Geography and Environmental Sciences

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Geography aims to help people understand why things happen where they do. Many of the problems and issues facing our world today, such as environmental quality, poverty, housing, agricultural production, transportation, global trade and business, and resource management have geographic dimensions. Education in Geography and Environmental Studies provides essential skills for problem solving and making sense of an increasingly complex world.

The study of both natural and human environments is an outstanding feature of Geography and Environmental Studies. Geography and Environmental Studies students will acquire a liberal arts education while specializing in one of the subfields of the discipline. Popular subfields are Physical Geography (including climatology, biogeography, and geomorphology), Human Geography (including nature-society relations, cultural and social transformation, landscape change, resource management, and land use planning), and Geographic Techniques (including remote sensing, geographic information systems, and cartography). The Department also participates in an interdisciplinary graduate program (M.S.) in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science.

Hawai‘i Island has diverse natural and cultural environments ideal for the study of Geography and Environmental Studies. Field excursions and associated student research activities are an integral and enriching component of the student’s geographic education at UH Hilo. Computer-based spatial analysis, cartography, and image processing contribute to a balanced and modern curriculum.

Geography Department graduates have gone on to a wide range of careers, including resource management, community development, cartography and map design, GIS analysis, land use planning, environmental engineering, publishing and editorial work, environmental law, landscape architecture, and teaching at all levels.

Degree Requirements

See degree requirements for a detailed listing of the Geography and Environmental Sciences B.A. requirements.

Geography and Environmental Sciences Web Site

Visit the Geography and Environmental Sciences web site at http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/depts/geography/.

Goals for Student Learning in the Major

The study of Geography and Environmental Studies helps students understand:

  • The natural processes that make places distinctive
  • How humans have modified the natural environment and the relationships between nature and society
  • The causes of environmental change and controversies surrounding global environmental issues
  • The representation, measurement, and analysis of environmental data
  • How to use maps and other geographic tools, technologies, and methods
  • The uneven global distribution of wealth, resources, and population, and how political, economic, and social relationships are shaped by geography
  • The historical development of the discipline of Geography and Environmental Studies
  • The student's own personal role in environmental protection and sustainable resource management

Contributions to the UH Hilo General Education Program

As an integrative discipline, Geography and Environmental Studies gives students a comprehensive view of the world and an appreciation of environmental and cultural diversity. The Department's contribution to the general education mission of the University is well served by the following courses:

  • GEOG 101 Geography and the Natural Environment (introduces physical geography and explores the diversity of Earth's natural features)
  • GEOG 102 Geography of world Regions (gives a geographic overview of the worlds major cultural/environmental regions)
  • GEOG 103 Geography and Contemporary Society (introduces human geography and explores how humans have adapted to Earth as home)
  • GEOG 105 Geography of the United States (explores the distinctive natural and cultural landscapes of North America)
  • GEOG 121 Weather and Climate of Hawai‘i (examines the impacts of these phenomena on the Hawaiian Islands)
  • GEOG 201 Interpretation of Geographic Data (introduces students to a variety of methods and techniques for collecting, analyzing, and presenting geographic data)

Geography and Environmental Sciences Faculty and Staff