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Geography

Overview Degrees/Certificates Courses Faculty

Overview

Folsom Lake College Geography

Geography is a spatial science that studies the Earth’s physical features and its human elements. Geography students study the relationships among geographic places, natural systems, society, and culture. Modern geographers study the spatial connections between humans and natural systems and are active in the study of global warming, desertification, deforestation, groundwater pollution, flooding, and sustainability. Geography is increasingly utilizing spatial technologies, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and remote sensing imagery, to study the Earth and its inhabitants.

There are three main branches of geography: human geography, physical geography and geographic information systems (GIS). Human geography is concerned with the spatial aspects of human existence observing how people and their activities are distributed, how cultures and populations interact, and how people create and sustain the places, the movement of people, and the interactions and influences between populations and cultures. Physical geographers study the physical elements and spatial processes that make up and shape the environment, including energy, air, water, weather, climate, landforms, soils, animals, and plants. GIS is an important emerging field that integrates the human and physical aspects of geography using computer mapping, spatial analysis, and remote sensing.

The Folsom Lake College geography courses satisfy lower division general education requirements in physical and social science degree programs. Students with the Associate in Arts in Geography for Transfer (AA-T Geography) will transfer with junior standing to the California State University system.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

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This program is part of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics meta-major.

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Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

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This program is part of the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences meta-major.

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If you're interested in a transfer degree (AA-T or AS-T), then check out Degree Planner, a tool that helps you complete your degree efficiently by mapping out what courses to take and when to take them.

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