Why study geography?
The BA and BGS degrees each offer a different educational experience and students should carefully consider which degree is most appropriate to meet their educational goals.
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
The Bachelor of Arts in Geography provides a broad liberal arts education and touches on all aspects of Geography. Study includes a minimum of 33 credit hours in Geography: a core of eighteen hours in regional, physical, human, and statistical geography plus another fifteen hours of electives. Students need to meet the Core 34 requirements and/or requirements set by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences including a non-English language. Students taking the B.A. degrees should note that most Geography graduate programs require a statistics course, e.g., GEOG 316, and we highly recommend a basic course in GIS, e.g., GEOG 358.
Bachelor of General Studies (BGS)
The Bachelor of General Studies degree allows for more specialization in a student’s main area of interest while still providing a solid foundation. There are fewer principal courses required, but students must complete a concentration (three upper division courses) or a minor in a second field of study (usually 18 hours). There is no non-English language requirement for the BGS. Please note that most geography graduate programs require a statistics course, e.g., GEOG 316, and we highly recommend a basic course in GIS, e.g., GEOG 358.
Undergraduate Admission
Admission to KU
All students applying for admission must send high school and college transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Prospective first-year students should be aware that KU has qualified admission requirements that all new first-year students must meet to be admitted. Consult the Office of Admissions for application deadlines and specific admission requirements.
Visit the International Support Services for information about international admissions.
Students considering transferring to KU may see how their college-level course work will transfer on the Office of Admissions website.
First- and Second-Year Preparation
Students should begin the major by meeting the core requirements and preparing for major courses.
Requirements for the B.A. or B.G.S. Major
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| |
| 4-5 |
| Introduction to Physical Geography
and Introductory Laboratory in Physical Geography | |
| Global Environment I: The Discovery of Environmental Change
and Environmental Solutions | |
| 3 |
| World Regional Geography | |
| People, Place, and Society | |
| People, Place, and Society, Honors |
| Global Environment II: The Ecology of Human Civilization | |
| Global Environment II: The Ecology of Human Civilization, Honors |
| |
| GEOG 358 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| |
| GEOG 111 | Mapping Our Changing World | 4 |
| |
| GEOG 316 | Methods of Analyzing Geographical Data | 4 |
| GEOG 500 | Senior Capstone in Geography | 3 |
| |
Major Hours & Major GPA
While completing all required courses (above), majors must also meet each of the following hour and grade-point average minimum standards:
Major Hours
Satisfied by 30 hours of major courses.
Major Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 15 hours of KU resident credit in the major.
Major Junior/Senior (300+) Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 16 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the major.
Major Junior/Senior (300+) Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in junior/senior courses (300+) in the major. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
A sample 4-year plan for the BA degree in Geography can be found here: Geography, or by using the left-side navigation.
Sample 4-year plans for the BGS degree in Geography can be found here: Geography, or by using the left-side navigation.
Departmental Honors in Geography
To be accepted as a candidate for honors, an undergraduate major must have completed at least 9 hours of upper-division credit in geography with a grade-point average of 3.5 in all geography courses. In addition to outstanding work in geography, the program requires GEOG 499, an independent study course consisting of an honors paper.
The student presents the results of this paper in an oral examination to a committee of at least 2 faculty members, normally from the geography department, chaired by the GEOG 499 supervisor. To graduate with honors, the student must complete the paper and the examination and maintain the 3.5 grade-point average.
