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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
