TH E S C H O O L O F
geography
guide to the major
2016 - 2017
School of Geography
Table of Contents
Important contacts in the School of Geography ................................................................................. 3
Major and Minor: Your Worksheet, Learning Plan, and Learning Synopsis ............................... 3
Core Courses overview .................................................................................................................................. 4
Specialization Courses overview ................................................................................................................ 5
Skills Courses overview .................................................................................................................................. 5
Capstone requirement overview ................................................................................................................ 5
Honors in Geography ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Geography and Interdisciplinary Programs at Clark ........................................................................... 7
Internships and Study Abroad .................................................................................................................... 8
Core Course Offerings.................................................................................................................................... 9
Skills Course Offerings ................................................................................................................................ 10
Additional Course Offerings ..................................................................................................................... 11
Major Worksheet .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Minor Worksheet .......................................................................................................................................... 14
Learning Plan .................................................................................................................................................. 16
Capstone Form .............................................................................................................................................. 17
Learning Synopsis ......................................................................................................................................... 18
Petition to take Non-Geography Course within Major ................................................................... 19
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Guide to the Geography Major
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School of Geography: Introduction to the Major
Geography is the science of place, space, and environment.
Each place on earth is distinguished by a unique mix of natural resources, cultural practices, and economic
and political systems. Geographers study what makes each place unique, and the connections and
interactions between places.
With its highly ranked graduate and undergraduate programs, Clark University is one of the best places in
the world to study Geography. As an undergraduate student, you will have an opportunity to work with
nationally and internationally known faculty to examine why places are different, how those differences
shape how we live, and how we in turn shape our environment. The Geography major and minor at Clark
are set up in such a way to give the student a broad understanding of physical and human elements that
comprise this field of study. Students begin by taking one introductory level course in each of the four
most common areas of study in Geography (fulfilling the four Core courses requirement). Generally after
completing the four core courses, students enroll in upper-level, in-depth courses of particular interest to
them (four Specialization courses). Geography majors also focus on the development and application of a
variety of skills useful in Geographical work and research (through the Skills course and Capstone credit
requirements). Students will find that many of their Geography courses involve active participation in
research projects and/or hands-on problem-solving activities.
The major requires 11 Geography courses, and the minor requires 7 Geography courses. Letter grades of
less than C- do not count towards the major or minor. Credits with a grade of “Pass” can count towards the
major or minor only in the case of Internships. Other types of credits that are registered as Pass/No Record
do not count towards the major or minor.
Important Contacts in the School of Geography
This document uses the following titles for four people who are valuable resources, available to help
ensure that each Geography student successfully completes their major or minor requirements:
•
•
•
•
Undergraduate Program Coordinator: Rachel Levitt (RLevitt@clarku.edu)
Undergraduate Studies Committee Chair: Mark Davidson (MDavidson@clarku.edu)
Director of the School of Geography: Anthony Bebbington (ABebbington@clarku.edu)
Advisor: a Geography professor to be determined by mutual agreement between you and the
faculty member
The first step for students considering a major or minor in Geography is to read this guide. The next step is
to set up an appointment with the Undergraduate Program Coordinator, who will answer any specific
questions the student has, and work with the student to determine a strong faculty Advisor pairing.
Major and Minor: Your Worksheet, Learning Plan & Learning Synopsis
Each major and minor has the option to prepare a Worksheet and Learning Plan once they have declared
the major along with the assistance of their faculty advisor. Students can use the forms found in the back
of this Guide.
•
•
The Worksheet identifies the intended courses and semesters to complete the requirements.
The Learning Plan describes how the courses fit together conceptually. The student can update this
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Guide to the Geography Major
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•
plan once per semester, and files will be retained by the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
The final Learning Plan is helpful to complete by the second week of the final semester. The
Learning Plan should be filled out with the student’s advisor, who can sign the form once
completed. This form can help students to determine senior clearance with their advisor before
completing their Graduation Clearance Form.
