Geography Minor

Minimum number of credits required to earn minor: 18

GPA requirements to earn minor: GPA requirements to earn minor: Students graduating with a minor in a CLAS field must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in those courses credited toward completion of the minor.

Minimum Grade requirement for courses to count towards minor:  C- or higher.

Other requirements: A minimum of 9 credit hours must be completed at the University of Maine.

Restrictions: 

  • Any combination of minors in Anthropology, Archaeology, or Human Dimensions of Climate Change is not permissible.
  • Geography minors can minor in Anthropology, Archaeology, or Human Dimensions of Climate Change, but no more than one course may be double counted.

Contact Information: Samuel Hanes, Geography Program Coordinator, samuel.hanes@maine.edu

Overview
The discipline of geography is an inherently interdisciplinary field of study that incorporates domain interests, theory, and methods from the social sciences, humanities, and earth sciences. Geographers’ common focus on place, human-environment interactions, and spatial relationships integrates these diverse perspectives. Mapping and spatial analysis are core methods that distinguish geography from many allied fields. Geographers pursue research and teaching in areas as diverse as urban planning, cultural ecology, tourism, geomorphology, and transportation. A particular strength in the UMaine Geography minor is its emphasis on historical geography, a subfield that explores the history of landscape and settlement, economic activity, resource exploitation, and the meaning of place and space.

The geography curriculum will appeal to undergraduates seeking a general yet practical University education. Geographers find employment in such careers as resource management, urban and regional planning, environmental assessment, and conservation, as well as K-12 education, journalism, and the non-profit sector. Students are urged to discuss and plan course selection with the Coordinator.

Course requirements
Required core courses (6cr)
GEO100-World Geography (3cr)
     plus one of the following
GEO212-Geography of Maine (3cr) (same as HTY212)
ANT235-Cultural Perceptions of Nature (3cr)

Elective coursework from the following list (9cr)
ANT212-The Anthropology of Food (3cr)
ANT235-Cultural Perceptions of Nature (3cr)
ANT464-Ecological Anthropology (3cr)
GEO212-Geography of Maine (3cr) (same as HTY212)
GEO265-The Power of Maps (3cr)
GEO275-Geography of Globalization (3cr) (same as HTY275)
GEO311-Geography of Climate Change (3cr) (same as ANT311)
GEO349-Early Modern North America in Atlantic Perspective (3cr) (same as HTY349)
HTY365-The American Immigrant Experience (3cr)
HTY465-American Landscapes, 1600-1850 (3cr)

As part of their electives, students may choose up to two courses from the following list
ERS350-Fresh-Water Flow (3cr)
ERS361-The Principles of Geomorphology (3cr)
ERS425 How to Build a Habitable Planet (3cr)
ERS441-Glaciers and Our Landscape (3cr)

Geographic Methods (3-4cr)
EHD462-Workshop in Elementary Education (Activity) (1-6cr)

  • Topic: GIS for Educators

EHD472-Workshop in Secondary Education (Activity) (1-6cr)

  • Topic: GIS for Educators

HTY498-Senior Seminar in History (3cr)

  • Topic: Digital and Spatial History (Other topics may be considered, please consult coordinator)

HTY599-Special Topics in History (3cr) (Consult with coordinator for topic approval)
INT527-Integration of GIS and Remote Sensing Data Analysis in Natural Resource Applications (3cr)
SFR400-Applied Geographic Information Systems (4cr)

  • Students can take GIS300-GIS Applications I through University of Maine at Machias

SFR406-Remote Sensing of the Forest Environment (3cr