Academic Calendar - 2024

Western University Academic Calendar. - 2024

Western Main Campus

Combined Degree Program HONOURS SPECIALIZATION IN GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT/HBA
Faculty of Social Science - Geography and Environment


This is a Combined Program also featured at the following pages:

The combined degree programs are administered on behalf of the Richard Ivey School of Business and the Department of Geography in the Faculty of Social Science.

The combined program is a five-year program leading to a BA in Honours Business Administration (HBA) and a BA Honours Specialization in Geography. In Years 1 and 2 students are registered in the Department of Geography and follow the normal curriculum for the Honours Specialization module. In Year 3, students are registered in the HBA program. Students are registered in the combined program in Years 4 and 5. Admission requirements for the combined program are outlined below.

Admission Requirements


To be eligible for consideration for admission to the combined program, in the first two years students must complete a minimum of 10.0 courses including Business Administration 2257. In Year 1 they must complete the admission requirements as specified in the current Academic Calendar for entry into the Honours Specialization module offered by the Department of Geography.

In Year 2 students must enrol in the Honours Specialization in the Department of Geography and satisfy the minimum progression requirements for the second year of that Honours Specialization. Under certain conditions, students who enrol in a Major in Geography in Year 2 may be eligible for admission to the combined degree program, but they will have to transfer into an Honours Specialization module in the Department of Geography if they are accepted into the combined degree program. Such a transfer is possible only if they have received the marks needed to transfer into an Honours Specialization module. Students must be able to complete all of the requirements of the combined degree program for that module, including breadth requirements and completion of essays.

In the first two years, students must attain a minimum weighted average of 78%, a minimum mark of 70% in Business Administration 2257, and no mark less than 60%. They also must gain admission to the HBA program through the regular application process. In addition, students must normally attain a minimum weighted average of 78% in the first year of the HBA.

Students apply for the combined degree program during the HBA 1 year, typically their third year of University. Applications to the combined program must be made in writing to the Undergraduate Program Advisor of the Department of Geography and to the HBA Program Office by the deadlines published by the Richard Ivey School of Business. Entrance to the program may be limited.

Module/Program Information


Year 1
Completion of 5.0 first-year courses with no failures. Students must have an average of at least 75% and no mark below 60% in the 3.0 principal courses.

Principal Courses:

1.0 course* from Geography 1100, Geography 1200A/B, Geography 1300A/B, Geography 1400F/G, Geography 1500F/G, Environmental Science 1021F/G, (with Geography 1400F/G recommended).
2.0 courses numbered 1000-1999


* If upper-year students have not completed 1.0 courses listed above, they may select one or two courses from: Geography 2131A/B, Geography 2132A/B, Geography 2133A/B, Geography 2152F/G, and/or Geography 2153A/B in making up the 1.0 admission requirement, as long as they were completed with a grade of at least 60%. Senior qualifying entry course(s) cannot be counted for subsequent program credit.

Students are required in Year 1 to take at least 1.0 course from either Category B or C. However, it is strongly recommended that students include in their Year 1 course selection 1.0 course from Category B and 1.0 from Category C in order to meet the breadth requirements of their degree.

Year 2
5.0 courses:

0.5 course: Geography 2210A/B* (must be taken in Year 2)
2.5 courses from the following 3.0 geography courses:

0.5 course: Geography 2220A/B.
1.0 course from: Geography 2410A/B, Geography 2411F/G, Geography 2420A/B, Geography 2430A/B,  Geography 2460F/G.
1.0 course from: Geography 2310A/B, Geography 2320A/B, Geography 2330A/B.
0.5 course from: Geography courses numbered 2000 to 2099.

1.0 course: Business Administration 2257.
1.0 course: Option (must be a course from Category B or C if not completed in Year 1).


* In cases where an antirequisite statistics course has been taken instead, then an additional 0.5 course numbered 2200 or above in Geography must be taken to make up the 9.0 courses required for the module.

Year 3 (HBA1)

The third year of the undergraduate program in Business Administration consists of an integrated set of courses (7.5 courses) designed to give a basic understanding of the functions and the interrelationships of the major areas of management, as well as to develop problem-solving and action-planning skills.

