The Department of Geography offers two minors:

Declare a Geography Major or Minor

Geography Minor

This minor provides breadth in human and biophysical geography and GIScience. This minor complements many other programs, including Geology, Environmental Studies and Science, Public Policy, Planning and Management, Anthropology, Computer Information Science, and more.

Why study Geography? What’s required to earn a minor? It’s all summarized in our minor map.

Course Requirements

To complete the minor, students will take six courses (24 credits), including three breadth courses: one GIScience course, one upper-division human geography course, and one upper-division biophysical geography course. An additional three courses (12 credits) of elective credits are required.

At least 16 credit hours in Geography must be taken for a letter grade, and a grade of C- or better (or P pass) is required in all Geography courses. At least 16 credits must also be taken as upper-division courses (300 or 400-level). Up to two courses towards another major or minor may be used towards a geography minor.

Breadth Requirements (3 courses, 12 upper-division credits)

With roots in exploration and travel, Geographers traverse a wide range of topics and specialties. Here, students will gain the necessary breadth to put all the pieces together. Choose one course from each of the following:

• GIScience
• Biophysical Geography
• Human Geography

Electives (3 courses, 12 credits)

Students can take three courses from any geography course to fulfill the elective requirements.

Pre-requisites

Geography minors should be aware that there are pre-requisites that they need to take into consideration as they plan their schedules. For example:

• GEOG 141 is a pre-requisite for 300-level physical geography courses
• GEOG 481 is a pre-requisite for most other GIS courses

Climate Studies Minor

Climate is a dynamic and complex component of the Earth system. Societies and nature are adapted to a historical range of climatic variability, but that variability is rapidly changing. The discipline of geography is well-suited to address these challenges at local and global scales, focusing on not only the science behind how the climate operates but how human systems have impacted climate and how different places are adapting to the impacts of climate change. This minor complements many other programs, including Geography, Spatial Data Science and Technology, Journalism, Earth Science, Political Science, Sociology, Biology, Planning, Public Policy, & Management, Environmental Studies, Environmental Science, and more.

Why study Climate Studies? What’s required to earn a minor? It’s all summarized in our minor map.

Course Requirements

The climate studies minor requires a minimum of 24 credits, drawing on courses in Geography Environmental Studies, Public Policy, Planning & Management, and Political Science. The major requires 3 compulsory courses (12 credits) that will provide foundational skills, concepts, and critical thinking abilities related to understanding the Earth’s climate system. An additional 3 elective courses (12 credits) are required, two from the social sciences or humanities and one from the sciences. Upon declaring the Climate Studies minor, students will meet with the Geography Undergraduate Coordinator/Advisor to tailor their academic and career plans.

• A grade of C- or better is required in courses used for the minor.
• All upper-division credits must be from UO courses (300 or 400-level).
• No more than three upper-division courses may count for both this minor and the GEOG major.

Core Courses (12 credits)

These courses will provide foundational skills, concepts, and critical thinking abilities in climate science. Students will gain an overview of the fundamentals of how the earth’s climate system operates including how human activity has contributed to recent climate shifts.

Note: GEOG 141 is a pre-requisite for GEOG 321 and GEOG 361, which in turn are pre-requisites for the GEOG 400-level Science elective courses (below).

• GEOG 141: The Natural Environmental
• GEOG 321: Climatology
• GEOG 361: Global Environmental Change

Elective courses (12 credits)

To emphasize the cross-disciplinary nature of climate studies, students will take courses across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences for this minor.

• Social Science or Humanities electives (8 credits). Choose two of the following:
  • GEOG 465: Environment & Development
  • ENVS 435: Environmental Justice
  • PS 367: Science and the Politics of Climate Change
  • PPPM 340: Climate Change Policy
  • GEOG 410 and ENVS 400 courses approved individually. See Geography advisor to request approval.
• Science electives (4 credits). Choose one of the following:
  • GEOG 421: Advanced Climatology
  • GEOG 430: Long Term Environmental Change
  • GEOG 410 and ENVS 400 courses approved individually. See Geography advisor to request approval