Buffalo State

Geography, B.A.

About the Program

Geography provides students with a basic foundation of the discipline while allowing them to focus on one of two major geographic subject areas. The physical geography concentration emphasizes the interaction of humans with the natural environment; the human geography concentration emphasizes social, cultural, and urban patterns.

About the Geography and Planning Department

A213 Classroom Building
1300 Elmwood Ave
Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: (716) 878-6216
Fax: (716) 878-4009
www.buffalostate.edu/geography/

Contact Faculty and Staff in the Geography and Planning Department

Career Information

Geography and planning majors are prepared for professional positions in consulting and engineering firms, and in local, state, and federal government transportation and planning agencies. Students who attend graduate school typically pursue studies in physical geography, human/cultural geography, planning, GIS, or environmental science.

Recent graduates have been hired as GIS technicians, community planners, transportation planners, retail market research analysts, construction managers, environmental scientists, environmental field technicians, and hydrographic survey technicians. Typical hiring firms include engineering firms that offer comprehensive regional or municipal planning; local, state, and federal governments; land development companies; and market/demographic consultants. Students are also prepared to pursue graduate studies.

Recent graduates have been hired by companies and agencies including Beers Construction Company; ESRI; TVGA Engineering, Surveying, PC; Habitat for Humanity; Town of Amherst Planning Department; City of Niagara Falls Division of Planning and Development; Orleans County Planning and Development Department; Erie County Department of Environment and Planning; New York State Department of Transportation; and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Program Requirements

Intellectual Foundations Requirements 39–66 cr

Total Required Credit Hours in Geography 39 cr

A. Required Courses (24 cr)
GEG 101 World Natural Environments
GEG 102 Human Geography
GEG 199 Computers in the Social Sciences
GEG/PLN 325 Remote Sensing and Mapping
GEG 390 Quantitative Methods in Geography and Planning
GEG 430 Senior Thesis
Select one course from the following:
GEG 359 Arctic Geography
GEG 360 Geography of Asia
GEG 362 Geography of the United States and Canada
GEG 364 Geography of Europe
Select one course from the following:
PSC 300 Political Analysis
SOC 300 Methods in Social Research1

1 Prerequisites for SOC 300 are waived by the Sociology Department for geography majors. In addition, geography majors are required to select one of two concentrations to complete an additional 15 credit hours of geography.

B. Physical Geography Concentration Electives (15 cr)
Selected by advisement
GEG 303 Global Climatology
GEG 307 Conservation and Environmental Management
GEG 365 Soil Science and Management
GEG 375 Principles of Hydrology
GEG 382 Weather Forecasting
GEG 383 Severe and Unusual Weather
GEG 384 Atmospheric Science
GEG 386 Applied Climatology
GEG 421 Watershed Analysis
GEG 423 Biogeography
GEG 425 Fundamentals of GIS
GEG 428 Environmental Assessment and Planning Applications in GIS
GEG 478 Global Change
GEG 480 Air Pollution Modeling
GEG 485 Interactive and Web-Based Mapping
GEG 488 Internship
GES 307 Geomorphology
GES 452 Hydrogeology
GEG 241/GES 241 Meteorology
PLN370 Water Resource Planning

C. Human Geography Concentration Electives (15 cr)
Selected by advisement
GEG 305 Principles of Economic Geography
GEG 307 Conservation and Environmental Management
GEG 309 Introduction to Urban Geography
GEG/PLN 310 Urban Transportation Planning
GEG/PLN 330 Land Resource Analysis and Planning
GEG 405 Urban Analysis Using GIS
GEG 409 Industrial Geography
GEG 419 Globalization, Technology. Competition and Service Economies
GEG 425 Fundamentals of GIS
GEG 427 Corporate Applications in GIS
GEG 485 Interactive and Web-Base Mapping

All College Electives 15–42 cr

Total Required Credit Hours 120 cr

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