Why Study Geography?

In the United States, many students are unfamiliar with the advanced and professional study of geography. It is not unusual for geographers to be asked what it is they "do." In response, geographers often say that we study the "why of where." This is a shorthand way of saying that geographical curiosity is grounded by an enduring interest in the patterns of human and natural phenomena, and the interaction of both, as they are manifested in particular locations, environments, and places. Just as one might say that historians study time, geographers study space.

The curiosity of a geographer is virtually unbounded; we are observers and analysts of space, place, and environment on scales from the local to the global. Geography is a multifaceted discipline that bridges the social sciences, the humanities, and the physical sciences. Geographers study neighborhoods and international trade, urban life and economic patterns. Geographers study the ways in which cultures, past and present, leave their imprint on the land and landscape. Geographers study the movements of people across space, from local commuting patterns to global refugee flows. Geographers study geopolitical patterns, the changing power relationships within and between nations and states. Geographers study the ways in which human relationships to places, spaces, and environments are shaped by -- and, in turn, shape -- class, ethnic, race, and gender identities. Geographers study natural hazards, biogeography, climate change, and earthquakes. Geographers map the world, literally as well as metaphorically, and employ the newest technologies of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing and satellite imagery to better understand the world's constantly changing natural and human landscapes.

The study of geography at the university level equips students analytical and conceptual skills, as well as understanding of the spatial dimension of physical, environmental, and human phenomena. Further, the study of geography trains students to appreciate the importance of a broad, international, and comparative perspective, provides students with technical skills, a focus on environment and society, and local/global interpretive capacity that is increasingly important for an informed citizenry -- and increasingly valued by employers. A high proportion of our students go on to graduate work, in geography or cognate fields, and we have placed students at some of the best graduate programs in the country.

Students who want more information on the study and practice of geography can pick up several brochures in the department office including "Careers in Geography" and "Geography as a Discipline". The Association of American Geographers has an excellent website on Careers in Geography.