Interdisciplinary Studies: Sustainability, BA/Geography and Environment, MA [GEO]

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Combined Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree (BAM) pathway affords a way for highly motivated students to complete a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in a shorter timeframe by double counting course work (up to 3 courses) at the undergraduate tuition rate. In most cases, pathway students graduate with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree within 5 years total. For more information, see geography.manoa.hawaii.edu/bam-interdisciplinary/.

5-Year Plan

This is a sample academic plan. Students should meet with an academic advisor prior to registration to formulate their own plan.

Year 1

Fall

FW Credits: 3
FG (A/B/C) Credits: 3
HSL 101 Credits: 3
Major Prereq(DS) Credits: 3
Elective Credits: 3

Credits 15

Spring

FQ Credits: 3
FG (A/B/C) Credits: 3
HSL 102 Credits: 3
Major Prereq Credits: 3
Elective Credits: 3

Credits 15

Total Credits 30

Year 2

Fall

Major Foundation Credits: 3
Major Prereq Credits: 3
DA/DH/DL Credits: 3
HSL 201 Credits: 3
Elective Credits: 3

Credits 15

Spring

Major Foundation 200+ Credits: 3
DA/DH/DL Credits: 3
DY Credits: 1
HSL 202 Credits: 3
Elective Credits: 3
Elective Credits: 2

Credits 15

Total Credits 60

Year 3

Fall

GEO 325 - Geography, Environment, and Society Credits: 3
OR
SUST 326 - Geography, Environment, and Society Credits: 3 *#(DS)
Major Core (300+) Credits: 3
Major Area 1 Credits: 3
Elective 300+ Credits: 3
Elective 300+ Credits: 3

Credits 15

Spring

Major Core (300+) Credits: 3
Major Area 1 Credits: 3
Major Area 2 (DB) Credits: 3
DP Credits: 3
DB Credits: 3

Credits 15

Total Credits 90

Year 4/Undergrad Tuition

Fall

GEO 695 - Concepts and Theories in Geography Credits: 3 #Core (300+)
GEO 692 - Faculty Seminar Series Credits: 1 +
Major Area 2 Credits: 3 #**
Elective (300+) Credits: 3
Elective Credits: 3
Elective Credits: 3

Credits 16

Spring

GEO 696 - Research Design/Methods in Geography Credits: 3 #(capstone SUST 495 )***
Major Area 2 (DS) Credits: 3
Elective (300+) Credits: 3
Elective (300+) Credits: 3
Elective Credits: 3

Credits 15

Toal Credits 121

Grad Year 1/Grad

Fall

Research Skills+ (400+) Credits: 3
Specialization+ (400+) Credits: 3
Specialization+ (600+) Credits: 3
Specialization+ (600+) Credits: 3

Credits 12

Spring

GEO 700+ Credits: 8 ****

Credits 8

Total Credits 150

Notes:

This is a sample plan to finish both BA and MA in five years, and assumes that students start their studies in a Fall semester. In general, a student would apply to the Master’s program during their “second-semester junior” semester, and be admitted to the Master’s program via the pathway in their “first-semester senior” semester, when they would be allowed to begin taking double-counted 600-level courses.

Undergrads must take a minimum of 12 credits per semester to maintain full-time status. Full-time status for graduate students is 8 credits per semester.

GEO 325 /SUST 326 is the gateway course for the pathway, which requires a grade of ‘B’ or better.
Courses in bold are required for BA in Interdisciplinary Studies: Sustainability. + Courses are required for the MA in Geography (Plan A).
#Courses are those that are double-counted for both the BA and MA. To be double-counted toward the MA, the student must earn grades of ‘B’ or better.

*GEO 692  is required of all entering graduate students, including pathway students. It will count toward the MA, but not toward the BA.
**One double-counted 400+ course (choose from GEO 411 /SUST 413 , GEO 415 /SUST 415 , GEO 422 /SUST 423 , GEO 426 /SUST 426 ) can be taken in the Fall or Spring of the Senior year as a major elective course.
***GEO 696 - Research Design/Methods in Geography  substitutes for SUST 495 - Sustainability Capstone  and is double counted. Students write their research proposals in this course, to be presented to their respective advisory committee. Students file Form 2 following committee approval, typically during the Fall semester of the fifth year.
****Up to 7 unused credits of GEO 699 - Directed Research  may be converted into GEO 700 - Thesis Research .
In year 5 (first year of MA), students earn 21 total credits that can be distributed over two semesters.
With the double-counted courses, the actual minimum number of total credits taken by students is 141, but the “Total Credits” earned after completion of the MA is 150, reflecting 120 credits earned for the BA and 30 credits earned for the MA.