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, geomorphology, sustainable development, land use analysis, climate change, cultural and political ecology, cultural landscapes, the urban environment, geographic education, and geographic information science. Ongoing faculty research sites in international areas include Patagonia, the Amazon Basin, Sub-saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Pacific Rim.
Geography 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.
Geography Bachelors Plus MS in GIS Master
Students currently enrolled in the BA or BS in Geography program may be admitted directly into the MS in GIS program and share up to 20 credits of graduate level credit with the BA/BS in Geography and MS in GIS. Students can potentially complete both degrees in 4 + 1 years.
Students can apply for the Bachelors plus Masters in their junior year to be eligible to take 500-level courses in their senior year. The Bachelors plus Masters program should begin in their final year as an undergraduate with enrollment in Geog 522: Research Design and Geog 591: GIS Professionalism in Spring of their senior year. For more information on applications or the Bachelors plus Masters program, email geography@pdx.edu.