The turbulence of the current times has dramatically transformed the world's economic and political geographies. The scale and scope of such changes require urgent attention. Important topics in this arena relate to: globalization and its impact on peoples and places, economic inequalities across geographic scales and borders, terrorism and power, the development of the knowledge-based economy, and the relationship between economy and environment. Now, more than ever, the changing fortunes of peoples and places demands our attention.
The Department of Geography offers a Master of Arts (MA) and a Master of Science (MS), as well as a Doctoral (PhD) program of study. These comprise coursework and development of a research thesis or dissertation. Graduate students work with their faculty advisor to develop their research interests within one of our Focus Areas.
The Department of Geography offers a breadth of degree options and coursework to prepare students for diverse careers that utilize geospatial sciences. Work and learn alongside faculty and mentors who conduct exciting, world-renowned research in the department's seven focus areas: Earth System Science, Medical Geography in Global Health, Places, Networks, and Flows, Geopolitics & The Global Economy, Catastrophes, Conservation, and Conflict, Sustainability & Global Environmental Change, GeoSpatial Analysis and Techniques. The research conducted by our graduate students is broad and interdisciplinary, touching on topics around the globe including land cover and climate change, deforestation and land conflicts, catastrophic weather events, river restoration, healthcare accessibility, and emerging infectious diseases.