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Illinois State was one of only two schools recognized in 2016 by the American Association of Geographers in its inaugural Award for Program Excellence.
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We're one of the few programs in the U.S. to require an off-campus capstone experience of every undergraduate major—either a meaningful summer internship or student teaching. Interns work at the National Geographic Society, emergency management agencies, GIS leader ESRI, and more.
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The close-knit geography program boasts a 1-to-10 faculty-student ratio and average upper-level class sizes of less than 20. This gives students opportunities to participate in faculty-led research.
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Our program hosts very active and vibrant weekly colloquium series and offers at least five career-oriented activities and discussions each semester as part of our Career Year Program.
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Geography Social Science Teacher Education majors can meet a statewide community of geography educators through the Illinois Geographic Alliance, which is headquartered at Illinois State.
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GEOMAP, our Institute for Geospatial Analysis and Mapping, plays a particularly important role in supporting this mission of student research. Student opportunities with GEOMAP have led to many prestigious internships and employment placements upon graduation, including with organizations such as Esri.
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The Illinois Geographic Alliance (IGA), administered through the National Geographic Society, has been headquartered at Illinois State since its founding in 1987.