Prospective Students

It is a fine time to consider geography as your major at the University of North Alabama. The world-wide need for students with a geography education which includes skills in geospatial technologies has been growing rapidly and reports indicate it will continue to increase in the future.

Geography is a way of thinking which geographers call “spatial thinking.”  Geography does not focus on a single subject matter but rather studies a variety of topics using a spatial perspective. It is concerned with “where” things are located, what landscape patterns they produce, why they are arranged that way, and how they interact across geographic or Earth space. As a student you will not only develop a local view but a global one as well. 

Through its dedicated faculty members, the Department of Geography has developed three options in the degree program: Essential Geography, Geographic Information Science, and Business Geography.  All options have a common core of geography courses and each one has suggested courses including supporting coursework from other disciplines like Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, and Business. A faculty member will help you decide which option to pursue depending upon your future goals. 

A Renaissance in Geography Education began almost 20 years ago and was mirrored by the development of various geospatial technologies. The UNA Department of Geography has participated in this renaissance through teaching, research and community activities. The department provides you with access to a variety of geospatial technologies including high speed computers, scanners, Global Positioning Satellite devices, photo-optical equipment (stereoscopes and microscopes), digital cameras, large format Design-Jet plotter and the industry standard software for Geographic Information Systems from ESRI and for remote sensing from Leica Geosystems ERDAS Imagine. The Department also houses the newly developed Biogeography Laboratory.

Graduates from the Department of Geography at UNA work in various government, public and private sector jobs throughout the country and overseas. These jobs involve regional and urban planning, environmental research and monitoring, utilities, marketing, management, and field work among many other titles. Some of our graduates go on to graduate school for both the masters and Ph.D. degree. For the past several years, job and graduate school placement has reached almost 100%.

If you are interested in pursuing a major or minor in geography, just drop by the department, give us a call or send us an email. We can discuss your goals and how a study of geography might provide you with the foundation for a rewarding career after your university experience.

Dr. Bill Strong

Chair, Department of Geography