紐約州立大學水牛城分校

Why study Geography BA at UB?

Geography is concerned with the location and arrangement in space of human and natural phenomena, and with the interrelationships between people and their environments. The Department of Geography has four major areas of concentration. Earth Systems Science focuses on the fundamental processes that dominate the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, their characteristics and complex interactions, and their impact on human life and society. Geographic Information Systems focuses on the theoretical foundations geographical information science, the development and use of state-of-the-art software and emerging technology, and the collection, processing, and interpretation of geospatial information. International Trade focuses on economic and business geography, and it prepares students to critically assess the process of globalization operating in the world today, including the growth of multinationals and foreign direct investment, international trade, the internationalization of capital and financial markets, new international divisions of labor, and the rapid development of technology and innovations. Urban and Regional Analysis focuses on a wide variety of economic and social problems related to transportation, land use, urban environment, housing, work and welfare, population changes and migration, and health within a geographical context.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all requirements, students will obtain foundational knowledge in general geography and in the areas of international trade, geographic information systems, Earth systems science, and urban and regional analysis, they will acquire knowledge in quantitative and qualitative analytic methods, and they will develop skills and abilities in laboratory, field, software, and statistical methods and techniques necessary to address geographic issues.

Career Outlook

Human geographers work in the fields of urban and regional planning, social services, transportation, marketing, real estate, tourism, and international business. Physical geographers study patterns and interactions of climates, land forms, vegetation, soils, and water.

Geographers also study linkages between human activity and natural systems. Geographers are active in the study of global warming, desertification, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, groundwater pollution, and flooding.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (US Department of Labor) lists geography as a stable employment sector, with excellent growth potential in some sub-disciplines (such as geographic information systems and statistics). More than half of all geographers in the US are employed by the federal government.

Career Choices

• Cartographer
• Climatologist
• Computer analyst
• Ecologist
• Environmental scientist/manager
• Geomorphologist
• GIS specialist
• Health care
• Market research analyst
• Meteorologist
• Natural resource manager
• Researcher
• Urban and transportation planner

Work settings include:

• Consulting companies
• Engineering and marketing consultants
• GIS software development, implementation
• Government agencies
• Local, city and/or state planning offices
• Multinational corporations
• Real estate developers
• Social services organizations
• Universities