The 2023-2024 AnthroGuide is the last print version. Edits for graduate programs are due July 31, 2023.

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General Description / Special Programs
The Geography-Anthropology program is part of the Muskie School of Public Service, is affiliated with the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, and is the home of USM-GIS. It offers a 36-39 credit hour interdisciplinary undergraduate degree in which students combine both disciplines to study human-environment interrelationships. Students are encouraged to complete an internship or to complete a field school as part of their course of study. They may concentrate in one of three tracks: Sustainable Cultures; Communities; Cultural; Natural Heritage Management, or; Applied GIS and Geospatial Analysis. Geography-Anthropology Teacher Education tracks for both elementary and secondary education are available. Minors are available in anthropology, archaeology, geography, planning and GIS. Students can also earn a 12-14 credit Certificate in Applied GIS. Students can also opt to apply for an accelerated admissions Master’s degree in Planning Policy and Management.
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Degrees
Degrees Offered Bachelor's in Geography-AnthropologyMaster's in Public Policy and Planning
Highest Degree Offered BA/BS
Certificate Info The Certificate in Applied GIS consists of three required courses and one elective, totaling a minimum of 14 undergraduate or 12 graduate credit hours. All courses will be taught at USM. Some courses may be transferred from other campuses within the University of Maine system, as appropriate. Contact the Director of USM GIS for details. One course may be transferred from colleges outside the University of Maine System, on a case by case basis and as approved by USM faculty teaching that course. In cases where students have already completed the listed course and with prior approval, alternate courses may be substituted for both requirements and electives to make up the minimum count of 14 undergraduate or 12 graduate credits. There is a minimum residency requirement of 3 courses or 9 credit hours. Students must complete all courses with a C- or better. Geography-Anthropology majors may use only one course in the certificate toward their major requirements. Majors in other programs should discuss similar restrictions with their advisors. Required courses: GEO 305/GEO 505/GEO 605 Remote Sensing GEO 308/GEO 508/GEO 608 GIS Applications I GEO 408/GEO 518/GEO 618 GIS Applications II Electives Take at least one of the following for a minimum of 14 undergraduate or 12 graduate credit hours: These must be taken together COS 160 Structured Problem Solving: Java (3 cr.) COS 170 Structured Programming Laboratory (1 cr.) This can be taken as a stand-alone GEO 340 Digital Mapping These courses may either be taken alone, or some combination of the two for the total of three credits GEO 438/GEO 538/GEO 638 Independent Study in GIS (1-3 cr.) GEO 448/GEO 648 GIS Internship (1-3 cr.)
Certificate Field Areas
GIS
BA/BS Field Areas
Anthropology
BA/BS Requirements
The Bachelor of Arts in geography-anthropology emphasizes the integration of the two disciplines and the common interests in examining the relationship between human populations and their natural and built environments. The major is an interdisciplinary degree program. Students enrolled in the major may specialize in any one of three tracks in: (1) Sustainable Cultures and Communities; (2) Cultural and Natural Heritage Management; or (3) Applied Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geospatial Analysis. All students with majors or specific discipline minors in the social sciences must achieve at least six credits with grades of B or better in the requirements of those majors or minors. No grades of D will be counted toward fulfillment of the major or minor requirements. Except for Independent Studies, no required course may be repeated more than one time. All students are reminded that, in addition to meeting departmental requirements for the major, they must also meet the University's minimum readiness requirements and the Core curriculum requirements. Students are required to take MAT 120 Introduction to Statistics for the Quantitative Reasoning requirement of the Core. The minimum number of credits (exclusive of the University's Core curriculum) required for the major: 36-39 credits. Students must take: 10 Required Credits 9 Methods Credits 15 Topical Elective Credits (At least six credits must be from the GEO & ANT prefix and at least 6 credits at or above 300 level)
Experience Offered
Internship
MA/MS
MA/ MS Requirements The undergraduate BA in Geography-Anthropology (GYA) and graduate Master’s in Policy, Planning, and Management (MPPM) programs in the Muskie School of Public Service offer an accelerated undergraduate-graduate degree pathway for prospective students. The close disciplinary connections between these programs and their focus on the relationship between human populations and their natural and built environment, sustainability, community development, policy and planning allow for a unique undergraduate-graduate educational opportunity. Geography-Anthropology majors with at least 84 undergraduate credit hours in the Core and GYA major may apply in their junior year for conditional admission to the Master’s in Policy, Planning, and Management (MPPM) program. Students conditionally accepted may take courses in their senior year which will count towards completion of both the BA in Geography-Anthropology and MPPM degrees.
Internship / Grants / Funding
Internships Available 1
Internship Required 0
Support Opportunities <p>Internships, work-studies and funded research opportunities are available for qualified students.</p>
Program Details
Research Facilities <p>The major thrust of the program&rsquo;s work at all levels, from teaching to research, is in developing and applying disciplinary skills to real world problem-solving. Six dedicated Geography, GIS and Archaeology laboratories and an array of field equipment support this effort.</p>
Library Resources usm.maine.edu/library
Certs Offered 1
Contacts
Affiliations
Muskie School of Public Service
Online Courses
Online Courses: 1
Application Deadlines
Application information is available here: usm.maine.edu/apply
Club / Honor Society
Anthropology Club: 1
Anthropology Club Info: usm.maine.edu/geography-anthropology/geography-anthropology-student-association
Anthropology Club Advisor: Dr. Nathan Hamilton
Lambda Alpha Chapter: 0