Popular Searches
Featured Sites
Request Information
Without geography, you’re nowhere.
Why are things located where they are? What makes societies and biophysical environments different from place to place? How does distance affect access to the things all species need to survive and flourish?
As a geography major at Clark University, you will use the concepts of place and space to better understand the physical and social processes that shape our planet and to address societal and environmental challenges. In pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in geography, you will explore why places are different; the economic, political, and cultural systems that connect us locally, regionally, and globally; and how we shape — and in turn are shaped by — our environment.
Geography
GEOG 157
PLSUse the lens of psychogeography to investigate how human-modified landscapes affect our emotions and behaviors. Explore how those landscapes are shaped, and how they can be modified to bring about social change.
GEOG 106
POPWater is an emotionally and politically charged resource. Explore our city’s water system via field trips and readings, and grapple with current issues in water and wastewater management, conservation, and planning.
GEOG 119
The Arctic’s rapid warming has far-reaching implications for our planet’s climate. Discover the Arctic during an age of intense human activity, and the interactions between land, atmosphere, ocean, ice, and people.
GEOG 107
POPWhy are many Asian countries (think China, India, and Japan) major players in global affairs? Through readings and class discussions, you’ll explore the reasons behind their rapid economic rise and sudden crises.
As a geography major, you will take one course in each of four concentrations: earth system science; human-environment/nature-society; globalization, cities, and development; and geographic information science. You also will take a course in both research methods and skills, as well as four courses in an area you want to explore in depth, and a capstone experience. Additional information about the geography major and minor is available in the Program Guide for Undergraduate Geography Students (PDF).
If you qualify, you can apply to join Gamma Theta Upsilon, the international geography honor society. Each year, the Graduate School of Geography recognizes three seniors and one junior with paid awards: the Ellen Churchill Semple Award, the IDRISI GIS Excellence Award, the NCGE Excellence in Scholarship Award, and the Strabo Award.
Skills you will learn include:
Ellen Churchill Semple Award
The Ellen Churchill Semple Award is given to an outstanding graduating senior geography major. The award is based primarily on a student’s academic achievements, although consideration is also given to professional and community achievements, independent research activities, publications and consulting.
Clark Labs GIS Excellence Award
This award is given to a senior that has excelled in the field of GIS.
NCGE (National Council for Geographic Education) Excellence in Scholarship Award
The NCGE Excellence of Scholarship Award is given in recognition of outstanding scholastic performance in the field of geography. The National Council presents this award for Geographic Education and the Association of Geographers.
Strabo Award
The Strabo Award is given in recognition of intellectual leadership, exploration, and creativity. It is named for the Greek geographer Strabo, whose masterful work, Geography, charted the known world of his time.
The Marcia V. Szugda-Emani Memorial Environmental Scholarship Award
The Marcia V. Szugda-Emani Memorial Environmental Scholarship Award is given to a graduating senior with a record of high academic achievement. The award is designated for advanced research projects related to geography and the environment with a focus on the environment and its relevance to human well-being.
Special facilities available to you include the Jeanne X. Kasperson Research Library at the George Perkins Marsh Institute, the Guy H. Burnham Map and Aerial Photograph Library, Clark Labs for Cartographic Technologies and Geographic Analysis, and earth system science teaching and research laboratories in polar science, forest ecology, and terrestrial ecosystem physiology.
During your junior year, you might be accepted into the geography honors program. Joining the program means you’ll work closely with a professor to create a thesis on a topic of your choice. Examples of recent honors thesis topics are:
Building your foundation
The Clark Core allows students to take courses across diverse disciplines, helping them develop critical thinking skills and respect for other cultures and perspectives. You’ll connect classroom learning with action through world and workplace experiences.
