UWM Department of Geography

Announcement:
On 25 Sept. 2009, 23 Oct. 2009, and 26 Feb. 2010, the Department will close at noon in response to the State-mandated furlough plan.

Geography is a dynamic discipline that examines connections between people, places, and environments. Geographers study the why and how of where: where things are located and why they are located where they are, how places are connected to one another and how they may differ, and how places and peoples interact with the environment. In investigating these themes, geographers study some the world's most pressing issues, such as climate change, water shortages and loss of biodiversity, globalization and economic systems, urban and regional development, immigration and social change, and poverty and inequality. Many faculty members in the UWM Geography Department examine these issues in the context of the city as the crucial site where human and environmental processes take (and make) place.

Students studying geography at UWM have the opportunity to take a range of courses that develop important technical and analytic skills to investigate these problems. In addition, students combine classroom study with internships, fieldwork, and community service to enhance critical and analytic tools and learn more about their real world applications. Departmental degree programs and faculty expertise focus on "urban environments." Our diverse and renowned faculty also has the following specific areas of expertise to enrich UWM Geography students’ learning experiences:

  • GIS (Geographic Information Science) and Society
  • Transportation and GIS
  • Environmental Change and Sustainability
  • GIS, Remote Sensing, and Spatial Analysis
  • Social and Environmental Justice
  • Race, Class, and Gender
  • Urban Inequality
  • Urban Housing and Landscapes
  • Globalization and Economic Development
  • Immigration and Refugees
  • Biogeography
  • Climate Change and Water
  • Vegetation-Climate Interactions
  • Karst Landscapes and Geomorphology

See the UWM Geography Department's Research Gallery for details on professors' research.