At both levels, an emphasis is placed on two of the requirements for present day geographers - theoretical understanding and methodological skills. Within the profession, the department is known for its theoretical and empirical approaches in four specialty areas:
- Environment and Society
- Atmospheric and Climatic Studies,
- GIS and Spatial Analysis
- Urban, Regional and Global Studies
The PhD program aims to train students to become broadly knowledgeable about the field of Geography as well as a specialist in a particular subfield. Students are expected to create new knowledge that is rigorously grounded in a robust and appropriate empirical and theoretical context.