Geography, B.A.
Admissions
Entrance Requirements
New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the college. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another USC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a USC campus.
Some programs in the College of Arts and Sciences have special admission requirements established by the department or committee that supervises the specific degree program, for example, Cardiovascular Technology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. These requirements are listed in the sections of this bulletin that describe department and special degree programs.
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core | 32-44 |
| 2. College Requirements | 15-18 |
| 3. Program Requirements | 34-49 |
| 4. Major Requirements | 24 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
Requirements (120 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core (32-44 hours) | ||
| CMW - Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written 1 | ||
| CC-CMW course(s) | 6 | |
| ARP - Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving | ||
| CC-ARP course(s) | 6-8 | |
| SCI - Scientific Literacy | ||
| CC-SCI course(s) (two 4-credit hour CC-SCI courses) | 8 | |
| GFL - Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language | ||
| Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course. | ||
| CC-GFL course(s) | 0-6 | |
| GHS - Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking | ||
| CC-GHS course(s) | 3 | |
| GSS - Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences | ||
| CC-GSS course(s) | 3 | |
| AIU - Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding | ||
| CC-AIU course(s) | 3 | |
| CMS - Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component 2 | ||
| CC-CMS course(s) | 0-3 | |
| INF - Information Literacy | ||
| CC-INF course(s) | 0-3 | |
| VSR - Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility 2 | ||
| CC-VSR course(s) | 0-3 | |
| Select at least one of the following to fulfill a Carolina Core requirement above: 1 | ||
| Foundations of Geography | ||
| The Digital Earth | ||
| Geographies of Global Change | ||
| Landform Geography | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Peoples, Places, and Environments | ||
| 2. College Requirements (15-18 hours) | ||
| Foreign Language (0-3 hours) | ||
| Only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency | 0-3 | |
| History (3 hours) | ||
| The College of Arts and Sciences requires one additional GHS course beyond the Carolina Core GHS requirement. If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course. If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a U.S. history course. Please select the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement from the approved list: | ||
| U.S. and non-U.S. History Courses | 3 | |
| Social Science (3 hours) | ||
| Social Science Courses | 3 | |
| Fine Arts or Humanities (9 hours) | ||
| Fine Arts/Humanities Courses | 9 | |
| 3. Program Requirements (34-49 hours) | ||
| Cognate or Minor (12-18 hours) 1 | ||
| Students must complete a cognate (12 hours) or a minor as part of this program. In lieu of a cognate or minor, an additional major may be added to a student’s program of study. | 12-18 | |
Cognate: | ||
The cognate must consist of twelve (12) hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of but related to the major. The cognate may be taken in one or more departments or programs. Courses offered by departments and programs that are acceptable for cognate credit are outlined in the section titled Courses Acceptable for Cognate Credit . Some major programs have specific cognate requirements. It should be emphasized that the cognate is not a second set of elective courses to be chosen at random by the student. Students are urged to consult their major advisors for specific requirements in their major. | ||
Minor: | ||
In place of the cognate a student in the College of Arts and Sciences may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses. The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. It differs from the cognate inasmuch as the courses must follow a structured sequence. Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University. A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z . | ||
| Electives (16-37 hours) | ||
| 120 (or 128) degree applicable credits are required to complete any degree at USC. After the cognate, minor or second major is complete, any additional credits needed to reach 120 (or 128) total credits can be fulfilled by electives. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences. Note: 4-25 hours of electives will be needed to reach hours to graduate, if completing the B.A. with Distinction. | 16-37 | |
| 4. Major Requirements (24 hours) 1 | ||
| Major Courses (6 hours) | ||
| GEOG 495 | Seminar in Geography | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Cartography | ||
| Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
| Remote Sensing of the Environment | ||
| Major Electives (18 hours) 3 | ||
| GEOG 200-level or higher | 9 | |
| GEOG 300-level or higher | 3 | |
| GEOG 500-level courses | 6 | |
- 1
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
- 2
Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.
- 3
Select 5-6 GEOG courses with advisor’s approval that are tailored towards a topical, methodological, or geographical focus. GEOG 595 can be used to fulfill up to 3 hours of geography elective credit, but not the 500-level requirement. Courses used to fulfill Carolina Core or College Requirements may not be used again to fulfill these requirements.
B.A. with Distinction in Geography (36 hours)
Available to students majoring in Geography who wish to participate in significant research activities in their major field under the supervision of a faculty mentor.
Prerequisite
A minimum GPA of 3.50 in the major, and 3.30 cumulative, is required to apply for a BA or BS with Distinction in Geography.
Requirements
- Students must submit a written application for the BA with Distinction in Geography at least eight months before completion of the degree.
- Written sponsorship agreement from a Geography faculty mentor on file in the department.
- An established thesis committee consisting of a tenure-track faculty member in Geography and at least one other tenure-track or research faculty member at the University of South Carolina.
- A written thesis demonstrating significant original work and approved by the thesis committee.
- A public presentation of the Senior Thesis research.
- Successful fulfillment of all requirements below with a minimum GPA of 3.50 in the major and 3.30 cumulative.
- General major requirements, plus 12 additional credit hours including:
Note: South Carolina Honors College students satisfying the above requirements will graduate with “Honors from the South Carolina Honors College” and with “Distinction in Geography.”
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.