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[College of Arts and Sciences]
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY (GY)
Professor Gerald R. Webster, Chairperson
Office: 202 Farrah Hall
The Department of Geography offers programs of study in geography for students wanting to complete a bachelor of arts degree, a bachelor of science degree, a minor in geography, a minor in geographic information systems, and certificate programs in geographic information systems or regional and urban planning. The department also coordinates the College's interdisciplinary program in environmental science.
Requirements for the major in geography. The geography major requires 36 hours, including GY 101, GY 102, GY 105, GY 110, and GY 204, the completion of one of the four program specialties listed below, and geography electives to fulfill the 36-hour requirement. Geography majors pursuing a bachelor of science degree must also complete 3 hours of statistics selected from ST 260, PY 211, or BER 345 in addition to the 36 hours in geography. Each geography course applied to the 36-hour requirement must be completed with a grade of "C" or higher. A maximum of three hours of internship or practicum credit can be applied to the major. A minimum of 12 hours at the 300 or 400 level must be earned on this campus.
| Specialty I Environment and Natural Resources (minimum of 12 hours) |
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| GY 200 Principles of Planning | 3 | |
| GY 318 Geography of National Parks | 3 | |
| GY 320 Freshwater Studies | 4 | |
| GY 339 Natural Resources and Environmental Planning | 3 | |
| GY 363 Geomorphology | 3 | |
| GY 402 Climatology | 3 | |
| GY 408 Applied Climatology | 3 | |
| GY 410 Water Resources | 3 | |
| GY 417 Natural Hazards | 3 | |
| GY 452 Environmental Decision Making | 3 | |
| GY 453 Environment and Society | 3 | |
| GY 460 Environmental Management | 3 | |
| GY 467 Topics in Global Environmental Change | 3 | |
| GY 472 Soil Science | 4 | |
| GY 486 Drainage Basin Dynamics | 3 | |
| GY 489 Forest Ecology and Vegetation Analysis | 4 | |
| Specialty II Regional and Urban Planning (minimum of 12 hours) |
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| Required Courses (6 hours): | ||
| GY 200 Principles of Planning | 3 | |
| GY 441 Land Use Regulations | 3 | |
| Other Specialty II Courses (minimum of 6 hours): | ||
| GY 341 Geography of U.S. and Canada | 3 | |
| GY 358 Urban Geography | 3 | |
| GY 365 Industrial Development and Location | 3 | |
| GY 367 Tourism and Geography | 3 | |
| GY 440 Community Facilities Planning | 3 | |
| GY 450 Political Geography | 3 | |
| GY 452 Environmental Decision Making or GY 453 Environment and Society | 3 | |
| GY 458 Urban Planning and Analysis | 3 | |
| GY 460 Environmental Management | 3 | |
| GY 465 Regional Planning and Analysis | 3 | |
| GY 466 Regional and Urban Transportation Systems | 3 | |
| GY 471 Special Topics in Planning | 3 | |
| GY 488 Planning and Government | 3 | |
| Specialty III Geographic Information Techniques (minimum of 12 hours) |
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| GY 330 Computer Mapping and Graphics | 4 | |
| GY 335 Computer Mapping Applications in Business | 4 | |
| GY 420 Remote Sensing I | 4 | |
| GY 430 Geographic Information Systems | 4 | |
| GY 435 Remote Sensing II | 4 | |
| GY 436 Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 4 | |
| GY 438 Application Issues in Geographic Information Systems | 4 | |
| GY 447 Environmental Modeling and Mapping | 4 | |
| Specialty IV Human and Regional Geography (minimum of 18 hours) |
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| GY 200 Principles of Planning | 3 | |
| GY 318 Geography of National Parks | 3 | |
| GY 341 Geography of the United States and Canada | 3 | |
| GY 344 Geography of Africa | 3 | |
| GY 346 Geography of Europe | 3 | |
| GY 348 Geography of the Middle East | 3 | |
| GY 350 Geography of the South | 3 | |
| GY 358 Urban Geography | 3 | |
| GY 365 Industrial Development and Location | 3 | |
| GY 367 Tourism and Geography | 3 | |
| GY 377 Cultural Geography | 3 | |
| GY 417 Natural Hazards | 3 | |
| GY 440 Community Facilities Planning | 3 | |
| GY 444 Field Studies in Africa | 3 | |
| GY 450 Political Geography | 3 | |
| GY 458 Urban Planning and Analysis | 3 | |
| GY 465 Regional Planning and Analysis | 3 | |
| GY 466 Regional and Urban Transportation Systems | 3 | |
| GY 473 Settlement History of the South | 3 | |
| GY 488 Planning and Government | 3 | |
Requirements for the geography minor. The geography minor requires 18 hours, including GY 101 or GY 102, GY 105 or GY 110, and at least 11 hours of geography electives, 9 of which must be at the 300 or 400 level. A minimum of 6 hours at the 300 or 400 level must be earned on this campus. Internship or practicum credit hours cannot be applied to the minor.
