Lindley Hall
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Program Overview

The undergraduate major in geography can be pursued from two different perspectives. People seeking a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) degree take a core of eighteen hours in regional, physical, human, and statistical geography plus another fifteen hours of electives. People electing the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) path have the option of three different foci: physical geography, geographic information science, and atmospheric science. These three each require solid backgrounds in mathematics and basic science.

At the graduate level the department offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Geography and the Master of Science (M.S.) in Atmospheric Science. The M.A. is a thirty-hour degree that combines broad training in the field with a specialty. It also includes a thesis. The Ph.D. program offers student concentrations in the following areas: cultural-regional geography of Africa, East Asia, Latin America, Russia/Eurasia, and the United States; geographic information science (including cartography and remote sensing); and physical/environmental geography. The M.S. is a thirty-hour degree that expands the student's knowledge of fundamental atmospheric processes and how the atmosphere interacts with other parts of the environment. It also includes a thesis.


The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA@ku.edu, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY.