Geography Major

Geography Major

IN THIS SECTION

Train for a career in earth sciences.

As climate change becomes more severe, it is more important than ever to understand earth systems and their interrelationship with human actions. With the Geography Major, you will analyze weather systems, landforms, and hydrology and investigate how social processes such as globalization, demographics, urbanization, and the construction of cultural identities shape the earth’s surface and climate. You will develop important analytical and problem-solving skills that are relevant to a wide range of scientific, environmental, and public policy–oriented careers. Then you will put theory into practice through hands-on experimentation and research in our Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and earth science laboratories and in an off-campus internship or research opportunity with a local organization. Membership in Gamma Theta Upsilon, the international geography honor society, is available to distinguished students.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

  • Learn geospatial technologies like cartography, remote sensing, and GIS
  • Conduct both field- and laboratory-based analysis
  • Participate in faculty-led undergraduate research on topics like water pollution, urban geography, atmospheric carbon sequestration, cartography, remote sensing of the environment, drone-based imaging, and more
  • Focus your studies with a concentration in earth science education, earth system science, environmental studies, geographic information systems, and general geography
  • Discover the relevance of geography to a wide array of disciplines in the natural and social sciences, including biology, chemistry, environmental science, sociology, urban studies, political science, and public policy

Options in Geography

Explore the different concentration opportunities that Worcester State has to offer.

Explore sample courses in this program.

GS-101 Physical Geography

Geographic principles of location; characteristics of landforms, soil, climate, minerals, water, flora, and fauna.
3 credits

GE-102 Human Geography

Introduction to human geography, emphasizing globalization, human-environment relations, and spatial patterns of population, development, economics, politics, urbanization, and culture.
3 credits

GS-110 Meteorology

Weather elements, frontal storms, air mass characteristics, winds, temperature, precipitation, and pressure patterns throughout the world; weather instruments, forecasting.
3 credits

GE-110 World Regional Geography I

This survey examines characteristics of land and peoples of Europe and Asia.
3 credits

GE-111 World Regional Geography II

This survey examines characteristics of land and peoples of Africa, Australia, Oceania, and the Americas.
3 credits

GE-130 Introduction to Energy Studies

Foundation concepts in energy studies. Overview of environmental and societal implications of energy systems—past, present, and future.
3 credits

GS-140 Physical Geology

Introduction to geological science: rocks and minerals, internal and external geologic processes, topographic map and air photo analysis, local field study. 3 hours lecture and 2 hours laboratory per week.
4 credits

GS-150 Humans and the Cold Regions

Winter intersession. Examines earth’s cold regions, including physical geography, cryosphere’s role in earth systems, human adaptations. Includes outdoor activity.
3 credits

GS-165 Geographic Information Systems I

Introduction to the use of geospatial technologies including geographic information systems and GPS.
3 credits

GE-193 Special Topics in Geography for First-Year Students

Introductory level course covering topics of special interest to first-year students. Offered only as a first-year seminar.
3 credits

GE-200 Geography Literature Seminar

Geography majors attend research seminars, conduct literature searches, identify relevant primary literature, read and take notes on primary literature, compile annotated bibliographies, and create written syntheses.
1 credit

GE-210 Geography of North America

Analysis of the physical and human geography of North America.
3 credits

GS-210 Geomorphology

The study of landforms and the processes that form them. Labs focus on interpretation of maps and aerial photographs. 3-hour lecture and 2-hour laboratory.
4 credits

GE-214 Critical Cartographies: Digital Mapping and Spatial Data Visualization

This course introduces the fundamental theories, art, and science of map making using web-based platforms. It provides an interdisciplinary approach for students to learn both practical and conceptual skills to collect, interpret, and present data in the form of online, interactive maps and data visualizations.
3 credits

GS-217 Spatial Data Methods

Introduction to the methods used in GIS programming and quantitative geospatial analysis.
3 credits

GS-218 Introduction to Remote Sensing

Introduction to the use and analysis of remotely sensed images such as aerial photographs and satellite imagery.
3 credits

GS-225 Oceanography

The principles of physical, chemical, biological, and geological oceanography.
3 credits

GS-230 Biogeography

The distribution patterns of plants and animals, processes affecting this distribution, and how these patterns change in space and time.
3 credits

GS-235 Contemporary Climate Change

The global climate system, factors influencing climate, recent climate change, and the role of human activity.
3 credits

GE-240 Energy Conservation

Concepts, technologies, and policies for energy conservation. Inefficiencies of current systems; technical and social changes for energy efficiency.
3 credits

