Master of Applied Geography (M.A.Geo.) Major in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies | Texas State University

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET via SOC 19-4042.00

Skills

Reading ComprehensionSpeakingActive ListeningWritingCritical ThinkingMonitoringScienceComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge

Customer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageChemistryBiologyLaw and Government

Abilities

Oral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionWritten ExpressionDeductive ReasoningNear VisionProblem SensitivityInductive ReasoningSpeech ClaritySpeech Recognition

Tasks

Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests
Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting sam
Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results.

Technology

Document management softwareComputer aided design CAD softwareData base user interface and query softwareElectronic mail softwareGeographic information system

Tools

35 millimeter camerasAir current test kitsAir monitoring equipmentAir sampling impingersAir sampling primary flow calibratorsArea sampling pumpsAutoclavesBinocular light compound microscopesBioaerosol impactorsBladder water sampling pumpsCO2 monitorsCarbon monoxide monitorsCarpet sampling pump kitsCentrifugal water sampling pumpsCentrifuges

Work Values

AchievementSupportRelationshipsRecognitionIndependenceWorking Conditions

Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET + BLS

Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOC	Occupation	Method	Wage	Growth	Openings
Match confidence: medium19-4042.00	Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health	title_inference	$49,490 median$85,630 top	+4.21%	160

Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: advanced (Level 4)(based on Master's Degree)

Organizational environmental strategy — develop and direct agency-wide or firm-wide environmental monitoring programs aligned with evolving regulatory frameworks, scientific standards, and community health priorities.
Program quality system leadership — design, implement, and continuously improve laboratory and field QA/QC systems that maintain accreditation and ensure defensible data across all program operations.
Multi-site investigation oversight — direct concurrent complex environmental investigations and spill-response operations across multiple facilities or jurisdictions, allocating resources and managing cross-functional teams.
Policy and regulatory influence — represent the organization before regulatory bodies, contribute to rulemaking comment processes, and advise government agencies on emerging environmental health standards.
Advanced technology adoption — evaluate, pilot, and institutionalize new analytical instrumentation, GIS platforms, and environmental software to enhance organizational detection capabilities and operational efficiency.
Cross-disciplinary systems evaluation — lead organization-wide assessments that integrate chemistry, biology, engineering, and public health data to evaluate systemic environmental risk and inform long-range remediation investment.
Workforce development and capability building — establish competency frameworks, training curricula, and mentorship pipelines that grow technical staff from entry level to senior expertise across environmental science functions.
Executive-level reporting and communication — present environmental risk findings, program outcomes, and strategic recommendations to C-suite leadership, boards of directors, and legislative committees with authoritative clarity.
Partnership and contract governance — negotiate and manage multi-stakeholder agreements with regulatory agencies, research institutions, and private clients to deliver large-scale environmental assessment and remediation projects.
Ethical and public safety leadership — set and enforce organizational standards for integrity, cautiousness, and professional conduct in all environmental health and safety activities, ensuring protection of community and worker populations.

Course Pathway

48 courses in this program

Program Requirements

Courses required to complete this program

GEO 5329Historical Geography of the Environment

3 cr

GEO 5330Geography of Hazards

3 cr

GEO 5332Environmental Geography of the Coastal Zone

3 cr

GEO 5334Applied Water Resources

3 cr

GEO 5300Applied Research Design and Techniques

3 cr

GEO 5336Transportation Systems

3 cr

GEO 5301Multivariate Quantitative Methods

3 cr

GEO 5339The Geography of Land Management

3 cr

GEO 5304Qualitative Research Methods

3 cr

GEO 5340Active Learning in Geography

3 cr

GEO 5309Geographical Analysis

3 cr

GEO 5341Contemporary Issues in Geographic Education

3 cr

GEO 5335Directed Research

3 cr

GEO 5342Theory and Research Methods in Geographic Education

3 cr

GEO 5313Environmental Studies

3 cr

GEO 5344Curriculum, Standards, and Assessments in Geography

3 cr

GEO 5314Geographic Elements of Environmental Law

3 cr

GEO 5349Population Geography

3 cr

GEO 5308Regional Field Studies

3 cr

GEO 5351Regional Waste Management

3 cr

GEO 5312Managing Urbanization

3 cr

GEO 5352Air Quality Management

3 cr

GEO 5315Geographic Analysis of Global Issues

3 cr

GEO 5353Emergency Management

3 cr

GEO 5316Applied Physical Geography

3 cr

GEO 5360Seminar in Planning Problems

3 cr

GEO 5317Seminar in Applied Human Geography

3 cr

GEO 5367Exploring Spatial Databases

3 cr

GEO 5318Environment Problems of the U.S.-Mexico Border

3 cr

GEO 5370Seminar in Applied Physical Geography

3 cr

GEO 5322Interpretive Environmental Geography

3 cr

GEO 5380Internship

3 cr

GEO 5326Parks and Protected Places

3 cr

GEO 5390Independent Study

3 cr

GEO 5395Problems in Applied Geography

3 cr

GEO 5408Web Mapping

4 cr

GEO 5415Geographic Applications of Remote Sensing

4 cr

GEO 5417Advanced Cartographic Design

4 cr

GEO 5418Geographic Information Systems I

4 cr

GEO 5419Geographic Information Systems II

4 cr

GEO 5424GPS and GIS

4 cr

GEO 5430Field Methods

4 cr

GEO 5680Internship

6 cr

GEO 3301Research Methods in Geography

3 cr

GEO 5190Independent Study

1 cr

GEO 5290Independent Study

2 cr

GEO 2426Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems

4 cr

GEO 3411Maps and Mapmaking

4 cr

Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

No scholarships listed.