Undergraduate programs

The Geography Department at Portland State University links environmental studies and cultural studies in a program centered on environmental issues, social and cultural landscapes, sustainability in urban and natural areas, and Geographic Information Science. Coursework emphasizes systematic and regional approaches to understanding the physical environment and human-environment interactions. Techniques classes (in GIS, remote sensing, cartography, and spatial analysis) provide the tools to analyze complex local, regional, and global phenomena. Access to the Pacific Coast and the Cascade Mountains provides ample opportunity for fieldwork-based classes and opportunities for research. The PSU Department of Geography is an excellent choice for undergraduate and graduate students with interests in the linkages between human and natural systems.

Faculty engage in local, regional, and international research projects in hydrology, water resources, biogeography, sustainable development, land use analysis, climate change, cultural ecology and cultural landscapes, the urban environment, geographic education, and geographic information science. Ongoing faculty research sites in international areas include East Asia, high Asia, Latin America, and Mediterranean Europe. 

Geography is in the School of the Environment and participates in the Earth, Environment and Society (EES) Ph.D. Program. Over 120 undergraduate majors and 30 graduate students participate in two departmental groups, the Friends of Geography and the Student Chapter of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing/Columbia River Region. Several research groups and outreach programs in the department provide additional job and internship opportunities for interested students in public agencies and businesses in such fields as planning, environmental management, GIS, and cartography. 

The geography program gives students an appreciation and understanding of the human environment on global, regional, and local scales. It provides background and requisite training for careers in resource, planning, environmental, or education fields. Geography majors find work in urban and natural resource management, spatial/GIS analysis, urban planning, map design and production, and statistical analysis. Geography is the lead department on campus for training in GIS, remote sensing, cartography, and spatial analysis.