Senior Clearance vs. Graduation Clearance Form
In order to complete the University’s Graduation Clearance Form, students will need to get a signature
from their faculty advisor in their major to ensure that they have completed all of the requirements for
their major before handing the form in to the Registrar’s Office. Once this signature is obtained, it is the
student’s responsibility to hand in their Graduation Clearance Form to the Registrar’s Office. These forms
are not retained by the Geography department
Program Requirements
The major has five components/11 courses total:





4 Core Courses
4 Specialization Courses,
1 Skills Course,
1 Research Methods course (GEOG 141)
1 Capstone credit
The minor has the five components as well, but 7 courses total:




2 Core Courses
3 Specialization Courses,
1 Skills Course,
1 Elective Geography Course
Each credit can satisfy only one requirement for the Geography major or minor, meaning that no
Geography course can count in two areas toward the major or minor. Geography majors are required to
take 11 Geography courses in accordance with the following guidelines.
Core Courses
(4 courses for Major, 2 courses for Minor)
Core courses emphasize fundamental geographic concepts over four distinct areas of study. Courses in the
core are designed to build frameworks for understanding the earth, space, and place in a physical and
human context. We strongly encourage you to take the core courses early in your program, not only
because it will give you a more thorough understanding of the different areas of study in Geography, but
also because core courses are often prerequisites for 200-level courses. Majors must select at least one
course from each of the following four core areas:
•
Nature and Society (Human Environment): Analyzes the ways that human societies have used,
shaped and constructed nature; impacts of societies, economies and cultures on ecological
systems; and societal and environmental consequences of the interaction.
•
Globalization, Cities and Development (Urban Economic): Examines the ways that space and
location shape economic, sociopolitical and cultural life; ways that economic, sociopolitical and
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Guide to the Geography Major
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cultural factors shape space and location; and relationships between these processes and the
dynamics of urban life.
•
Earth System Science (ESS): Examines how the Earth system (ecosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere, and lithosphere) naturally functions, how these systems interact with one another,
and how they are affected by humans.
•
Geographic Information Science (GIS): Examines the acquisition, analysis and communication of
geographic information; principles and techniques important in cartography, remote sensing,
geographic information systems and spatial analysis.
Each year, several 000- and 100-level courses are offered as core courses. In special cases, a 200-level
course may be used to fulfill a core course requirement, subject to the approval of the Advisor.
Specialization Courses
(4 courses for Major, 3 courses for Minor)
Specialization courses are a collection of courses that form a coherent combination (a collaborative effort
between you and Advisor) as indicated by the Advisor’s signature on the Worksheet and Learning Plan.
Specialization courses give you an opportunity to explore a specific subject area in depth. Majors are
required to take four specialization courses, three of which must be at a 200-level and one of which may be
either at a 100-or 200-level.
Specialization courses must be either offered by the Geography Department or offered by other
departments with a Geography attribute. An attribute is a characteristic that the Registrar uses to make a
course appear on the course listings of the attributed department.
We advise but do not require you to take the four Core Courses and the Research Methods course before
taking specialization courses, because the specialization courses apply skills in research and problem
solving. The Geography Department allows students to perform an internship for credit that can count as
200-level specialization course, upon approval of the advisor.
It is not a requirement that students determine a specialization within Geography, but it is typically a
path followed by many majors as they take their core courses and generally become particularly interested
in one of the four areas. To specialize in one of the four areas in Geography, students must take their four
specialization courses within that subject matter. For example, if a student wants to specialize in GIS as a
Geography major, they would take the following:





4 Core Courses (1 Human Environment, 1 Urban Economic, 1 GIS, and 1 Earth System Science)
1 Skills Course, preferably GIS related
1 Research Methods Course (Geography 141)
4 Specialization Courses on GIS (can be all 200 level, or 1 100 level and 3 200 levels)
Capstone Credit
Specializing in a subject area within Geography does not waive the requirement to take a core course in
that subject area. All Geography students must take the 4 core courses (1 in each area) to begin, and then
they may continue through the major and choose a specialization if they wish to do so. The Geography
major is only completed after taking 11 courses total. Courses cannot count for more than one
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requirement in the major.
