Undergraduate Program

Major Study Undergraduate Advisor
(505) 277-5041

Geography describes and explains the past, present, and future locations and spatial patterns of humans and their settlements, cultural and economic traits, and natural environment and resources. The department’s programs focus on environmental studies (human/environment interactions, natural resource policy and management, legal geography and social justice) and geographic information science (geographic information systems, cartography and geovisualization, remote sensing, GPS, and spatial statistics.)

Geography and Environmental Studies offers a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree, and a Master of Science degree. The B.A. and B.S. degrees prepare majors for one of two career paths, or for entrance into the M.S. program. The B.A. degree acknowledges general competency in Geography for those seeking careers in either applied geography or environmental studies.

The GIScience minor is ideally suited for majors from many College of Arts and Sciences departments, as well as from other Schools at UNM. These technologies are finding many practical applications in the social and physical sciences, engineering, health care, architecture and planning, and legal professions.

The Law, Environment and Geography minor is ideal for majors from any of the social sciences who are interested in the ways law influences and is influenced by both human and non-human environments. It is an ideal track for students who are interested in pursuing careers in law, natural resource management, criminal justice studies, urban studies, and environmental science.


College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Geography and Environmental Studies Undergraduate Admission Requirements

A minimum of 26 credit hours; 23 credit hours must be in courses acceptable toward graduation.

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 on all work.

  • Transfer students must have a 2.00 transfer GPA.
  • Continuing UNM students must have a 2.00 institutional GPA.

Demonstrated academic achievement by satisfying the following:

  • Completion of the University Writing and Speaking Core.
  • Completion of the University Mathematics Core.
  • Completion of the University Foreign Language Core.

Completion of Department of Geography and Environmental Studies admission course work with grades of "C" or better:

  • GEOG 101.
  • GEOG 102.

Major Study Requirements

Bachelor of Arts in Geography

The B.A. major in Geography requires 38-39 credit hours of lower and upper-division course work.

Required curriculum:

Credit
Hours
GEOG 101 Home Planet: Land, Water and Life 3
GEOG 105L Home Planet: Land, Water and Life Laboratory 1
GEOG 102 People and Place 3
GEOG 140 Introduction to World Regions 3
GEOG 195 Introduction to Environmental Studies 3
GEOG 281 Introduction to Maps and Geospatial Information 3
GEOG **381L
-or-
GEOG *481L
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

Map Design and Geovisualization
4
GEOG 471 Senior Geography Capstone 3
Four courses Human Environment Geography Group
Choose from: *445, or any GEOG courses numbered in the 360s or 460s
12
Elective Any GEOG course at the 200- 300- or 400-level  3-4
  Total 38-39


Bachelor of Science in Geography

The B.S. major in Geography requires 39-43 credit hours of lower and upper-division course work.

Required curriculum:

  Credit
Hours
GEOG 101 Home Planet: Land, Water and Life 3
GEOG 105L Home Planet: Land, Water and Life Laboratory 1
GEOG 102 People and Place 3
GEOG 281 Introduction to Maps and Geospatial Information 3
GEOG 380 Basic Statistics for Geographers 3
GEOG **381L Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 4
GEOG *481L Map Design and Geovisualization 4
GEOG 471 Senior Geography Capstone 3
One course Any GEOG course numbered in the 360s or 460s 3
Four courses Any GEOG courses at the 200- 300- or 400-level  12-16
  Total 39-43

Minor Study Requirements

Minor in Geographic Information Science (GIScience)
The curriculum for the minor in GIScience requires 19 credit hours of course work.
Required Courses include: 281 and **381L.
Four electives chosen from the Geographic Information Science Group: 380L, 427, 428, 483L, 484L, 485L, 486L, 487L, 488L.

Minor in Geography
The curriculum for the minor in Geography requires 22 credit hours.
Required Courses include: 101, 102, 105L.
Electives: 15 additional credit hours of Geography course work.
Distributed minor not available.

Minor in Law, Environment and Geography
The curriculum for the minor in Law, Environment and Geography requires 22 credit hours of course work.
Required Courses include: 101, 102, 105L and 364.
Four electives chosen from: 195, 350, **360, 365, 461, 462, 463, 464.


Departmental Honors

Undergraduate students pursuing either the B.A. or B.S. in Geography have the option of seeking honors in Geography by completing advanced independent work that leads to a Senior Thesis. Students aspiring to honors in Geography must announce their intention to the Geography and Environmental Studies faculty before the end of the junior year. Minimum requirements for graduation with honors in Geography are as follows: (1) completion of all requirements required for the B.A. or B.S. in Geography; (2) maintenance of an overall grade point average of 3.20; (3) completion of 6 credit hours of advanced course work; and (4) submission of a written senior thesis.

