Geography, B.S.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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 33-49
4. Major Requirements 24-25

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.

1. Carolina Core Requirements (32-44 hours)

CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)

must be passed with a grade of C or higher​

ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-8 hours) 

SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)

GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language  (0-6 hours)

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.

​It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.

GHS – ​Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours) 

GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours) 

AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)

CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)

INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)

VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (0-3 hours)

1

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.

Select at least one of the following to fulfill a Carolina Core requirement

must be passed with a grade of C or higher

Course Title Credits
GEOG 103Foundations of Geography (*)3
GEOG 104Introduction to Physical Geography (*)3
GEOG 121Geographies of Global Change (*)3
GEOG 201Landform Geography (*)4
GEOG 202Weather and Climate (*)4
GEOG 210Peoples, Places, and Environments (*)3

2. College Requirements (15-18 hours)

Foreign Language (0-3 hours) 

  • only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency

Analytical Reasoning (6 hours)

Course Title Credits
STAT 201Elementary Statistics (*)3
CSCE 102General Applications Programming (*)3
Total Credit Hours6

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 of U.S. and non-U.S. history courses.

Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities (6 hours)

  • Social Science (3 hours)
  • Fine Arts/Humanities (3 Hours)

3. Program Requirements (33-49 hours)

Cognate or Minor (12-18 hours)

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. Additional majors must include all major courses as well as any prescribed courses noted (*) in the bulletin.  Prescribed courses noted in the bulletin may be shared with Carolina Core, College requirements, and Program requirements in the primary program. 

Cognate (12 hours)

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 in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. 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.

Unless otherwise noted, for Bachelor of Science degrees, cognate courses passed with a grade of D or higher are acceptable.

Minor (18 hours)

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. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. 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 (15-37 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.S. with Distinction.

4. Major Requirements (24-25 hours)

A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.

Concentrations (24-25 hours)

Students must choose one of the following three concentrations:

General Geography (24 hours)

At least two courses for the major must be from the 500-level. GEOG 595 can be used to fulfill up to 3 hours of geography elective credit, but not the 500-level requirement.

Course Title Credits
GEOG 495Seminar in Geography3
Geography Elective: Select two courses at the 200-level or above with advisor’s approval. 16
Select 15 hours from the following: 115
GEOG 263
Geographic Information Systems
GEOG 285
Introduction to Drones for Airborne Spatial Data
GEOG 310
Topics in Geography
GEOG 311
Landscape and Cultural Geography
GEOG 312
Geography and Global Geopolitics
GEOG 313
Economic Geography
GEOG 321
Sustainable Cities
GEOG 324
Landscapes of the United States
GEOG 330
The Geography of Disasters
GEOG 341
Cartography
GEOG 343
Environment and Society
GEOG 344
Geographies of American Cities
GEOG 345
Introduction to Remote Sensing
GEOG 346
Climate and Society
GEOG 347
Water as a Resource
GEOG 348
Biogeography
GEOG 349
Cartographic Animation
GEOG 360
Geography of Wind
GEOG 365
Hurricanes and Tropical Climatology
GEOG 370
America’s National Parks
GEOG 371
Air Pollution Fundamentals
GEOG 510
Special Topics in Geographic Research
GEOG 511
Planning and Locational Analysis
GEOG 512
Migration and Globalization
GEOG 515
Political Geography
GEOG 516
Coastal Zone Management
GEOG 521
Landscapes of South Carolina
GEOG 525
Geographical Analysis of Transportation
GEOG 530
Environmental Hazards
GEOG 531
Quantitative Methods in Geographic Research
GEOG 535
Hazards Analysis and Planning
GEOG 541
Advanced Cartography
GEOG 542
Dynamic Cartography
GEOG 544
Geography of the City
GEOG 545
Weather Analysis and Forecasting
GEOG 546
Applied Climatology
GEOG 547
Fluvial Geomorphology
GEOG 549
Water and Watersheds
GEOG 551
Remote Sensing of the Environment
GEOG 552
LiDARgrammetric and Photogrammetric Digital Surface Mapping
GEOG 554
Spatial Programming
GEOG 556
WebGIS
GEOG 561
Contemporary Issues in Geography Education
GEOG 562
Satellite Mapping and the Global Positioning System
GEOG 563
Advanced Geographic Information Systems
GEOG 564
GIS-Based Modeling
GEOG 565
Geographic Information System (GIS) Databases and Their Use
GEOG 566
Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience Planning
GEOG 567
Long-Term Environmental Change
GEOG 568
Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
GEOG 569
International Development and the Environment
GEOG 570
Geography of Public Land and Water Policy
GEOG 571
Microclimatology
GEOG 573
Climatic Change and Variability
GEOG 581
Globalization and Cultural Questions
GEOG 590
Beach-Dune Interactions
Total Credit Hours24
1

Courses used to fulfill Carolina Core or College Requirements may not be used again to fulfill these requirements.

Geographic Information Science (24-25 hours)

At least two courses for the major must be from the 500-level. GEOG 595 can be used to fulfill up to 3 hours of geography elective credit, but not the 500-level requirement.

