Geography BA
Johnstown, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 25,534 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* full-time, two terms | for out-of-state residents
Key Summary
Introduction
Pitt-Johnstown offers the only geography degree program within the University of Pittsburgh system!
Geography is a discipline that integrates the environmental and social sciences. Geography studies location, places, regions, human-environment interactions, and movement. Its tools include cartography and geographic information systems (GIS). On the job, Geography graduates address social, physical, and environmental problems from the global to the local scale.
Geography courses address topics that include urban planning, energy consumption, population dynamics, water resources, soil analysis, climate change, natural hazards, and many others. Methods courses emphasize map design, remote sensing, drone technology, and spatial analysis.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a technological field that uses geographically referenced data to create maps and analyze real-world situations. GIS is computer-based mapping, which involves creating maps, manage spatial data, and to analyze and solve problems that involve geographic information. GIS is used in transportation analysis, natural resource management, urban planning, corporate location decisions, and many more fields! Any student can pursue our 18-credits GIS certificate.
If you are interested in the environment and sustainability, also consider our "sister program" Environmental Studies, which is housed in the Geography Department. Many students double-major in Geography and Environmental Studies.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Pitt-Johnstown Financial Aid
Scholarship eligibility for incoming first-year or new students to Pitt-Johnstown will be assessed by the Admissions Office upon acceptance.
Process For Continuing Students
Each year, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown’s Financial Aid Office awards numerous Gift and Endowed (G&E) scholarships, made available to deserving students through the generosity of many individuals, clubs, organizations, industries, businesses, and foundations.
The selection of scholarship recipients is based on specific criteria defined by the donor. A student’s academic performance and financial need may also be considered when deciding upon qualified candidates. Most G&E scholarships are geared toward continuing students; Pitt-Johnstown may require students to complete a scholarship application for consideration.
Completing the scholarship application does not guarantee selection, however, by completing the application, students are automatically considered for each scholarship that Pitt-Johnstown offers as well as several outside scholarships.
General Requirements
For consideration, students must:
- be enrolled for at least 6 credits in a degree-seeking program at Pitt-Johnstown.
- have successfully completed 12 credits as a degree-seeking student at Pitt-Johnstown.
- have earned a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
- complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 1 to be considered for need-based scholarships.
- be registered for the upcoming fall term by May 15.
- comply with Pitt-Johnstown's satisfactory academic progress standards for financial aid.
- not be in default on an educational loan or not owe repayment on a federal grant.
- not have earned a Bachelor’s Degree.
Scholarship Exclusions/Adjustments
Limited G&E funds are available to full scholarship recipients. Scholarship awards may be adjusted if Financial Aid determines a student is the recipient of a full tuition scholarship or tuition remission.
Any student who receives a scholarship and/or grant awards that total more than Pitt-Johnstown’s annual cost of attendance, as defined by the Financial Aid Office, will have one or more awards reduced or cancelled.
The Financial Aid Office awards G&E scholarships based upon the information available at the time of the award, including intended major or cumulative GPA, as well as any other possible variables. In the event that this information is inaccurate or changes, the Financial Aid Office has the right to reduce, change, or cancel the award.
Curriculum
A. Geography
- GEOG 0210 - Physical Geography
- GEOG 0810 - Earth and People
- GEOG 0420 - Cartography
- GEOG 0100 - Economic Geography or
- GEOG 0610 - Urban Development
B. Six additional Geography courses
At least three of which must be upper level (1000 series), distributed so that at least one course is represented in each of the three concentrations below:
1. Urban/Human Geography/Population:
- GEOG 1130 - Political Geography
- GEOG 1160 - Population Geography
- GEOG 1190 - Geodemography
- GEOG 1600 - Johnstown Area Study
- GEOG 1610 - Urban Planning
2. Physical/Environmental Geography:
- GEOG 1200 - Environmental Planning
- GEOG 1220 - Natural Hazards
- GEOG 1230 - Resource Management
- GEOG 1240 - Watersheds
- GEOG 1260 - Energy, Environment and Society
3. Regional Geography:
- GEOG 0310 - Geography of The United States
- GEOG 0320 - Geography of Africa
- GEOG 0325 - Geography of Europe
- GEOG 0350 - Geography of The Middle East
- GEOG 1300 - Russia and Eurasian States
Note:
Geography GEOG 1410, GEOG 1800, GEOG 1810, GEOG 1820 may be substituted for one of these courses with department approval.
C. An internship in geography
- (SOCSCI 1910 - INTERNSHIP) may be counted as a free elective and taken on a H/S/U grading option only. The number of credits will be determined by the instructor.
D. Methodology:
- SOC 0300 - Social Research Methods or
- STAT 1020 - Social Statistics