Texas State Online Geography Degrees: B.S. and M.A.Geo.

Texas State University in San Marcos offers a fully online B.S. in Geography and Environmental Studies through its Accelerated Online Program, with asynchronous 8-week courses and six start dates a year. At the graduate level, its Master of Applied Geography with a Geographic Education concentration can be completed online.

Texas State’s Department of Geography and Environmental Studies calls itself one of the largest undergraduate geography programs in the United States (catalog). It is home to the Gilbert M. Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education (Grosvenor Center), which makes the online M.A.Geo. a natural fit for geography and social studies teachers.

Program at a Glance

Online programs	B.S. Geography and Environmental Studies; M.A.Geo. (Geographic Education)
Bachelor’s	120 credits, 100% online, asynchronous 8-week terms
Bachelor’s cost	$407 per credit, about $48,840
Master’s	33 credits, non-thesis professional project
Master’s cost (est.)	About $17,000 Texas resident; $31,100 nonresident
GRE	Not required
Transfer credit	Up to 90 credits toward the B.S.
Accreditation	SACSCOC

Online B.S. in Geography and Environmental Studies

The Accelerated Online B.S. is 120 credits, 100% online and asynchronous, with 8-week terms (5-week summer terms) and six start dates a year. Students can transfer up to 90 credits. Texas State Online lists $407 per credit, about $48,840 for the full degree (Texas State Online). GIS is not a required part of this degree, so take GIS electives if you want mapping skills.

Online M.A.Geo. (Geographic Education)

The 33-credit Master of Applied Geography is non-thesis and ends with a professional project and a comprehensive exam. The Geographic Education concentration is designed for current and prospective teachers of geography, AP Human Geography, social studies and earth science (Extended Learning).

Course	Type
GEO 5300 Applied Research Design (or GEO 5342 Theory and Research Methods in Geographic Education)	Core
GEO 5301 Quantitative Methods or GEO 5304 Qualitative Methods	Core
GEO 5309 Geographical Analysis	Core
GEO 5335 Professional Project	Core
15 hours from courses such as Active Learning in Geography, Spatial Thinking in Education, Inquiry-Based Teaching in Human Geography and Technology in Geographic Education	Concentration
6 hours of advisor-approved electives	Electives

Note: Extended Learning calls the Geographic Education concentration a 100% online program, while the Graduate College says students complete 50–100% of coursework online. Texas State’s GIS and natural resources M.A.Geo. majors are hybrid, with more than half of coursework online (GIS major), so they are not fully online.

Admission Requirements

B.S.: standard Texas State undergraduate admission; $75 application fee
M.A.Geo.: bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA overall or in the last 60 hours
No GRE
Resume, statement of purpose naming your concentration and three letters of recommendation
Graduate deadlines: August 1 for fall and November 1 for spring (earlier priority dates)

Tuition and Fees

Program	Texas Resident	Nonresident
B.S. (120 credits)	$407 per credit; about $48,840	$407 per credit (as listed)
M.A.Geo. tuition + per-hour fees (33 credits)	About $15,300	About $29,400
Plus $50/hour electronic course fee	About $16,950	About $31,100

Master’s estimates use Texas State’s fall 2026 graduate rates and its $50 per hour electronic course fee for online courses; some flat campus fees may be waived for fully online students. Texas State Online lists the B.S. at a single $407 per-credit rate.

Faculty and Department

The department offers one of the largest geography internship programs and field courses to Big Bend, the Southwest, Europe and Latin America. It also offers an online Ph.D. in Geographic Education (Graduate College) for students who want to continue to a doctorate.

Careers

Texas State says M.A.Geo. graduates pursue careers in environmental management, GIScience, physical and environmental geography and planning (master’s degrees); the Geographic Education concentration serves K–12 and college geography teachers.

Pros and Considerations

Strengths

Fully online, asynchronous geography bachelor’s with six start dates
Accepts up to 90 transfer credits
Online master’s built for geography teachers
No GRE

Things to Consider

GIS is not required in the online bachelor’s
Only the Geographic Education master’s is online; GIS master’s is hybrid
Graduate College and Extended Learning describe online delivery differently
Master’s comprehensive exam format not stated

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Texas State offer an online geography degree?

Yes. Texas State’s Accelerated Online Program offers a 120-credit B.S. in Geography and Environmental Studies that is 100% online and asynchronous.

How much does Texas State’s online geography bachelor’s cost?

Texas State Online lists $407 per credit, about $48,840 for 120 credits.

Is Texas State’s Master of Applied Geography online?

The Geographic Education concentration can be completed online. The GIS and natural resources majors are hybrid.

Does the M.A.Geo. require the GRE?

No. Texas State does not require the GRE for the Master of Applied Geography.

Compare Texas State with other programs in our online geography and GIS degree guide, or see Texas geography programs.

Official Sources

We verified this profile against the following school pages in October 2026. Program details change, so confirm current requirements and costs with the school before you apply.