Specialists/Majors/Minors in Geography
Geography students have the opportunity to pursue Specialist, Major and Minor programs in the following program areas, depending on the aspects of geography that interest them the most.
-
Human Geography – Specialist, Major, Minor
How do people use and experience the environments they live in? What are the interrelationships between landscapes, places, people and nature? -
Environmental Geography – Specialist, Major, Minor
What are the social, spatial and economic factors shaping the relationship between humans and the environment? - Environment & Energy – Minor only (joint program with the School of the Environment)
What are the scientific, technological, environmental and policy aspects of energy use and supply?
- Geographic Information Systems – Minor only
How is spatial data organized, manipulated and mapped to answer specific geographic questions?
- Physical & Environmental Geography – Specialist, Major, Minor (Program Suspended)
How do physical, chemical and biological processes shape the earth’s surface?
Enrolment in the Physical and Environmental Geography Specialist will be administratively suspended as of January 31, 2024 and students will no longer be able to enrol in the program. Students presently enrolled in the Specialist will be able to complete the program requirements as described below. Students who are not enrolled in this program but are interested in “Physical and Environmental Geography” programs are encouraged to consider the Environmental Geography and/or Human Geography Programs in the Department of Geography and Planning and are strongly recommended to consult with the Department of Geography and Planning for advising.
Focuses in Geography
Students in the Human Geography Specialist or Major have the option to take a focus. These focuses are specific clusters of courses which complement the Human Geography program. It is possible to complete a focus within the program requirements for the Specialist or Major. It is possible to complete both focuses, but no overlap is allowed between the two.
- Focus in Planning
- Focus in Urban Geography
General Information
Our programs have limited enrolment that can only accommodate a limited number of students. Admission will be based on one of the following:
- Specialist: 0.5 GGR FCEs at the 100 or 200 level with a final mark of 75% or 1.0 GGR FCEs at the 100 and/or 200 level with a final mark of 70% in each course.
- Major: 0.5 GGR FCEs at the 100 or 200 level with a final mark of 67% or 1.0 GGR FCEs at the 100 and/or 200 level with a final mark of 63% in each course.
- Jointly-offered GGR courses will also be considered (e.g. JGI, JGE).
Achieving these marks does not necessarily guarantee admission to the program in any given year.
Overlap between Geography programs:
Double majors in Geography may only overlap 1.0 FCE. Double minors can overlap 1.0 FCE. Students combining any of our Minor programs with a Specialist/Major program would normally be allowed to overlap only 1.5 FCEs towards both programs. Students combining the Focus in Planning and the Focus in Urban Geography can overlap 1.5 FCE. Students that choose to specialize or major in one of the three Geography programs cannot minor in the same program but may do so in another Geography program.
Generally, students may only take 1.0 Independent Research Project FCE toward their program requirements.
Urban Studies
Urban Studies provides students with the tools to make sense of their urban world. The Program examines the complex and dynamic
relations among institutions, people, and physical form that create, sustain, or destroy cities.
The Program is suited for those students who wish to study cities using several disciplinary approaches. It is also of interest to those students who wish to become involved in urban issues in Toronto. The Program offers an internship in the office of either a municipal politician, non-profit research group, or other government organization as part of its experiential learning program. Because urban issues are so varied, Urban Studies combines well with many other program areas. Students are advised to consult the Program Director when designing programs that meet their particular interests. The Program encourages students to take advantage of the Study Elsewhere Program at the University of Toronto to broaden their knowledge of cities.
Entry Requirements
- Urban Studies is a competitive-entry, (formerly “type 2”) program; apply on ACORN during the A&S program enrolment periods, of which there are two per year.
- You can apply once you have completed a minimum of 4.0 credits, generally after your first year. Those 4.0 credits should include the required courses needed for USP entry listed below. Please check the A&S Calendar for the most up-to-date course information. Other social sciences courses may also be acceptable; please contact programs.innis@utoronto.ca with any questions.
- Your admission is based on obtaining a minimum average in the list of required courses below. Admission averages may vary from year to year, depending on the applicant pool. Meeting the entry requirements does not necessarily guarantee admission to the program in any given year.
- You can choose from three program options:
- Urban Studies specialist – Total of 11.0 credits
- Urban Studies major – Total of 7.0 credits
- Urban Studies minor – Total of 4.0 credits
- Learn the difference between specialist, major, or minor options.
Required courses needed for USP entry
- For Urban Studies specialist degree (Option 1)
2.0 credits required from the courses below:*
- For Urban Studies major degree (Option 2)
2.0 credits required from the courses below:*
- For Urban Studies minor degree (Option 3)
1.0 credit required from the four courses below:*- 1.0 credit in Economics: [ECO101H1 and ECO102H1] or ECO105Y1
- 1.0 credit in Geography: GGR107H1 or GGR112H1 or GGR124H1
- 1.0 credit in Political Science: POL101H1 or POL106H1 or POL107H1 or POL109H1
- 1.0 credit in Sociology: SOC100H1 and SOC150H1
- 1.0 credit in Architectural/Visual Studies: JAV120H1 or JAV151H1 or JAV152H1 or ARC181H1
*Other social sciences courses may be accepted. Please email the program coordinator to inquire.