Office of International Education and Development

Geography and Planning

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Planning
Planning your Program: 

The best time for a Geography and Planning major to go abroad will be a combination of their concentration, credits they have transferred in, whether they have a dual major or a minor, whether they plan on taking any summer classes, and obviously their personal situation. Listed below are some suggested time frames for each concentration. Students looking to go abroad during a different period are encouraged to work closely with their advisor and the Education Abroad Office.

For all concentrations short-term study abroad opportunities are normally fairly easy to fit into a student’s degree plan.  Students are able to start participating on short-term programs (winter break, spring break, and summer) as early as their first year.  Students participating on short-term faculty-led programs often fulfill General Education, Major Free Electives, Major Concentration courses, Language requirements, or 2nd Major/Minor requirements.  Students participating on partner summer programs may be able to fulfill major requirements in addition to the above options. Some students will also engage in research or complete an international internship.

BA Geography

BA majors often study a language while abroad in addition to fulfilling GHY elective requirements.  Students may be able to fulfill Required Core and Elective Requirements but should work closely with their department.

BS Geography

BS majors often take a combination of GHY elective, minor/general education requirements while abroad.  It may be possible to fulfill specific GHY requirements but students should work closely with their academic department. 

Course Considerations: 

Geography and Planning majors may not able to complete Capstone requirements abroad and it can generally be difficult to find a program that offers comparable sequence courses.  Other courses that students may want to plan to take before or after their abroad experience are______. Outside of these requirements students may be able to take other major courses abroad, but often electives are the easiest requirements to fulfill.

Students looking to participate in a semester or non departmental faculty-led program can also look to satisfy General Education requirements.  It is suggested that students save 1 or 2 LSE requirements for their study abroad program. It may be possible to satisfy an ILE, Science Inquiry, or Quantitative Literacy course but this requires more advanced planning.  BA students can also participate in a summer or semester language program to satisfy their Intermediate language requirements or look to take Minor courses.  

Advising: 

Students should email their departmental advisor to schedule an advising appointment.

Key questions to ask?

  • What are my remaining degree requirements?
  • How many upper-division credits do I still need to complete for my degree?
  • How many elective credits (lower vs. upper division) do I have left to complete my major?
  • What remaining prerequisites must I fulfill, and how will study abroad impact my progress?
  • Which of my remaining degree requirements could I complete abroad?  Are there any that I cannot take abroad?
  • Can I receive academic credit for an internship abroad?
  • Are there any in-residence requirements I need to be aware of before I go abroad?
Programs

Geography and Planning majors often participate on department faculty-led programs and summer partner programs.  Students are also able to participate on semester programs but should work closely with the department to understand what requirements may be taken abroad.  Listed below are some possible options.

Program Type Information

Faculty-led

All faculty-led programs for fall 2021 have been suspended due to the ongoing pandemic. Please check back beginning in summer 2021 for updates about faculty-led programs for Spring Break and Summer I & II 2022.

Below are examples of previous faculty-led programs.

 

Climate Change, Glaciers, and Water Resources

  • Available Terms: Summer
  • Country: Peru
  • Unique Feature: The Program: Climate Change, Glaciers, and Water Resources introduces students to Andean Mountain Geography (GHY 3140) and Water Resources in the Tropical Andes (GHY 3530) through direct field experience and research activities, readings, discussions, and meetings with guest speakers. Field excursions to Machu Picchu and a 5-day trek in the Cordillera Vilcanota near Cusco will provide an outstanding setting for the study of Andean mountain geography and the impacts of climate variability and change on tropical glaciers, ecosystems, and human populations.

Short-term

Students should use the advanced search feature to locate summer partner programs.  Several options are available for language study and regional studies.  

Semester

Africa

USAC Ghana

  • Program Type: Affiliate
  • Available Terms: Fall, Spring
  • Country: Ghana
  • Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, GIS, PLN

University of Johannesburg 

  • Program Type: Full Exchange 
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: South Africa
  • Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY
  • Unique Feature: Has offered Human Geography, Climatology and Geomorphology, Pedology and Biogeography, Economic and Population Geography, Geo-Informatics, Urban Geography and the S.A. City as well as coursework in Africana and Development Studies amongst other areas. 

University of the Free State 

  • Program Type: Full Exchange 
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: South Africa
  • Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, GIS, PLN
  • Unique Feature: Offers a wide range of Geography coursework including Urban Geography, Applied Urban Development and Spatial Transformation, Rural Geography, Process Geomorphology, Environment and Climate Studies, Environmental Management and Analysis, Intro to GIS, GIS, Physical Geography, Housing and Urban Development, Biogeography and Climate of Southern Africa, Ethical Debates in Geography, Tourism Geography, Tourism and Local Development in South Africa, Intro to Remote Sensing, and more. 

Asia

Madras Christian College

  • Program Type: Full Exchange 
  • Available Terms: Fall, Spring
  • Country: India
  • Standing: 2nd Semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY
  • Unique Feature: Course offerings have included Cartography, Economic and Cultural Geography, Geography of India, World Geography, Human Geography, Regional Planning, Remote Sensing and GIS, History and Heritage, and more. 

Europe

USAC Cork 

  • Program Type: Affiliate 
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: Ireland
  • Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, GIS, PLN
  • Unique Feature: Sample course offerings include Cities of Diversity, Economic and Rural Geography, Intro to Geoinformatics, Coastal and Marine Geomorphology, Regional and Local Planning Issues and Policies, Evironmental Geography, Biogeography, Advanced GIS, Geographies of the Irish Diaspora, Environmental Remote Sensing, Geopolitics and Geostrategies, Intro to Remote Sensing, and more. 

