Students reviewing a street map.

Bachelor of Arts in
Geography

Study the Relationships Between People, Places, and Urban Spaces

Learn how geology, natural resources, weather, waterways, and ecosystems have impacted and been impacted by human settlement and urbanization, agriculture, immigration, mass transportation, man-made disasters, and global cultures and economies.

The BA in Geography program at the University at Albany has a strong international focus. Courses cover existing and emerging social, economic, political, and environmental issues in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe.

As a geography major, you get to choose from three areas of focus (clusters): human geography, environmental geography, and geographic information systems (GIS).

Program of Study

programofstudy

Core Courses (12 credits)
•    Introduction to the Physical Environment
•    Introduction to Human Geography
•    Introduction to Geospatial Technologies
•    Capstone Experience: Geographic Thought

 

Geography Electives (24 credits)

Choose eight electives that include:

  • One or more courses in each cluster area
  • Six or more courses at the 300- or 400-level
  • One or more of the following courses:
    • World Population
    • India: Development Debates
    • Human Factors in Geographic Information Science
    • Urban Ecology 

Geography Internship Programs

As a geography student at UAlbany, you can be placed as an intern with various federal and state government agencies located in the Albany area, such as the United States Geologic Survey, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the New York State Department of Transportation. 

 

Geography Honors Program

The geography department’s honors program recognizes students who maintain academic excellence. 

Entering this program enables you to work more closely with faculty to enhance your understanding of geographical research.

You can apply for admission to the honors program during your junior year or at the beginning of your senior year.

honors
Undergraduate Geography Clusters
Human Geography

Examine the human dimensions of geography, such as the ways that landscapes are altered by urban development, the relationships between population growth and politics, global cultural exchange, international economic markets, and regional food shortages.

Sample courses:

  • The American City
  • China: People and Places
  • Cultural Geography
  • Introductory Urban Geography
  • World Cities: Geographies of Globalization
  • Reform and Resistance in Contemporary China
  • Global Population Debates
  • Geography of Latin America
  • Geography of Africa
  • Geospatial Applications of Drones        
  • World Food Crisis
  • Global Urbanism and Culture
  • World Regions and Global Markets
  • World Population
  • Urban Development in China
  • India: Development Debates
  • India: Field Study of Development Issues
  • Methods of Urban Analysis
  • Topics in Human Geography
  • Political Geography
  • Geography of Religion
  • Advanced Urban Geography
  • Human Dimensions of Global Change
  • Urban Design
Environmental Geography

Help ensure the sustainable coexistence of human communities and their neighboring ecological systems. This area focuses on the relationship between communities, towns, and cities, and their surrounding environment.

Sample courses:

  • Environmental Analysis
  • Climatology
  • Geospatial Applications of Drones
  • Principles of Environmental Management
  • Topics in Physical Geography
  • Landscape Ecology
  • Environmental Planning
  • Climate Change
  • Urban Ecology
  • People, Place, and Power
Geographic Information Systems

Learn how to work with geospatial tracking and mapping technologies by choosing electives from this cluster area.

  • Introduction to Cartography
  • Geospatial Applications of Drones
  • Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
  • Topics in Geographic Information Systems
  • Computer Mapping
  • Geography Internships
  • GIS for Social Sciences
  • Human Factors in Geographic Information Science
  • Fundamentals of Applied Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
  • Remote Sensing
  • Advanced Geographic Information Systems

Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Options


You can save time and money by beginning your graduate degree coursework while still enrolled as an undergraduate student. Up to 12 academic credits, billed at the undergraduate rate, will count towards both degrees – so you’ll complete your combined program in only 5 years and spend less than you would if you completed each program separately. Choose to combine your Geography undergraduate degree with the following graduate programs:

combined

MA in Geography
This master’s program advances your knowledge in areas including environmental degradation, climate change, population density, and urban development to prepare you for careers in which you measure and study diverse phenomena related to human civilization, the earth’s surface and subterranean resources.
 

MS in Information Science 
This ALA-accredited master's program covers a broad range of interdisciplinary topics related to library science, information processing, information management and data analysis.

