Updated 2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog | 20265

Policy and Planning, B.S. major
Natural Resources Planning Emphasis

A total of 120 semester credits are needed for the Policy and Planning, Natural Resources Planning emphasis B.S. degree and include the following:

• 40 upper division credits (level 3000/4000)
• 48 required major core credits 
• Completion of Core Curriculum credits (Minnesota Transfer Curriculum [MnTC] Goal Areas 1-10) - required for all baccalaureate degrees
• Completion of BSU Focus and Nisidotaading Course Requirements

Required Credits: 48
Required GPA: 2.25

I REQUIRED CORE

Complete the following courses:

• GEOG 2400 Introduction to Planning (3 credits)
• GEOG 3231 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
• GEOG 3550 Site and Resource Analysis in Planning (3 credits)
• GEOG 3580 Regional Development Planning (3 credits)

II REQUIRED ELECTIVES

Complete one of the following courses:

• GEOG 2100 Introduction to Physical Geography (3 credits)
• GEOG 2200 Introduction to Human Geography (3 credits)
• ENVR 2000 Introduction to Environmental Science (3 credits)
• GEOL 1110 Physical Geology (4 credits)

Complete one of the following courses:

• ECON 3040 Environmental Economics (3 credits)
  or ENVR 3040 Environmental Economics (3 credits)
• GEOG 3400 Economic Geography (3 credits)

Complete one of the following courses:

• ECON 3010 Public Economics (3 credits)
• ECON 3230 Benefit/Cost Analysis (3 credits)

Complete one of the following courses:

• GEOG 3226 Cartography (3 credits)
• GEOG 3232 Intermediate Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
• GEOG 3255 Introduction to Remote Sensing (3 credits)

Complete one of the following courses:

• BIOL 3630 Conservation Biology (3 credits)
  or GEOG 3630 Conservation Biology (3 credits)
• GEOG 3125 Weather and Climate (3 credits)
• GEOG 4130 Biogeography (3 credits)
• GEOG 4140 Landscape Ecology (3 credits)

Complete one of the following courses:

• GEOG 3410 Geography of North America (3 credits)
• GEOG 3810 Geography of Europe (3 credits)
• GEOG 3820 Geography of East, South, and Southeast Asia (3 credits)
• GEOG 3840 Geography of Africa (3 credits)
• GEOG 3850 Geography of the Middle East (3 credits)
• GEOG 3860 Geography of Latin America and the Caribbean (3 credits)

Complete one of the following courses:

• ENGL 2150 Technical Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 3150 Writing In The Disciplines (3 credits)

III REQUIRED CAPSTONE

Complete the following courses:

• ENVR 3880 Environmental Controversies (2 credits)
• ENVR 4880 Senior Seminar I (1 credit)

Complete one of the following courses for 3 credits:

• ENVR 4970 Internship (3 credits)
• GEOG 4970 Internship (3 credits)
• ENVR 4990 Thesis (3 credits)
• GEOG 4990 Thesis (3 credits)

IV REQUIRED EMPHASIS

Complete the following courses:

• GEOG 3532 Political Ecology (3 credits)
• GEOG 3570 Recreational Lands Management for Sustainable Tourism (3 credits)
• ENVR 4210 Environmental Law and Policy (3 credits)

 

Suggested Semester Schedule | Policy and Planning, B.S.

The following is a list of Geography Policy and Planning major courses arranged by year.  This suggested schedule is intended to help students plan their courses in an orderly fashion.  Some courses or course sequences may appear more than once.  Geography majors and minors are strongly encouraged to meet with advisors in the Geography program prior to selecting courses as all courses are not offered each year.

Freshman

• GEOG 2100 Introduction to Physical Geography (3 credits)
• GEOG 2200 Introduction to Human Geography (3 credits)
• GEOG 2400 Introduction to Planning (3 credits)
• GEOG 3231 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
• GEOG 3400 Economic Geography (3 credits)
• ENVR 2000 Introduction to Environmental Science (3 credits)
• GEOL 1110 Physical Geology (4 credits)
• Core Curriculum requirements

 Sophomore

• GEOG 3232 Intermediate Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
• GEOG 3255 Introduction to Remote Sensing (3 credits)
• Regional Courses (select 4)
• GEOG 3410 Geography of North America (3 credits)
• GEOG 3800 Regional Geography (1-3 credits)
• GEOG 3810 Geography of Europe (3 credits)
• GEOG 3820 Geography of East, South, and Southeast Asia (3 credits)
• GEOG 3840 Geography of Africa (3 credits)
• GEOG 3850 Geography of the Middle East (3 credits)
• GEOG 3860 Geography of Latin America and the Caribbean (3 credits)
• GEOG 3550 Site and Resource Analysis in Planning (3 credits)
• ECON 3010 Public Economics (3 credits)
• ECON 3230 Benefit/Cost Analysis (3 credits)
• ENGL 2150 Technical Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 3150 Writing In The Disciplines (3 credits)
• ENVR 3600 Environmental Justice and Sustainability (3 credits)
• ENVR 3880 Environmental Controversies (2 credits)
• ENVR 4210 Environmental Law and Policy (3 credits)
• Complete Core Curriculum requirements

 Junior

• GEOG 3125 Weather and Climate (3 credits)
• GEOG 3226 Cartography (3 credits)
• GEOG 3255 Introduction to Remote Sensing (3 credits)
• GEOG 3532 Political Ecology (3 credits)
• GEOG 3560 Metropolitan Land Use Planning (3 credits)
• GEOG 3570 Recreational Lands Management for Sustainable Tourism (3 credits)
• GEOG 3630 Conservation Biology (3 credits)
  or BIOL 3630 Conservation Biology (3 credits)
• GEOG3XXX Any Remaining Regional Geography Course
• ECON 3010 Public Economics (3 credits)
• ECON 3230 Benefit/Cost Analysis (3 credits)
• ECON 3040 Environmental Economics (3 credits)
  or ENVR 3040 Environmental Economics (3 credits)

Senior

• GEOG 3XXX Any Remaining Regional Geography Course
• GEOG 3580 Regional Development Planning (3 credits)
• GEOG 3870 Planning for Sustainable Cities (3 credits)
• GEOG 4130 Biogeography (3 credits)
• GEOG 4140 Landscape Ecology (3 credits)
• GEOG 4970 Internship (3 credits)
  or ENVR 4970 Internship (3 credits)
  or GEOG 4990 Thesis (3 credits)
  or ENVR 4990 Thesis (3 credits)
• ECON 3010 Public Economics (3 credits)
• ECON 3230 Benefit/Cost Analysis (3 credits)
• ENVR 4880 Senior Seminar I (1 credit)