Physical Geography Honours Program

Department of Geography | Faculty of Environment
丁香园AV Calendar 2013 Summer

The department offers a bachelor of science (BSc) honours program in physical geography.

The program can be completed with one of three streams: biogeophysical science, physical geography and spatial information science, geoscience. The biogeophysical science stream offers a broad range of environmental science courses in physical geography. The physical geography and spatial information science stream focuses on the linkages between physical geography and spatial information science. Students completing this stream may also apply to receive a Certificate in Spatial Information Systems. The geoscience stream targets the academic requirements for registration as a professional geoscientist (environmental geoscience) in British Columbia. This stream is recommended to students who are interested in focusing their academic program in the areas of geomorphology, hydrology, soils, climatology, biogeography and spatial information science. Requirements for each stream are below. Students should contact the student advisor to plan their course work.

丁香园AV Requirements

Program entry requires the approval of the department and an admission grade point average (GPA) of 3.00.

Minimum Grade Requirements

To graduate with honours, students must have a graduation GPA of not less than 3.00.

Program Requirements

Students complete 132 units, as specified below.

Lower Division Requirements

Common Requirements

All students, regardless of the stream they choose, will complete a total of 32-33 units, including all of

CHEM 121 General Chemistry and Laboratory I (4)
CHEM 122 General Chemistry II (2)
EASC 101 Physical Geology (3)
GEOG 100 Society, Space, Environment: Introducing Human Geography (3)
GEOG 111 Earth Systems (3)

and one of

MATH 150 Calculus I with Review (4)
MATH 151 Calculus I (3)
MATH 154 Calculus I for the Biological Sciences (3)

and one of

MATH 152 Calculus II * (3)
MATH 155 Calculus II for the Biological Sciences (3)

and one of

PHYS 101 Physics for the Life Sciences I ** (3)
PHYS 120 Mechanics and Modern Physics (3)

and one of

PHYS 102 Physics for the Life Sciences II ** (3)
PHYS 121 Optics, Electricity and Magnetism (3)

and one of

PHYS 130 Physics for the Life Sciences Laboratory ** (2)
PHYS 131 Physics Laboratory I (2)

and one of

STAT 101 Introduction to Statistics (3)
STAT 201 Statistics for the Life Sciences (3)
STAT 270 Introduction to Probability and Statistics (3)

*students in the Geoscience stream must take Math 152
**a minimum grade may be required for this course to serve as a prerequisite to certain Faculty of Science courses; students in the Geoscience stream must have a grade of B or better

See PHYS courses for possible physics course substitutions.

Biogeophysical Science Stream

In addition to the common requirements as shown above, students who choose this stream will also complete 20 units, including both of

BISC 101 General Biology (4)
BISC 102 General Biology (4)

and two of

GEOG 213 Introduction to Geomorphology (3)
GEOG 214 Weather and Climate (3)
GEOG 215 Biogeography (3)

and one of

GEOG 221 Economic Geography (3)
GEOG 241 Social Geography (3)

and one of

GEOG 253 Introduction to Remote Sensing (3)
GEOG 255 Geographical Information Science I (3)

Geoscience Stream

In addition to the common requirements as shown above, students who choose this stream will also complete 33 units, including all of

EASC 201 Stratigraphy and Sedimentation *** (3)
EASC 202 Introduction to Mineralogy *** (3)
EASC 204 Structural Geology I *** (3)
EASC 205 Introduction to Petrology *** (3)
EASC 207 Introduction to Applied Geophysics *** (3)
EASC 210 Historical Geology *** (3)
GEOG 213 Introduction to Geomorphology (3)
GEOG 214 Weather and Climate (3)
GEOG 215 Biogeography (3)
GEOG 221 Economic Geography (3)

***with a C- grade or better in prerequisite courses

and one of

GEOG 253 Introduction to Remote Sensing (3)
GEOG 255 Geographical Information Science I (3)

Physical Geography and Spatial Information Science Stream

In addition to the common requirements as shown above, students who choose this stream will also complete 23 units, including all of

BISC 101 General Biology (4)
BISC 102 General Biology (4)
GEOG 253 Introduction to Remote Sensing (3)
GEOG 255 Geographical Information Science I (3)

and two of

GEOG 213 Introduction to Geomorphology (3)
GEOG 214 Weather and Climate (3)
GEOG 215 Biogeography (3)

and one of

GEOG 221 Economic Geography (3)
GEOG 241 Social Geography (3)

Upper Division Requirements

The program requires a minimum of 60 units of upper division courses, of which 48 must be in physical geography or other closely related Faculty of Science subjects that have been approved by the Department of Geography. Students are strongly encouraged to seek Department of Geography advice in advance about suitability of the courses they are considering. GEOG 491 may be included in these 48 units.

The remaining 12 upper division units must be from physical geography (GEOG 31x or 41x courses), BISC, CHEM, CMPT, EASC, EVSC, MACM, MASC, MATH, MBB, PHYS, or STAT.

