Geography and the Environment

Geography major (for BA students)

This section specifies the Geography major (no concentration) requirements only. Information on additional Bachelor of Arts requirements begins in this section and includes the requirements for declaring a major. Please check the Bachelor of Arts residency section of the calendar for how many upper-level credits must be completed at UFV in order to graduate with this program.

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. Additional fees for course field trips and miscellaneous lab materials will apply to all students enrolled in Geography programs.

Program outline

Lower-level requirements: 29–30 credits

Upper-level requirements: 28–36 credits

Note 1: No more than eight credits may be in Directed Studies/Directed Readings courses (GEOG 480, GEOG 481, GEOG 482, GEOG 483, GEOG 484).

Note 2: No more than 11 credits of GEOG 396/GDS 310/SOC 396, GEOG 398/GDS 311/SOC 398, GEOG 412, GEOG 460, and GEOG 470 can be used towards meeting the Geography major requirements.

Note 3: Students planning to complete this option should contact the program coordinator for information and the process for demonstrating their learning.

Co-operative Education option

The Co-operative Education option offers students the opportunity to obtain paid, career-related work experience in their field of study during their education at UFV. After completing their first year of study, Co-op students alternate between study-related full-time employment and full-time study.

Geography students are encouraged to consider pursuing a Co-operative Education designation within their degree. Interested students will need to apply at least one semester in advance of applying for employment opportunities through the program. Applicants must meet the requirements of the Co-operative Education program. Students should speak with a Co-operative Education Coordinator for placement possibilities in the Arts and/or Sciences.

Students who successfully complete three Co-op work terms will receive a Co-op designation on their transcript. Each work term is for four or eight months, and many of these are in the summer. In order to take full advantage of these work opportunities, students should consider applying by their second year of study. Students should see the Co-operative Education section of the calendar for further details, and should contact the Career Centre for further information, or visit ufv.ca/jobs/co-op-education.

Geography major concentrations

As part of completing a BA with a Geography major, students may choose to specialize in a particular sub-field, or concentration, of geographic study. Students may complete a concentration in order to advance their research skills, develop their interest area, or to prepare themselves for specific fields of employment or graduate study. The name of a selected concentration will appear on the transcript upon graduation. It is possible to complete more than one concentration.

Students interested in completing a concentration should speak with an Advisor to formally declare their program options (major, concentration, extended minor, or minor) by the end of their second year or beginning of their third year of studies. Students considering more than one concentration should do so even earlier. They should also check with an Advisor and the School of Land Use and Environmental Change assistant for checklists and other information materials that will facilitate concentration completion in a timely fashion.

A concentration may be obtained in conjunction with a Geography Honours or a Co-operative Education designation. Students seeking an honours designation will need to apply to the honours program and complete the requirements of the honours program in addition to those required for the selected concentration. Students seeking a Co-operative Education designation should contact the Centre for Experiential and Career Education for further information.

This section specifies the Geography major concentration requirements only. Please refer to the Bachelor of Arts section for program requirements.

Urban Studies and Planning concentration

Lower-level requirements: 29–30 credits

Note: One course of the following is recommended: BIO 106 or ANTH 225/SOC 225 (discontinued).

Upper-level requirements: 28–34 credits

Note 1: No more than eight credits may be in Directed Studies/Directed Readings courses (GEOG 480, GEOG 481, GEOG 482, GEOG 483, GEOG 484).

Note 2: Students planning to complete this option should contact the program coordinator for information and the process for demonstrating their learning.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.