

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography emphasizes a growing field that offers a wide range of career options. Geographers study both natural science and social science. Natural science topics include spatial patterns of rocks, soils, animals, plants, climate and weather. Social science topics include spatial patterns of culture, policy, conflict, demographics, economics, resources and waste, with an emphasis on investigating the intersection of human activity and environmental processes. Geographers use a variety of geospatial technologies to map the world in different ways from the global to the local.
Geographers use data (environmental and social statistics, interviews, textual and landscape analysis and archival documents) to describe natural and social patterns. They then apply their knowledge of human and environmental processes to analyze why these patterns exist. Geographers work at the intersection of multiple disciplines—geology, ecology, climate science, urban planning, economics, sociology, computer science and the humanities—using this knowledge to examine spatial processes. Geographers use GIS software and remote sensing for spatial analysis and cartography.
Geography offers a unique way of seeing and understanding the world, combined with the ability to communicate this understanding to others.
The Geography major comprises the following concentrations:
Geography students may apply early to the M.S. degree in Geography and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program policy in the University Catalog for more information.
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog.
Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
ENVS 22070 | NATURE AND SOCIETY (KSS) | 3 |
GEOG 17063 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY (DIVG) (KSS) | 3 |
or GEOG 17064 | GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA (DIVD) (KSS) | |
GEOG 21062 | PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY (KBS) | 3 |
GEOG 21063 | PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) | 1 |
GEOG 22061 | HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (DIVG) (KSS) | 3 |
GEOG 29160 | MAPPING OUR WORLD | 3 |
GEOG 39002 | STATISTICAL METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
GEOG 40191 | SEMINAR IN GEOGRAPHY (ELR) (WIC) 1 | 3 |
GEOG 49070 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | 4 |
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) | ||
UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below) | 14-16 | |
Kent Core Composition | 6 | |
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning | 3 | |
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each) | 9 | |
Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) | 2-3 | |
Kent Core Additional | 3 | |
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credits hour, including 39 upper-division credit hours) | 37 | |
Concentrations | ||
Choose from the following: 2 | 18 | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 |
A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
Students can only count an individual course towards one concentration.
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
Environmental Geography Electives, choose from the following: | 12 | |
GEOG 31062 | FUNDAMENTALS OF METEOROLOGY | |
GEOG 31064 | CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 31070 | POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 31080 | GEOGRAPHY OF WINE | |
GEOG 32023 | FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
GEOG 37010 | GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
GEOG 37040 | GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37045 | GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
GEOG 37066 | GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37070 | GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37072 | GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
GEOG 37085 | GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
GEOG 41051 | NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 41065 | APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY | |
GEOG 41066 | GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
GEOG 41073 | CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
GEOG 41074 | RESOURCE GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 41077 | WATER AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 41082 | GEOGRAPHY OF SOILS | |
GEOG 41195 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 42064 | SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 46080 | URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
GEOG 49078 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
Geographic Information Science Elective, choose from the following: | 3 | |
GEOG 44070 | SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND LOCATION THEORY | |
GEOG 49072 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
GEOG 49075 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
GEOG 49076 | SPATIAL PROGRAMMING | |
GEOG 49078 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
GEOG 49080 | ADVANCED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
GEOG 49085 | WEB AND MOBILE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
GEOG 49162 | CARTOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 49195 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
GEOG 49230 | REMOTE SENSING | |
Social Geography Elective, choose from the following: | 3 | |
GEOG 31070 | POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 32023 | FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
GEOG 32080 | POLITICS AND PLACE (DIVG) | |
GEOG 34070 | ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 35065 | GEOGRAPHY OF TRANSPORTATION AND SPATIAL INTERACTION | |
GEOG 36065 | CITIES AND URBANIZATION (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37010 | GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
GEOG 37040 | GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37045 | GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
GEOG 37066 | GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37070 | GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37072 | GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
GEOG 37085 | GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
GEOG 41051 | NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 41066 | GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
GEOG 41073 | CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
GEOG 41077 | WATER AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 42040 | TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATIONAL TRAVEL | |
GEOG 42052 | HEALTH GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 42053 | GEOGRAPHIES OF MEMORY AND HERITAGE | |
GEOG 42064 | SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 42070 | SEMINAR IN ETHNIC, LIFESTYLE AND NATIONAL COMMUNITIES | |
GEOG 42195 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 44010 | GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT | |
GEOG 45085 | URBAN TRANSPORTATION | |
GEOG 46070 | URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING | |
GEOG 46080 | URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
GEOG 46081 | SEMINAR IN URBAN GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 49072 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
GEOG 49075 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
Environmental Geography Elective, choose from the following: | 3 | |
GEOG 31062 | FUNDAMENTALS OF METEOROLOGY | |
GEOG 31064 | CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 31070 | POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 31080 | GEOGRAPHY OF WINE | |
GEOG 32023 | FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
GEOG 37010 | GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
GEOG 37040 | GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37045 | GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
GEOG 37066 | GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37070 | GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37072 | GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
GEOG 37085 | GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
GEOG 41051 | NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 41065 | APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY | |
GEOG 41066 | GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
GEOG 41073 | CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
GEOG 41074 | RESOURCE GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 41077 | WATER AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 41082 | GEOGRAPHY OF SOILS | |
GEOG 41195 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 42064 | SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 46080 | URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
GEOG 49078 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
Geographic Information Science Electives, choose from the following: | 12 | |
