Geography is the science of place, space, and environment.
Each place on earth is distinguished by a unique mix of natural resources, cultural practices, and socio-economic and political systems. Geographers study what makes each place unique, as well as the connections and interactions between places.
Critical TrackingRecommended Semester Plan
Overview
Geography offers exciting undergraduate degrees at UF. Students learn from world-renowned faculty and award-winning mentors, and contribute to groundbreaking research, all while studying topics that have great environmental and social significance. Geography is an integrated and highly interdisciplinary field of study spanning the physical world and society. It is also a hands-on discipline, with a strong emphasis on computer-based tools and field studies.
Geographers can choose to study an enormous range of subjects, essentially anything that has a spatial component. Students who major in geography use the lens of space to examine issues as diverse as climate variability and change on the African continent, malaria outbreaks in Africa and South America, deforestation and land conflict in the Amazon, and the origin and spread of blues music in the Southeastern United States. Across the globe, geographers study tropical cyclones, river restoration, disease outbreaks, the role of parks and other protected areas, changes in land cover, forest management and fragmentation, community conservation, emerging infectious diseases, environmental influences on the elderly, and economic development.
Geography explores the relationship between human and biophysical systems and deals with some of the most critical issues of our time such as environmental hazards, conservation, sustainability of resource management systems, international development, and community and urban planning. Understanding the concept of place, including how and why places differ from each other, is a central concern. Students who have social and economic interests can enter into careers in international development, urban and regional planning, geographic information systems, and environmental consultancy. Students who combine the study of socioeconomic factors and the biophysical world can work in resource management, conservation, environmental assessment, and watershed and coastal planning.
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Coursework for the Major
The Bachelor of Arts degree requires 33-35 credits of coursework in geography, plus 3 credits of STA2023. Students must earn a minimum grade of C in all coursework for the major.
Students should email Dr. Joann Mossa, the department's undergraduate coordinator, for information and curriculum planning.
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Required Coursework
- GEO 2200 and 2200L Physical Geography and Physical Geography Laboratory, 4 credits
- GEO 2500 Global and Regional Economies, 3 credits
- GEO 3162C Introduction to Quantitative Analysis for Geographers, 4 credits
- Two courses from GEO 4167C Intermediate Quantitative Analysis, GIS 3043 Foundations of Geographic Information Systems, GIS 4021C Air Photo Interpretation, GIS 4037 Digital Image Processing, 6-8 credits
- One course from GEA 3405 Geography of Latin America or GEA 3600 Geography of Africa, 3 credits
- GEO 4930 Senior Seminar, 1 credit
- Four courses, 12 credits minimum, from:
- GEO 2242 Extreme Weather
- GEO 3250 Climatology
- GEO 3341 Extreme Floods
- GEO4938 Development and Environment
- GEO 4938 Selected Topics in Geography
- GIS 4113 Spatial Networks
- Additional courses not taken from techniques courses above can count in this category, e.g., GEO 4167C Intermediate Quantitative Analysis for Geographers, GIS 3043 Foundations of Geographic Information System, GIS 4021C Air Photo Interpretation, GIS 4037 Digital Image Processing
Related Coursework
- STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1
The same course may not be used to satisfy requirements for more than one bulleted group.
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Critical Tracking
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements. For degree requirements outside of the major, refer to CLAS Degree Requirements: Structure of a CLAS Degree.
Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
- Complete 1 geography course
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 4
- Complete 1 additional geography course (1 of the 2 must be GEO 2200) or complete STA 2023 with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA
- 2.0 UF GPA required
Semester 5
- Complete all critical-tracking courses (STA 2023 and 2 geography courses, 1 of which must be GEO 2200) with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA
- 2.0 UF GPA required
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Recommended Semester Plan
Students are expected to complete the writing requirement while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are also expected to complete the general education international (GE-N) and diversity (GE-D) requirements concurrently with another general education requirement (typically, GE-C, H or S).
| Semester 1 |
Credits |
|---|
| GEO 2500 Global and Regional Economies (GE-S) |
3 |
| Biological or Physical Science (State Core GE-B or P) |
3 |
| Composition (State Core GE-C) (WR) |
3 |
| Foreign language |
4-5 |
| Total |
13-14 |
| Semester 2 |
Credits |
|---|
| GEO 2200 and 2200L Physical Geography (3) and Physical Geography Laboratory (1) (GE-P) |
4 |
| IUF 1000 What is the Good Life (GE-H) |
3 |
| STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 (GE-M) |
3 |
| Foreign language |
3-5 |
| Total |
13-15 |
| Semester 3 |
Credits |
|---|
| GEO 2000/3000 level (Systematic) |
3 |
| Biological Science (GE-B) |
3 |
| Composition (GE-C) (WR) |
3 |
| Elective (or foreign language if 4-3-3 option) |
3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (State Core GE-S) |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 4 |
Credits |
|---|
| GEO 3000/4000 level (Systematic) |
3 |
| Elective |
3 |
| Elective (3000 level or above, not in major) |
3 |
| Humanities (State Core GE-H) |
3 |
| Mathematics (State Core GE-M) |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 5 |
Credits |
|---|
GEA 3405 Geography of Latin America or
GEA 3600 Geography of Africa |
3 |
| GEO 3162 Introduction to Quantitative Analysis for Geographers (GE-P) |
4 |
| Electives (3000 level or above, not in major) |
6 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE-S) |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
| Semester 6 |
Credits |
|---|
| GEO 3000/4000 level (Systematic) |
3 |
GIS 3043 Foundations of Geographic Information Systems or
GIS 4021C Air Photo Interpretation or
GIS 4037 Digital Image Processing |
4 |
| Elective |
3 |
| Elective (3000 level or above, not in major) |
3 |
| Humanities (GE-H) |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
| Semester 7 |
Credits |
|---|
| GEO 4930 Senior Seminar |
1 |
GEO/GIS 4000 level (Technique) *
(options: GEO 4167C Intermediate Quantitative Analysis, GIS 3043 Foundations of Geographic Information Systems, GIS 4021C Air Photo Interpretation, or GIS 4037 Digital Image Processing) |
3-4 |
| Electives |
6 |
| Elective (3000 level or above, not in major) |
3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE-S) |
3 |
| Total |
16-17 |
| Semester 8 |
Credits |
|---|
| GEO 3000/4000 level (Systematic) |
3 |
| Elective (3000 level or above, not in major) |
3 |
| Electives * |
10 |
| Total |
16 |
* Electives to reach the 120-credit minimum will vary depending on whether students select minimum or maximum credit course options.
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