Skills Courses
(1 course for Major, 1 course for Minor)
Skills courses give you the opportunity to acquire and apply research, literacy, numeracy, and mapping
skills for generating and interpreting knowledge. Our goal is for students to become critical thinkers and to
have an understanding of how knowledge is created. The Skills course must be approved by the Advisor,
indicated by signature on the Worksheet and Learning Plan for majors. Skills courses must be either
offered by the Geography Department or offered by other departments with a Geography attribute.
Research Methods
(Required for Major, Not Required for Minor)
Geography 141 Research Design and Methods in Geography is required for the major. We advise you to
complete this course before taking 200-level courses in Geography, preferably in sophomore year
(particularly if you plan to study abroad). Research Methods is offered at least once per year.
Comparable courses in other departments can be substituted for the Geography Research Methods course
with the approval of the Advisor. However, this does not reduce the total number of Geography
courses required for the major. Thus, majors for whom a substitution has been granted will need to take
an additional Geography course to ensure that a total of 11 Geography courses are taken.
Capstone
(Required for Major, Not Required for Minor)
One Capstone credit is required for the major. To meet the Capstone requirement, the student must earn a
200-level credit that relates to the student’s specialization that includes at least one of the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A graduate level course as indicated by a combined 200/300 level status
Human Environment Regional Observatory (HERO) or Forest Ecology Research Lab (FERL) or Polaris
Directed Study with a faculty advisor
Internship
Honors thesis
Public Presentation, including Academic Spree Day, Fall Fest, or AAG
Research Experience
The student’s Advisor is the judge to determine whether any particular credit satisfies the capstone criteria.
The Advisor will make the judgment based on the purpose of the capstone, which is for the student to
integrate content and skills in Geography, as applied to a particular topic. The student must obtain the
Advisors' permission on the Capstone Form at the back of this guide, and then deliver the form to the
Undergraduate Program Coordinator before beginning the qualifying activity and before registration
for the 200-level credit. It is also the student’s responsibility to coordinate all processes necessary outside
of the departmental requirements (i.e. internship registration, any other forms needed, etc.)*
Upon completion of the Capstone credit, the student must obtain on the Capstone Form the permission of
the professor who awards the Capstone credit and then submit the form to the Undergraduate Program
Coordinator.
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*The student is responsible for obtaining University approval for the internship or research
experience to count for academic credit. This can be done through Career Services, and requires
completion of several steps. Details are online: clarku.edu/offices/career/internships/
Double Majors
All majors must complete 11 Geography courses in accordance with the plan described in this guide, even
when they have a second major. Two credits at most can count simultaneously for a first and a second
major.
Minor Requirements
Geography minors must track their progress using the Worksheet supplied at the back of this guide. The
Geography minor requires seven courses in Geography. The seven courses for the minor must be
distributed among the following components:
Two core courses: Core courses emphasize core geographic concepts and ways of creating knowledge;
courses in the core are designed build frameworks for understanding the world. The two core courses must
be selected from the four core areas of Geography.
One Skills Course: The Geography minor requires one Geography skills course appropriate to the
student’s area of specialization. Geography Research Methods (GEOG 141) can count as a Skills Course for
the minor.
Three Specialization Courses: Two specialization courses must be at the 200-level and one may be at the
100- or 200-level.
One Elective Geography Course: The geography minor requires a seventh course that can be taken at any
level.
Transfer Students
Consult the Undergraduate Committee Chair as soon as possible to see whether transfer credits count
toward your geography program at Clark.
Honors in Geography
The Honors Program in Geography gives the advanced student the opportunity to conduct a major
research project. To graduate with honors, a student must complete a two-semester honors project
conducted under the supervision of two faculty members: the honors supervisor who must be a member of
Geography and the honors reader who does not necessarily need to be a member of Geography.
