Welcome to Geography at Auburn University!

ge-og-ra-phy: 1. the science dealing with the areal differentiation of the earth's surface, as shown in the character, arrangement, and interrelations over the world of such diverse elements as climate, soil, vegetation, population, land use, culture, industries, states, and of the unit areas formed by the complex of these individual elements. (noun). Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.

Geography is the study of the distribution of phenomena over the surface of the earth. The study of geography has three main disciplinary focuses: people, place and identity; earth, and environment; and Geographic Information Science (GIS). Although geography encompasses many fields, the basic goal of geography is to identify the characteristics of a place to determine how it functions (population, culture, resources, landforms, climate, etc...), and how it relates to, or compares with, other places. This may sound like a simple task, but be forewarned the world is full of complex patterns, processes, and relationships. Thus geographers are among the leaders in using GIS, Remote Sensing, qualitative and quantitative methods in our efforts to identify and explain "spatial patterns" around the world. Given the changing nature of our world, geography provides an assortment of skills and tools to help you understand your place in our complex, globalized, multicultural society and geography provides a knowledge base which will help you to take advantage of all our world has to offer. So, how do you know you want to be geographer?

1. Are you curious about places?
   If so, geography channels this interest into a rigorous study of the makeup of places and what makes them tick.
2. Do you like to study maps?
   The geographer's first inclination is to put information on a map in order to see how it looks spatially.
3. Are you interested in foreign areas?
   Many geographers specialize in a particular part of the world such as Latin America, Europe, Asia, or Africa.
4. Do you like to work outside?
   Many geographers obtain their basic data from field investigation in environments that range from wilderness areas to cities.
5. Are you a problem solver?
   As scientists, geographers are naturally curious about how the world is arranged. They ask lots of questions about why things are located the way they are and then they try to answer those questions. If you answer yes to even one of these questions then geography just might be for you! If you are interested in learning more about geography please contact us or come by our offices on the campus of Auburn University. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you. Who knows, you may discover that you are a geographer too!

Degree Program

Auburn University offers a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Geography and a Master of Science (M.S.) Degree.

Curriculum

The geography curriculum is designed to give students a well-rounded education in human geography, physical geography, and cartographic theory and technology. Graduates of this program will be prepared for careers in public service, private enterprise, and advanced academic studies. You can view a description of the current courses offered by the program at the following link: Course Descriptions

The following link provides a sample schedule for completing the degree requirements in 4 years. The document also provides a list of courses that are acceptable as electives. Curriculum Model(.pdf)