Contact Information
(541) 346-4555
(541) 346-2067 fax
Undergraduate degrees: B.A, B.S.,
Undergraduate Minor
Undergraduates in the Department of Geography develop an awareness of the relationship between physical and cultural landscapes, and investigate the factors and processes that form them.
It's more than maps; it's a perspective
Home to a number of amazing geographic landforms from the Cascade Range to the McKenzie and Rogue rivers, the scenic heart of the Willamette Valley is an exciting place to study geography. But geography is about so much more than mountains and rivers and maps. It’s about how natural surroundings affect cultures and societies and how human beings, in turn, enact change in the world around them.
“Geography is a way of looking at the world and the way we fit into it,” explains department head Cathy Whitlock. “It’s a mix of the physical and the human and how the two interact. To understand an issue, you have to know the spacial context. As we geographers often say, ‘place matters.’”
Because geography is a way of collecting, analyzing, and pre-senting an endless supply of data pertaining to both the human and physical worlds, geography majors at the UO often choose to specialize their studies in one of four areas: Environmental Geo-graphy; Culture, Politics, and Place; Geographic Education; or Geographic Information Science (GIScience).
The Environmental Geography option focuses on human interaction with the physical environment. Culture, Politics, and Place examines cultural and political influences on geographical patterns, and Geographic Education prepares undergraduates to teach social studies in grades K-12. GIScience focuses on the tools and technology used to handle geographic information, namely data about places, activities, and phenomena commonly presented as maps or images.
“Having a geological perspective is essential,” says Whitlock. “You can’t have a real understanding of a lot of issues in the world without understanding the geography of a place. Through the understanding of place, you can understand the history of a culture within a society.”
As a geography major at the UO you’ll come to understand why certain areas of the world have long been contested; the significance of resource abundance and resource shortage; why particular regions contribute more to environmental issues than others; how climate change affects plants, animals and water resources; and much more.
Points of Interest
- Dramatic features such as the Cascade Range and the Rogue River make Oregon an ideal setting for studying natural and cultural landscapes.
- Geography majors can choose to specialize in Environmental Geography; Culture, Politics, and Place; Geographic Information Science; or Geographic Education.
- Undergraduate geography students helped develop "The Atlas of Oregon" and "The Atlas of Oregon CD-ROM," two award-winning atlases created in the UO Geography Department's InfoGraphics Laboratory in collaboration with UO Press.
- Geography faculty members approach the subject from physical, cultural, social, and political perspectives, allowing students to sample a wide variety of disciplines.