Biogeophysical Science Stream

Students who choose this stream will complete a minimum total of 44 units, including three of

GEOG 310 Physical Geography Field Course (4)
GEOG 311 Hydrology (4)
GEOG 313 River Geomorphology (4)
GEOG 314 The Climate System (4)
GEOG 315 World Ecosystems (4)
GEOG 316 Global Biogeochemical and Water Cycles (4)
GEOG 317 Soil Science (4)

and one of

GEOG 322 World Resources (4)
GEOG 323 Industrial Location (4)
GEOG 324 Geography of Transportation (4)
GEOG 325 Geographies of Consumption (4)
GEOG 327 Geography of Tourism (4)
GEOG 362 Geography of Urban Built Environments (4)
GEOG 381 Political Geography (4)
GEOG 382 Population Geography (4)
GEOG 383 Regional Development and Planning I (4)
GEOG 385 Agriculture and the Environment (4)
GEOG 386 Health Geography (4)
GEOG 387 Geography and Gender (4)
GEOG 389W Nature and Society (4)

and one of

GEOG 351 Multimedia Cartography (4)
GEOG 352 Spatial Analysis (4)
GEOG 353 Advanced Remote Sensing (4)
GEOG 355 Geographical Information Science II (4)
GEOG 356 3D Geovisualization (4)

and two of

GEOG 411 Advanced Hydrology (4)
GEOG 412W Glacial Processes and Environments (4)
GEOG 413 Advanced River Geomorphology (4)
GEOG 414 Advanced Climatology (4)
GEOG 415 Advanced Biogeography (4)
GEOG 417W Advanced Soil Science (4)

and a minimum of 16 upper division units from BISC, CHEM, CMPT, EASC, EVSC, GEOG, MACM, MASC, MATH, MBB, PHYS or STAT courses. At least eight of these must be GEOG courses.

Geoscience Stream

Students must complete a minimum of 49-51 units including all of

EASC 304 Hydrogeology *** (3)
GEOG 310 Physical Geography Field Course (4)
GEOG 311 Hydrology (4)
GEOG 313 River Geomorphology (4)
GEOG 317 Soil Science (4)
GEOG 412W Glacial Processes and Environments (4)

and one of

GEOG 322 World Resources (4)
GEOG 323 Industrial Location (4)
GEOG 325 Geographies of Consumption (4)
GEOG 327 Geography of Tourism (4)
GEOG 382 Population Geography (4)
GEOG 385 Agriculture and the Environment (4)
GEOG 389W Nature and Society (4)

and one of

GEOG 352 Spatial Analysis (4)
GEOG 353 Advanced Remote Sensing (4)

and five (18-20 units) of the following. This five will include no more than eight units from GEOG 314, 315, 316, 414 and 417, and no more than six units from EASC 303, 307 and 313.

EASC 303 Environmental Geoscience *** (3)
EASC 307 Applied Geophysics *** (3)
EASC 313 Introduction to Soil and Rock Engineering *** (3)
GEOG 312 Geography of Natural Hazards (4)
GEOG 314 The Climate System (4)
GEOG 315 World Ecosystems (4)
GEOG 316 Global Biogeochemical and Water Cycles (4)
GEOG 411 Advanced Hydrology (4)
GEOG 413 Advanced River Geomorphology (4)
GEOG 414 Advanced Climatology (4)
GEOG 415 Advanced Biogeography (4)
GEOG 417W Advanced Soil Science (4)

***with a C- grade or better in prerequisite courses

Physical Geography and Spatial Information Science Stream

Students who choose this stream will complete a minimum total of 44 units, including three of

GEOG 310 Physical Geography Field Course (4)
GEOG 311 Hydrology (4)
GEOG 313 River Geomorphology (4)
GEOG 314 The Climate System (4)
GEOG 315 World Ecosystems (4)
GEOG 316 Global Biogeochemical and Water Cycles (4)
GEOG 317 Soil Science (4)

and one of

GEOG 322 World Resources (4)
GEOG 323 Industrial Location (4)
GEOG 324 Geography of Transportation (4)
GEOG 325 Geographies of Consumption (4)
GEOG 327 Geography of Tourism (4)
GEOG 362 Geography of Urban Built Environments (4)
GEOG 381 Political Geography (4)
GEOG 382 Population Geography (4)
GEOG 383 Regional Development and Planning I (4)
GEOG 385 Agriculture and the Environment (4)
GEOG 386 Health Geography (4)
GEOG 387 Geography and Gender (4)
GEOG 389W Nature and Society (4)

and three of

GEOG 351 Multimedia Cartography (4)
GEOG 352 Spatial Analysis (4)
GEOG 353 Advanced Remote Sensing (4)
GEOG 355 Geographical Information Science II (4)
GEOG 356 3D Geovisualization (4)

and two of

GEOG 411 Advanced Hydrology (4)
GEOG 412W Glacial Processes and Environments (4)
GEOG 413 Advanced River Geomorphology (4)
GEOG 414 Advanced Climatology (4)
GEOG 415 Advanced Biogeography (4)
GEOG 417W Advanced Soil Science (4)

and two of

GEOG 451 Spatial Modeling (4)
GEOG 453W Theoretical and Applied Remote Sensing (4)
GEOG 455 Theoretical and Applied GIS (4)
GEOG 457 Geovisualization Interfaces (4)

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to 丁香园AV beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.

WQB Graduation Requirements A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit.
Requirement	Units	Notes
W - Writing	6	Must include at least one upper division course, taken at 丁香园AV within the student鈥檚 major subject
Q - Quantitative	6	Q courses may be lower or upper division
B - Breadth	18	Designated Breadth	Must be outside the student鈥檚 major subject, and may be lower or upper division 6 units Social Sciences: B-Soc 6 units Humanities: B-Hum 6 units Sciences: B-Sci
B - Breadth	6	Additional Breadth	6 units outside the student鈥檚 major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements) Additional breadth units must be from outside the student's major and may be B-designated (B-Hum, B-Soc, B-Sci courses). Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honours, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas.

Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit

The University鈥檚 residency requirement stipulates that, in most cases, total transfer and course challenge credit may not exceed 60 units, and may not include more than 15 units as upper division work.

Elective Courses

In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.

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