Geography

Some people associate Geography with knowing where things are. While knowing where things are is important, Geography is much more than that. Look around you, cities, climate, animals and plant species are not distributed at random on Earth. Geographers study spatial variation, why things differ from place to place on Earth, and through time and space. For instance, why are earthquakes common in California and less frequent in the Midwest? Which populations are more prone to flooding and why? Which areas will be most affected by climate change and how? Geography is also key to understanding how people interact which each other and with the environment and to address important challenges such as climate change, environmental injustice, biodiversity loss, health disparities, and devastation from climate disasters.

Geographic Information Science (GISc)

What is GIS? (video)

Professional Careers for Geographers and GISc specialists
Geographers find employment opportunities in many sectors as spatial data analysts, urban and regional planners, data scientists, sustainability professionals, precision agriculture technicians, geospatial information scientists, conservation specialists, teachers, and more. 

Professional geographers are trained in a variety of methods, data analytics, and technology-based skills, including community surveys, mapping, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Remote Sensing, which open a growing range of career paths in the public and private sectors including local, state, and federal government agencies (e.g., NASA, NOAA, Census Bureau), consulting firms, non-profit organizations, and education. Many geographers find excellent employment due to their geospatial and GIS skills which students can focus on as part of our Geography B.A. (link Geography B.A. to the new collapsable menu “GISc specialization options”) and/or by completing our certificate in GISc. In addition, qualified students majoring in Geography can also join our popular Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s GISc program and graduate with both their major and an MS-GISc in as less as five years (three years for students with an associate degree).