Bachelor of Arts, Majors and Minors
Geography
A Major and Minor are offered
Program Fees: Domestic Students, International Students
Apply for Admission: Forms and Information
Note: VIU also offers a Bachelor of Science, Minor in Geography and an Advanced Diploma in GIS Applications.
General Description
Geography is the study of earth spaces and places. Geographers are concerned with the distribution and patterning of physical and human phenomena in earth space, including the nature and magnitude of human impact on natural environments. Protecting sustainable environments and managing the earth’s valued resources – land, water and air – are of vital interest to geographers. The geographic concepts of place and landscape provide a framework for understanding the role of culture in the evolution and development of urban and rural landscapes. Political, social and economic processes, when examined from a spatial (geographic) and temporal (historical) perspective, enable students to appreciate and understand the dynamic processes associated with the development of local and regional landscapes.
The B.A. Major in Geography features two areas of specialization – Natural Resource Management or Urban Growth Management – and a General stream designed to broaden an understanding of physical and human geography. Theoretical and applied course work in each stream are designed to strengthen communication skills in oral, written and visual presentations, and to provide a range of transferable skills, notably in the areas of spatial analysis, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS). Students will be challenged to think critically, analyze problems, and seek resolutions to conflicts, particularly in the fields of natural resource management and urban growth management.
The B.A. Minor in Geography provides the flexibility to tailor a program that best suits educational and/or career goals. Students in the concurrent Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education program have an opportunity to complete a Minor in Geography as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the concurrent degree. Geography is a teachable subject in the British Columbia secondary system.
VIU’s dedicated, industry-standard GIS lab features the most up-to-date software packages, and the program provides ample opportunity to apply these computer-based tools and techniques. Small class sizes and active student-faculty interaction strengthen each student’s learning experience.
Career Opportunities
Labour market demand for graduates with strong academic and applied backgrounds in geographic studies remains high – regionally, nationally, and internationally. This is particularly true of graduates with skills in geographic communication, spatial analysis, and GIS. Recent Canadian-based human resource studies report that GIS activity will soon surpass $1-billion annually. Remuneration for entry-level jobs in the field of GIS is well above the norm for undergraduates seeking full-time employment opportunities upon graduation.
Some graduates may wish to pursue post-graduate studies in Geography, or in such diverse fields as education, urban planning, natural resource management, law, or public administration.
Requirements for a Major
Students must fulfill all the Institutional B.A. degree requirements, including Degree English Requirements and courses listed below:
General Stream
YEARS 1 and 2 |
Credits |
|---|---|
GEOG 100 - (World Regional Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 101 - (Environmental Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 211 - (Atmospheric Environments) |
3 |
GEOG 212 - (Earth Environments) |
3 |
GEOG 221 - (Statistical Methods in Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 228 - (Spatial Analysis) |
3 |
GEOG 230 - (Cultural Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 240 - (Economic Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 290 - (Regions of Canada) |
3 |
Year 1 and 2 Credits |
27 |
YEARS 3 and 4 |
Credits |
|---|---|
GEOG 322 - (Geographic Communication) |
3 |
GEOG 324 - (Research Methods in Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 328 - (Geographic Information Systems) |
3 |
GEOG 340 - (Urban Systems) or GEOG 344 - (Urban Social Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 342 - (Urban and Regional Planning) or GEOG 350 - (Natural Resource Management) |
3 |
3 |
|
3 |
|
GEOG 467 - (Field Studies in Geography I) |
3 |
Plus two additional 300 or 400-level GEOG courses. |
6 |
Year 3 and 4 Credits |
30 |
Natural Resource Management Stream
YEARS 1 and 2 |
Credits |
|---|---|
GEOG 100 - (World Regional Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 101 - (Environmental Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 211 - (Atmospheric Environments) |
3 |
GEOG 212 - (Earth Environments) |
3 |
GEOG 221 - (Statistical Methods in Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 228 - (Spatial Analysis) |
3 |
GEOG 240 - (Economic Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 290 - (Regions of Canada) |
3 |
Year 1 and 2 Credits |
24 |
YEARS 3 and 4 |
Credits |
|---|---|
GEOG 322 - (Geographic Communication) |
3 |
GEOG 324 - (Research Methods in Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 326 - (Remote Sensing) |
3 |
GEOG 328 - (Geographic Information Systems) |
3 |
GEOG 350 - (Natural Resource Management) |
3 |
GEOG 352 - (Managing Natural and Social Capital) |
3 |
3 |
|
3 |
|
GEOG 452 - (Natural Resource Assessment) |
3 |
GEOG 456 - (Issues in Natural Resource Management) |
3 |
GEOG 467 - (Field Studies in Geography I) |
3 |
Year 3 and 4 Credits |
33 |
Urban Growth Management Stream
YEARS 1 and 2 |
Credits |
|---|---|
GEOG 100 - (World Regional Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 101 - (Environmental Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 211 - (Atmospheric Environments) |
3 |
GEOG 212 - (Earth Environments) |
3 |
GEOG 221 - (Statistical Methods in Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 228 - (Spatial Analysis) |
3 |
GEOG 230 - (Cultural Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 290 - (Regions of Canada) |
3 |
Year 1 and 2 Credits |
24 |
YEARS 3 and 4 |
Credits |
|---|---|
GEOG 322 - (Geographic Communication) |
3 |
GEOG 324 - (Research Methods in Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 328 - (Geographic Information Systems) |
3 |
GEOG 340 - (Urban Systems) |
3 |
GEOG 342 - (Urban and Regional Planning) |
3 |
GEOG 344 - (Urban and Social Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 346 - (Urban Growth Management) |
3 |
GEOG 442 - (Urban Land Assessment) |
3 |
GEOG 446 - (Issues in Urban Growth Management) |
3 |
GEOG 467 - (Field Studies in Geography I) |
3 |
Year 3 and 4 Credits |
30 |
Notes
(1) Students who wish to transfer from the B.A. Minor to the B.A. Major in Geography are required to consult with the Geography Department Chair, and the B.A. Degree Advisor, to arrange the transition.
(2) A total of 120 credits must be completed to meet the institutional B.A. degree requirements, of which 42 credits must be 300 or above.
Requirements for a Minor
Students must fulfill all the Institutional B.A. degree requirements, including Degree English Requirements and courses listed below:
YEARS 1 and 2 |
Credits |
|---|---|
GEOG 100 - (World Regional Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 101 - (Environmental Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 211 - (Atmospheric Environments) |
3 |
GEOG 212 - (Earth Environments) |
3 |
GEOG 221 - (Statistical Methods in Geography) |
3 |
GEOG 228 - (Spatial Analysis) |
3 |
GEOG 230 - (Cultural Geography) or GEOG 240 (Economic Geography) |
3 |
Year 1 and 2 Credits |
21 |
YEARS 3 and 4 |
Credits |
|---|---|
GEOG 328 - (Geographic Information Systems) |
3 |
Additional 15 credits of GEOG courses numbered 300 and above. |
15 |
Year 3 and 4 Credits |
18 |
Updated October 30, 2009