All students will take: Business Administration 3300K, Business Administration 3301K, Business Administration 3302K, Business Administration 3303K, Business Administration 3304K, Business Administration 3311K, Business Administration 3316K, Business Administration 3321K, Business Administration 3322K, Business Administration 3323K


Years 4 and 5 (HBA and Geography)

HBA: Requirements can be taken over Year 4 or 5 (except that Business Administration 4569 must be taken in Year 4)

5.0 courses:

0.5 course: (International Perspective Requirement) Business Administration 4505A/B
0.5 course: (Corporations and Society Perspectives Requirement) At least one 0.5 course from Business Administration - Corporations and Society designated electives offered during the academic year (Business Administration 4538A/B, Business Administration 4539A/B, Business Administration 4588A/B, Business Administration 4625A/B)or other business elective as determined and approved by the HBA Program Director to satisfy this requirement. 
0.5 course: Managerial Accounting Requirement: Business Administration 4624A/B.
1.0 course: (Applied Project Requirement) Business Administration 4569.
2.5 additional business elective courses. (These must be taken at the Business School and cannot be substituted with other Western courses.)


Years 4 and 5 (Geography)
6.0 courses:

The remaining 0.5 course from the following 3.0 geography courses:

0.5 course: Geography 2220A/B.
1.0 course from: Geography 2410A/B, Geography 2411F/G, Geography 2420A/B, Geography 2430A/B, Geography 2460F/G.
1.0 course from: Geography 2310A/B, Geography 2320A/B, Geography 2330A/B.
0.5 course from: Geography courses numbered 2000 to 2099.

1.5 courses: Geography 3210A/B, Geography 3250A/B, Geography 4000A/B.
4.0 courses: Geography at the 2200 level or above, at least 2.0 of which must be at the 3000 level or above, with Geography 3000Y or Geography 3001F/G strongly recommended. (Students wishing to pursue Graduate Studies are encouraged to take Geography 4900E or Geography 4901E.)


Note: To complete the program in five years, students must take a 1.0 course overload in Year 4 or Year 5, or a 0.5 overload in both Years 4 and 5.

Program Requirements

Students registered in the combined program are expected to abide by all guidelines associated with each of the individual programs.


Progression


Students in the combined program must meet the progression standards of each Faculty or School. Students enrolled in HBA1 (Year 3) must attain a minimum weighted average of at least 78%. In Years 4 and 5, students must attain a minimum weighted average of 75% in their 4000- level HBA courses. They also must attain a minimum average of 75% in their Honours Specialization module and meet all other progression requirements of the Honours Specialization module in which they are enrolled.

Failure to Meet Progression Standards

A student who fails to meet the combined program progression standards in any year must withdraw from the combined program. However, a student who has met the progression standards of either the HBA or Geography program will be allowed to proceed to the next year of that program. If the progression standards of both individual programs have been satisfied, the student may continue in either program and may petition the School or Faculty whose program was not selected for permission to complete that program at a later date. A student who is required to withdraw from the combined program and wishes to pursue either of the individual programs or both programs through a combined degree, must complete all the degree requirements of the individual program or combined programs in order to graduate from that/those program(s).

Dean's Honour List

At the Richard Ivey School of Business, students are considered for the Dean's Honour List during their first year of HBA. Students enrolled in Years 4 and 5 of the combined program are considered for the Dean's Honour List in Year 5 only. Only grades obtained in 4000-level Business courses will be used in calculating averages for the purposes of determination of Dean's Honour List standing. Courses taken outside the Business School are excluded. Calculations for Ivey Scholar and Gold Medals are completed in the same way.

In Social Science, students will be considered for the Dean's Honour List in the usual way in Years 1 and 2, and at the end of Year 5 by considering all Social Science courses that have been taken in Years 4 and 5. Students who take at least 2.0 Social Science courses in Year 4 will be considered for the Dean's Honour List in that year on the basis of those courses.


Related Information


Graduation

Upon completion of this combined program, students will receive a BA with Honours Specialization in Geography and a BA in Honours Business Administration.

Graduation with Distinction

Eligibility to graduate "With Distinction" for each degree is determined by each Faculty.

International Exchange Programs

Students in the combined HBA/Geography degree program may be eligible to participate in academic exchange programs. Interested students should discuss exchange options with the HBA Program Office and Geography Undergraduate Program Advisor.

Fees

Students pay the prevailing fees as determined by the University policy on combined programs. Contact the Office of the Registrar for details.