Completion of the honors project will be recognized at Commencement. Students are encouraged to
perform the honors project during the spring semester of the junior year and fall semester of the senior
year. Alternatively, students can perform the honors project during their last two semesters.
Geography Honors is open to juniors who, by the end of the first semester of the junior year, have a
minimum grade point average of 3.25 overall and 3.50 in the Geography major, and can obtain the
approval of an honors supervisor and an honors reader.
For full information on the Honors Program, please view the School of Geography’s Guide to
Undergraduate Honors.
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Applying for Honors
Applications can be found in the School of Geography’s Guide to Undergraduate Honors, linked on the
Geography Website or in the Main Geography Office (Jefferson 220).
Geography and Interdisciplinary Programs at Clark
•
Urban Development & Social Change (UDSC)
The Urban Development Social Change concentration provides students majoring in any field with
a structured program of study that enables them to understand the historical, social, economic and
political factors that have shaped U.S. cities and how cities have, in turn, affected the lives of their
inhabitants.
•
Earth System Science (ESS)
Earth System Science is a track within the Environmental Science major. It examines the structure
and function of the parts of the earth (geosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and atmosphere) and
how they intersect to create the biosphere. Many of its courses are offered by the Geography
Department.
Internships
Students are urged to take advantage of internship opportunities. Please check our Careers and
Opportunities website, or contact Career Services to learn more about possible opportunities.
If students satisfy the requirements for the internship to count as an academic credit at Clark, then the
internship can count as a Specialization Course or Capstone toward the Major, subject to the approval of the
Advisor. Career Services can be reached at 508.793.7258 or careers@clarku.edu.
Study Abroad
The department encourages students to spend at least one semester studying abroad, which is an added
reason to consult your Advisor early in your geography program. For more information, contact the Study
Abroad office at 508.793.7363 or studyabroad@clarku.edu.
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School of Geography
Core Course Offerings
Frequency: EOY = Every Other Year, EY = Every Year, ES = Every Semester, P = Periodically
Semester: FA16 = Fall 2016, SP17 = Spring 2017; FA17 = Fall 2017*
Nature-Society (Human Environment) Courses
GEOG 017
Environment and Society
GEOG 075
Americans and the Environment
GEOG 090
Native Americans, Land and Natural Resources
GEOG 105
The Keeping of Animals
GEOG 126
Living in the Material World: The Political Geography
of Resource Development
GEOG 136
Gender and Environment
GEOG 179
Global & Local Environmental Justice
GEOG 180
Earth Transformed: Human Action
Knudson
McCarthy
Emel
Emel
Emel
P
P
P
P
EOY
FA16
-----FA16
-----------
Rocheleau
Rocheleau
Staff
EOY
EOY
P
-----SP17
FA16
Globalization, Cities and Development (Urban Economic) Courses
GEOG 016
Introduction to Economic Geography
GEOG 020
American Cities: Changing Spaces, Community Places
GEOG 052
Global Change, Regional Challenges
IDND 066
Global Society
GEOG 107
Miracles of Asia: Economic Growth in Global Contexts
GEOG 127
Political Economy of Development
GEOG 152
Geography of Globalization
GEOG 157
Psychogeography & Cultural Spaces
GEOG 172
City Planet: Urban Challenges in a Globalized World
Murphy
Martin
Staff
Peet
Aoyama
Peet
Aoyama
Davidson
Davidson
EY
EY
EOY
P
EY
EY
P
EOY
EOY
-----SP17
-----FA16
SP17
FA16
FA16
FA16
------
Earth System Science (ESS) Courses
GEOG 102
Weather and Climate
GEOG 104
Earth System Science
GEOG 116
Forest Ecology
GEOG 119
Arctic System Science
Staff
Staff
Frey
EY
EY
EY
EY
SP17
FA16
SP17
FA16
Geographic Information Science (GIS) Courses
GEOG 087
Introduction to Environmental Information Systems
Staff
P
------
Staff
EY
FA16, SP17
GEOG 190
Introduction to GIS
COURSES IN GRAY ARE TO BE DETERMINED.
