Students gain knowledge that can be applied to solving societal, economic, and environmental problems and to planning for the future, whether they are taking general education or elective courses, acquiring specialized preparation needed for working in geography and planning and related fields, or meeting particular needs in combination with other majors in arts and sciences or professional fields.

The fields of geography and planning assist students in comprehending the broad scope of the physical, cultural, demographic, and economic environments on local, national, and global scales. Geography and planning courses develop skills and organize knowledge from various disciplines, and enable students to examine the integrated whole of a people with reference to habitat and interspatial relationships. Specialized skills, which utilize Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, provide salable skills for students interested in technical careers and complement courses that teach knowledge of environmental and human situations and problems.