Geography

Geography is the study of the earth, including the distribution and interconnectedness of all natural and cultural phenomena, and how places are particular expressions of nature and culture. Students take courses to prepare for a major in geography or to fulfill general education requirements.

With a bachelor's degree, students find career options in teaching and research, natural resource management, meteorology (weather), cartography (map-making), urban/regional planning, location analysis, and geographic information system (GIS) work.

Academic and Career Pathway

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Contact Information

Chair: Erika Peters (Physical Sciences)

Dean: Michael Fino

https://www.miracosta.edu/academics/degree-and-certificate-programs/social-and-behavioral-sciences/geography/index.html

Department: Physical Science

Office: Building OC3600, 760.757.2121 x6924

Full-Time Faculty

Taya Lazootin

Associate Degrees

Associate in Arts Degree

Geography for Transfer

Students completing this associate degree will have completed lower-division major preparation requirements for a geography degree, an emphasis or option within a geography degree, or a degree considered similar to geography at a participating California State University (CSU) campus.

Following transfer to a participating CSU campus, students will be required to complete no more than 60 units to obtain a bachelor’s degree; however, some CSU campuses may require additional lower-division major preparation.

This degree may not be appropriate preparation for students transferring to a CSU campus not accepting this degree or to a university or college that is not part of the CSU system. Students should consult with a MiraCosta counselor for further information regarding the most efficient pathway to transfer as a geography major and to determine which CSU campuses are participating in this program.

Graduation Requirements

Complete 60 semester (90 quarter) CSU transferable units.
Complete all courses required in the major with a “C” or "P" or better.
Complete the CSU-GE (Plan B) or IGETC* (Plan C) general education pattern. *Students completing IGETC may be awarded the degree, but they must complete a course from Area 1C: Oral Communication to meet CSU admission requirements.
Obtain a minimum CSU transferable GPA of 2.0.
Complete a minimum of 12 units in residence at MiraCosta College.

Program Student Learning Outcome

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to employ spatial reasoning to ascertain, analyze and compare spatial patterns.

Course Requirements

Required courses:
GEOG 101 & 101L	Earth's Dynamic Environment: Introduction to Physical Geography and Earth's Dynamic Environment: Introduction to Physical Geography Lab ^*	4
GEOG 102	People, Place, and Time: Introduction to Human Geography ^*	3
List A: Select two courses (7 units).		7
GEOG 104	World Geography ^*
GEOG 155	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Techniques with Lab
List B: Select two courses (6-8 units).		6-8
GEOG 108	Environmental Sustainability and Society ^*
BTEC 180	Biostatistics ^*
or BTEC 180H	Biostatistics (Honors)
or BUS 204	Business Statistics
or BUS 204H	Business Statistics (Honors)
or MATH 103	Statistics
or MATH 103S	Statistics with Integrated Support
or PSYC 104	Statistics for Behavioral Science
or PSYC 104H	Statistics for Behavioral Science (Honors)
or SOC 125	Introduction to Statistics in Sociology
Total Units		20-22

*: Course satisfies a general education requirement on the CSU-GE or IGETC general education (GE) pattern. To ensure this degree is completed with no more than 60 units, students should select courses that will also satisfy a GE requirement. Note: All of the statistics courses listed are GE courses.

How to Read Course Descriptions

For more detailed information about a course, such as its content, objectives, and fulfillment of a degree, certificate, or general education requirement, please see the official course outline of record, available on the Courses and Programs webpage.

Courses

GEOG 101: Earth's Dynamic Environment: Introduction to Physical Geography

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course provides a spatial study of the Earth’s dynamic physical systems and processes. Topics include Earth-sun geometry, weather, climate, water, landforms, soil, and the biosphere. The course emphasizes the interrelationships among environmental and human systems and processes and their resulting patterns and distributions.

GEOG 101L: Earth's Dynamic Environment: Introduction to Physical Geography Lab

Units: 1
Prerequisites: GEOG 101.
Enrollment Limitation: Concurrent enrollment in GEOG 101 if prerequisite not met.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Laboratory 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course is intended to accompany GEOG 101. It emphasizes map reading and the collection, presentation, and interpretation of physical geographic data. C-ID GEOG-111.

GEOG 102: People, Place, and Time: Introduction to Human Geography

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course takes a broad view of geographic patterns of human behavior, including the development, distribution, ecological relationships, and landscapes of cultural features and processes, at scales ranging from local to global. Topics include population dynamics, economic activity, politics, language, religion, folk and popular culture, ethnicity, and urban settlement. C-ID GEOG-120.

GEOG 104: World Geography

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This global survey course examines the distinguishing features of major culture regions and the interrelationships among culture regions set in the context of physical and human geography. Principal areas of focus include economic development, geopolitics, ecological relationships, socio-cultural issues, and globalization. C-ID GEOG-125.

GEOG 108: Environmental Sustainability and Society

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall or Spring

This course examines a broad range of environmental issues from multiple perspectives by using a geographic framework to study natural resources and environmental degradation in relationship to politics, economics, ethics, and other socio-cultural processes. It addresses the basic science behind environmental issues while emphasizing the social dimensions of problems and sustainable solutions. Topics include basics of physical geography and demography, exploitation of water, mineral, energy, and biological resources, and the degradation of life, land, water, and air, including climate change. Field trips are included in this course.

GEOG 155: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Techniques with Lab

Units: 4
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU, UC
Lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of geospatial technology, including geographic information systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), cartography, remote sensing, and spatial analysis, through a series of hands-on computer-based exercises and on-site field exercises. Participants learn how to utilize geospatial technology to address social and environmental issues. Course content is based upon the US Department of Labor’s Geospatial Technology Competency Model for entry-level geospatial occupations, including geospatial or GIS technicians and technologists.

GEOG 292: Internship Studies

Units: 0.5-14
Prerequisites: None
Corequisite: Complete 54 hours of work per unit, paid or unpaid.
Enrollment Limitation: Instructor, dept chair, and Career Center approval. Fourteen unit maximum in any combination of work experience education and/or internship studies per semester.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course provides students the opportunity to apply the theories and techniques of their discipline in an internship position in a professional setting under the instruction of a faculty-mentor and site supervisor. It introduces students to aspects of the roles and responsibilities of professionals employed in the field of study. Topics include goal-setting, employability skills development, and examination of the world of work as it relates to the student's career plans. Students must develop new learning objectives and/or work/intern at a new site upon each enrollment.

GEOG 296: Topics in Geography

Units: 1-3
Prerequisites: None
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Lecture 1 hour.
Lecture 2 hours.
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: To be arranged

This course gives students an opportunity to study topics in Geography that are not included in regular course offerings. Each Topics course is announced, described, and given its own title and 296 number designation in the class schedule.

Geography

Geography

Academic and Career Pathway

Contact Information

Full-Time Faculty

Associate Degrees

Associate in Arts Degree

Geography for Transfer

Graduation Requirements

Program Student Learning Outcome

Course Requirements

Courses

Campus Locations

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