Geography Program

Articulation Agreement for 2002 and 2004 Catalogue Years

Cooperative Program Leading to the Associate Degree from North Harris Community College and a Bachelor of Science, Social Sciences Composite Degree (Geography Emphasis) from Sam Houston State University

Geography is the study of the Earth and its people. Because of the breadth of its subject matter, it integrates information from a wide variety of other disciplines and examines that information from a spatial perspective. For those individuals that are curious about the world, there are few disciplines that will satisfy that curiosity as much as geography.
Recently, the world’s population passed the six billion mark and it continues to grow rapidly. With so many people to be housed, fed and educated while resources are becoming increasingly scarce and damage to the environment accelerates, many environmental and social issues are becoming more acute and difficult to solve. For this reason, geography has become increasingly focused on the nature of the relationship between humans and their environment, and on how these relationships vary from one culture to another. The resource limits that every society must deal with also affect such things as the social, political and economic characteristics of a society and the way in which that society interacts with others. The Geography Program at Sam Houston State University provides students with an increased awareness of the spatial differences between the multitude of world cultures and environments, and with a basic understanding of why these differences exist.

The study of the world requires that students learn about the physical environment, with its variety of landforms, weather and climate, and that they also learn about people and cultures. They also learn how the physical environment and humans have interacted to create a variety of cultural regions, each with its own unique characteristics. Through a study of these things, students will develop an understanding and appreciation of the fact that we live in an increasingly interdependent world in which the welfare of the environment and of other cultures affect all of us.
Geography’s focus on spatial relationships, in conjunction with new advances in technology, have led to the development of new geographical tools—principally Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS)—that are now used by many geographers in a wide variety of fields. The department has a fully-equipped GIS lab and another is planned for the near future. Additional educational and research opportunities using GIS are available through arrangements with the campus-based Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies (TRIES). In combination with knowledge of cartography, students that study GIS are well prepared for careers involving applications of GIS related to the environment and urban planning. Geographers also find employment in government and business, as well as in teaching.

The Associate of Science degree at North Harris Community College requires 61 hours, and the Bachelor of Science, Social Sciences Composite Degree (Geography Emphasis) at SHSU requires 38 hours of Geography and 8 of Geology. Students are encouraged to complete a minimum of 6 hours of transferable courses in Geography and 8 hours in Geology prior to transferring to SHSU. The two Geography courses at North Harris Community College (Principles of Geography - 1300, and World Geography – 1303) and two of the Geology courses (Physical Geology– 1403 and Historical Geology – 1404) will transfer to SHSU to meet the 14-hour transfer recommendation.

Students seeking this degree and teacher certification at the secondary level (grades 8-12) should use their 13 elective hours and an additional 11 hours to satisfy the required certification requirements. The required education requirements are listed below and with teacher certification, the BA degree total is 139 hours. Those students not seeking certification should use their electives to fulfill the university requirement for advanced hours.

SHSU Department of Geography Home Page

Bachelor of Science Social Science Composite (Geography Emphasis) – Required courses: Weather and Climate, Introduction to Geography, World Regional Geography (two courses), Cultural Geography, Location and Human Activity, Anglo-America, Texas, Geomorphology, 3 hours of Advanced Geography electives and two courses from Mapping and Cartography or Field Studies or Introduction to GIS.

Curriculum: Bachelor of Science, Social Sciences Composite Degree (Geography Emphasis)