GEOG 44070 | SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND LOCATION THEORY | |
GEOG 49072 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
GEOG 49075 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
GEOG 49076 | SPATIAL PROGRAMMING | |
GEOG 49078 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
GEOG 49080 | ADVANCED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
GEOG 49085 | WEB AND MOBILE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
GEOG 49162 | CARTOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 49195 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
GEOG 49230 | REMOTE SENSING | |
Social Geography Elective, choose from the following: | 3 | |
GEOG 31070 | POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 32023 | FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
GEOG 32080 | POLITICS AND PLACE (DIVG) | |
GEOG 34070 | ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 36065 | CITIES AND URBANIZATION (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37010 | GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
GEOG 37040 | GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37045 | GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
GEOG 37066 | GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37070 | GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37072 | GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
GEOG 37085 | GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
GEOG 41051 | NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 41066 | GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
GEOG 41073 | CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
GEOG 41077 | WATER AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 42040 | TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATIONAL TRAVEL | |
GEOG 42052 | HEALTH GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 42053 | GEOGRAPHIES OF MEMORY AND HERITAGE | |
GEOG 42064 | SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 42070 | SEMINAR IN ETHNIC, LIFESTYLE AND NATIONAL COMMUNITIES | |
GEOG 42195 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 44010 | GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT | |
GEOG 45085 | URBAN TRANSPORTATION | |
GEOG 46070 | URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING | |
GEOG 46080 | URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
GEOG 46081 | SEMINAR IN URBAN GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 49072 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
GEOG 49075 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
Environmental Geography Elective, choose from the following: | 3 | |
GEOG 31062 | FUNDAMENTALS OF METEOROLOGY | |
GEOG 31064 | CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 31070 | POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 31080 | GEOGRAPHY OF WINE | |
GEOG 32023 | FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
GEOG 37010 | GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
GEOG 37040 | GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37045 | GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
GEOG 37066 | GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37070 | GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37072 | GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
GEOG 37085 | GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
GEOG 41051 | NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 41065 | APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY | |
GEOG 41066 | GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
GEOG 41073 | CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
GEOG 41074 | RESOURCE GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 41077 | WATER AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 41082 | GEOGRAPHY OF SOILS | |
GEOG 41195 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 42064 | SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 46080 | URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
GEOG 49078 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
Geographic Information Science Elective, choose from the following: | 3 | |
GEOG 44070 | SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND LOCATION THEORY | |
GEOG 49072 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
GEOG 49075 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
GEOG 49076 | SPATIAL PROGRAMMING | |
GEOG 49078 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
GEOG 49080 | ADVANCED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
GEOG 49085 | WEB AND MOBILE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
GEOG 49162 | CARTOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 49195 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
GEOG 49230 | REMOTE SENSING | |
Social Geography Electives, choose from the following: | 12 | |
GEOG 31070 | POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 32023 | FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
GEOG 32080 | POLITICS AND PLACE (DIVG) | |
GEOG 34070 | ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 35065 | GEOGRAPHY OF TRANSPORTATION AND SPATIAL INTERACTION | |
GEOG 36065 | CITIES AND URBANIZATION (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37010 | GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
GEOG 37040 | GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37045 | GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
GEOG 37066 | GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37070 | GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
GEOG 37072 | GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
GEOG 37085 | GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
GEOG 41051 | NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 41066 | GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
GEOG 41073 | CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
GEOG 41077 | WATER AND SOCIETY | |
GEOG 42040 | TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATIONAL TRAVEL | |
GEOG 42052 | HEALTH GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 42053 | GEOGRAPHIES OF MEMORY AND HERITAGE | |
GEOG 42064 | SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
GEOG 42070 | SEMINAR IN ETHNIC, LIFESTYLE AND NATIONAL COMMUNITIES | |
GEOG 42195 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 44010 | GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT | |
GEOG 45085 | URBAN TRANSPORTATION | |
GEOG 46070 | URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING | |
GEOG 46080 | URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
GEOG 46081 | SEMINAR IN URBAN GEOGRAPHY | |
GEOG 49072 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
GEOG 49075 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
---|---|
2.000 | 2.000 |
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:
All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University; or (3) demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 14 credit hours and four courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.
Certain majors, concentrations and minors may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular language coursework.
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Semester One | Credits | |
---|---|---|
GEOG 17063 or GEOG 17064 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY (DIVG) (KSS) or GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA (DIVD) (KSS) | 3 |
UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 16 | |
Semester Two | ||
GEOG 21062 | PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY (KBS) | 3 |
GEOG 21063 | PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) | 1 |
GEOG 22061 | HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (DIVG) (KSS) | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 16 | |
Semester Three | ||
ENVS 22070 | NATURE AND SOCIETY (KSS) | 3 |
GEOG 29160 | MAPPING OUR WORLD | 3 |
Foreign Language | 4 | |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
Credit Hours | 16 | |
Semester Four | ||
GEOG 49070 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | 4 |
Foreign Language | 4 | |
General Electives | 6 | |
Credit Hours | 14 | |
Semester Five | ||
GEOG 39002 | STATISTICAL METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
Concentration Elective | 3 | |
Foreign Language | 3 | |
General Electives | 6 | |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Semester Six | ||
Concentration Elective | 3 | |
Foreign Language | 3 | |
General Electives | 9 | |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Semester Seven | ||
Concentration Electives | 9 | |
General Electives | 6 | |
Credit Hours | 15 | |
Semester Eight | ||
GEOG 40191 | SEMINAR IN GEOGRAPHY (ELR) (WIC) | 3 |
Concentration Elective | 3 | |
General Electives | 7 | |
Credit Hours | 13 | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 |
Find out more about our Geography program here.
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