*COURSE OFFERINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
See the online Academic Catalog for complete Course Listings and Descriptions.
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School of Geography
Skills Course Offerings
Frequency: EOY = Every Other Year, EY = Every Year, ES = Every Semester, P = Periodically
Semester: FA16 = Fall 2016, SP17 = Spring 2017; FA17 = Fall 2017*
Skills Courses
GEOG 110
GEOG 141
GEOG 190
ID 296
Introduction to Quantitative Methods
Research Design and Methods in Geography**
Introduction to GIS
Advanced Vector GIS
ID 213
GEOG 247
GEOG 252
GEOG 260
GEOG 282
GEOG 293
Computer Programming for GIS
Intermediate Quantitative Methods in Geography
Urban Design Research Lab
GIS & Land Change Models
Advanced Remote Sensing
Introduction to Remote Sensing
GEOG 296
ID 256
Advanced Raster GIS
Web Mapping & Open Source GIS
Staff
Staff
OgnevaHimmelber
ger
Tian
Ratick
Davidson
Pontius
Staff
Sangerman
o
Eastman
Tian
ES
EY
EY
ES
SP17
SP17
FA16, SP17
FA16
--EY
P
EY
EY
EY
FA16
FA16
SP17
-----SP17
FA16
EY
P
SP17
FA16
COURSES IN GRAY ARE TO BE DETERMINED.
*COURSE OFFERINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
**GEOG 141 can only be counted as a Skills course when a student’s Research Methods requirement is
fulfilled in another department (subject to approval). Otherwise, a different skills course is required in
addition to GEOG 141.
See the online Academic Catalog for complete Course Listings and Descriptions.
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School of Geography
Specialization Offerings/Additional Course Offerings
Frequency: EOY = Every Other Year, EY = Every Year, ES = Every Semester, P = Periodically
Semester: FA16 = Fall 2016, SP17 = Spring 2017; FA17 = Fall 2017*
Nature-Society (Human Environment) Courses
GEOG 220
Property & the Global Environment
GEOG 225
Environmental Politics
GEOG 237
Feminism, Nature and Culture
GEOG 238
Animal Geographies
GEOG 261
Decision Methods: Environmental Management Policy
Globalization, Cities and Development (Urban Economic) Courses
GEOG 220
Property & the Global Environment
GEOG 224
Economy & Environment
GEOG 241
Suburbia: Culture, Politics & Space
GEOG 248
Social Justice & The City
GEOG 252
Urban Design Research Lab
GEOG 257
Internet Geography
GEOG 258
Utopian Visions, Urban Realities
GEOG 274
Africa’s Development in Global Context
GEOG 280
Urban Ecology & Cities as Ecosystems
GEOG 286
Special Topic: Cities, Capitalism & Crisis
GEOG 289
Development Policy
Earth System Science (ESS) Courses
GEOG 205
Introduction to Hydrology
GEOG 216
Field Methods for Environmental Science
GEOG 232
Landscape Ecology
GEOG 263
Climate System & Global Environmental Change
GEOG 283
Terrestrial Ecosystems and Global Change
GEOG 286
Special Topic: Climate Change, H20 & Society
Geographic Information Science (GIS) Courses
ID 296
Advanced Vector GIS
GEOG 247
GEOG 260
GEOG 279
GEOG 282
GEOG 293
GEOG 296
Intermediate Quantitative Methods in Geography
GIS & Land Change Models
GIS & Map Comparison
Advanced Remote Sensing
Introduction to Remote Sensing
Advanced Raster GIS
COURSES IN GRAY ARE TO BE DETERMINED.
