Geography and Sustainable Planning Minors
About the Minor
The Department of Geography and Sustainable Planning offers a minor in sustainable urban and regional planning, which focuses on strategies, best practices, and skills required for sustainable area development, smart and green infrastructure, and sustainable integration of social, environmental, and economic priorities in planning. Students learn to improve regions while achieving key sustainability goals.
Reasons to Study Sustainable Urban and Regional Planning
Sustainable urban and regional planning students:
- Gain an understanding of planning terms and concepts, which equips them to enter conversations about local planning and zoning, and qualifies them for internships and jobs.
- Build a strong foundation in the history and theory of planning and a depth of understanding that informs their analyses of local issues.
- Participate in regional and state planning conferences and are exposed to frequent guest speakers, giving them contact with real-world practitioners in the field of planning.
- Are in contact with a broad community of alumni in planning related fields – people our undergraduates come to know on a first name basis – offering our graduates a ready-made network for job-hunting advice.
Coursework
Students who minor in sustainable urban and regional planning are required to complete a minimum of 24 credit hours from the courses that follow. These 24 hours or eight courses are to be completed in two separate groupings.
Group one consists of a six-credit-hour core: GPY/PA 209 and GPY 310/ PA 313.
Group two consists of 18 hours or six courses.
Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor to optimize course selection.
About the Minor
The geospatial technology program is an interdisciplinary applied minor offering expertise in geographic information science (GIS), digital image processing (remote sensing), and computer cartography. There is an emphasis on environmental, business, urban planning, and community development applications.
Reasons to Study Geospatial Technology
- An emerging field. Geospatial technology is one of the most important emerging fields in the United States according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Marketability. Geospatial technology offers top jobs in a wide variety of sectors.
- A competitive edge. Studying these smart technologies will give you an edge over peers in the job market.
- Flexibility. Any major combined with the geospatial technology creates a new hybrid skill set.
- Affordability. You can achieve an additional GIS certificate with no extra financial cost.
Coursework
Complete 21-23 credit hours and take the following required three-credit courses:
- GPY 200 - Computer Cartography
- GPY 307 - Introduction to Computer Mapping/GIS
- GPY 370 - Intro to Remote Sensing
Choose four additional elective courses
- GPY 407- Advanced GIS (4 credits)
- GPY 470- Digital Image Processing (3 credits)
- GPY 365- GIS for Economic & Business Decision Making (3 credits)
- GPY 385- GIS in Urban & Regional Analysis (3 credits)
- NRM 250- Resource Measurement and Maps (3 credits)
- NRM 395- GIS Applications in Resource Management (3 credits)
- NRM 450- Applied Spatial Analysis of Natural Resources (3 credits)
- GEO 425- GIS Applications in Geology (3 credits)
- CIS 160- Programming with Visual Basic (3 credits)
- CIS 162- Computer Science I (4 credits)
- CIS 233- Concepts of Database Systems (3 credits)
About the Minor
Expertise in geography is important to all elementary and secondary education students. This minor provides education students with a foundation in human and physical geography, a strong understanding of concepts and principles of global and regional geography, a deep content understanding of regions of the world, and a basic competency in the use of geographic techniques.
Coursework
Students seeking certification to teach geography at the secondary level are required to complete:
- Three core courses
- Four regional studies courses
- One methods course from the list of electives
- Those students pursuing a GPY teachable minor must complete: SST 310 - Teaching Social Studies: Secondary Credits: 3
For more information on the course requirements for this minor, go to the GVSU course catalog.