Requirements for the minor in geographic information systems (GIS). The geographic information systems (GIS) minor requires 20 hours, including GY 204, GY 330 or GY 335, GY 420, GY 430, and GY 436 or GY 438. A minimum of 6 hours at the 300 or 400 level must be earned on this campus. Geography majors are ineligible for this minor.
Certificate Program in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
The certificate program in geographic information systems (GIS) provides students with a concentrated geography background focusing specifically on geographic information techniques. Completion of the certificate program acknowledges that students have gained technical skills in using GIS and can utilize those skills in a variety of applications.
Students must successfully complete 20 hours of GIS-related coursework, including GY 330, GY 420, GY 430, and any 8 hours from GY 335, GY 435, GY 436, or GY 438. Some courses may have prerequisites. All requirements for the certificate must be completed in three calendar years from the date of initial enrollment. Candidates for the certificate must apply in writing to the Department of Geography before the certificate can be awarded. Additional information is available in the Department of Geography office.
Certificate Program in Regional and Urban Planning
The certificate program in regional and urban planning provides students with an interdisciplinary planning curriculum. Completion of the certificate program acknowledges that students have gained a strong background in planning principles and have acquired the planning skills necessary for resolving specialized and comprehensive planning problems.
Students must successfully complete 35 hours of coursework as specified below. Some courses may have prerequisites. Candidates for the certificate must apply in writing to the Department of Geography before the certificate can be awarded. Additional information is available in the Department of Geography office.
| Required Courses (6 hours): | ||
| GY 200 Principles of Planning | 3 | |
| GY 441 Land Use Regulations | 3 | |
| Geography Electives (15 hours selected from the following): |
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| GY 358 Urban Geography | 3 | |
| GY 365 Industrial Development and Location | 3 | |
| GY 367 Tourism and Geography | 3 | |
| GY 440 Community Facilities Planning | 3 | |
| GY 450 Political Geography | 3 | |
| GY 452 Environmental Decision Making or GY 453 Environment and Society | 3 | |
| GY 455 Planning Practicum or GY 456 Planning Internship | 3 | |
| GY 458 Urban Planning and Analysis | 3 | |
| GY 460 Environmental Management | 3 | |
| GY 465 Regional Planning and Analysis | 3 | |
| GY 466 Regional and Urban Transportation Systems | 3 | |
| GY 488 Planning and Government | 3 | |
| Non-Geography Electives (6 hours selected from the following): |
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| EC 422 Urban Economics | 3 | |
| EC 423 Public Finance | 3 | |
| LGS 402 Government and Business | 3 | |
| MGT 300 Organizational Theory and Behavior | 3 | |
| PSC 206 Public Administration | 3 | |
| PSC 211 State and Local Government | 3 | |
| PSC 411 Public Opinion | 3 | |
| PSC 412 Urban and Metropolitan Government | 3 | |
| Geographic Analytical Techniques (8 hours selected from the following): |
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| GY 330 Computer Mapping and Graphics | 4 | |
| GY 335 Computer Mapping Applications in Business | 4 | |
| GY 420 Remote Sensing I | 4 | |
| GY 430 Geographic Information Systems | 4 | |
| GY 435 Remote Sensing II | 4 | |
| GY 436 Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 4 | |
| GY 438 Application Issues in GIS | 4 | |
Graduate programs. The Department of Geography offers programs leading to the master of science degree. The requirements are stated in the University of Alabama graduate catalog.
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