About This Program
The Geography B.A. program offers a comprehensive education in the field of geography, including the physical, social and cultural aspects of the world. With experienced faculty and real-world opportunities, you'll gain the skills needed to succeed in a variety of geography-related careers. Read More...
Contact Information
Program Delivery
Example of Possible Careers and Salaries*
Calibration technologists and technicians and engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- 2.1% slower than the average
- 91,600 number of jobs
- $64,190 potential earnings
Geographers
- -1.2% decline
- 1,600 number of jobs
- $85,430 potential earnings
Geography teachers, postsecondary
- 2.9% slower than the average
- 4,800 number of jobs
- $82,330 potential earnings
Surveying and mapping technicians
- 0.7% little or no change
- 58,400 number of jobs
- $46,200 potential earnings
Cartographers and photogrammetrists
- 4.5% about as fast as the average
- 12,000 number of jobs
- $68,380 potential earnings
Urban and regional planners
- 11.0% much faster than the average
- 39,700 number of jobs
- $75,950 potential earnings
Social scientists and related workers, all other
- 0.8% little or no change
- 38,800 number of jobs
- $87,260 potential earnings
Social science research assistants
- 5.8% faster than the average
- 40,100 number of jobs
- $49,210 potential earnings
Social and community service managers
- 17.0% much faster than the average
- 175,500 number of jobs
- $69,600 potential earnings
Natural sciences managers
- 4.8% about as fast as the average
- 71,400 number of jobs
- $137,940 potential earnings
Forest and conservation technicians
- 0.6% little or no change
- 21,200 number of jobs
- $38,940 potential earnings
Forest and conservation workers
- -0.5% little or no change
- 13,200 number of jobs
- $30,640 potential earnings
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- 7.8% faster than the average
- 90,900 number of jobs
- $73,230 potential earnings
Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
- 4.9% about as fast as the average
- 31,800 number of jobs
- $93,580 potential earnings
Community and social service specialists, all other
- 11.7% much faster than the average
- 105,200 number of jobs
- $46,770 potential earnings
Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary
- 4.9% about as fast as the average
- 13,400 number of jobs
- $78,840 potential earnings
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog.
Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
ENVS 22070 | NATURE AND SOCIETY (KSS) | 3 |
GEOG 17063 | WORLD GEOGRAPHY (DIVG) (KSS) | 3 |
or GEOG 17064 | GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA (DIVD) (KSS) |
GEOG 21062 | PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY (KBS) | 3 |
GEOG 21063 | PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) | 1 |
GEOG 22061 | HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (DIVG) (KSS) | 3 |
GEOG 29160 | MAPPING OUR WORLD | 3 |
GEOG 39002 | STATISTICAL METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
GEOG 40191 | SEMINAR IN GEOGRAPHY (ELR) (WIC) 1 | 3 |
GEOG 49070 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | 4 |
UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
| 14-16 |
| 6 |
| 3 |
| 9 |
| 2-3 |
| 3 |
| 37 |
2 | 18 |
| |
| |
| |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 |
Environmental Geography Concentration
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| 12 |
| FUNDAMENTALS OF METEOROLOGY | |
| CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF WINE | |
| FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
| NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
| APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY | |
| GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
| CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
| RESOURCE GEOGRAPHY | |
| WATER AND SOCIETY | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF SOILS | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY | |
| SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
| URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
| 3 |
| SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND LOCATION THEORY | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
| SPATIAL PROGRAMMING | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
| ADVANCED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| WEB AND MOBILE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| CARTOGRAPHY | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| REMOTE SENSING | |
| 3 |
| POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
| POLITICS AND PLACE (DIVG) | |
| ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF TRANSPORTATION AND SPATIAL INTERACTION | |
| CITIES AND URBANIZATION (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
| NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
| GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
| CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
| WATER AND SOCIETY | |
| TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATIONAL TRAVEL | |
| HEALTH GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHIES OF MEMORY AND HERITAGE | |
| SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
| SEMINAR IN ETHNIC, LIFESTYLE AND NATIONAL COMMUNITIES | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT | |
| URBAN TRANSPORTATION | |
| URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING | |
| URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
| SEMINAR IN URBAN GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Geographic Information Science Concentration
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| 3 |
| FUNDAMENTALS OF METEOROLOGY | |
| CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF WINE | |
| FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
| NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
| APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY | |
| GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
| CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
| RESOURCE GEOGRAPHY | |
| WATER AND SOCIETY | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF SOILS | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY | |
| SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
| URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
| 12 |
| SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND LOCATION THEORY | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
| SPATIAL PROGRAMMING | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
| ADVANCED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| WEB AND MOBILE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| CARTOGRAPHY | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| REMOTE SENSING | |
| 3 |
| POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
| POLITICS AND PLACE (DIVG) | |
| ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY | |
| CITIES AND URBANIZATION (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
| NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
| GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
| CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
| WATER AND SOCIETY | |
| TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATIONAL TRAVEL | |
| HEALTH GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHIES OF MEMORY AND HERITAGE | |
| SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
