Geography and Environmental Studies, BA

General Requirements

• 41 credit hours of GES coursework, 18 of which must be upper-division (3000+ level).
• All GES courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
• The Geography Elementary Education Option requires 38 credit hours of GES course work, 19 of which must be upper-division (3000+ level). Said courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better. Consult the College of Education for more information.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate an understanding of processes shaping Earth’s landforms and environments.
• Recognize how the actions and behaviors of diverse cultures impact the natural environment and affect sustainability.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the methods of analysis used to solve geographic problems and communicate effectively.

Departmental Honors

The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies offers honors for students who have demonstrated high academic achievement. In order to be considered for departmental honors, a student must:

• Have an overall University of Colorado GPA of 3.0 or better.
• Have a 3.5 or better GPA in GES courses.
• Select a faculty advisor to mentor an honors research project. If the student’s GPA is between 3.0 and 3.5, the student’s research proposal must be accepted by the majority of GES faculty. If the student’s GPA is above 3.5, only the advisor need approve the proposal. Students then pick two other faculty committee members. The committee will give an oral exam on the research project upon completion.
• Enroll in GES 4970 Honors in Geography .

The level of honors will be decided by the committee after the completion of these requirements. Three levels of honors are available: Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction.