The pathway below represents an efficient and effective course taking sequence for this program. Individual circumstances might require some changes to this pathway. It is always recommended that you meet with an academic counselor to develop a personalized educational plan.
The courses have been intentionally placed and should be prioritized in
the order
in which they appear. If you are unable to take all the courses in
a semester, you
should prioritize enrolling in the courses in the order below.
Some courses have
been noted as “Appropriate for Intersession” 
. Should you need (or want) to take
classes
in the summer and/or winter intersessions,
the program recommends these courses as appropriate for the condensed
schedule of
the intersessions.
Some pathways combine a “Certificate of Achievement” and an “Associate
Degree”. If
you are pursuing only the Certificate of Achievement, you are only
required to take
the courses marked “Program Requirement” 
.
All pathways include at least one “Gateway Course” 
which introduces you to the program and/or field of study and helps you
decide if you want to continue with this Academic and Career Path.
Most Associate degrees (though not Associate Degrees for Transfer)
require satisfying the SMC Global Citizenship requirement. If the Program
Requirements do not include a “Global Citizenship course” 
, be sure to select a General Education course that also satisfies Global Citizenship.
Geographers study the distribution of people in relation to land and other natural resources. They examine the distribution of land forms, study climate, soils, or vegetation, analyze resources such as water and minerals, or they may study political organizations, transportation systems, marketing systems, patterns of industrial development, housing, or public health. Additional careers include cartographer, demographer, geographic information specialist, hazardous waste planner, hydrologist, urban planner and environmental impact analyst.
This program is intended to prepare students for transfer into the study of Geography.
Upon completion of the program, students will:
- Lower division major preparation for transfer into Geography
- Upon completion of Geography courses, students will: Be able to identify spatial patterns and inter-relationships between systems and cycles that affect life and shape landscapes. Demonstrate cartographic literacy, including map interpretation. Through spatial analysis skills, be able to analyze, recognize, and evaluate spatial distributions on all scales from local to global to become better global citizens.
General Education
Available Online
