Degree Programs

Geography Program

Geography aims to help people understand why things happen where they do. Many of the problems and issues facing our world today have geographic dimensions, such as environmental quality, social justice, housing, food production and consumption, global trade and business, and resource management. An education in Geography provides essential skills for problem solving and making sense of an interconnected, complex world.

Group I. General Education Basic and Area Requirements (40 Hours)
- English Composition (3)
- Quantitative Reasoning (3)
- World Cultures (6)
- Humanities (9) - ENG 215/225 in Group 2 fulfills 3 of 9 hours
- Social Sciences (9) - any GEOG 100-200 level course in Group 2 fulfills 3 of 9 hours
- Natural Sciences (10)
Group II. Major Requirements (45 Hours)
- Core Courses
  - GEOG 101 (3) - Geography and the Natural Environment
  - GEOG 103 (3) - Geography and Contemporary Society
  - GEOG 201 (3) - Interpretation of Geographic Data
  - GEOG 321 (3) - Geography of Economic Activity
  - GEOG 328 (3) - Cultural Geography
  - GEOG 380 (3) - Quantitative Methods in Geography or Equivalent Stats. Course
  - Either ENG 215 OR ENG 225
    - ENG 215 (3) - Writing for Humanities and Social Sciences
    - ENG 225 (3) - Writing for Science and Technology
- Block I. Physical Geography: Choose Two Course from the following (6 Hours)
  - GEOG 300 (3) - Climatology
  - GEOG 309 (3) - Biogeography
  - GEOG 319 (3) - Natural Hazards and Disasters
  - GEOG 320 (3) - Earth Surface Processes
  - GEOG 409 (3) - Landscape Ecology
- Block II. Analytical Techniques: Choose One Course from the following (3 Hours)
  - GEOG 385 (3) - Field Methods in Geography and Environmental Science
  - GEOG 441 (3) - Environmental Impact Assessment
  - GEOG 470 (3) - Remote Sensing and Air Photo Interpretation
  - GEOG 480 (3) - Geographic Information Systems and Visualization
  - GEOG 481 (3) - Advanced Geo-Spatial Techniques
- Block III. Culminating Experience: Choose One Course from the following (3 Hours)
  - GEOG 490 (3) - Senior Thesis
  - GEOG 495 (3) - Senior Seminar
- Four additional 300-400 level courses in Geography (12 Hours)
Group III. Electives (41 Hours)
- Must include enough 300-400 level credits to meet graduation requirements
Group IV. Writing Intensive and Hawaiian/Asian/Pacific Course
- Three Writing Intensive Courses (one 300 level or above)
- 3 credits of H/A/P courses

Environmental Studies and Environmental Science

The mission of the interdisciplinary Environmental Studies/Science Program is to promote a multidisciplinary analysis of environmental issues, enchance students' awareness of the complexity and seriousness of regional and global problems, and to capitalize on UH Hilo's natural and cultural environment to create knowledge and understanding vital from sustainability of natural systems.

Environmental Studies - Bachelor of Art Degree

Group I. General Education Basic and Area Requirements (40 Hours)
- English Composition (3)
- Quantitative Reasoning (3) - MATH 121 in Group 2 fulfills the 3 hours
- World Cultures (6)
- Humanities (9) - ENG 225 in Group 2 fulfills 3 of 9 hours
- Social Sciences (9)
- Natural Sciences (10) - Science requirements in Group 2 fulfills 9 hours; must take a lab
Group II. Major Requirements (53 - 54 Hours)
- Core Courses
  - BIOL 175 Biology I (3) or BIOL 176 Biology II (3)
  - BIOL 281 (3) - General Ecology
  - CHEM 124 (3) - General Chemistry I
  - CHEM 125 (3) - General Chemistry II
  - ENG 225 (3) - Writing for Science and Technology
  - ENSC 100 (3) - Introduction to Environmental Science
  - ENSC 385 (3) - Field Methods: Environmental Science
  - ENSC 441 (3) - Environmental Impact Assessment
  - ENSC 495 (3) - Senior Seminar: Environmental Science
  - GEOG 326 (3) - Natural Resources
- Quantitative Methods: Choose One Course from the following (3 Hours)
  - BIOL 280 (3) - Biostatistics
  - GEOG 380 (3) - Quantitative Methods in Geography
  - MARE 250 (3) - Statistical Applications in Geography
  - MATH 121 (3) - Introduction to Statistics and Probability
- Environmental Studies: Choose Two Course from the following (6 Hours)
  - ECON 380 (3) - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
  - GEOG 340 (3) - Principles of Land Use Planning
  - GE0G 387 (3) - Literature of the Environment
  - POLS 335 (3) - Environmental Politics and Policy
- Environmental Science: Choose Two Courses from the following (6 Hours)
  - BIOL/GEOG 309 (3) - Biogeography
  - BIOL 381 (3) - Conservation Biology
  - CHEM 360 (3) - Environmental Chemistry
  - GEOG 409 (3) - Landscape Ecology
  - GEOL 300 (3) - Advanced Environmental Earth Science
  - GEOL 360 (3) - Surface Water
- Related Courses: Choose Two Courses, one 300 or higher, from the following (6-7 Hours)
  - ANTH 315 (3) - Ecological Anthropolgy
  - ANTH 481 (3) - Archaeometry
  - BIOL/GEOG 309 (3) - Biogeography
  - BIOL 381 (3) - Conservation Biology
  - CHEM 241 & 241L (4) - Organic Chemistry I with Lab
  - CHEM 360 (3) - Environmental Chemistry
  - ECON 380 (3) - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
  - FOR 202 (3) - Forestry and Natural Resources
  - GEOG 300 (3) - Climatology
  - GEOG 319 (3) - Natural Hazards
  - GEOG 387 (3) - Literature of the Environment
  - GEOG 440 (3) - Advanced Environmental Planning
  - GEOG 470 (3) - Remote Sensing and Air Photo Interpretation
  - GEOG 480 (3) - GIS and Visualization
  - GEOG 481 (3) - Advanced Geo-Spatial Techniques
  - GEOL 300 (3) - Advanced Environmental Earth Science
  - GEOL 342 (3) - Earth Surface Processes
  - GEOL 360 (3) - Surface Water
  - GEOL 445 (3) - GIS for Geology
  - GEOL 450 (3) - Geological Remote Sensing
  - GEOL 460 (3) - Groundwater
  - MARE 282 (3) - Global Change
  - POLS 335 (3) - Environmental Politics and Policy
  - SOIL 304 (3) - Tropical Soils
Group III. Electives (38-39 Hours)
- Must include enough 300-400 level credits to meet graduation requirements
Group IV. Writing Intensive and Hawaiian/Asian/Pacific Course
- Three Writing Intensive Courses (one 300 level or above)
- 3 credits of H/A/P courses

