Geography and GIS

Minors

Minor in Geography

The minor in geography is comprised of 18 credit hours. A minimum of 9 hours must be at the 300-level or higher. Students are required to take one human geography course, one physical geography course and one regional course. The remaining hours are electives. A minimum grade of C is required for all courses counted toward the minor. The courses should be selected in consultation with an undergraduate advisor in geography. Note: ESCI111 can be applied toward a minor in geography, however all other courses must have a GEOG prefix. Learn more about a minor in Geography.

Minor in GIS

GIS Minor Requirements
The minor in GIS is comprised of 18 credit hours. Students must earn a letter grade of C or better for all minor coursework. The minor is open to students from any major, however the specific course requirements for Geography majors are different than those for non-Geography majors, as described below.

Requirements for Geography Majors:
Students majoring in geography must complete 9 credit hours of required coursework and at least 9 credit hours of electives. (Please note that majors must complete an additional 300- or 400-level course to fulfill the techniques requirement for the major.)
Required Courses: GEOG 418, GEOG 422, GEOG 424
Electives: 9 credit hours with the approval of the GIS minor advisor

Requirements for All Other Majors:
Students not majoring in geography must complete 12 credit hours of required coursework and at least 6 credit hours of elective coursework.
Required courses: GEOG 320, GEOG 418, GEOG 422, GEOG 424
Electives: 6 credit hours with the approval of the GIS minor advisor

Elective courses include the following: GEOG 322, GEOG 420, GEOG 421, GEOG 423, GEOG 425, GEOG 427 (GIS-related only), GEOG 431, GEOG 432, GEOG 454 (GIS-topics only)
Other courses not listed here can be used toward the minor with the approval of the GIS Minor Advisor.

GIS Minor Advisor: Dr Shunfu Hu  shu@siue.edu /Phone: 618-650-2281 / Office: Alumni 1408

Minor in Meteorology and Climatology

Weather and climate are central components of the physical environment, playing important roles in a wide range of human activities and natural processes. This minor provides an overview of the physical processes that control both past and present-day weather and climate. It will also provide an introduction to the dynamics of the atmosphere, the history of climate change throughout geological time, and allow students to study the linkages between the Earth-Atmosphere system and human development, food and water resources, and disease.

In order to satisfy the minor requirements, students must complete a minimum of 18 units of courses while maintaining a minimum 2.0 GPA in this minor. Students must complete 6 hours of required coursework in Meteorology and Climatology and at least 6 credits in Advanced Topics in Meteorology and Climatology, and at least 6 credits of Electives split between human geography and applied spatial analysis. Courses not listed among electives may be acceptable if approved by the Meteorology and Climatology Coordinator.

Geography majors will not be able to count the same class for their major and their minor.

For additional information and advisement, please contact: (Email: Dr. Black / Phone: 618-650-2790) or (Email: Dr. Hu / Phone: 618-650-2281).

Requirements: at least 18 credit hours

Core Required Courses (9 credits)

• GEOG 211  Meteorology
• GEOG 314  Climatology
• GEOG 409 Weather Forecasting

Advanced Topics in Meteorology and Climatology (6 credits; non-Geography electives may be considered with approval of the minor coordinator)

At least two of the following:

• GEOG 202  Natural Resource Management and Sustainability
• GEOG 311  Atmospheric Hazards
• GEOG 315 Geomorphology
• GEOG 316  Introduction to Biogeography
• GEOG 411  Hydrology
• GEOG 417  River Landscapes
• GEOG 427  Internship (with approval of minor coordinator)
• GEOG 429  Storm Chasing and Assessment
• GEOG 430  Global Climate Change
• GEOG 452  Topics in Physical Geography (with approval of minor coordinator)

Elective Courses (3 credits)

• GEOG 401  Geography of Development
• GEOG 403  Advanced Urban Geography
• GEOG 404 Medical Geography
• GEOG 405  Geography of Food
• GEOG 418 Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• GEOG 424 Vector Based GIS
• GEOG 424 Raster Based GIS
• GEOG 451  Topics in Human Geography (with approval of minor coordinator)
• GEOG 454  Topics in Geographic Techniques (with approval of minor coordinator)

Non-geography electives may be considered.

Exit Requirements

To earn a minor in meteorology and climatology, students must complete 18 credit hours as described above. A grade of C or better must be achieved in all minor coursework. Students must complete all University requirements.

Minor in Urban Studies

The Urban Studies minor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is an interdisciplinary program dedicated to the cultivation of knowledge and skills pertaining to urban issues at the local, national, and global scales. A minor in Urban Studies will help prepare students to be informed, thoughtful, and engaged participants in an urban world by providing a broad program of study encompassing the social, cultural, geographical, historical, political, economic, and planning dimensions of cities and urban life.

Students desiring a minor in Urban Studies must complete 6 credit hours of required core courses and at least 12 credit hours of elective courses for a minimum 18 credit hours. Courses taken to fulfill minor requirements must come from at least two different academic departments. Students must pass all courses with a grade of “C” or better. Courses already counted toward a student’s major cannot be counted again for this minor unless approved by both the student's major program advisor and the Urban Studies Coordinator. Courses not listed among the electives may be acceptable if approved by the Urban Studies Coordinator.

For additional information and advisement, please contact:  Dr. James Hanlon (Email: jhanlon@siue.edu / Phone: 618-650-2943). 

Core Course Requirements (6 credit hours):

• GEOG 303 Introduction to Urban Geography

Any one of the following (remaining courses may be taken to fulfill elective requirements):

• GEOG 403 Advanced Urban Geography
• POLS 344 Urban Politics
• SOC 335 Urban Sociology

Elective Course Requirements (minimum 12 credit hours):

• ANTH 332 Origins of Old World Cities and States
• ANTH 333 Origins of New World Cities and States
• ANTH 411 Urban Anthropology
• CE 376 Transportation
• CJ 366 Race and Class in Criminal Justice
• CNST 264 Construction Surveying
• CNST 415 Land Development
• ECON 327 Social Economics: Issues in Income, Employment and Social Policy
• ECON 445 Economics of the Public Sector: State and Local
• EPFR 320 Foundations of Education in a Multicultural Society
• GEOG 402 Cultural Landscape
• GEOG 403 Advanced Urban Geography
• HIST 434a Modern Twentieth Century American History (1896-1945)
• HIST 434b Modern Twentieth Century American History (1945-present)
• HIST 442 The Black Urban Experience
• HIST 470 Preserving the American Past
• POLS 320 Introduction to Public Administration
• POLS 342 Issues in American Public Policy
• POLS 344 Urban Politics
• SOCW 303 Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
• SOCW 390 Diversity and Issues of Social and Economic Justice
• SOC 304 Race and Ethnic Relations
• SOC 309 Social Inequality
• SOC 335 Urban Sociology

Because the following courses have variable content, they require advance approval by the Coordinator of the Urban Studies minor:

• ANTH 350 Applied Anthropology
• CJ 390 Special Topics in Criminal Justice
• GEOG 451 Topics in Human Geography
• HIST 400 Topics in History
• PAPA 499 Seminar in Public Administration