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Degrees in Geography

Format: In person on the Statesboro Campus or the Armstrong Campus in Savannah
Credit Hours: 124

“Geographer” was rated a top ten job in science by U.S. News and World Report with a median salary of $85,430.

Geography is a broad discipline that involves the study and relationships of people, places, and natural environments. In Georgia Southern University’s Department of Geology and Geography, you’ll study with professors committed to your success and peers driven to push you forward. Our program starts with a broad science education and culminates in an in-depth focus on geography, with classes in weather and climate, biogeography, cultural geography, urban and regional analysis, Geographic Information Science and spatial analysis. Our Geography Program is a campus leader in study abroad offerings and international research. Students have opportunities to work with geography faculty who are involved in a variety of research projects, providing valuable field and lab experiences.

Whether you are interested in a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, Georgia Southern provides a solid science education to help you achieve your unique career goals. As a Geography major, you will gain the knowledge and research experience needed to analyze and solve problems related to the complex interactions that exist between society and Earth’s natural systems. A degree in geography can lead to exciting and rewarding career paths in the global economy.

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B.A. Geography Degree

Format: In person on the Statesboro Campus or the Armstrong Campus in Savannah
Credit Hours: 124

The Bachelor of Arts degree provides Geography majors with additional interdisciplinary experiences and skills including an academic minor and language studies. Students can also choose an emphasis within the B.A. degree, taking courses focused in Environmental Studies or Global Studies. Graduates with this particular Geography degree and set of skills are ideal candidates for a wide-array of career paths that could include state and local government offices, non-government organizations (NGO’s), teaching and professional consulting.

B.A. Curriculum Checklists and Flowcharts

B.A. Curriculum and Courses

B.S. Geography Degree

Format: In person on the Statesboro Campus
Credit Hours: 124

With a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography, you will experience a concentrated study in geography built upon a foundation of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics. This program is recommended for Geography majors planning to pursue graduate studies in geography, or careers in field-based surveying and mapping, environmental consultation and nature conservation and geographic information sciences.

B.S. Curriculum Checklists and Flowcharts

B.S. Curriculum and Courses

Geography Degree Areas of Emphasis

Geography majors in both degree programs have the opportunity to explore research and coursework in three fields of geography: human geography, physical geography, and geographic information science.

Human Geography

Human Geography focuses on examining the patterns and processes of human interaction with the built environment. You will study the causes and consequences of the spatial distribution of human activities on the Earth’s surface: migration, transportation systems, urbanization, socio-economic conditions, and tourism.

Topics of current research in the human geography program include immigration studies, cultural geography, nature-society geographies, urban geography, tourism geography, and health geography. Regional expertise covers Asia, Caribbean, South America, and North America.

Physical Geography

Physical Geography focuses on the processes and patterns in the natural environment. Your studies will focus on global warming, land-use and land-cover change, water resources, deforestation, and soil erosion.

Topics of current research in the physical geography program include land use/cover change, agricultural sustainability, landscape ecology, urban geography, forest ecohydrology, ecological monitoring and management (particularly in coastal wetlands and waters and estuaries), and coastal risk assessment.

Geographic Information Science (GISci)

Geographic Information Science studies the theories and techniques of capturing, representing, processing, and analyzing geographic information. Your GISci courses cover techniques in geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS), global positioning systems (GPS) and spatial analysis methods.

Topics of current research in the GISci program include remote sensing of both estuarine water quality and salt marsh habitats, the geospatial analysis of land use/cover change, agricultural sustainability, landscape ecology and urbanization, and modeling the impacts of place and space effects of heath outcomes.

Jobs in Geography

The flexibility and diversity of geography majors makes them highly sought after in the workforce. You will be able to find career opportunities as a geographer in a variety of work sectors, including state and local government offices, federal agencies, and international organizations. Careers in geography can include:

Surveyor
Geographic information system analyst
Geographic information system developer
Field service technician
Environmental scientist
Park ranger
Urban or Regional planner
Environmental specialist

Remote sensing analyst
Geospatial analyst
Geographic information system technician
Researcher
Geography teacher
Location analyst
Cartographer
Emergency management planner

Learn more about the programs by exploring our program learning outcomes, which explain exactly what you’ll be prepared for by the time you graduate.