Mar 29, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog | 2017-2018 
    
Undergraduate Catalog | 2017-2018 Previous Edition

Geography, Urban, Social, and Economic (USE) Geography Concentration, B.S.


From the local to the global, patterns of urban growth and development connect people to each other, their communities, and their work at every scale of life.  Accordingly, this concentration emphasizes how cities grow, how urban populations change, how urban areas interact with one another as well as the implications of these transitions and interactions at the local, regional and international levels.  Coursework is tailored to student interest and typically involves foundational courses in urban, social, and economic dynamics; population, migration, and labor studies; poverty, inequality, and housing; transportation and locational analysis; and global and globalizing cities and the impacts of globalization at all geographic scales.  Through classroom and research-based activities, students become grounded in the theory and methods of applied geographical analysis in an increasingly interdependent world that: (1) informs stakeholders and the general public; (2) prepares them for careers in the public and private sectors with consultancies, non-profit agencies, international business, think tanks, transnational organizations, while; (3) preparing them for further academic study. 

Degree Requirements


General Education Courses (37-41 credit hours)


For details on required courses, refer to the General Education Program 

Foreign Language Requirement (0-8 credit hours)


All students who earn a degree within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are required to demonstrate proficiency in the language of their choice through the 1202 level.  Proficiency can be demonstrated in one of the following ways:

  • Completing the required coursework at UNC Charlotte
  • Completing three years of the same foreign language in high school through level three
  • Achieving a satisfactory score on the foreign languages placement test (in Spanish, French, or German)
  • Through approved transfer or transient credit earned at other accredited institutions
  • By transferring in with an A.A., A.S. or A.F.A. degree
  • A combination of the above methods (e.g., placing out of or earning transfer or transient credit for 1201 and completing the 1202 course, completing 1201 and placing out of or earning transfer or transient credit for 1202)

Restricted Elective Courses (18 credit hours)


Select 18 credit hours of elective GEOG coursework at the 3000 or above level.  Up to three elective courses may be selected from courses with the ESCI, GEOL, and METR prefix. 

Concentration Courses (14 credit hours)


Specific coursework for this Concentration in Urban, Social, and Economic Geography is developed in consultation with the student’s advisor. 

Unrestricted Elective Courses


As needed to complete the credit hours required for graduation.

Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours


Cooperative Education Program


Students in the Geography and Earth Sciences programs may obtain practical work experience while pursuing their degrees by participating in the Cooperative Education program.  The work experience is approved by the department and is closely related to the student’s field of study.  The Cooperative Education Program allows qualified students either to alternate semesters of academic study with semesters of full-time work experience or to combine part-time academic study and part-time work during the same semester.  Students who are in good standing with the University, have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5, and have completed 30 credit hours are eligible to apply.  Transfer students are required to complete 12 credit hours at the University prior to application. Students interested in learning more about participating in this program should contact the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences or the University Career Center.

Honors Program


For details about the Honors Program in Earth Sciences, Geography, Geology, or Metrology, visit the program page .

Suggested Curriculum


For the suggested course sequence toward completing the major, please see the Academic Plan of Study available online at academics.uncc.edu.  Consultation with an advisor is required each semester.