Environmental Science - Bachelor of Science Degree

Group I. General Education Basic and Area Requirements (40 Hours)
- English Composition (3)
- Quantitative Reasoning (3) - MATH 205 in Group 2 fulfills the 3 hours
- World Cultures (6)
- Humanities (9) - ENG 225 in Group 2 fulfills 3 of 9 hours
- Social Sciences (9)
- Natural Sciences (10) - Science requirements in Group 2 fulfills all 10 hours
Group II. Major Requirements (60 - 64 Hours)
- Core Courses
  - BIOL 175 Biology I (3) or BIOL 176 Biology II (3)
  - BIOL 281 (3) - General Ecology
  - CHEM 124 & 124L (4) - General Chemistry I and Lab
  - CHEM 125 & 125L (4) - General Chemistry II and Lab
  - ENG 225 (3) - Writing for Science and Technology
  - ENSC 100 (3) - Introduction to Environmental Science
  - ENSC 385 (3) - Field Methods: Environmental Science
  - ENSC 441 (3) - Environmental Impact Assessment
  - ENSC 495 (3) - Senior Seminar: Environmental Science
  - MATH 205 & 206 (8) - Calculus I and II
- Quantitative Methods: Choose One Course from the following (3 Hours)
  - BIOL 280 (3) - Biostatistics
  - GEOG 380 (3) - Quantitative Methods in Geography
  - MARE 250 (3) - Statistical Applications in Marine Science
  - MATH 121 (3) - Introduction to Statistics and Probability
- Environmental Studies: Choose One Course from the following (3 Hours)
  - ECON 380 (3) - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
  - GE0G 326 (3) - Natural Resources
  - GEOG 340 (3) - Principles of Land Use Planning
  - POLS 335 (3) - Environmental Politics and Policy
- Environmental Science: Choose Three Courses from One Concentration from the following (9 - 11 Hours)
  - Biological Concentration
    - BIOL/GEOG 309 (3) - Biogeography
    - BIOL 375 (3) - Biology of Micro-Organisms
    - BIOL 381 (3) - Conservation Biology
    - BIOL 481 & 481L - Theory and Methods of Ecology and Evolution and Lab
    - GEOG 409 (3) - Landscape Ecology
  - Physical Science Concentration
    - CHEM 141 (3) - Survey of Organic Chemistry
    - CHEM 360 (3) - Environmental Chemistry
    - GEOG 300 (3) - Climatology
    - GEOG 319 (3) - Natural Hazards
    - GEOG 300 (3) - Advanced Environmental Earth Science
    - GEOL 360 (3) - Surface Water
    - GEOL 460 (3) - Groundwater
- Related Courses: Choose Two Courses (no repeats), one 300 or higher, from the following (6-8 Hours)
  - ANTH 315 (3) - Ecological Anthropolgy
  - ANTH 481 (3) - Archaeometry
  - BIOL/GEOG 309 (3) - Biogeography
  - BIOL 381 (3) - Conservation Biology
  - BIOL 481 & 481L (5) - Theory and Methods of Ecology and Evolution and Lab
  - CHEM 241 & 241L (4) - Organic Chemistry I with Lab
  - CHEM 360 (3) - Environmental Chemistry
  - ECON 380 (3) - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
  - FOR 202 (3) - Forestry and Natural Resources
  - GEOG 300 (3) - Climatology
  - GEOG 319 (3) - Natural Hazards
  - GEOG 340 (3) - Principles of Land Use Planning
  - GEOG 387 (3) - Literature of the Environment
  - GEOG 410 (3) - Plants and People+
  - GEOG 440 (3) - Advanced Environmental Planning
  - GEOG 470 (3) - Remote Sensing and Air Photo Interpretation
  - GEOG 480 (3) - GIS and Visualization
  - GEOG 481 (3) - Advanced Geo-Spatial Techniques
  - GEOL 300 (3) - Advanced Environmental Earth Science
  - GEOL 342 (3) - Earth Surface Processes
  - GEOL 360 (3) - Surface Water
  - GEOL 445 (3) - GIS for Geology
  - GEOL 450 (3) - Geological Remote Sensing
  - GEOL 460 (3) - Groundwater
  - MARE 282 (3) - Global Change
  - POLS 335 (3) - Environmental Politics and Policy
  - SOIL 304 (3) - Tropical Soils
Group III. Electives (32-36 Hours)
- Must include enough 300-400 level credits to meet graduation requirements
Group IV. Writing Intensive and Hawaiian/Asian/Pacific Course
- Three Writing Intensive Courses (one 300 level or above)
- 3 credits of H/A/P courses