Frequently Asked Questions About Geography at UMW
Q. So, if you are a geography major, do you just study maps?
A. Geography encompasses many different areas of study. At UMW, Geography majors take classes that concentrate on cultural, political, economic, and physical aspects of places across the globe. We learn how humans interact with their environment. Maps are one tool that geographers use to study this interaction, but geography itself is not the study of maps.
Q. You're a geography major? What are you going to DO with that?
A. UMW geography majors have gone on to a wide variety of careers. These jobs include teaching, working for GIS and mapping companies, consulting and engineering firms, as well as numerous non-profit and government organizations including Defenders of Wildlife, county Planning Departments, Federal Mapping agencies, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Army Corps of Engineers, NIMA, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the CIA. Majoring in geography prepares graduates for work in many different areas, as students have experience studying both the human and physical dimensions of the world. Many graduates also choose to continue their education in graduate schools, studying everything from meteorology to political geography.
Q. How many students are majoring in Geography at UMW?
A. On average, the department has 80 majors.
Q. How many professors does the department have?
A. The department currently consists of six full time and one part time professor, each of whom specializes in a different aspect of geography. We anticipate having seven full time professors from the beginning in Fall 2006.
Q. Which Across-the-Curriculum requirements do Geography courses satisfy?
A. The Geography Department offers coures covering all five ATC categories. For specific course information, take a look at the list of Geography courses .
Q. How can I benefit from a geography class?
A. You might be surprised at the variety of classes the department has to offer. In fact, some of our courses are not only required for geography majors, but also for environmental science, international affairs, and historic preservation majors. If you are interested in business, why not take economic geography - an analysis of the development and characteristics of the world economy? Interested in the weather? Take a climatology class where you will learn about the origins of thunderstorms and tornadoes, among other weather phenomena. For those seeking true adventure, why not try a short study abroad program? The geography department sponsors trips to Costa Rica, Australia and New Zealand, and South Africa during spring break and summer. There is such a wide variety of classes offered within geography that many students choose this major simply because their studies never become stale! Geography is all around us and is always changing.