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Geography

Plot out your journey to discovering how people and the planet interact with an Associate of Arts degree in Geography

Colorado River and mountains

Are you fascinated by our blue planet and the people that live on it? By studying Geography at ACC, you can learn about how the Earth and its people interact with the environment. Whether your interest lies in the planet’s natural phenomena, how regions shape cultures, or how humans impact the environment, we can help you take that interest and turn it into a career with our Associate of Arts program. Our Geography AA degree is designed to transfer to any 4-year university in Colorado so you can easily reach your goals.

ACC Admissions
Admissions
admissions [at] arapahoe.edu
Mark Leatherman
Faculty
Physical Sciences
mark.leatherman [at] arapahoe.edu

What You'll Learn

When you study geography, you’re learning critical skills that can help you within and outside of your day-to-day life. You’ll be learning how to: 

  • Locate and identify various geographical aspects on a map.
  • Identify and analyze spatial diffusion of ideas, culture, and the human interaction between regions.
  • Interpret, analyze, and assess the effect of spatial patterns on the landscape.
  • Examine the interconnections between human society and the physical environment.

CIP 450701 (DGEO)

The purpose of a statewide articulation agreement is to identify the courses a student at a Colorado public community college must complete as part of an AA/AS degree to be guaranteed to be able to complete the designated baccalaureate degree program at public four-year colleges and universities as designated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) transfer agreement.

For more information about this transfer degree please refer to the Colorado Department of Higher Education website.

Program Requirements

General Education Courses (31 credit hours)
Written Communication (6 credit hours)
  • A GT Pathways-approved CO1 course (GT-CO1) and a GT Pathways-approved CO2 course (GT-CO2)
    OR
  • A GT Pathways-approved CO2 course (GT-CO2) and a GT Pathways-approved CO3 course (GT-CO3)
Mathematics (3 credit hours)
Arts and Humanities (6 credit hours)
  • GT - Two GT Pathways Arts and Humanities courses (GT-AH1, GT-AH2, GT-AH3, GT-AH4)
History (3 credit hours)
Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credit hours)
  • GT - Two GT Pathways Social and Behavioral Science courses (GT-SS1 OR GT-SS3)
Natural and Physical Sciences (7 credit hours)
  • GT - Two GT Pathways Natural & Physical Science courses (GT-SC1, GT-SC2), one must be with a laboratory (GT-SC1)
Additional Required Courses (14 credit hours)

Please Note: If these credits are not required for the major at a receiving 4-year institution, they will be applied to the Bachelor's degree as elective credit towards graduation. Please check with the receiving institution to determine in which way these courses will be applied.

Electives* (15 credit hours)

*Maximum of 6 (six) credits may be in GEO or GIS prefix. (Number of elective credits may vary according to receiving institution. You are advised to contact an advisor at the receiving institution.)

Elective credit must be completed from the following lists of approved prefixes or courses to bring the total credit hours to 60. The Number of Elective Credits may vary according to the receiving institution. You are advised to contact an advisor at the receiving institution. Maximum of 6 credits may be in GEO or GIS prefix.

Guaranteed Transfer
Any course in the following prefixes
  • Any course in the following prefixes except Special Topics, Independent Study, Capstone, and Internships:
    ANT, ART, BIO (1000 OR above), CHE, ECO, HIS, HUM, LIT, MUS, PED, PHI, PHY (1105 OR above), POS, PSY, SOC.
Note(s):

Any additional courses taken in the discipline covered by this agreement might not count toward the requirements of the major at the receiving institution.

Total: 60 credit hours

No course substitutions will be allowed within this degree. All courses required for this degree must be completed with a "C" or better to be considered for transfer to another Colorado institution. Transferability of courses to colleges or universities outside of Colorado is determined by the receiving institution.

Graduation Requirements

ACC academic plans will help guide you through your chosen program. The academic plan will provide you with important information, like which semesters courses are offered if there are any prerequisites or co-requisites for courses, program outcomes, course sequence recommendations, notes for the program, graduation requirements, and other important information. These are updated annually, so we recommend downloading a copy of yours to keep on track to graduation.

Job Opportunities in Geography