| SEMINAR IN ETHNIC, LIFESTYLE AND NATIONAL COMMUNITIES | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT | |
| URBAN TRANSPORTATION | |
| URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING | |
| URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
| SEMINAR IN URBAN GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Social Geography Concentration
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| 3 |
| FUNDAMENTALS OF METEOROLOGY | |
| CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF WINE | |
| FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
| NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
| APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY | |
| GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
| CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
| RESOURCE GEOGRAPHY | |
| WATER AND SOCIETY | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF SOILS | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY | |
| SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
| URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
| 3 |
| SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND LOCATION THEORY | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
| SPATIAL PROGRAMMING | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS | |
| ADVANCED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| WEB AND MOBILE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| CARTOGRAPHY | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | |
| REMOTE SENSING | |
| 12 |
| POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| FOOD AND PLACE (ELR) | |
| POLITICS AND PLACE (DIVG) | |
| ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF TRANSPORTATION AND SPATIAL INTERACTION | |
| CITIES AND URBANIZATION (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF OHIO | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG) | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF CHINA | |
| GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (DIVG) | |
| NATURAL DISASTERS AND SOCIETY | |
| GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | |
| CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES | |
| WATER AND SOCIETY | |
| TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATIONAL TRAVEL | |
| HEALTH GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHIES OF MEMORY AND HERITAGE | |
| SETTLING THE NORTH AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT | |
| SEMINAR IN ETHNIC, LIFESTYLE AND NATIONAL COMMUNITIES | |
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT | |
| URBAN TRANSPORTATION | |
| URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING | |
| URBAN SUSTAINABILITY | |
| SEMINAR IN URBAN GEOGRAPHY | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND HEALTH | |
| GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE: APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements Summary Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
2.000 | 2.000 |
Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:
- Intermediate I and II of the same language
- Elementary I and II of a second language
- Any combination of two courses from the following list:
Roadmap
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Plan of Study Grid Semester One |
GEOG 17063
| WORLD GEOGRAPHY (DIVG) (KSS)
or GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA (DIVD) (KSS) | 3 |
UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Semester Two |
GEOG 21062 | PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY (KBS) | 3 |
GEOG 21063 | PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) | 1 |
GEOG 22061 | HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (DIVG) (KSS) | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Semester Three |
ENVS 22070 | NATURE AND SOCIETY (KSS) | 3 |
GEOG 29160 | MAPPING OUR WORLD | 3 |
Foreign Language | 4 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
General Elective | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Semester Four |
GEOG 49070 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | 4 |
Foreign Language | 4 |
General Electives | 6 |
| Credit Hours | 14 |
Semester Five |
GEOG 39002 | STATISTICAL METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
Concentration Elective | 3 |
Foreign Language | 3 |
General Electives | 6 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester Six |
Concentration Elective | 3 |
Foreign Language | 3 |
General Electives | 9 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester Seven |
Concentration Electives | 9 |
General Electives | 6 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester Eight |
GEOG 40191 | SEMINAR IN GEOGRAPHY (ELR) (WIC) | 3 |
Concentration Elective | 3 |
General Electives | 7 |
| Credit Hours | 13 |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 |
University Requirements
All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.
NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.
Full Description
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography emphasizes a growing field that offers a wide range of career options. Geographers study both natural science and social science. Natural science topics include spatial patterns of rocks, soils, animals, plants, climate and weather. Social science topics include spatial patterns of culture, policy, conflict, demographics, economics, resources and waste, with an emphasis on investigating the intersection of human activity and environmental processes. Geographers use a variety of geospatial technologies to map the world in different ways from the global to the local.
Geographers use data (environmental and social statistics, interviews, textual and landscape analysis and archival documents) to describe natural and social patterns. They then apply their knowledge of human and environmental processes to analyze why these patterns exist. Geographers work at the intersection of multiple disciplines—geology, ecology, climate science, urban planning, economics, sociology, computer science and the humanities—using this knowledge to examine spatial processes. Geographers use GIS software and remote sensing for spatial analysis and cartography.
Geography offers a unique way of seeing and understanding the world, combined with the ability to communicate this understanding to others.
The Geography major comprises the following concentrations:
- The Environmental Geography concentration prepares students to work as conservation or parks managers, surveyors, remote sensing technicians, ecologists, hydrologists, water resource managers, national park rangers, climatologists, meteorologists, hazards analysts, epidemiologists and climate change analysts.
- The Geographic Information Science concentration prepares students to work as analysts for the federal, state and local government, for businesses and non-profits. Geographic Information scientists also serve as GIS developers, remote sensors, instructors, web developers and cartographers.
- The Social Geography concentration prepares students to work as city engineers, urban planners, foreign affairs officers, preservationists, non-profit directors, demographers, cultural resources managers, lobbyists, congressional staffers, emergency management specialists, educators, journalists, community development directors, lawyers and market analysts.
Geography students may apply early to the M.S. degree in Geography and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program policy in the University Catalog for more information.