Office of the Registrar

Geography - Bachelor of Science 2023-24 Degree Map

Requirements (REQ) of a Bachelors Degree

Degree Maps show one way how you can earn a degree in four years. Talk with your advisor regularly to develop a personalized plan that works best for you, especially if you have any earned transferrable academic credit.

To graduate in four years, you need an average of 45 credits per year to reach 180 total credits, including 62 upper division (300/400 level courses) credits. You may need to take electives (courses that are not used to meet specific requirements) to reach those totals. Most courses at PSU are 4 credits each. If you transfer credit to PSU, the number of credits you need per year will vary accordingly. 

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This guide outlines the requirements in the 2023-24 catalog. Catalog year defines the specific set of requirements you need to complete a degree. Requirements occasionally change, so it may benefit you to follow a different catalog. Typically, your catalog year is the year you began at PSU, but if you are a transfer student you may be able to use an earlier catalog. Talk with your advisor about which catalog requirements make sense for you.

PSU Bulletins (2015-present) about this content

First Year

Fall CoursesFall CreditsWinter CoursesWinter CreditsSpring CoursesSpring Credits
Freshman Inquiry or Honors5Freshman Inquiry or Honors5Freshman Inquiry or Honors5
General Elective4General Elective4General Elective4
General Elective4General Elective4General Elective4
    General Elective4
Total Fall Credits13Total Winter Credits13Total Spring Credits17

Second Year

Fall CoursesFall CreditsWinter Courses Winter CreditsSpring CoursesSpring Credits
Sophomore Inquiry or Honors4Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement3-4Sophomore Inquiry or Honors4
GEOG 2104GEOG 2304Human Geography UD Elective4
General Elective4BS Math/Statistics3-4General Elective4
General Elective4General Elective4General Elective4
Total Fall Credits16Total Winter Credits14-16Total Spring Credits16

Third Year

Fall CoursesFall CreditsWinter CoursesWinter CreditsSpring CoursesSpring Credits
Upper Division Cluster or Honors4Upper Division Cluster or Honors4Upper Division Cluster or Honors4
GEOG 3804Human GEOG UD Elective4GEOG UD Elective4
GEOG UD Elective4General Elective4General Elective4
Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement3-4General Elective4General Elective4
Total Fall Credits15-16Total Winter Credits16Total Spring Credits16

Fourth Year

Fall CoursesFall CreditsWinter CoursesWinter CreditsSpring CoursesSpring Credits
4XX GEOG Elective4GEOG 496 (Geographic Techniques)4Senior Capstone or Honors6
Physical GEOG UD Elective44XX Physical GEOG Elective44XX GEOG Elective4
General Elective4General Elective4Geographic Techniques UD Elective4
General Elective4    
Total Fall Credits16Total Winter Credits12Total Spring Credits14

 

Additional Map Notes:

  • Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement: Two courses required, each minimum 3 credits: one course must focus on the U.S. experience; the second course must center the experiences of groups under European and U.S. colonialism and imperialism beyond the United States. One must be within the School of Gender, Race and Nations or be cross-listed with one of the SGRN units: Black Studies (BSt), Chicano/Latino Studies (ChLa), Indigenous Nations Studies (NAS), or Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WS). If you choose a RESR course that can be applied towards another requirement, take an elective here instead.
  • Sophomore Inquiry or Honors: For University Studies, two Sophomore Inquiry courses are required, but for Honors, three Sophomore courses are required.
  • GEOG 496 (Geographic Techniques): Or complete STAT 243Z & 244, and an additional 4XX level Geographic Techniques elective.
  • You may need to add additional general elective credits to your plan to reach 180 total credits.

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