Geography is the study of the environments created on the earth's surface by nature and people. The physical and biological elements of these environments, as well as their economic and social structure, historical development, spatial organization, interrelationships, management and planning form the subject matter of Geography. Geography, therefore, relates closely to other fields in natural science, social science and the humanities, and geographers take courses in these related fields along with their geography courses. Students specializing in other subjects often select one or more geography courses to deepen their understanding of the cities, culture, economies and environments of those parts of the world in which they are interested.
Employment opportunities for geographers exist in many branches of international organizations, government, industry, and education. Geographers work at all levels of government service, especially in agencies responsible for environmental management, land and resource analysis, development of historic districts and sites, urban transportation planning, urban and regional development planning, trade promotion, community social services, geographic systems design and data analysis, transport network design and the processing of archival, survey, and cartographic information. In business, geographers work in marketing, locational analysis, resource development, and in consulting firms engaged in project evaluation, land use planning and natural heritage conservation. They often also find work in the non-profit sector as policy analysts, cartographers and geographic information science specialists, community organizers, and educators.
The Focus in Urban Geography provides students with the opportunity to emphasize urban geography as part of their Human Geography specialist or major. Urban geography focuses on the political, social, cultural and economic processes that shape city life, development and policy. This focus will appeal to students registered in the Human Geography specialist or major program who wish to develop an integrative understanding of the dynamics that shape the urban realm. Students are encouraged to explore the breadth of our course offerings in housing, historical, political and transportation.
