Major in Physical and Earth Sciences
Geography
Requirements for a Major:
Minimum requirement for the major is completion of a sixcourse (21 credit) core
curriculum and one of four concentrations. Students will declare a concentration
in either General Geography, Environmental Studies, Geographic Information
Systems or Physical Geography.
Core Courses:
GS 101
Physical Geography
GE 102
Human Geography
GS 140
Physical Geology
GS 216
GIS
GE 212
Research Methods
GE/GS 400
Geography Seminar
Core Total
21 credits
Requirements for the Concentration in General Geography:
In addition to the six core courses, students will complete:
At least 1 advanced course (200-400 level) in:
Physical Geography
Human Geography
Regional Geography
Any category
Concentration Total
12 credits
Major Total
33 credits
Requirements for the Concentration in Environmental Studies:
In addition to the six core courses, students will complete:
Required Courses:
GE 258 Global Environmental Change
Two courses in Physical Geography or
GIS (200-400 level)
Three of the following:
GS 305 Geological Hazards
GE 308 Environment and Development
GS 260 Energy Conservation and Management (NS 260 crosslist)
GE 359 Environmental Systems & Public Policy
(UR 360 crosslist)
GE 361 Public Policy & Environmental Issues (UR 361 crosslist)
GE/GS 470 Selected Topics (with approval)
*GE/GS 460 Geography Internship
*GE/GS 410 Independent Study in Geography
*GE/GS 450 Readings and Directed Research
Concentration Total
18 credits
Major Total
39 credits
*Only one of these three may be taken.
Requirements for the Concentration in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
In addition to the six core courses, students will complete:
Prerequisite:
Two course sequence in Computer Science or Statistics to be
taken by the time the student has accumulated 21 credits in the
major:
CS 140
Computer Science I or
MA 150 Statistics
CS 141
Computer Science II
MA 301 Statistics II
Required Courses:
GS 318 GIS II
GS 355 GIS Analytical Techniques
Three Additional Courses
Three 200-400 level courses in either physical or human
Geography. Students are encouraged to focus on one area.
Regional courses are not appropriate. A list of non-regional
courses will be compiled each semester to aid in advising.
One of the following:
GS/GE 410
Independent Study
GS/GE 450
Readings/Directed Research
GS/GE 460
Internship
Concentration Total
20 credits
Major Total
41 credits
Requirements for the Concentration in Physical Geography
In addition to the six core courses, students will complete:
Prerequisite:
One course in Statistics
Required Courses
GS 205
Meteorology
GS 225
Oceanography
GS 310
Geomorphology
One of the following:
GE 258
Global Environmental Change
GE 359
Environmental Systems & Public Policy (UR 360
crosslist)
One of the following:
GS 318
Geographic Information Systems II
GS 218
Remote Sensing
Two of the Following:
Choose from ONE of the following
lists
Solid Earth Water
Climate/Atmospheric Sci.
GS 220 Earth History GS 250 Hydrology
GS 235 Climatology
GS 305 Geol. Hazards GS 335 Hydrogeology GS
315 Climate Dynamics
GS 320 Soils
GS 470 Special Topics GS 365 Climate Ch.E.Hist.
GS 325 Glacial Geology
GS 470 Special Topics
GS 245 Planet. Geology
GS 470 Special Topics
Concentration Total
22 credits
Major Total
43 credits
Natural Sciences
Requirements for a Major in Natural Science:
38 credits including
Two courses in mathematics
*Four courses in any
one science
Two courses in each of any other two sciences
NS 400 Natural Science Seminar
*At least two of these should be 200-level or above.
Requirements for a Major in Natural Science, Concentration in Nuclear Medicine
Technology: See
program description under the Biology Department.
Requirements for a Concentration in Earth Science Education (Middle/Secondary):
52 credits (The 13 credit Natural Science and Mathematics distribution
requirement is fulfilled, so the effective number of required credits is 39.)
Mathematics (6 credits)
MA 110
University Algebra
MA 150
Statistics I
Primary Science (13 credits)
GS 101
Physical Geography
GS 140
Physical Geology
GS 205
Meteorology
GS 225
Oceanography
Second Science (8 credits)
NS 101
Physical Science I
NS 102
Physical Science II
Additional Required Courses (22 credits)
BI 106 Introduction
to Biology II
CH 110 Introduction
to General, Organic,
and Biochemistry I
GS 216 Geographic
Information Systems I
NS 105 Introduction
to Astronomy
NS 201 Science and
Society
NS 120 Integrated
Science I
Required for All Natural Science Majors (3 credits)
NS 400
Natural Science Seminar
Optional Recommended Courses (13 credits)
BI 202
Principles of Ecology
GS 220
Earth History
GS 245
Planetary Geology
GS 250
Hydrology
Requirements for a Concentration in General Science Education (Middle):
46 credits (The 13 credit Natural Science and
Mathematics distribution requirement is fulfilled, so the effective number of
required credits is 33.)
Mathematics (6 credits)
MA 110
University Algebra
MA 150
Statistics I
Primary Science (14 credits)
NS 101
Physical Science I
NS 102
Physical Science II
NS 105
Introduction to Astronomy
NS 201
Science and Society
Second Science (8 credits)
BI 105
Introduction to Biology I
BI 106
Introduction to Biology II
Third Science (8 credits)
CH 110 & 111 Introduction to
General, Organic, and
Biochemistry I and II or
Ch 120 & 121 General
Chemistry I and II
Additional Required Courses (7 credits)
GS 101
Physical Geography
GS 140
Physical Geology
Required for All Natural Science Majors (3 credits)
NS 400
Natural Science Seminar
Optional Recommended Courses (7 credits)
GS 205
Meteorology
NS 120
Integrated Science I
Requirements for a Major in Natural Science and to meet the prerequisites for
the Accelerated Pharmacy Program with Massachusetts University of Pharmacy and
Health Science (MCPHS)
MCPHS prerequisites require completing the Natural Science degree with Chemistry
as the primary science, Biology as the secondary science and Physics as the
tertiary science and taking the following courses (which may be used to meet
Natural Science degree requirements):
CH 120 General Chemistry I
CH 121 General Chemistry
II
BI 105 Introduction to
Biology
BI 106 Introduction to
Biology II (with human)
MA 150 Statistics I
CH 201/203 Organic Chemistry I
with Laboratory
CH 202/204 Organic Chemistry II
with Laboratory
MA 200 Calculus
MA 201 Calculus II
PY 221 General Physics I
PY 222 General Physics II
BI 204 Microbiology
NS 400
Natural Science Seminar