Geography, B.A. Geographic Information Science Concentration

Geographers explore both the physical properties of the earth and the human societies spread across it.

Students in the Geographic Information Science concentration develop skills in using maps, geospatial computer programs, and remotely sensed images to answer geographic questions relevant to land use planning, urban development, geomorphic or biogeographic processes, or environmental impact assessment.

PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS

• The Department of Geography offers an optional accelerated master’s degree, allowing qualified students to earn both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geography in as little as five years.
• You will have access to modern geographic technology, including an oversized cartographic plotter, GPS equipment, and computers with industry-standard software programs like Arc/Info, ArcView, ERDAS Imagine, ArcGIS, Surfer, AtlasGIS, MapInfo, and ER Mapper.
• State-of-the-art laboratories – like the Geomorphology and Weather and Climate Lab and the Regolith Analysis Laboratory – offer in-depth geographic analysis using the latest precision instruments.  
• UNC Greensboro is ranked as one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to the Princeton Review (2020).

THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

• One of the hallmarks of UNCG’s Geography Department is the ability to study abroad. For example, the two-week summer field school has taken students to the Canadian Rockies, the Central Rocky Mountains, the desert Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest.
• The student-led Geography Club hosts a series of speakers each year from planning departments, environmental agencies, GIS firms, and economic development companies.
• Students who excel in the classroom can earn membership into UNCG’s chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon (ΓΘΥ), the international honor society in geography. 
• UNCG has an active Geography Bowl Team, which won the state competition defeating all other universities in North Carolina in 2019.

AFTER GRADUATION

• Graduates have found careers in business and industry, urban and regional planning agencies, departments of federal and state governments, and teaching.
• An undergraduate geography degree is an excellent foundation for advanced graduate work or professional training in planning, business, or law.
• Potential career paths include:
  • Cartographer
  • Emergency Management Planner
  • Environmental Planner
  • Remote Sensing Analyst
  • GIS Analyst
  • Transportation Manager
  • Urban/City Planner
  • Teacher

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