3 US schools transforming geography for a changing world

Change is a natural part of the Earth’s climate, but what’s different today is how quickly it’s happening — and how much it affects us. Between 2025 and 2029, temperatures are expected to be 1.2°C to 1.9°C warmer than they were in the mid-1800s, fuelling extreme weather and destabilising the natural systems life depends on. Add to this the pressures of deforestation, habitat loss, population growth, pollution, and global trade, and the risks grow even greater. 

Addressing such complex, interconnected challenges is impossible without geographers. They provide the science behind climate, energy, and ocean research, helping us understand and respond to change. And because that change is happening so quickly, geographers must continue to adapt, learning new tools like Geographic Information Science (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial analysis to better understand the link between people and the environment. 

Interested in joining them? Here are three top US institutions offering master’s programmes, real-world learning, and more to help you rise to the challenge: 

Texas A&M geography students learn by doing. Through fieldwork and research, you’ll gain analytical and problem-solving skills that help you solve real-world challenges. Source: Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University

Why does urbanisation occur in certain places? How can we foster global sustainability as the world continues to urbanise? Urbanisation is one of the megatrends of the 21st century. If you want to contribute to solving some of the most urgent urban sustainability challenges of our times, Department of Geography at Texas A&M University (TAMU), is the place for you. We study the most critical challenges of our rapidly urbanising planet and solutions to address them.

The Department of Geography offers several master’s programmes for you to build expertise in geographic information systems technology, global positioning systems (GPS), and advanced mapping and image analysis techniques.

One example is the exclusively online Master of Geoscience (MGsc). This non-thesis, 36-credit programme has two concentrations: Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) and Petroleum Data Management (PDM). You will learn from faculty with strong industry ties, including The Professional Petroleum Data Management Association (PPDM), PUG, The Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), and Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA).

What’s more, you don’t have to wait long to get started; courses begin five times a year, and you can apply in Fall, Spring, or Summer. The benefits don’t stop after you leave too. As an MGsc graduate, you’ll become part of Texas A&M’s global Aggie network. With alumni chapters in 88 US cities and 35 international locations, the network opens the doors you need to move forward in your career.

But what if you don’t have the time to commit to a Master’s Degree? The department offers one-year online graduate certificates as well, including the Graduate Certificates in Geographic Information Science or the Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence (GeoINT). The latter is a 15-credit-hour certificate run jointly by the College of Geosciences and the Bush School of Government and Public Service. You’ll take two courses in the Department of Geography, two in the Department of International Affairs, and then wrap up with a capstone learning experience. By the time you finish, you’ll have the technical know-how, intelligence training, and critical thinking skills employers look for in GeoINT practitioners.

With research labs and teaching spaces for cartography, GIS, and remote sensing, Berkeley Geography provides everything needed for hands-on learning. Source: University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley

Geography is an expansive field, and at UC Berkeley’s Department of Geography, you get to explore it all. It is the #1 geography department in the US and #4 worldwide, offering a learning experience that combines rigorous research with conceptual thinking. Its graduate programme, for instance, focuses on Development & Environment, Local & Global Relations, and Global Environmental Change — and within them, the possibilities are huge. One day, you might be learning about political ecology; the next, exploring urban studies with a professor who’s done fieldwork in the Arctic or the Caribbean. Plus, because the programme pulls in new affiliates from other departments, you’ll get to see how topics like natural resources, fluvial geomorphology, archaeology, cognition, paleo-environments, and urban architecture connect to the bigger picture. 

This interdisciplinary reach is matched by a culture of collaboration. As a graduate student, you’ll regularly collaborate with faculty and peers from the College of Natural Resources, College of Environmental Design, Energy and Resources Group, and departments like Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, and Ethnic Studies.  

Interdisciplinary research centres and Institutes in International Studies, Latin American Studies, and many more add even more opportunities to learn. Meanwhile, partnerships with Lawrence Laboratories and other hubs connect you to symposia and grant-supported initiatives led by geographers. Behind it all is a strong foundation of support. The department offers students services, funding, and more to ensure you graduate with both confidence and independence. 

You’ll learn how to collect, analyse, interpret, and present geographic data with tools like GeoAI, GIS, remote sensing, GPS, and spatial statistics. Source: University of Florida

University of Florida

Since 1941, the University of Florida’s Department of Geography has blended tradition with innovation. Undergraduate studies begin with a broad introduction to the geospatial sciences. From investigating climate change in Africa to examining land use conflicts in the Amazon, each subject offers a chance to see how geography shapes our world.  

When you step into graduate studies, you can choose from MA, MS, or PhD programmes and learn from faculty who specialise in Earth System Science, Medical Geography in Global Health, Places, Networks, and Flows, Geopolitics and the Global Economy, Catastrophes, Conservation, and Conflict, Sustainability and Global Environmental Change, and Geospatial Analysis and Techniques. But research isn’t reserved for faculty alone. You can conduct interdisciplinary research too, addressing deforestation and land conflicts, river restoration, healthcare accessibility, and beyond. 

The department offers specialised graduate certificates as well. Atmospheric Sciences helps you visualise and interpret climate and weather data. Digital Geography and GIS teaches you to analyse geospatial data using tools like GIS, remotely sensed image processing, and geo-visualisation. If health is your focus, Medical Geography provides training in spatial disease ecology, global health, and essential geostatistical approaches to public health.  

No matter which paths you choose, you’ll graduate ready for a variety of careers. Some graduates tackle social and economic challenges, working in international development, urban and regional planning, geographic information systems, and environmental consultancy. Others choose to manage resources and protect coasts and watersheds. Whatever the direction, the University of Florida ensures you have the skills to succeed. 

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International