Central to the department's studies are geographic information science and the theories and models of environmental and social sciences. Within this broad domain, the department is developing strengths in environmental justice, environmental modeling, GIScience and GIS,?land use and its environmental consequences, and health geography.

The department provides opportunities for graduate students to gain practical teaching experience through service as departmental teaching assistants or graduate instructors.

Graduate students present research papers at conferences and?regularly win awards. Students are involved in faculty research that leads to coauthored publications; they also publish their own papers. Graduate students compete successfully for intramural and extramural funding for graduate education and research.