*COURSE OFFERINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Staff
McCarthy
Emel
Emel
Ratick
EOY
P
EOY
P
ES
FA16
SP17
FA16
SP17
FA16
Staff
Emel
Martin
Davidson
Davidson
Aoyama
Martin
Murphy
Rocheleau
EOY
P
P
EY
P
EOY
EOY
EOY
EY
Peet
EY
FA16
-----SP17
FA16
SP17
-----FA16
SP17
FA16
-----SP17
Williams
EOY
P
EY
EY
EY
P
FA16
FA16
FA16
SP17
SP17
SP17
ES
FA16
EY
FA16
SP17
SP17
SP17
FA16
SP17
Rogan
Frey
Staff
OgnevaHimmelberger
Ratick
Pontius
Rogan
Sangermano
Eastman
See the online Academic Catalog for complete Course Listings and Descriptions.
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P
EY
EY
EY
School of Geography
Major Worksheet (1 of 2)
To be filled by student with Advisor’s assistance and kept with the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
Student Name & ID Number: _______________________________________________________________
Intended Graduation Year: ________________ Major/Minor/Concentration: __________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________ _
Email: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Faculty Advisor: ____________________________________________________________________________
CORE REQUIREMENTS
Core Courses
(1 course required in
each core area)
Course Number & Title
Semester
Year
Grade
Nature-Society
(Human Environment)
Globalization, Cities
and Development
(Urban Economic)
Earth System Science
Geographic
Information Science
SKILLS REQUIREMENTS
Skills Course
(1 course)
Course No. & Title
Elective
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Semester
Year
Grade
School of Geography
Major Worksheet (2 of 2)
SPECIALIZATION REQUIREMENTS
Specialization Courses
(4 courses required
--3 at 200 level)
Course No. & Title
Semester
Year
Grade
100 or 200
Level Course:
200 Level Course:
200 Level Course:
200 Level Course:
RESEARCH METHODS
Research Methods
Course No. & Title
Semester
Year
Grade
Course No. & Title
Semester
Year
Grade
Elective GEOG 141
Research Design &
Methods in
Geography
CAPSTONE REQUIREMENT
Capstone Credit
Fulfilled by a Credit
Meetings with Advisor
DATE:
NOTES:
DATE:
NOTES:
DATE:
NOTES:
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School of Geography
Minor Worksheet (1 of 2)
To be filled by student with Advisor’s assistance and kept with the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
Student Name & ID Number: _______________________________________________________________
Intended Graduation Year: ________________ Major/Minor/Concentration: __________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________ _
Email: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Faculty Advisor (if applicable): ______________________________________________________________
CORE REQUIREMENTS
Core Courses
(2 courses from
different core areas)
Course No. & Title
Semester
Year
Grade
Course No. & Title
Semester
Year
Grade
Nature-Society
(Human Environment)
Globalization, Cities
and Development
(Urban Economic)
Earth System Science
Geographic
Information Science
SKILLS REQUIREMENTS
Skills Course
(1 course)
Elective
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School of Geography
Minor Worksheet (2 of 2)
SPECIALIZATION REQUIREMENTS
Specialization Courses
(3 courses required—2
at 200 level)
Course No. & Title
Semester
Year
Grade
Course No. & Title
Semester
Year
Grade
100 or 200 level
Course:
200 level Course:
200 level Course:
ELECTIVE
Elective Geography
Course
(1 course at any level)
Elective
MEETINGS WITH ADVISOR
DATE:
NOTES:
DATE:
NOTES:
DATE:
NOTES:
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School of Geography
Learning Plan (Optional)
The purpose of this plan is to clarify your goals and set objectives, and to help you choose a course of
study to achieve those objectives. Working with your Advisor, you can develop this document that can
serve as a roadmap for your path through the geography major and the university in general. This Learning
Plan can be revised as often as needed in order to reflect your changing perspectives and provide clearer
insights to your goals.
This form is OPTIONAL, but if students choose to complete it, they should pass it in to the Undergraduate
Program Coordinator before the end of their final semester in the program.
1. How do your Core courses relate to your goal?
2. What binds your Specialization courses conceptually and how do they relate to your
goal?
