Students biking on an old highway THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED We take you out into the field to understand how factors like transportation, energy use, and environmental conditions impact your world. Professor Kevin Patrick's Urban Geography course took a field trip to the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Prepare Well for Your Journey into Emerging Geographic Careers

As a GIS and planning major, you will investigate the distribution of natural and human-created phenomena over the Earth’s surface. But that’s just for starters. You will gain the knowledge, learn the technical skills, and undertake applied projects designed to be highly marketable in today’s job market.

Every student receives a solid grounding in basic principles of the discipline and can tailor their specific interests while building their portfolio.  

Student Opportunities

Geospatial and Planning faculty. Our full-time professors bring a combination of scholarship and real-world experience to the classroom. Highly involved with their students, faculty members engage students in their research as well as guiding them on trips both local and abroad.

Internships. We have a well-developed internship program and have placed students in internships for more than 20 years.

Student Organizations. Whether you’re interested in hands-on field experiences, networking with professionals, or building community with fellow students, there’s a group for you. These organizations offer opportunities for leadership, travel, service, and fun—while helping you connect what you’re learning in class to the world around you.

Field Opportunities. Fieldwork is at the heart of what we do in Anthropology, Geospatial, and Earth Sciences. Our students have the chance to apply classroom learning in real-world settings through archaeological and ethnological field schools, geological field camps, and hands-on experiences in our courses. 

Scholarships and Awards. The Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences is proud to support student success through a variety of scholarships and awards. These opportunities recognize academic excellence, fieldwork achievements, research contributions, and community engagement across our disciplines.

IMAPS. The Institute for Mine Mapping, Archival Procedures, and Safety is a professional laboratory located at the university that performs contract work for a variety of organizations. Students can learn hands-on skills in geographic information systems, database management, remote sensing, cartography, global positioning systems, computer programming, and metadata development in the context of the energy industries.

Accredited Planning Program. The Regional Planning program is one of only 17 accredited programs nationally by the American Institute of Certified Planners.