ISEP University of Malta

  • Program Type: ISEP Exchange, ISEP Direct 
  • Available Terms: Spring
  • Country: Malta
  • Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, GIS
  • Unique Feature: Many Malta courses are only worth 2 App credits so courses may need to be combined to satisfy App requirements. Malta spring offerings include Culture and Society, Geographical Applications, Qualitative and Quantitative Geography, GIS, Remote Sensing, Urbanisation and Development, Coastal Geomorphology, Geographical Approach to Travel Planning.  Additional offerings are available to full year students. 

Adam Mickiewicz University

  • Program Type: Partial Exchange
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Spring
  • Country: Poland
  • Standing: 2nd Semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, GIS
  • Unique Feature: Offerings may change from year to year but past courses have included Climate Change, Basics GIS, Global Environmental Change, Water Management of the Far East Countries, Global Warming and Ecosystems, Polish Baltic Coast, Sustainable Development, Geography of Happiness, Remote Sensing, and more.

Universidad de Alicante

  • Program Type: Basic Exchange 
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: Spain
  • Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Language: Students can take a 3 credit language course. 
  • Concentrations: GHY

UNC Cantabria

  • Program Type: Basic Exchange 
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: Spain
  • Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Language: Students can take 12-15 credits of Spain (above 1050/1060).
  • Concentrations: SPN (offers a GHY course)

ISEP Plymouth

  • Program Type: ISEP Exchange
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, PLN

Keele University 

  • Program Type: Basic Exchange, Fee Paying
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, PLN

Swansea University

  • Program Type: Basic Exchange, Fee Paying
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Spring
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Standing: 2nd Semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY

University of Lincoln

  • Program Type: Basic Exchange, Fee Paying
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Standing: 2nd Semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, GIS

USAC Reading 

  • Program Type: Affiliate 
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Standing: Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, PLN

Latin America

Universidad Nacional de Cuyo

  • Program Type: Full Exchange
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: Argentina
  • Standing: 2nd Semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Unique Feature: Program is best suited for upper level language students as all of the coursework at UNCUYO is offered in Spanish.  Students can also take an intensive Spanish language class (3-6 credits) during the semester along with content courses taught in Spanish. Homestays available. 
  • Concentrations: GHY, GIS

Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso

  • Program Type: Full Exchange
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: Chile
  • Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Unique Feature: Offers all levels of Spanish language in the international program but best suited to Intermediate and Advanced students.  Students will take Spanish language courses (1-3 courses per level) in addition to electives taught in Spanish (with a few offerings in English).  Students with upper level language ability are able to enroll directly in regular PUCV courses. Students will stay in homestays. 
  • Concentrations: GHY

Universidad Austral de Chile

  • Program Type: Full Exchange
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: Argentina
  • Standing: 2nd Semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Unique Feature: Program is best suited for upper level language students as all of the coursework at UNCUYO is offered in Spanish.  Students can also take an intensive Spanish language class (3-6 credits) during the semester along with content courses taught in Spanish. Homestays available. 
  • Concentrations: GHY

Oceania

La Trobe University 

  • Program Type: Basic Exchange, Fee Paying
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: Australia
  • Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, PLN
  • Unique Feature: Past course offerings have included Remote Sensing and GIS, Groundwater - Sustainability and Contamination, Climate Change and Landscape Evolution 

Southern Cross University 

  • Program Type: Basic Exchange, Fee Paying
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: Australia
  • Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY
  • Unique Feature: SCU course offerings include Environmental Mapping, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Geographical Information Systems, Coastal Biogeochemistry, Hydrology, and others. 

ISEP Massey and USAC Massey

  • Program Type: ISEP Exchange 
  • Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
  • Country: New Zealand
  • Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Concentrations: GHY, GIS, PLN

Various

School for International Training

  • Program Type: Affiliate
  • Available Terms: Fall, Spring, Summer
  • Country: Various
  • Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Unique Feature: SIT offers programs arranged by theme: Climate & Environment, Development & Inequality, Education & Social Change, Geopolitcs & Power, Global Health & Well-being, Identity & Human Resilience, and Peace & Justice. 

Research

ISA Universidad del Norte

  • Program Type: Affiliate
  • Available Terms: Summer
  • Country: Colombia
  • Standing:  Junior, Senior
  • Language Requirement: High Beginner Spanish
  • Concentration: Environmental Science
  • Unique Feature: Offers students the option of completing a 4 credit summer research project. 

ISA Euroscholars

  • Available Terms: Fall, Spring
  • Country: Europe
  • Standing: Junior, Senior
  • Highlights: EuroScholars is a unique research abroad programme designed for advanced and talented undergraduate students from US and Canadian institutions looking for an international research experience. In this programme, students have the opportunity to undertake one course in the classroom and then work under the direct supervision of professors and other academic staff on a specific academic research project chosen by both the student and the faculty. 

Internships

USAC Wellington Internship

  • Program Type: Affiliate Internship
  • Available Terms: Summer
  • Country: New Zealand
  • Concentration: GHY
  • Unique Feature: USAC’s partnership with Massey University’s National Expedition and Internship Program allows you to participate in a 2-week focused expedition (field study) throughout New Zealand with the opportunity to explore current issues specific to Disaster Risk and Emergency Management through field visits, case studies, and engagement with local experts. This is followed by a 4-week internship placement that is accompanied by an intensive course of project work, journaling, reflections, and a learning portfolio.

Additional information about international internships can be found on the OIED website.