race, ethnicity, and economic status. Topics include the development of movement from its early concerns with the location of waste facilities, to disparities in health outcomes, access to affordable and healthy food, and climate change issues.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Groups: | CAS Diversity in the US |
| ACE Outcomes: | ACE 8 Civic/Ethics/Stewardship |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:ACE 8 Civic/Ethics/Stewardship
Description: How space, spatial structure, and spatially oriented behavior operate in social systems, emphasizing their influence on interpersonal communication and/or social exchange.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: GEOG 317 or GEOG 412
Description: Introduction to Internet-based GIS and web cartography. Focus on programming concepts underlying the creation and implementation of quality web mapping applications.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Offered: | SPRING |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Junior Standing
Description: Remote sensing of the earth from aerial and satellite platforms. Aerial photography, multispectral scanning, thermal imaging, microwave remote sensing techniques. Data acquisition and image analysis. Physical foundations of remote sensing using electromagnetic energy and energy-matter interactions. Applications in geographic, agricultural, environmental and natural resources analyses.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Offered: | FALL |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $115 |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
Description: Introduction to the practical uses of remote electromagnetic sensing in dealing with agricultural and water-resources issues.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $35 |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
Prerequisites: NRES 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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $65 |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: GEOG 217
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.
This course is a prerequisite for: NRES 922
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $50 |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
Prerequisites: GEOG 217
Description: Geovisualization encompasses the techniques and concepts that underlie digital cartography and the broader field of spatial visualization, exploring cartographic applications of computer animation and multimedia for the dual purposes of assisting visual thinking in map-oriented research and data exploration, and in communicating geographic ideas to others.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Offered: | FALL |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 2 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 2 |
| Max credits per degree: | 2 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $65 |
Credit Hours:2
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: GEOG 217
Practical experience or other formal preparation in GIS may be substituted for prerequisite by permission.
Description: GIS-focused programming, scripting, and spatial analysis using the Python and R programming languages. Topics include: the ArcPy library, algorithm development, open source geospatial libraries, and the manipulation and analysis of geospatial data.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Offered: | SPRING |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $50 |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Description: Exploration of political economies of health care, the geographic distribution of services, the impacts of location in both care utilization and access, emphasizing the importance of "place" in health outcomes.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $45 |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Offered: | SPRING |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
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
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $50 |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: PLAS/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.
| Credit Hours: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 4 |
| Max credits per degree: | 4 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:4
ACE:
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.
| Credit Hours: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 3 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Junior or above standing
Description: Seminar on current water resources research and issues in Nebraska and the region.
| Credit Hours: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 1 |
| Max credits per degree: | 1 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1
ACE:
Description: Topics vary.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Applying geographic concepts with field training.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Offered: | SUMMER |
| Experiential Learning: | Other |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Research experience.
| Credit Hours: | 1-6 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 6 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
| Course and Laboratory Fee: | $20 |
Credit Hours:1-6
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Independent research leading to a thesis.
| Credit Hours: | 1-3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-3
ACE:
Prerequisites: Permission.
Description: Independent research leading to a thesis.
| Credit Hours: | 1-3 |
|---|---|
| Max credits per semester: | 3 |
| Max credits per degree: | 6 |
| Grading Option: | Graded with Option |
Credit Hours:1-3
ACE:
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
- GIS Analyst, Omaha Public Power District – Omaha, NE
- Park Ranger, National Park Service – Sulphur, OK
- Right-of-Way Designer, Nebraska Department of Transportation – Lincoln, NE
- Cartography Technician, GARMIN – Olathe, KS
- Transportation Planner, Olsson – Loveland, CO
- Law Reporter, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive – Omaha, NE
- Campus Missionary, Fellowship of Catholic University Students – Bismarck, ND
- Geospatial Analyst, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency – Springfield, VA
- Geographer, United States CE, Engineer Research & Development – Alexandria, VA
- Archeological Technician, Midwest Archeological Center National Park Service – Lincoln, NE
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
- Doctor of Medicine, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences – Kansas City, MO