Major in Geography and Land Surveying
Most students electing to major in Geography and Land Surveying will complete the A.A.S. degree in Engineering Technology with a concentration in Land Surveying at CCBC-Catonsville prior to enrollment at Towson University. The details of this 64-unit program can be found on CCBC's website. All surveying courses will transfer units. However, Towson University will only accept a maximum of 64 total transfer units. Any Core Curriculum requirements not completed prior to enrollment will be completed at Towson University. Current Towson University Geography majors interested in this program should see the department chair.
The program of study follows the guidelines for a major in Geography and Environmental Planning with the exception of the requirement to fulfill the methods requirement with GEOG 375. A total of 39 units are required. (GEOG 101 is part of the A.A.S. degree.) The preferred course for fulfilling the regional requirement is GEOG 423 . Elective units (a minimum of 21) should be selected in consultation with the adviser, to complement surveying skills. GEOG 491 is strongly recommended for those with little or no work experience. Students may not substitute past work experience, nor use concurrent work to meet internship requirements, without permission of the department.
For further information on this program, contact the chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental Planning at Towson University (410-704-2966).
Students in the Geography and Land Surveying major complete the Associate of Applied Science in Engineering Technologies with a concentration in Land Surveying at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) before transferring to Towson University in their junior year to complete the Geography and Land Surveying program. It is also possible, but not recommended, to complete degree requirements in the program at Towson University before completing the AAS in Engineering Technologies at CCBC.
The Geography and Land Surveying major is not open to students who are currently declared in or who have completed the Geography and Environmental Planning (GEOG-B) major at Towson University.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| GEOG 101 | PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| GEOG 109 | INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| GEOG 221 | INTRODUCTION TO GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| GEOG 375 | QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| GEOG 401 | GROWTH OF GEOGRAPHIC THOUGHT | 3 |
| Regional Course | ||
| Select one from the following: | 3 | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF MARYLAND 1 | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF EAST ASIA | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH ASIA | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF RUSSIA | ||
| RETHINKING BRAZIL | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA | ||
| THE TWO DOWN-UNDERS: GEOGRAPHIES OF AUSTRALIA AND AOTEAROA-NEW ZEALAND | ||
| THE SILK ROAD: THE GEOGRAPHIES OF CENTRAL EURASIA | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select seven Geography (GEOG) courses (maximum two level-level courses) 2 | 21 | |
| Total Units | 39 | |
- 1
GEOG 423 is recommended to fulfill the Regional Course requirement.
- 2
GEOG 391 is recommended as an elective for students with little/no work experience. In addition to the required Geography (GEOG) electives, students are urged to take calculus at Towson University: MATH 273, MATH 274, and/or MATH 275.
Departmental Honors Program
The Department of Geography and Environmental Planning offers a departmental honors program for students who demonstrate exemplary abilities in geography. Students who earn a degree in geography with honors graduate with a sense of tremendous accomplishment while also increasing their marketability to employers and graduate schools. The departmental honors program is academically rigorous. Students complete an intensive research project in their area of interest and gain a firm grounding in research for graduate school and the job market.
Geography majors who are interested in pursuing the program must meet first with the department chair. Applicants must complete 75 units with a cumulative GPA of 3.30 and at least 18 units of geography with a GPA of 3.50 in the major. Applicants admitted to the departmental honors program must complete minimum 6 units of Honors Directed Readings (GEOG 498) and Honors Thesis in Geography (GEOG 499), which may also serve to satisfy upper-level elective units needed for the major. Successful departmental honors students will complete a twenty page paper presenting substantial research in geography and defend their thesis before a faculty audience. Departmental honors are designated on the successful graduate's transcript.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Coursework for Departmental Honors in Geography | ||
| GEOG 498 | HONORS DIRECTED READINGS | 3 |
| GEOG 499 | HONORS THESIS IN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
Suggested Four-Year Plan
Based on course availability and student needs and preferences, the selected sequences will probably vary from those presented below. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices.
Earn an AAS in Surveying from CCBC-Catonsville. For details of this program, go to CCBC's website. It is recommended that students take the equivalent of the following courses at CCBC: GEOG 101, GEOG 102 and MATH 273.
| Junior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| GEOG 221 | 3 | GEOG 232 | 4 |
| GEOG Any Upper-Level Regional course | 3 | GEOG Elective 2 | 3 |
| GEOG 375 | 3 | GEOG Elective 3 | 3 |
| GEOG Elective 1 | 3 | Core 14 | 3 |
| Core 11 | 3 | Elective | 2-3 |
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| GEOG Elective 4 | 3 | GEOG Elective 5 | 3 |
| GEOG 401 (Core 9) | 3 | GEOG Elective 6 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 12 | ||
| Total Units 57-58 | |||
- Students will have a comprehensive grasp of where things are in the world and why.
- Students will know and comprehend basic terminology, principles and models in human and physical geography, and be able to apply them to real world circumstances.
- Students will be able to use maps, tables, graphs, statistics and text to acquire information about the Earths spatial patterns and processes.
- Students will be able to create effect maps, tables, graphs, statistics and text to describe and analyze the Earth's spatial patterns and processes.