UAlbany graduate at Commencement
Minor in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

To enhance your job prospects after graduation, add a minor in geographic information systems to your resume. The minor provides you with hands-on training in GIS and spatial data collection, visualization, and analysis, and teaches you how to approach problems related to resource management, agriculture and forestry, urban planning, land use mapping, market research, and social inequality. Coursework includes topics in cartography, interactive mapping, remote sensing, and computer graphics.

See the Undergraduate Bulletin for details.

Four young professionals engaged in urban planning
minor

Career Paths


As a geography major, you'll be ready to pursue careers in fields such as:

  • Cartography
  • Community and International Development
  • Corporate Sustainability
  • Environmental Conservation and Management
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 
  • Real Estate Development
  • Regional Market Analysis
  • Transportation Planning

The bachelor's program also prepares you to apply for admission to graduate programs in areas such as urban and regional planning, public administration, forestry, environmental and earth sciences, and landscape architecture.

 


 

Two people conducting a land survey on a farm.
career

"I believe that I gained certain perspectives that in other programs I would not have gained about the human aspects of geography."

 - Jack Baranski, Class of 2025 

UAlbany Majors: Geography
Student Learning Objectives

Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.

Bachelor of Arts
  • An understanding of the complex spatial relationships, interactions, and processes within the cultural and natural environments of the Earth’s surface.
  • An understanding of geography’s distinctive disciplinary perspectives including concepts of place, location, region, and environment, along with exposure to the varied theoretical worlds of contemporary geography.
  • Proficiency in two or more of the basic analytic skills of cartography, remote sensing and image analysis, statistical analysis, and geographic information systems.
  • A demonstrated ability to apply geographical knowledge in either research or an internship.
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What Makes The University at Albany Great

Student move-in day.

Living-Learning Communities

Live and take classes with other incoming freshmen who share your personal interests, passions or intended academic major.

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Study Abroad

Become a global citizen: international experience is crucial to success in business, education, research, and public policy.

A student conducting undergraduate research.

Undergraduate Research

Research, scholarship, and creative activities at the University at Albany is an option for all students, across all academic disciplines. You will be able to learn more about a specific academic field or career path all while building a long-lasting mentoring relationship with a faculty member or principal investigator.

Explore Minors

Build competency in a passion or strengthen your resume.

A minor consists of 18–24 graduation credits which must include a minimum of 9 graduation credits of advanced coursework at or above the 300 level. Most undergraduate degrees require completing a minor and it has to have a different title from your major.

Full List of Minors
  • Acting
  • Africana Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Art
  • Art History
  • Atmospheric Science
  • Bioethics
  • Biology
  • Broadcast Meteorology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Chinese Studies
  • Cognitive Science
  • Communication (Fully Online Option)
  • Computer Science
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminal Justice Studies (Fully Online Option)
  • Cybersecurity (Fully Online Option)
  • Documentary Studies
  • East Asian Studies
  • Economics
  • Educational Studies
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Electronics
  • Film Studies
  • Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (Fully Online Option)
  • English
  • Forensic Science
  • French
  • Game Design and Development
  • Geographic Information Science
  • Geography
  • Globalization Studies
  • Hebrew
  • History (Fully Online Option)
  • Informatics (Fully Online Option)
  • Instrumental Performance
  • International Studies
  • Italian
  • Japanese Studies
  • Journalism (Fully Online Option)
  • Judaic Studies
  • Korean Studies
  • Latin American and Caribbean Studies
  • Law and Philosophy
  • Leadership
  • Legal Studies
  • LGBTQ Studies
  • Library and Information Science
  • Linguistics
  • Machine Learning
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Anthropology
  • Music
  • Musical Performance
  • Musical Theatre
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Political Science
  • Portuguese
  • Pre-Education
  • Psychology (Fully Online Option)
  • Public Health
  • Public Policy
  • Religious Studies
  • Russian
  • Russian and Eastern European Studies
  • Social Welfare Studies
  • Sociology (Fully Online Option)
  • Spanish
  • Statistics
  • Sustainability
  • Theatre
  • Theatrical Design/Technology
  • Urban Studies and Planning
  • U.S. Latino Studies
  • Vocal Performance
  • Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

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