Course Title Credits
GEOG 263Geographic Information Systems3
Select two of the following:6
GEOG 341
Cartography
GEOG 345
Introduction to Remote Sensing
GEOG 531
Quantitative Methods in Geographic Research
Select three of the following: 19
GEOG 285
Introduction to Drones for Airborne Spatial Data
GEOG 349
Cartographic Animation
GEOG 535
Hazards Analysis and Planning
GEOG 541
Advanced Cartography
GEOG 542
Dynamic Cartography
GEOG 551
Remote Sensing of the Environment
GEOG 552
LiDARgrammetric and Photogrammetric Digital Surface Mapping
GEOG 554
Spatial Programming
GEOG 556
WebGIS
GEOG 562
Satellite Mapping and the Global Positioning System
GEOG 563
Advanced Geographic Information Systems
GEOG 564
GIS-Based Modeling
GEOG 565
Geographic Information System (GIS) Databases and Their Use
GEOG 495Seminar in Geography3
Geography Elective: Select one non-GIScience course at the 200-level or above with advisor’s approval from the following list:3-4
GEOG 201
Landform Geography
GEOG 202
Weather and Climate
GEOG 210
Peoples, Places, and Environments
GEOG 221
Geography of South Carolina
GEOG 223
Geography of Latin America
GEOG 224
Geography of North America
GEOG 225
Geography of Europe
GEOG 226
Geography of the Middle East
GEOG 228
Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa
GEOG 310
Topics in Geography
GEOG 311
Landscape and Cultural Geography
GEOG 312
Geography and Global Geopolitics
GEOG 313
Economic Geography
GEOG 319
Cities in a Changing World
GEOG 321
Sustainable Cities
GEOG 324
Landscapes of the United States
GEOG 330
The Geography of Disasters
GEOG 343
Environment and Society
GEOG 344
Geographies of American Cities
GEOG 346
Climate and Society
GEOG 347
Water as a Resource
GEOG 348
Biogeography
GEOG 360
Geography of Wind
GEOG 365
Hurricanes and Tropical Climatology
GEOG 370
America’s National Parks
GEOG 371
Air Pollution Fundamentals
GEOG 380
Global Geography of Human Rights
GEOG 510
Special Topics in Geographic Research
GEOG 511
Planning and Locational Analysis
GEOG 512
Migration and Globalization
GEOG 515
Political Geography
GEOG 516
Coastal Zone Management
GEOG 521
Landscapes of South Carolina
GEOG 525
Geographical Analysis of Transportation
GEOG 530
Environmental Hazards
GEOG 531
Quantitative Methods in Geographic Research
GEOG 535
Hazards Analysis and Planning
GEOG 538
Global Food Politics
GEOG 544
Geography of the City
GEOG 545
Weather Analysis and Forecasting
GEOG 546
Applied Climatology
GEOG 547
Fluvial Geomorphology
GEOG 549
Water and Watersheds
GEOG 561
Contemporary Issues in Geography Education
GEOG 566
Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience Planning
GEOG 567
Long-Term Environmental Change
GEOG 568
Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
GEOG 569
International Development and the Environment
GEOG 570
Geography of Public Land and Water Policy
GEOG 571
Microclimatology
GEOG 573
Climatic Change and Variability
GEOG 581
Globalization and Cultural Questions
GEOG 590
Beach-Dune Interactions
Total Credit Hours24-25
1

GEOG 341, GEOG 345 or GEOG 531 may be used if not used above.

Physical/Environmental Geography (24 hours)

At least two courses for the major must be from the 500-level. GEOG 595 can be used to fulfill up to 3 hours of geography elective credit, but not the 500-level requirement.

Course Title Credits
Select one of the following:3
GEOG 263
Geographic Information Systems
GEOG 341
Cartography
GEOG 345
Introduction to Remote Sensing
GEOG 551
Remote Sensing of the Environment
GEOG 495Seminar in Geography3
Select 5-6 courses from the following: 118
GEOG 330
The Geography of Disasters
GEOG 343
Environment and Society
GEOG 346
Climate and Society
GEOG 347
Water as a Resource
GEOG 348
Biogeography
GEOG 360
Geography of Wind
GEOG 365
Hurricanes and Tropical Climatology
GEOG 370
America’s National Parks
GEOG 371
Air Pollution Fundamentals
GEOG 516
Coastal Zone Management
GEOG 530
Environmental Hazards
GEOG 535
Hazards Analysis and Planning
GEOG 545
Weather Analysis and Forecasting
GEOG 546
Applied Climatology
GEOG 547
Fluvial Geomorphology
GEOG 549
Water and Watersheds
GEOG 566
Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience Planning
GEOG 567
Long-Term Environmental Change
GEOG 568
Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
GEOG 569
International Development and the Environment
GEOG 570
Geography of Public Land and Water Policy
GEOG 571
Microclimatology
GEOG 573
Climatic Change and Variability
GEOG 590
Beach-Dune Interactions
Total Credit Hours24
1

GEOG 201 or GEOG 202 may be used if not used to satisfy Carolina Core or College Requirements.

 

B.S. 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 BS 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:
    • A minimum of nine credit hours in GEOG 498, or any GEOG 500-level courses (9 hours)
    • GEOG 499

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.

Geography, B.S. General Geography Concentration

Geography, B.S. Geographic Information Science Concentration

Geography, B.S. Physical/Environmental Geography Concentration