3. How does your skills course relate to your goal?
3. For Majors: How does your capstone relate to your goal?
Student’s Name
Student’s Signature
Date
Advisor’s Signature
Date
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School of Geography
Capstone Form (Required)
Please submit this completed form to the Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the Geography Office
twice: once before registering for the credit, and again after completion of the credit.
Student’s Name: ____________________________________________________________________________
Current Level: ______ First Year
______ Sophomore
______ Junior
______ Senior
Form Submission Dates: __________________________________ & ______________________________
Intended Graduation Year: _________________________________________________________________
Name of 200-level credit, project or internship: ____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Semester & year completed: ______________________________________________________________
.....................................................................
Signature of professor who intends to award the Capstone credit:
___________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________________________________
Signature of professor who has awarded the Capstone credit:
___________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________________________________
........................................................................
Signature of Student: ______________________________________ Submission Date 1: __________
Signature of Student: ______________________________________ Submission Date 2: __________
Signature of Faculty Advisor: ______________________________ Date*: ________________________
This form is meant to stay in departmental files only, not intended for Registrar use. Blank forms can also
be downloaded online or picked up in the Geography Main Office (Jefferson 220).
*(Advisor signature only needed for first form submission)
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School of Geography
Learning Synopsis (Optional)
At the beginning of the final semester, students have the option to complete a one or two page learning
synopsis describing how they have achieved the goals of the Geography major by listing the courses where
the goals were achieved and the materials produced. The synopsis can be completed with the students’
faculty advisor. The synopsis provides a précis of student expertise, designed for assessment of the
Geography major and as a tool for students to highlight their skills on the job market. It also provides
feedback for the Geography program and can help us create goals for further student development and
growth. The synopsis can be treated as an exit interview for undergraduate majors.
This form is OPTIONAL, but if students choose to complete it, they should pass it in to the Undergraduate
Program Coordinator before the end of their final semester in the program.
Goal or Performance
Standard
Describe the purpose and
scope of the discipline of
geography. As part of
demonstrating this
knowledge, students should
be able to identify four core
areas of geography, the
scope and purpose of each,
and key concepts in each.
Courses Where Achieved
Articulate relationships of
people, culture, and society
with the biophysical
environment, or in relation to
concepts of space and place.
Apply research, literacy,
numeracy, and/ or mapping
skills for generating,
interpreting and
communicating knowledge.
Describe and analyze a
particular topical focus within
geography, placing it in its
sub-disciplinary context and
identifying pressing research
issues.
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Materials Produced (e.g. research
paper, poster, etc.)
School of Geography
Petition to Include Non-Geography Course as Major
Requirement
Under extraordinary circumstances, the Chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee, with consensus
from the student’s faculty advisor, may approve a non-Geography or non-Geography-Attribute course to
count toward the Geography major (as a Core, Skill, or Specialization).
In keeping with Guide requirements, the student must still complete a total of 11 Geography
courses.
Please submit this signed form to the Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the Geography Main Office.
This form should be kept on file with student’s Major Worksheet.
Name: _____________________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Faculty Advisor: ______________________________ Intended Graduation Date: _________________
Number and title of the course you intend to count: ______________________________________
Course Instructor: __________________________ Semester course is being taught: ____________
Course would count as:
Core (00- or 100- level)
Skill
Specialization (can only be 100-level if student has already taken 3 200-levels)
Reason for petition:
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Geography course that will fulfill the 11th course requirement: ____________________________
With approval from the student’s faculty advisor and the USC Chair, the petition will be granted.
Students will be informed once the course has been approved.
Student signature: _________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________________
Faculty Advisor signature: __________________________________________
Date: __________________________________
USC Chair signature: _______________________________________________ Date: ___________________________________
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Guide to the Geography Major
2016 – 2017
School of Geography, Clark University
950 Main Street Worcester, MA 01610-1477
Email : geography@clarku.edu
Phone : 508.793.7336 Fax : 508.793.8881
Last Updated in Spring 2016
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Guide to the Geography Major
2016 – 2017