Geography & Urban Studies

Michelle Masucci, Chair
309 Gladfelter Hall
215-204-3596
masucci@temple.edu

Rickie Sanders, Undergraduate Advisor

rsanders@temple.edu

Belinda Wilson, Administrator

309 Gladfelter Hall
215-204–1248

bwilson@temple.edu

Susan Lucas, Internship Coordinator

215-204-8396
susan.lucas@temple.edu

www.temple.edu/gus

The Department of Geography and Urban Studies combines the discipline of geography and the field of urban studies to offer a major that allows students to examine a range of approaches to key topics in the social sciences.  Students choose from introductory courses and supplement them with a variety of intermediate and upper-level electives.

Students may choose courses that focus either on geography or urban studies or combine the two.  Students examine the growth and development of cities and regions, environment and society, spatial analysis and industrial location, and the major distributions of physical and natural phenomena across the globe.  Students may also choose to explore the social, political, economic, and historic aspects of urban life, including international comparisons of urban society and the policies that governments have devised to address urban problems. We encourage students to combine spatial and urban courses as well as take advantage of offerings in cartography and geographic information systems (GIS).  We encourage students to study abroad for one semester as a critical part of their undergraduate education.  Each student's program is developed with the departmental advisor to suit individual interests and is designed to maximize educational and career opportunities.  Upon graduation, alumni successfully pursue graduate studies in a range of fields, or find work in nonprofit (domestic and international), planning or government agencies.

Summary of Degree Requirements

1. University Requirements:

• Math 0701 (4sh) and/or English 0701 (4sh), if required by placement testing.
• All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. See below for a list of the specific courses required for your major.
• Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program. See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

2. College of Liberal Arts Requirements:

• Completion of a minimum of 123 credits, including: 90 credits in CLA/CST courses, 45 credits of which must be at the upper level (numbered 2000-4999). For Social Science majors, 6 upper level credits must be taken in the Humanities Departments (English, French, German, Greek and Roman Classics, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese (only available at our Japan campus), Philosophy, Religion, Russian, and Spanish), Art History, or any department in the College of Science and Technology.
• A minimum GPA of 2.0, cumulatively, in CLA/CST coursework, and in the major.
• Only courses in which a student receives a grade of at least C- can satisfy GenEd, major, minor, or CLA Foreign Language and Global Studies requirements.

3.  Foreign Language/Global Studies Requirements:

1) All students must complete the second level of a foreign language;

2) All students must complete at least one course from the GenEd World Society category; and

3) All students must complete one of the following options:

• Third level of a foreign language;
• Demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language;
• A second General Education World Society course;
• Study Abroad at an approved program; or
• Take one Global Studies course from the list on the CLA College Graduation Requirements page.

4. Major Requirements (36 s.h.)

Specifically Required courses:

• Select one geography course from: GUS 1051, 1031, 0866.
• Select one urban studies course from: GUS 1021, 1025, 0861.
• GUS 3161.
• Select two Intermediate courses from: GUS 2014, 2031, 2032, 2051, 3061, 3062, 3097.
• Select one Research Methods course from: GUS 4197 and GUS/ENST 4078. 
• GUS 4198 - Capstone.
• Four GUS Electives numbered 2000 - 4999
• One GUS elective at any level, numbered  0800-4999.
  • Note, no more than two GUS courses numbered 0800-0999 may count towards the major requirements.

5. General electives vary according to a student's individual program of study. Consult your academic advisor for more information.

Requirements for the Major

All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses. The specific writing-intensive courses required for this major are listed above and are identified by "WI" in the Attribute column.

Double-Counting Across Curricula

Many students elect to take a combination of the Geography and Urban Studies major or minor and the Environmental Studies major or minor and/or the Environmental Science major or minor as they are complementary programs.  

The Geography and Urban Studies Department will not permit double-counting of courses (except for the specifically required courses) across these programs.

Distinction in the Major

Geography and Urban Studies students can graduate with distinction if they fulfill the following requirements: a GPA of 3.5 in the major and overall 3.5 GPA, enrollment in at least one graduate (or undergraduate course cross-listed with a graduate course), the completion of an honors paper under the supervision of a faculty member, and the presentation of a paper in a public forum. Students who think that they may qualify for distinction should contact the undergraduate advisor by their junior year.

Requirements for the Minor

Tracks

The department has identified several informal areas of concentration to assist students in making course selections. These do not constitute formal requirements but rather provide guidelines for developing a personalized curriculum. Students can focus on the following themes:
1. Urban Issues
2. Environmental Problems
3. International Development
4. Geographical Techniques

Gamma Theta Upsilon

We nominate students for membership in the National Honorary Society in Geography on the basis of GPA. Students, who are initiated annually, can submit articles to the GTU journal and apply for national scholarships.

Internships

We encourage students to apply their skills and knowledge in a credit-bearing internship that utilizes their academic training. Assignments at planning, social service, and other agencies, as well as at firms that specialize in mapping and geographic data analysis, have helped in securing employment opportunities.  The internship is complemented by a seminar in which students discuss their experiences.  Contact Marilyn Silberfein (pawling@temple.edu) for more details and for information on possible internship sites.

Double major with the College of Education

Students may elect to earn certification in secondary school social studies by combining a major in Geography and Urban Studies with a major in Social Studies Education. Students may also earn certification through a Geography and Urban Studies major by following the 5-year B.A./M.A. program. For more information on this opportunity, please contact the CLA Academic Advising Center.

Certificates of Specialization in Travel & Tourism

Students may take a series of courses that examine the rapidly growing fields of tourism and recreation from an urban/geographical perspective. For more information please see the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

Certificate of Specialization in the Geography of Tourism

The courses in this certification program examine all the world's culture regions and the linkages among them. Students can elect courses relevant to either domestic or international tourism. Additional courses would then be chosen to help the student acquire a sense of place as well as strategies for learning about new locations.

Certificate in the Geography of Sports, Recreation & Tourism Planning

Students in this program who are interested in urban recreation and sports can take courses related to urban social and policy issues, while those interested in outdoor/rural recreation can take courses on environmental issues. The course on geographical information systems (GIS) is particularly relevant to tourism planning.

Suggested Semester-by-Semester plan