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?
Why study geography at Clark?
- Clark is an internationally recognized leader in geography. Over the years our professors have included Fellows from the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
- For more than 90 years, our faculty and alumni have pioneered, and continue to advance, the diverse fields of human-environment geography, risk-hazards, critical geography, animal geographies, and feminist geography. Our program is the only one to have developed its own geographic information science (GIS) software, IDRISI-TerrSet, which is now used worldwide.
- Learn from scholar-teachers whose research informs international debates on topics such as socio-economic development, landscape transformation, climate change, and urbanization. Our faculty partner with organizations including NASA, the National Science Foundation, Oxfam America, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
- Qualifying students can join our accelerated B.A. | M.S. program in GIScience — with the fifth year tuition-free.
- Our majors move on to top-ranked graduate programs and meaningful careers.
4 + 1—An advanced degree within reach
The 4+1 Accelerated Master’s provides an opportunity to earn a pathway to a master’s degree — with one year of additional study and available tuition scholarships. Consider the following option for this major:
- Apply
- Request Info
Are you ready to take the first step?
Featured Courses
The Arctic in the Anthropocene
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.
Water and the City: A Socio-Hydrology of Worcester and its Environs
Water 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.
Miracles of Asia: Economic Growth in Global Contexts
Why 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).
At Clark you’ll get more than a great education; you’ll also be prepared for a long, productive career and life of consequence. And once you’ve completed your degree, you can join other Clark alumni who have gone on to work for great organizations and attend some of the best graduate schools in the world.
Science, Data, and Technology
Sustainability, Climate, and Global Change
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.
Transportation Planning Assistant
Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission
Staff Scientist/GIS Specialist
The Johnson Company
Geographer
U.S. Geological Survey
Viticulture GIS Analyst
E. & J. Gallo Winery
Recreation Technician
Bureau of Land Management
GIS Technician
Apple, Inc.
The Clark Experience
The Clark Experience brings together the exceptional education you’ll receive in the classroom and so much more. Through focus and flexibility, it ensures you’ll leave Clark with the creativity, confidence, and resilience to succeed and lead a life of meaning and consequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with a major in geography?
At Clark you’ll get more than a great education; you’ll also be prepared for a long, productive career and life of consequence. And once you’ve completed your degree, you can join other Clark alumni who have gone on to work for great organizations and attend some of the best graduate schools in the world.
What skills will I learn?
- Knowledge of how the natural world and human society are connected
- Theoretical and practical skills to understand the processes of physical and social change
- The ability to apply classroom learning to solve real-world problems
What facilities and labs are available?
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.
Are there academic achievement awards for geography majors?
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.
Is there an honors program in geography?
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:
- The Detection of Change Points in Arctic Sea Ice Cover across Different Spatial Scales, Locations, and Seasons
- Creating Social and Environmental Uplift: Examining the Feasibility and Effects of Rooftop Solar Panels for Environmental Justice Communities in Worcester, MA
- Media Underreporting and Disasters: A GIS Analysis of Traditional and Social Media Response to the 2016 Louisiana Flooding Disaster
- Characterizing the Spatial Expansion of the San Andres Mine between 1991 and 2016 in Copan, Honduras
- From Green Revolution to Organic Revolution: The Development of Inequality in Thailand and Resistance in Surin Province
- Honors Program Guide
Be a force for change.
Come study at a small research university with a strong liberal arts core.