The Environmental Analysis Option is designed for students interested in careers related to land use planning, environmental consulting, geospatial analysis, climate change, Earth material extraction, geohazard assessment or natural resource positions with local, county, state or federal governments. Students could also pursue graduate degrees in geoscience related programs.

Required Courses

In addition to the Core Courses, listed to the left, the Environmental Analysis Option consists of the following courses.

All of the following Courses:
Geography 101 The Physical Environment Introduction to modern physical geography: survey spatial distribution of the earth’s physical characteristics, including weather and climate, water, soils, vegetation, and landforms; discuss environmental processes and interactions creating these physical geographic patterns; discuss importance to humans of the physical environment; use geographic tools including maps, air photos, and investigative techniques. Geography 276 Introduction to Cartography: Map Conceptualization and Development The map production process, including rationale, graphic structure, data collection and organization, map layout, and final production. Geography 377 Remote Sensing I Characteristics of aerial photographs and digital imagery. Use remote sensing materials to conduct resource inventories, and land use evaluation, and landform analysis.	Geography 379 Remote Sensing II Learn principles of remote sensor technology and apply them to inventory earth resources, detect and monitor pollution, and measure other environmental phenomena. Use visual analysis and computer-assisted digital imaging processing techniques to interpret various types of remote sensor imagery. Geography 476 Geographic Information Systems I Develop, use and maintain a geographic-based spatial information system (GIS) for resource management. Acquire and assess spatial data. Compare raster and vector data models. Computer-based geographic data handling, analysis, interpretation, and display. Cartographic and spatial modeling. Geography 479Geographic Information Systems II Intermediate and advanced geographic information systems (GIS) techniques; integrate medium and large scale digital databases, use rectified aerial and satellite geographic base data. Principles and development of complex environmental and cultural spatial modeling, GIS programming concepts and applications.	Geology/Geography 335Climate: Past, Present, and Future Explore the physical and theoretical underpinnings of climate change science. Field and laboratory methods combined with computer model simulations are used to investigate ther geological and biological evidence of past, present and future climate including global worming and its impacts. Math 355Elementary Statistical Methods Fundamental concepts and techniques that underlie applications to various disciplines, including descriptive statistics; averages; dispersion; random sampling; binomial, normal, Student T, Chi-square, and F distributions; estimation and tests of hypothesis; linear regression and correlation; laboratory emphasis on sampling and applications.

SIX Additional credits selected from the following:
Geography 340Processes of Environmental Degradation Study why and how humans harm the physical environment; includes geographic, cultural, political, economic causes and consequences. Case studies from around the world. Geography 344Environmental Hazards Human interaction with hazardous phenomena such as earthquakes, storms, and infectious diseases; spatial aspects of the social processes and perceptions creating risk and vulnerability in the environment; local hazards. Geography 354Climatology Examine world climatic patterns, climate classification, air pollution climatology, and global climate change. Geography 376Statistical and Multimedia Cartography Statisitical manipulation and symbolization of spatial data for map presentation. Acquire and handle quantitative data within a multimedia mapping environment.	Geography 382Dynamic Cartography Theory and practical applications of interactive mapping and hypermedia presentation. Survey of animated mapping, Web-based cartography, dynamic map displays and associated authoring tools within a multimedia environment.. Geography 386Map Design and Production How the graphic elements of a map affect its physical and perceived structure. Graphic communication, design principles, and map production skills. Geography 390Applied Statistics in Geography Survey geographic problems and quantitative problem solving methods; create or extract relevant data sets from published geographic resources; apply, interpret, and present appropriate spatial and nonspatial statistics. Geology 330Environmental Geology Apply geological principles to understand and solve problems associated with human interaction with the physical environment, including soil and rock mechanics, slope stability, land subsidence, earthquakes, coastal erosion, and resource extraction.	Geology/Geography 352Geomorphology Characteristics, origin, and development of landforms. Geology 370Glacial Geology Origin and development of glacial features and related phenomena over the last three million years. Geology 383Hydrogeology Hydrologic budgets, occurrence and movement of groundwater in flow net analysis, well hydraulics and interpretation of aquifer pumping tests, well head protection. Geology 393Field Trip in Geology Observe geological phenomena; readings, field notebook and/or report. May repeat for credit with change in locale or topic.

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