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 Human Geography programs provide the opportunity to learn about the relations between landscapes, places, people and nature, and the spatial organization of human activities. While students are encouraged to explore the breadth of the discipline, we also identify courses by theme for students who wish to develop expertise in one or two subfields (e.g., urban geography, cultural and historical geography). The Human Geography programs appeal to students who wish to develop an integrative understanding of the cultural, economic, political and social forces that shape how people use and experience the environments they live in. These programs offer training in quantitative and qualitative research methods, including GIS and Remote Sensing.
