Program Description

The Associate in Arts in Geography for Transfer degree will enable students to develop a strong foundation in spatial thinking and spatial reasoning, and will also offer a wide variety of elective courses in geography and other related fields for students to develop a broad knowledge base of human behavior. In addition, students will develop strong critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills, that will prepare them for the requirements of upper division course work.

The Associate in Arts in Geography for Transfer degree prepares students to transfer to California State Universities (CSUs). Students who complete the Associate in Arts in Geography for Transfer degree will be ensured preferential transfer status to CSUs as Geography majors and majors in related disciplines. The Associate in Arts in Geography for Transfer degree requirements will fulfill the lower division major requirements at many CSUs. Students are advised, however, to meet with a counselor to assess the course requirements for specific local CSUs and to validate which CSUs are considered local.

Learn more about the program on the Geography website.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to interpret spatially distributed data and draw valid conclusions by using maps, graphs, and/or Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
• Students will be able to evaluate core concepts in cultural and physical geography and apply them to contemporary events and issues.

Units Required

• Major: 27

Associate Degree Requirements

Associate in Arts in Geography for Transfer requires completion of a minimum of 90 units, including:

• Core and support courses for the major (27 units)¹
• Summer Session 2025 only–CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE Breadth) or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)² (49-58 units) (full certification is required)
• Beginning Fall Quarter 2025–California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)³ (45 units) (full certification is required)
• Transferable electives necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement

¹

Some units from the core and support courses may be used to satisfy the GE requirement. Please see a counselor for more information.

²

Summer Session 2025 is the final term during which CSU GE Breadth and IGETC may be used. Please see a counselor for more information. Important Note: Although it is possible to fulfill the requirements for the Associate Degree for Transfer by completing the IGETC for UC pattern, admission to CSU requires completion of an Oral Communication course (IGETC Area 1C; CSU GE Area A-1); therefore, students who plan to transfer to CSU should complete this course as part of their GE or elective units.

³

Cal-GETC begins in Fall Quarter 2025. Please see a counselor for more information.

Note: All courses pertaining to the major must be completed with a grade of "C" (or "P") or better. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Core and Support Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Core Courses
GEOG 1	PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY	5
GEOG 2	HUMAN GEOGRAPHY	4
or GEOG 10	WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY
Support Courses
List A
Complete two courses from List A:		8
Any course not used from the Core Courses, or any of the following:
GEOG 11	INTRODUCTION TO MAPPING & SPATIAL REASONING
or GIST 11	INTRODUCTION TO MAPPING & SPATIAL REASONING
GEOG 12	INTRODUCTION TO GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY
or GIST 12	INTRODUCTION TO GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY
List B
And complete 10 units from List B:		10
Any course not used in List A
ANTH 2A	CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
or ANTH 2AH	HONORS CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
BIOL 9	ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY
BIOL 10	GENERAL BIOLOGY: BASIC PRINCIPLES
ECON 1B	PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS
GEOG 20	INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE
GIST 52	GEOSPATIAL DATA ACQUISITION & MANAGEMENT
POLI 1	POLITICAL SCIENCE: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
PSYC 7	STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
or SOC 7	STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
or MATH 10	ELEMENTARY STATISTICS
or MATH 17	INTEGRATED STATISTICS II
Total Units		27