Field Requirement

Mandatory Field Experience Requirement

A field experience is a core requirement for both the Geography and Meteorology degree. For students who wish to double major, two separate field experiences must be completed for credit (one, 3-credit experience for MTRG and one, 3-credit experience for GEOG).  

The purpose of the field experience is to gain exposure to different learning opportunities outside the classroom.  A field experience is generally a structured experiential learning opportunity on location with a company, organization, group, or academic department.

3 Ways to Complete the Field Experience Requirement:

1.     Study Abroad:  This credit bearing experience must be at least 3 credits and be part of an approved study abroad program. Additionally, for field requirement credit, the program must be approved by the department.  This could include; any VT 3954 course, any discipline specific VT course taken as part of an approved study abroad, any transfer credit taken from a foreign institution, or through a third party as part of an approved study abroad.  You can find more information about Study Abroad programs through CNRE and the Global Education Office.

2.     Undergraduate research: GEOG/MTRG 4994: This experience must be supervised by university affiliated faculty or staff and will be graded A-F based on project or work completed. Students must complete a CNRE Undergraduate Research form to receive academic credit.  For a list of currently available (and previous) projects click here.  

3.     Field Study/Internship or Service Learning: GEOG/MTRG 2964 or GEOG/MTRG 4964.

Internships can be paid or unpaid. A significant service learning experience may also count toward the requirement. To receive three (3) credit hours of P-F academic credit, students must complete a minimum of 150 hours of work and provide the necessary documentation:  To be registered for the credits, an approved Field Study Form is required before the start of the program.  There is NO RETROACTIVE credit.  A Student Evaluation and an Employer Evaluation (sent by the department directly to the supervisor) must be submitted at the end of the experience.  You can find a list of groups who have hosted our students in the past and are willing to consider future internships by going here.

For more information or questions about the undergraduate field experience requirement, please contact:

Julie Burger
Academic Advisor
Department of Geography
138 Cheatham Hall
Phone: (540)-231-5482

jcburger@vt.edu
Appointments Available Monday- Friday:  Schedule an Appointment

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