Program Overview

Earth Systems Geography Degree

Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Geography with a concentration in Earth Systems focuses on the Earth's natural systems and how they affect people and society. This program emphasizes course work in physical geography with a focus on landforms, earth processes, and past landscapes.

Marketable Skills

• Solve problems using situational assessments
  • Oral and written communication
  • Critical thinking
  • Analyze geospatial information and data
  • Teamwork

Program Highlights

• Highly successful faculty with cutting-edge research
• Engaging undergrad and graduate programs
• Active student organizations related to programs
• High investment in students by faculty
• Students employed in a diverse array of internships and careers

Courses

• Culture, Environment and Society (3 hrs)
  • Exploration of the dynamic relations between culture and environment addressing ethnic diversity and conflict, development and underdevelopment, settlement patterns, movement of commodities and people (including refugees), and environmental degradation.
• Geosystems, Environment and Society (3 hrs)
  • Examines the physical and human dynamics associated with topics such as earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes, coastal processes, streams and flooding, soils, ground water, mineral extraction/processing, air pollution, energy production, water resources, and waste disposal. Explores contemporary environmental issues and events, including some of the key environmental issues in North Texas.
• Historical Geology (3 hrs)
  • Topics to include stratigraphy, sedimentology, plant and animal fossils, geologic time, continental drift, tectonics, former seas and past environments. Emphasis on geologic history of North America. Field trips.
• Weather and Climate (3 hrs)
  • Explores atmospheric environment emphasizing the understanding and application of meteorological principles. Topics may include the composition, origin, and structure of the atmosphere, air mass, middle latitude cyclones, weather prediction, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, global climate, climate change, and air pollution.
• Applied Biogeography (3 hrs)
  • Survey of biogeographic principles and their application to wildlife and ecosystem conservation and management practices.
• Foundations of Geographic Research (3 hrs)
  • Introduction to research for entry-level geography majors. Journal articles are examined in detail with reference to exploring research design and implementation. Students also develop an area of research interest, choose a specific topic, and formulate research questions from which hypotheses are developed. Culminates in the development of a research plan and prospectus for a topical research question.