# Geography (Associate of Arts Degree)

San Diego Mesa College · 2026-2027 Catalog · Department: Geography

Source: https://sdccd.curriqunet.com/catalog/iq/17540/18643/18644/17541/17621

### Summary

Geography is the study of cultural systems, the natural environment, and human-environment interactions. Geographers examine spatial distributions and patterns in a wide range of topics, such as urban sprawl, global climate change, the spread of religions, the growth of the global economy, migration trends, and the impact of environmental hazards. Depending on the course, geography is considered either a natural science (e.g., physical geography) or a social science (e.g., world regional geography). Regardless of area of emphasis, geographers understand the importance of scale (from local to global) when investigating real-world problems.

**Award Note:**
The Associate Degree requires a minimum of 60 degree applicable semester units.

### Requirements

| Course | Title | Units |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **COURSES REQUIRED FOR THE MAJOR:** | | 10 |
| GEOG 101 | Physical Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 101L | Physical Geography Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOG 102 | Cultural Geography | 3 |
| GISG 104 | Geographic Information Science and Spatial Reasoning | 3 |
| **Select six units (two courses) from the following:** | | 6 |
| GEOG 104 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 135 | Geography of California | 3 |
| GEOG 154 | Introduction to Urban Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 175 | Sustainable Places and Practices | 3 |
| GEOG 205 | Critical Thinking and Writing in Geography | 3 |
| **Select three units (one course) from the following if not selected from above:** | | 3 |
| ANTH 103 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| GEOG 104 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 135 | Geography of California | 3 |
| GEOG 154 | Introduction to Urban Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 175 | Sustainable Places and Practices | 3 |
| GEOG 205 | Critical Thinking and Writing in Geography | 3 |
| GEOL 100 | Physical Geology | 3 |
| POLI 121 | American Political Development | 3 |
| POLS C1000 | American Government and Politics | 3 |
| NUTR 153 | Cultural Foods | 3 |
| **Select three units (one course) from the following:** | | 3 |
| STAT C1000 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| POLI 201 | Elementary Statistics for Political Science | 3 |
| PSYC 258 | Behavioral Science Statistics | 3 |