BA in Geography

The MU Department of Geography offers a B.A. degree that prepares students for a variety of professions including careers in environmental impact assessment, mapping, remote sensing, geographic information analysis, government service, military intelligence, as well as education. Geographers are interested in a wide range of topics and often work in interdisciplinary teams that analyze challenges like environmental change, resource use, and economic issues in an increasingly interdependent world.

A strength of the department is that “big school” research facilities are combined with “small school” faculty-student interaction to build a strong sense of community. Classes are typically small in size and taught by faculty emphasizing hands-on learning techniques. Students complete many of their assignments in a state-of-the-art computer laboratory. Whether students are interested in human geography, environmental problems, or geographic analysis, MU Geography has the facilities and faculty to guide them through the sometimes intimidating task of completing a degree.

Undergraduate emphasis areas of study include:

Human, Regional and Cultural Geography

Students studying human geography are trained to understand and analyze the social and cultural elements which generate regional difference. Assessing population patterns, political activity, urban planning, and linguistic distributions are included in this area.

Geographic Information Systems

The study of GIS trains students to address the variety of technologies revolutionizing geographic analysis such as GIS, Global Positioning Systems, remote sensing, computer assisted cartography and spatial statistics.

Physical and Environmental Geography

Physical and environmental geography emphasizes the complex interactions between the natural world and human behavior. Students learn to identify, delineate, and manage a range of environmental problems facing society from climate and vegetation change to river management.

Certificates in Geographic Information Systems and Geospatial Intelligence are also offered.

GIS Certificate

The GIS Certificate Program is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide students with the theoretical, practical and technical skills essential for analysis of spatial data. The program offers the training and experience necessary to prepare for the rapid expanding professional opportunities available in the divers fields that depend on geographic information. All MU undergraduate students may earn the GIS certificate by completing 15 hours of approved coursework with a grade of B or better.

Geospatial Intelligence Certificate

The Geospatial Intelligence Certificate Program provides undergraduate students technical and analytic skills necessary to begin a career in the rapidly growing field of geospatial intelligence. Geospatial Intelligence (GeoINT) is a discipline comprising the exploitation and analysis of geospatial data and information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. GeoINT sources include imagery and mapping data, whether collected by commercial satellite, government satellite, or by other means, such as reconnaissance aircraft. Eligibility for the GICP is established by admission to MU for any undergraduate degree program. After this, an undergraduate student must complete a minimum of 21 hours of approved coursework, and must earn a grade average of at least B in these courses. The MU GICP is accredited by the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation.

Geography Minors

To officially declare your Minor in Geography, fill out the declaration form. Once you have received confirmation of your minor declaration, you can access your progress toward your minor or certificate by running a degree audit. If you have questions about the minor after you view your degree audit, contact Geography Advisor Joe Franklin at jpfranklin@missouri.edu.

To receive a Minor in Geography:

-Fifteen (15) hours of Geography coursework are required to complete the minor.

-Nine (9) hours must be upper-level Geography courses (courses numbered 2000 and above).

-Nine (9) of the required hours must be taken as MU course work.

-Grades must be in the C range or above, with a minimum minor GPA of 2.0.

-A minor must be completed and awarded at the same time as the MU undergraduate degree.

-You cannot use minor coursework in your major.

-You cannot use the same coursework for multiple Arts and Science minors.

-Minor coursework cannot also be used in a Foreign Language Alternative

- Once an Arts and Science minor is awarded, a student cannot return to MU to complete a major in the same department.