Candidates for honors in Geography are required to take the following courses in their senior year: 3 credit hours of GEOG 491 (Problems in Geography) in the fall semester, followed by 3 credit hours of GEOG 471 Senior Geography Capstone in the spring semester. The objective of these 6 credit hours is for the candidate to develop a substantial independent project in Geography research, which leads to submission of a Senior Thesis by the 12th week of the spring term of the student's senior year. The thesis advisor and a second reader selected from the Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty together determine if the quality of the thesis is sufficient for honors, and at what level.


Courses

GEOG 101. Home Planet: Land, Water and Life. (3)



GEOG 102. People and Place. (3)



GEOG 105L. Home Planet: Land, Water and Life Laboratory. (1)



GEOG 140. Introduction to World Regions. (3)



GEOG 180. The World of Beer. (3)



GEOG 195. Introduction to Environmental Studies. (3)



GEOG 217. Energy, Environment and Society. (3)



GEOG 251. Meteorology. (3)



GEOG 281. Introduction to Maps and Geospatial Information. (3)



GEOG 350. Natural Environments. (3)



GEOG 352. Global Climate Change. (3)



GEOG **360. Land Use Management. (3)



GEOG 364. Law, Place and Space. (3)



GEOG 365. Nature and Society. (3)



GEOG 380L. Basic Statistics for Geographers. (3)



GEOG **381L. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems. (4)



GEOG 427 / 527. Introductory Programming for GIS. (3)



GEOG 428 / 528. Advanced Programming for GIS. (3)



GEOG *445. Geography of New Mexico and the Southwest. (3)



GEOG *450. Environmental Hazards. (3)



GEOG 461 / 561. Environmental Management. (3)



GEOG 462 / 562. Water Resources Management. (3)



GEOG 463 / 563. Public Land Management. (3)



GEOG 464 / 564. Food and Natural Resources. (3)



GEOG 466 / 566. The City. (3)



GEOG 467 / 567. Governing the Global Environment. (3)



GEOG 471. Senior Geography Capstone. (3)



GEOG *481L. Map Design and Geovisualization. (4)



GEOG 483L / 583L. Remote Sensing Fundamentals. (4)



GEOG 484L / 584L. Applications of Remote Sensing. (4)



GEOG 485L / 585L. Internet Mapping. (3)



GEOG 486L / 586L. Applications of GIS. (3)



GEOG 487L / 587L. Spatial Analysis and Modeling. (3)



GEOG 488L / 588L. GIS Concepts and Techniques. (3)



GEOG 491. Problems. (1-3 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



GEOG 493. Internship in Applied Geography. (1-3 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



GEOG *499. Topics in Geography. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



GEOG 501. Geographic History and Methods. (3)



GEOG 502. Approaches to Geographical Research. (3)



GEOG 514. Natural Resources Management Seminar. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



GEOG 515. Cultural and Political Ecology. (3)



GEOG 516. Seminar: Globalization. (3)



GEOG 517. Legal Geography. (3)



GEOG 522. Introduction to Spatial Data Management. (3)



GEOG 524. Advanced Topics in Remote Sensing. (3)



GEOG 525. Advanced GIScience Seminar. (3)



GEOG 527 / 427. Introductory Programming for GIS. (3)



GEOG 528 / 428. Advanced Programming for GIS. (3)



GEOG 551. Drylands. (3)



GEOG 561 / 461. Environmental Management. (3)



GEOG 562 / 462. Water Resources Management. (3)



GEOG 563 / 463. Public Land Management. (3)



GEOG 564 / 464. Food and Natural Resources. (3)



GEOG 566 / 466. The City. (3)



GEOG 567 / 467. Governing the Global Environment. (3)



GEOG 580L. Spatial Statistics. (3)



GEOG 581L. Introduction to GIS for Graduate Students. (3)



GEOG 583L / 483L. Remote Sensing Fundamentals. (4)



GEOG 584L / 484L. Applications of Remote Sensing. (4)



GEOG 585L / 485L. Internet Mapping. (3)



GEOG 586L / 486L. Applications of GIS. (3)



GEOG 587L / 487L. Spatial Analysis and Modeling. (3)



GEOG 588L / 488L. GIS Concepts and Techniques. (3)



GEOG 591. Problems. (1-3 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



GEOG 593. Internship in Applied Geography. (1-3 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



GEOG 597. Master's Project. (3)



GEOG 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)



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Office of the Registrar

MSC 11 6325
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131

Phone: (505) 277-8900
Fax: (505) 277-6809