Geography
Associate in Arts for Transfer Degree Geography · San Diego Mesa College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Summary
The Associate in Arts in Geography for Transfer is intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in Geography or a related major in the California State University (CSU) system. It is accepted by some but not all CSU campuses. Students who complete this degree and transfer to a participating CSU campus will be required to complete no more than 60 units after transfer to earn a bachelor’s degree. It may not be appropriate preparation for students transferring to a CSU campus that does not accept the degree. Students who plan to complete this degree should consult a counselor for additional information about participating CSU campuses as well as university admission, degree, and transfer requirements.
NOTE: Students intending to transfer into this major at a CSU should consult with a counselor and visit ASSIST for guidance on appropriate transfer coursework.
Award Notes: The following is required for all AA-T or AS-T degrees:
- Completion of 60 semester units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University
- Completion of a minimum of 18 semester units in an “AA-T” or “AS-T” major.
- Minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU-transferable coursework. While a minimum of 2.0 is required for admission, some CSU campuses and majors may require a higher GPA. Please see a counselor for more information.
- Minimum grade of “C” or “P” or better for each course in the major. Students should review the Pass/No Pass acceptance policy of the transfer institution prior to requesting this grade option.
- Certified completion of the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) pattern.
Learning Outcome(s): Students who complete the Geography Program will be able to:
- Think critically in reading about topics in Geography, thereby identifying problems, theses, arguments, evidence and conclusions.
- Write or speak about topics in Geography, thereby addressing problems, formulating theses, making arguments, analyzing and weighing evidence, and deriving conclusions.
- Understand one’s role in society, take responsibility for one’s own actions, and make ethical decisions in complex situations.
- Articulate similarities and contrasts among cultures, times, and environments, demonstrating an understanding of cultural pluralism.
- Understand applications and implications of technology and to use technology in ways appropriate to the situation. This outcome includes information competency skills.
Requirements
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COURSES REQUIRED FOR THE MAJOR: | 7 | |
| GEOG 101 | Physical Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 101L | Physical Geography Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOG 102 | Cultural Geography | 3 |
| Category A: Select two of the following courses (6 units minimum): | 6 | |
| GEOG 104 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| GISG 104 | Geographic Information Science and Spatial Reasoning | 3 |
| GISG 111 | Geographic Information Systems and Cartography | 3 |
| Category B: Select 2 or more courses from the following, not selected in Category A (6 units minimum): | 6 | |
| ANTH 103 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| GEOL 100 | Physical Geology | 3 |
| GEOG 154 | Introduction to Urban Geography | 3 |
| STAT C1000 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |