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Why Study Geography

Illinois State University’s geography program will help you STATE Your Destination, wherever it may be. Your learning will stretch far beyond our classrooms, with required off-campus professional experiences that prepare you for your career. You’ll work side-by-side with your professors, whether it’s on a faraway research expedition or one of several statewide geography initiatives housed on campus.  
Check out GEOGRAPHY AT ILLINOIS STATE. https://spark.adobe.com/page/HUYLQL7rAzHsN/.

Learn more about how you can STATE Your Destination.

  • Majors
  • Minors
  • Certificates

Geography

Students may earn B.A. or B.S. degrees in Geography. Students develop and exercise critical thinking, writing, and quantitative skills. The major curriculum provides a balance between traditional liberal arts and technical and analytical skills. Technical skills in cartography and GIS are especially popular among our students.

Learn more about the Geography major

Geography Social Science Teacher Education

Students may earn a B.S. in Geography Social Science Teacher Education. Students will become certified to teach all high school social science courses (world and U.S. history, government and politics, sociology, economics, and psychology), including AP and honors geography, and are encouraged to complete the middle school endorsement to teach in middle and junior high schools as well.

Learn more about the Geography Social Science Teacher Education major

Geography

A minor in Geography provides a strong preparation for a diverse range of careers and is also an effective preparation for a range of professional schools. Geographers also have a number of specific technical and analytical skills that prepare them well for certain tasks.

Learn more about the Geography minor

Environmental Studies

The minor in Environmental Studies is a multidisciplinary and multi-departmental sponsored program that is available to students in any undergraduate major. The mission of the Environmental Studies Minor Program is to increase awareness of the interrelationships that exist between humans and the physical environment.

Learn more about the Environmental Studies minor
satellite in orbit over the Earth

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Certificate

The GIS Certificate is a rigorous plan of study available to geography undergraduate students who wish to prepare for advanced careers in GIS, cartography, and remote sensing.

Learn more about the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Certificate
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“I am convinced to this day that the geography capstone internship program was the single most important event in my undergraduate career.”

—Rob Kowalski ’91, city planning agency executive

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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The Illinois Geographic Alliance (IGA), administered through the National Geographic Society, has been headquartered at Illinois State since its founding in 1987.

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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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Careers in Geography

Geography is the science of place and space. Geographers ask where things are located on the surface of the earth, why they are located where they are, how places differ from one another, and how people interact with the environment. Geography is unique in linking the social sciences and natural sciences together. See what our geography graduates are up to now and explore what careers await you with our Career Snapshots!

Our graduates become:

  • geo-icons-surveyor

    Natural Resource Managers

  • geo-icons-cartography

    Mapping Technicians and Cartographers

  • geo-icons-mapping

    Geographic Information Analysts

  • geo-icons-urbanplanning

    Urban and regional planners

  • geo-icons-earthscience

    Environmental Analysts and Consultants

  • geo-icons-teacher

    Humanitarian Aid Officer

Kristopher Kuzera

“The education and support I received from Illinois State as a student and the years following have put me on a successful career path in geography that I would not have been able to achieve otherwise.”

—Kristopher Kuzera ’98, now a geography professor in Colorado

Where do our graduates work?

  • Esri, world-renowned GIS software firm
  • Illinois State Geological Survey
  • State Farm Insurance
  • National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
  • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
  • Dow AgroSciences
  • Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)
  • Integrys Energy Services
  • GIS Solutions
  • Roadview Inc.
  • PAQ Interactive
  • Cloudpoint Geographics

Learn more about Careers in Geography

See where our faculty and students have travelled
large, colorful geologic rock formations

The world is your classroom

2021-08-26T10:40:50.389-07:00 2021