Geography

Geography isn’t just about knowing your way around a map.
It’s about knowing your way around our ever-changing world.

The Department of Geography at the University of Oregon is one of the top ten geography programs in the country. We feature faculty and students researching and teaching on the cutting edge of important societal issues, such as racism, climate change, water resources, economic development, land use, conflict, migration, spatial data science, cartography, and more. We offer two majors, Geography and Spatial Data Science and Technology, and minors in Climate Studies and Geography.

60+
Years of high-impact research, teaching, and service
6
faculty research labs
40%
of undergraduates participating in research
Landforms: Elevation infographic

Vision

The Department of Geography at UO seeks to foster a diverse and inclusive community to study the interactions among people, place, and environment. Using spatial data, geographic quantitative and qualitative methods, and cartographic communication, we work to advance our understanding of the physical and social environment, promoting a resilient and just world.

Mission

The Geography Department at UO is a leader in advancing knowledge of the world from a spatial perspective. We conduct research, educate students, and engage in outreach to benefit local, regional, and global communities.

  • Research: Advance geographic knowledge and inform policy and decision-making on campus, locally, and more broadly. Provide opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to conduct research under faculty mentorship.
  • Education: Train and mentor students to provide concepts and skills that can address complex global challenges, promote success in their future endeavors and engage them as citizens. We provide a curriculum that covers the areas of spatial data science and cartography, climate and global environmental change, cultural and economic geography, and human-environment and social relations.
  • Outreach and Service: Promote geographic literacy and understanding, while addressing real-world issues. The department strives to make a positive impact in our local and global communities through education, research, mentorship, and outreach, recognizing geography's importance in understanding the present and in helping to shape a sustainable future.

What you can do with a degree in Geography

The career possibilities are endless with a Geography degree. Are you looking to work with people, the environment, or data? There are many careers that can fulfill your interests, as well as utilize the skills you develop in your undergraduate career. Examples of recent alumni placements include:

  • Cartographer at National Geographic
  • Head of development and fundraising at a nonprofit
  • Independent drone operator
  • Data analyst for the U.S. Census
  • GIS analyst for utility company
Geography undergraduate director Leslie McLees

How the Department of Geography Launches Your Career

“Students are told they need to go to college to get a degree, but rarely told how to translate their experiences into a career. I’ve spent several years working to bring career readiness to geography students, providing career advising and developing a course to help students translate their experiences into something that sets them up well for both a career and to be an effective global citizen. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is seeing a student who thinks they have no skills transform into someone confidently speaking about what they can do.”

—Leslie McLees, undergraduate director

Our Degree Programs

Undergraduate and graduate programs in the Department of Geography feature courses that span the range of the discipline, but allow students to develop a depth of knowledge in their interest areas. Courses offer topics that range from political economy and cultural analysis to climate change and water systems that help examine the depth and breadth of human-environment relationships in the past, present, and potential futures. We have a range of courses that focus on the concepts and technology involved in geographic analysis, including GIS, remote sensing, and cartography.

Geography professor Dan Gavin teaching a class in the wood

Learn from Experts in the Field

Our world-class faculty regularly publish in high-quality journals and bring funding to support their research, including student assistants. Geography faculty are passionate about the subjects they teach because, like any geographer, when they look out at the world, they want to understand the change, inequality, and injustice that shapes our experiences. Our connections to our alumni and local organizations help students visualize the many pathways open to them.

Drone taking off with student in background

Get Real-world Experience

We offer a variety of ways for students to understand and apply the ideas they develop in their coursework to the world. We strongly support internships and study abroad; we offer positions in labs; and we offer ways of interacting with recent alumni through Geography Club. Many of our courses have a fieldwork component, and in others you will get experience asking and answering questions like a geographer through independent course projects.

Scholarships & Funding

The Department of Geography offers several scholarship and funding opportunities for students. Some involve an application and others are based on nominations from faculty. Opportunities include:

  • A variety of graduate employee (GE) positions as teaching assistants, graders, and researchers
  • The Trussell Family Scholarship for undergraduates
  • The Bill Loy Award for Cartographic Excellence

Undergraduate Scholarships 
Graduate Funding

Academic Support

The Department of Geography offers support for students who face many challenges while attending university. Advising for undergraduates is more than just choosing classes, but also checking in, exploring issues facing the student, and finding resources on and off campus that can help support them. We also focus on career readiness in advising and coursework, with the first permanent class in the College of Arts and Sciences to be focused solely on translating college experiences to a potential career.

Undergraduate Advising 
Support for Graduate Students

Geography News and Events

GEOGRAPHY, GLOBAL STUDIES - A student in the College of Arts and Sciences and Clark Honors College, Charles Petrik was drawn to his opportunity with the mayor’s office of Medellin, Colombia, because he is passionate about cultural exchange. While interning, he lived with students from all over the U.S., but his work at the office was conducted entirely in Spanish. In addition to a language “crash course,” Petrik analyzed pothole and public space data, creating representations that city officials could use to identify areas for infrastructure projects.
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, GEOGRAPHY - Damp weather in the winter and spring doesn’t necessarily protect against wildfires later in the year, according to University of Oregon researchers. Instead, increased moisture can act to increase the threat of fire as summer heat bakes the landscape.
GEOGRAPHY - On May 23, 2024, Professor Mark Carey gave a keynote address to the Chilean Congress of Cryospheric Science. According to Carey's abstract on his research, research on the human dimensions of glaciers and the cryosphere has increased substantially during the last decade, including in new subfields such as “ice humanities” and “cold humanities.”

All news »


Courageous Civility with Shola Richards
Nov7
Courageous Civility with Shola Richards Nov 7 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Brian Walters, "Cicero's Republican Aratea"
Nov7
Brian Walters, "Cicero's Republican Aratea" Nov 7 Knight Library
Post-Election Roundtable
Nov7
Post-Election Roundtable Nov 7 Ford Alumni Center
Women in Economics Club
Nov7
Women in Economics Club Nov 7 Allen Hall
Human Physiology Seminar Speaker: "Contribution of Aged CD8+ T Cells to Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Disease" with Daniel Tyrrell, PhD
Nov8
Human Physiology Seminar Speaker: "Contribution of Aged CD8+ T Cells to Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Disease" with Daniel Tyrrell, PhD Nov 8 Lawrence Hall
The Inaugural Ring Lecture
Nov8
The Inaugural Ring Lecture Nov 8 Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA)
"How Market Fundamentalism Has Blocked Climate Action" with Naomi Oreskes
Nov8
"How Market Fundamentalism Has Blocked Climate Action" with Naomi Oreskes Nov 8 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
English Graduate School Information Panel
Nov8
English Graduate School Information Panel Nov 8
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar – Faculty Introductions – Fall 2024
Nov8
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar – Faculty Introductions – Fall 2024 Nov 8 Willamette Hall
University Theatre Presents "Frankenstein: Playing with Fire"
Nov8
University Theatre Presents "Frankenstein: Playing with Fire" Nov 8 Miller Theatre Complex

All events »