GS-240 Coastal Environments

Summer session course examining the physical geography of coastal environments including human impacts. Includes field trips.
3 credits

GS-245 Planetary Geology

Solar system formation and evolution with emphasis on planetary interiors and surface features.
3 credits

GE-250 Urban Geography

World urbanization, location, and central place concepts, economy of cities, land use patterns, urban, physical, and societal environmental problems.
3 credits

GS-250 Hydrology

Hydrologic processes and their estimation and measurement. Includes precipitation, evaporation, runoff, groundwater, and water resources management.
3 credits

GE-255 Geography of Africa

Analysis of the physical and human geography of Africa.
3 credits

GE-258 Global Environmental Change

An introduction to the science, political economy, and ethics of global environmental change.
3 credits

GS-260 Introduction to Soil Science

The study of the formation, processes, classification, and composition of soils with emphasis on environmental applications, including watershed delineation.
3 credits

GS-270 The Sedimentary Record

Theoretical, laboratory, and field investigations of modern sedimentary processes, depositional environments, the sedimentary record of earth history, principals of stratigraphy. 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of lab.
4 credits

GE-285 Sustainable Communities

Exploration of changes in US and global economic landscape, 1970 to present. Approaches to sustainable economic development.
3 credits

GE-307 American Public Lands: Environmental Issues

Exploration of the environmental management issues on US public lands such as national parks, national forests, and BLM lands.
3 credits

GE-308 Environment and Development

The global ecology of rich and poor environmental implications of poverty, economic development, mass consumption, globalization, and demographic change.
3 credits

GE-312 Sustainable Food Systems

Overview of the structure, evolution, costs, and benefits of the global food system. Exploration of local and global alternatives.
3 credits

GS-318 Geographic Information Systems II

Advanced production of digital choropleth maps on PCs using a GIS vector-oriented software.
3 credits

GS-328 Digital Landscape Analysis

Computer-based methods of representing, storing, and analyzing landscape features. Explores technologies such as LiDAR and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for gathering landscape data and the use of geospatial tools to analyze and represent landscape features. 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of lab.
4 credits

GS-335 Hydrogeology

Underground water and its movement. Aquifer identification and test; wells, contamination, and remediation; ground water as a geologic agent.
3 credits

GS-338 Atmospheric Science

Atmospheric Science introduces students to the physics and chemistry of the atmosphere and examines the science behind current issues such as global climate change, air pollution, and reductions in stratospheric ozone. Atmospheric physics includes both weather (clouds, rain, winds) and climate (weather averaged over longer timescales, as well as trends in climate over time). Atmospheric chemistry investigates processes controlling the chemical composition of the atmosphere, including related processes in the biosphere, as well as anthropogenic pollution (smog, stratospheric ozone loss, etc.)
3 credits

GE-341 Fundamentals of Renewable Energy

Analysis of renewable energy concepts, policy, and politics. Technologies and methods for renewable energy capture, storage, and distribution.
3 credits

GE-342 Sustainable Housing and Techniques

Principles of green design with an emphasis on building construction. Material and energy flows, choice of materials, designing for sustainability.
3 credits

GS-348 Fundamentals of Earth Data Analytics

The theory and practice of data analytics using remote sensing and in-situ earth observations and communicating the science.
4 credits

GS-365 Climate Change Over Earth History

A record of climate change on Earth, methods used to reconstruct past climates, relevance of past changes to the current climate.
3 credits

GS-370 Lakes and Environmental Change

Modern physical, biogeochemical, and sedimentary processes in lakes. Lake sediments as archives of past climate and environmental change. Includes fieldwork.
4 credits

GE-400 Geography Seminar

Capstone course for geography majors. Students prepare a comprehensive term paper and present on the topic. Course includes portfolio and career development.
3 credits

GE-408 Directed Study: Geography

Directed study offers students the opportunity to complete an existing course with an established syllabus under the direction and with the agreement of a faculty member.
3 credits

GE-410 Independent Study: Geography

Opportunity for advanced students to pursue a topic of special interest involving extensive reading, experimentation, and research.
1 to 6 credits

GE-420 Advanced Geoscience Research and Fieldwork

Lab- and or field-based research on a specific geoscience topic under supervision of a faculty member.
1 to 6 credits

GE-450 Readings and Directed Research

Directed study on selected topics; open to senior majors.
3 credits

GE-460 Internship: Geography

Students assigned to various government and private agencies under joint supervision of agency and faculty. Major GPA of 3.0 or above required.
1 to 6 credits

Take the next step

Apply
Request Information
Visit Us