Departmental Areas of Focus
Geography has always been about thinking across boundaries. As we seek to understand and better address societal and environmental challenges, Geography’s inherent interdisciplinarity is its greatest asset as a field of study. Our vision for the UNCG Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability reflects its historical strengths at the intersection of environment, human geography, and geographic technologies, and it reflects a desire to have our teaching and research strive for a better world.
Human Geography
Human geographers investigate how place and location affect and are affected by such things as urban and economic development, globalization, transportation systems, tourism, population, environmental change, and political boundaries. The department has strengths in urban (including planning), transportation, economic, and political geography.
Physical and Environmental Geography
Physical and environmental geographers investigate questions about the physical world around us: the atmosphere, waters, landforms, and living things that make up the human environment. Our department has strengths in climatology, biogeography, geomorphology, and hydrology.
Geographic Information Science
Geographic Information Science uses geospatial technologies to understand human and physical phenomena. Our department has strengths in cartography, remote sensing, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Environment & Sustainability Program
This interdisciplinary program fosters understanding of the relationships between human societies and the natural contexts for life on Earth. The Program offers three different B.A. concentrations: Environmental Studies, which emphasizes the natural sciences; Sustainability Studies, which emphasizes the social sciences and humanities; and Environmental & Sustainability Studies, which is a self-designed major open to juniors with a 3.30+ GPA.
- Areas of Focus
- Human Geography
- Physical Geography
- GIScience
- Sustainability
Why Geography, Environment, and Sustainability?
Featured News
Nastaran Pourebrahim published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
Nastaran Pourebrahm’s (with Drs. Sultana and others) paper is now available online in International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. Her […]
GES students inducted into Phi Beta Kappa
Congratulations to the GES students who were recently inducted into Phi Beta Kappa: Olivia Biro (GEO minor), Kaitlyn Farina (EVS […]
Students and Faculty Attend AAG Annual Meeting in Washington
Numerous faculty and students from the Department attended the annual meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) in Washington, […]
UNCG to Offer Two New Sustainability Programs
Beginning in the fall of 2019, UNCG will offer two new sustainability degrees at the graduate level. Students in the […]
Alumni Stories
I earned both my M.S. and Ph.D. in the UNCG Department of Geography. I was somewhat fortunate to be among […]
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