The discipline of geography, as the study of place and space, concerns itself with the analysis and explanation of the occurrence, distribution, and interrelationships of physical and cultural patterns on the earth’s surface. The discipline is also interested in how the earth’s physical and human landscapes change over time. Geography can be classified both as a social science and a natural science as it examines human beings and their environment and serves as a bridge between the physical and cultural worlds. The undergraduate program is designed to prepare students for various careers in business, industry, education and government.

Strengths of the department include physical geography (climate, geomorphology, soils, vegetation), economic geography, environmental change, spatial technologies (GIS, remote sensing, cartography), health/medical geography, urban geography, and nature-society interactions.