Geography (Sustainable Development), B.S. Degree Requirements (124 hours)

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Degree Plan (GHYSDBS)

General Education Curriculum

GEC 01. Written Communication (6 hours)

ENG 101 - Composition One 3 hrs.
ENG 102 - Composition Two 3 hrs.

GEC 02. Natural Science (8-10 hours minimum)

Select 2 courses with labs:

AST 111 - General Astronomy I 3 hrs. AND
AST 111L - General Astronomy I Laboratory 1 hr.
AST 112 - General Astronomy II 3 hrs. AND
AST 112L - General Astronomy II Laboratory 1 hr.
BSC 103 - Biology and Society 3 hrs. ◊AND
BSC 103L - Biology and Society Laboratory 1 hr ◊
BSC 110 - Principles of Biological Science I 3 hrs. ◊AND
BSC 110L - Principles of Biological Science I Laboratory 1 hr. ◊
BSC 111 - Principles of Biological Science II 3 hrs. ◊AND
BSC 111L - Principles of Biological Science II Laboratory 1 hr. ◊
BSC 250 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I 3 hrs. AND
BSC 250L - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory 1 hr.
BSC 251 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II 3 hrs. AND
BSC 251L - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory 1 hr.
CHE 104 - Chemistry and Our Environment 3 hrs. AND
CHE 104L - Chemistry and Our Environment Laboratory 1 hr.
CHE 106 - General Chemistry I 3 hrs. AND
CHE 106L - General Chemistry I Laboratory 1 hr.
CHE 107 - General Chemistry II 3 hrs. AND
CHE 107L - General Chemistry II Laboratory 1 hr.
GHY 104 - Weather and Climate 3 hrs. AND
GHY 104L - Weather and Climate Laboratory 1 hr.
GHY 105 - Land and Water 3 hrs. AND
GHY 105L - Land and Water Lab 1 hr.
GLY 101 - Physical Geology 3 hrs. AND
GLY 101L - Physical Geology Laboratory 1 hr.
GLY 103 - Historical Geology 3 hrs. AND
GLY 103L - Historical Geology Laboratory 1 hr.
MAR 151 - Introduction to Ocean Science 3 hrs. AND
MAR 151L - Introduction to Ocean Science Laboratory 1 hr.
PHY 103 - Introductory Physics 3 hrs. AND
PHY 103L - Introductory Physics Laboratory 1 hr.
PHY 111 - General Physics I 3 hrs. AND
PHY 111L - General Physics I Laboratory 1 hr.
PHY 112 - General Physics II 3 hrs. AND
PHY 112L - General Physics II Laboratory 1 hr.
PHY 201 - General Physics I with Calculus 4 hrs. AND
PHY 201L - General Physics I with Calculus Laboratory 1 hr.
PHY 202 - General Physics II with Calculus 4 hrs. AND
PHY 202L - General Physics II with Calculus Laboratory 1 hr.
PSC 190 - Living in a Material World 3 hrs. AND
PSC 190L - Lab for Living in a Material World 1 hr.

GEC 03. Humanities (9 hours)

ENG 203 - World Literature 3 hrs.

Select 2 courses, 1 History required

HIS 101 - World Civilizations: Beginnings to 1500 C.E. 3 hrs.
HIS 102 - World Civilizations: 1500 to the present 3 hrs.
PHI 151 - Introduction to Philosophy 3 hrs.
PHI 171 - Ethics and Good Living 3 hrs.
REL 131 - Comparative Religion 3 hrs.

GEC 04. Aesthetic Values (3 hours)

Select 1 course:

GEC 05. Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)

Select 2 courses:

ANT 101 - The Human Experience: A Global Perspective on Human Diversity 3 hrs.
COH 100 - Concepts of Wellness 3 hrs.
ECO 101 - Basic Economics 3 hrs.
GHY 101 - World Geography: Dynamics of a Changing Earth 3 hrs.
PS 101 - American Government 3 hrs.
PSY 110 - General Psychology 3 hrs.
SOC 101 - Understanding Society: Principles of Sociology 3 hrs.

