Tourism and Human Geography

Overview

QUICK FACTS

  • Delivery: On campus
  • Credits: 120

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The global workforce needs professionals with an intimate understanding of people, places, cultures, and landscapes—everything that links human beings with their environments.

Our Tourism and Human Geography program will prepare you to meet this demand, while giving you a chance to see the world for yourself.

Program Requirements

The Tourism and Human Geography option requires a minimum of 45 credits on top of the University Core Curriculum. You will take core courses for all Geography and Meteorology majors and several that are unique to your concentration.

Credits

Total to Graduate: 120

  • Core Major Courses: 15
  • Concentration Courses: 30
  • University Core Courses and Electives: 75

Courses

The core classes for all geography students cover topics such as Global Geography, Maps and Spatial Reasoning, and Introduction to Geographic Information Systems.

A few of the concentration classes offered include:

  • GEOG 261: Introduction to Sustainable Tourism
  • GEOG 270: Geography of International Conflict
  • GEOG 321: Urban Geography
  • GEOG 360: Tours and Meetings Management
  • GEOG 423: Population Geography 
  • GEOG 460: Travel and Tourism Consulting
  • GEOG 491: Sustainable Tourism Development

For a complete list of all courses and their descriptions, please see our Course Catalog.

You can shape a Tourism and Human Geography major to fit your own interests and career goals. In our classes, you will gain knowledge of sustainability, tourism processes, global cultures, and political and urban systems. You will also learn highly employable skills including:

  • Sustainable destination development
  • Demographic analysis
  • Creating and selling tour packages
  • Leading tour groups
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Cartography

Building on your classroom knowledge, you will acquire practical experience in the field by completing a professional internship. Recent student placements include:

  • Muncie Visitors Bureau
  • Minnetrista
  • Ruoff Music Center
  • Indianapolis Motor Speedway
  • Mounds State Park
  • Sugar Bowl Ski Resort (CA)
  • Boyne Highlands Resort (MI)
  • Tahoe Ridge Resort (NV)

You will have the opportunity to join faculty members on an immersive summer field experience to explore domestic and international destinations. During these courses, you will gain firsthand knowledge of the destinations’ cultures and environments and practice techniques such as tour leadership and story mapping. Recent course offerings have been to Australia and the National Parks of the Southwest United States.

Our home in the Department of Geography and Meteorology will further develop your understanding of place, cultural diversity, and global destinations in courses such as Global Geography, Maps and Spatial Reasoning, Geography of Latin America and Caribbean, and Geography of Europe.

Tourism and Human Geography is multidimensional and globally focused, which makes this program especially well-suited for pairing with others on campus for a double major.

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One of the best ways to understand why Ball State stands out is to come see it for yourself. You can schedule a visit through our Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Make sure to tell them you’re interested in our program. Or if you’d like to speak with someone in our department directly by phone or email, please contact us. If you’re ready to apply, review our admission requirements and complete our online application.

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