Applied Geography AAS

(R): 344

This curriculum is designed primarily for the student who desires to pursue a profession in geography, cartography, geographic education, or geographic information systems (GIS). The curriculum provides the student with an opportunity to test his or her interests prior to making a commitment for advanced study. Completion of all requirements will lead to the AAS.

Course work in this curriculum (involving fieldwork, use of computer technology, mapping projects, and research) will explore four related disciplines. Geography, the first discipline, is the study of places; it enables the graduate to function as a paraprofessional in a broad range of studies. The geography graduate assists in performing research and compiling data in activities connected with cultural and physical components of the environment, as well as city planning, marketing, transportation, and domestic and foreign area studies. Cartography, the second discipline, is the art and science of map construction; its skills enable the graduate to use, compile, and construct maps and related cartographic products. Geographic education, the third discipline, provides prospective teachers and currently employed teachers seeking to meet certification requirements in Montgomery County and Maryland with exposure to geographic concepts and methodology. GIS, the fourth discipline, combines the use of computer technology with the field of geography to help analyze and problem-solve spatial information.