GEC 06. Mathematics (3 hours)

Select 1 course:

MAT 100 - Quantitative Reasoning 3 hrs. ***
MAT 101 - College Algebra 3 hrs.
Higher-level MAT course

GEC 07. Writing-Intensive Requirement (Major Area)

GHY 331 - Cultural Systems in the Environment 3 hrs. (WI)
ENG 101 & ENG 102 prerequisites

GEC 08. Speaking Intensive Requirement (3 hours)

Select 1 course:

CMS 111 - Oral Communication 3 hrs. (SI)
CMS 305 - Interpersonal Communication 3 hrs. (SI)
CMS 320 - Business and Professional Speaking 3 hrs. (SI)
CMS 330 - Small-Group Communication 3 hrs. (SI)

GEC 09. Capstone Requirement (Major Area)

GHY 441 - Contemporary Issues in Geography Seminar 3 hrs. (Capstone)
Must be taken Senior Year; ENG 101 & ENG 102 prerequisites

Note:

*This course satisfies both the GEC requirement and a program requirement for this major.

**This particular GEC course is recommended by this major.

***This course does not satisfy prerequisites for any other math course.

◊ GEC restrictions apply; see here .

GEC 07 - GEC 09 courses are specific to this major.

For full description of the GEC, see here .

Program Curriculum

DEG 01. Major Area of Study Requirements (26 hours)

GHY 104 - Weather and Climate 3 hrs. AND
GHY 104L - Weather and Climate Laboratory 1 hr.
GHY 105 - Land and Water 3 hrs. AND
GHY 105L - Land and Water Lab 1 hr.
GHY 210 - Introduction to Map Reading and Cartography 2 hrs. AND
GHY 210L - Introduction to Map Reading and Cartography Lab 1 hr.
GHY 315 - Sources, Techniques and Analysis in Geography 3 hrs.
GHY 331 - Cultural Systems in the Environment 3 hrs.
GHY 370 - Conservation of Natural Resources 3 hrs.
GHY 441 - Contemporary Issues in Geography Seminar 3 hrs. (Capstone)
GHY 443 - Sustainable Planning and Development 3 hrs.

DEG 02. Additional Requirements (27-28 hours)

Select 1 Technique course:

GHY 217 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 2 hrs. AND
GHY 217L - Introduction to GIS Laboratory 1 hr.
GHY 411 - Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation 3 hrs. AND
GHY 411L - Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation Laboratory 1 hr.

Select 4 courses (may require prerequisites)

GHY 341 - Geography and World Political Affairs 3 hrs.
GHY 350 - Economic Geography 3 hrs.
GHY 362 - Urban Geography 3 hrs.
GHY 400 - Geography of Mississippi 3 hrs.
GHY 402 - Geography of Middle America and the Caribbean 3 hrs.
GHY 403 - Geography of South America 3 hrs.
GHY 422 - Biogeography 3 hrs.
GHY 425 - Applied Climatology 3 hrs.
GHY 455 - Environmental Hazards 3 hrs.
Any study-abroad course or semester-abraod program 3 hrs.
Other upper-level GHY courses approved by SD program director or advisor

Select 4 courses (maximum two courses per department; may require prerequisites):

ANT 317 - Culture and Power in Latin America 3 hrs.
ANT 422 - Environmental Anthropology 3 hrs.
ANT 423 - Economic Anthropology 3 hrs.
BSC 340 - Introductory Ecology 3 hrs.
BSC 432 - Economic Botany 2 hrs.
BSC 436 - Conservation Biology 3 hrs.
BSC 436L - Conservation Biology Laboratory 1 hr.
ECO 440 - Economic Development 3 hrs.
ED-graduate economic development course, by permission
ENG xxx - Literature course with environmental content (as approved by SD director or advisor)
GLY 306 - Environmental Geology 3 hrs.
GLY 472 - Soils 3 hrs.
GLY 476 - Hydrology 3 hrs.
GLY 477 - Ground Water Hydrology 3 hrs.
HIS 470 - Environmental History of the South 3 hrs.
HIS 472 - American Environmental History 3 hrs.
SOC 301 - Wealth, Status and Power 3 hrs.
SOC 350 - Race and Ethnicity 3 hrs.
SOC 360 - Globalization 3 hrs.
SOC 415 - Sociology of Gender 3 hrs.
Other non-GHY courses approved by SD program director or advisor

DEG 03. Electives

Choose electives as needed, (See Hours to Degree below.)

Hours to Degree

124 hours are needed to graduate with a BS in Geography with an emphasis in Sustainable Development. At least 50 percent of the hours applied to a degree at The University of Southern Mississippi must be earned from a senior college, and 45 of these hours must be in courses numbered 300 or above. The student must earn at least 21 of the last 30 hours of course work and at least 12 hours in the major area of study from Southern Miss. See Residence Hour Requirements for more information.