Programs in Geography
Geography bridges the gaps between the natural sciences and the study of humanity. It integrates diverse fields such as economics, ecology, political studies, urban design, resource management, human health, and climatology.
GEOGRAPHY DEGREE OPTIONS:
We recommend that you speak with our Undergraduate Advisor to select a program that works for you and to plan your Geography degree
Program types:
Major programs are the most common, and require 15.0 units of discipline-specific coursework at the 300/400 level.
Combined majors combine requirements from two departments and sometimes require more than 15.0 units of 300/400 level coursework. Geography offers two combined major programs - Geomatics (GEOG/CSC) and Physical Geography (GEOG/EOS).
Double majors are also available - you can choose to complete two major programs within one degree, completing the required courses for both programs. It is common to do a double major in Geography and Environmental Studies.
Honours programs have the most requirements, including minimum GPA requirements for entry and completion. Combined honours and double honours programs are also available. Honours programs are good preparation for students who wish to pursue graduate studies in the future.
General programs have the fewest number of upper-level courses required, but you must choose two general programs to complete in combination. For example, in order to complete a BSc General in Geography, you would need a second general program (e.g. Biology), so the degree would be a BSc General in Geography and Biology.
Minor programs are similar to General programs (in many cases they are identical). A minor is an optional program that allows students to study in an area outside their honours, major or general program areas. Students may only declare one minor in a degree program.
What can I do with a degree in Geography?
STUDY FOCUS AREAS:
UVic's Geography program offers four study focus areas: physical geography, human geography, environment & sustainability, and geomatics. We have defined these categories to give students a guide to course selections, especially for the last two years of study.
Physical Geography: Physical geographers are trained to recognize and explain patterns of climates, land forms, vegetation, and water and to understand how they interact. Topics include geomorphology, climatology, hydrology, biogeography, and ecology.
Human Geography: Human geographers are trained to understand how people make places, how we organize space and society, how we interact with each other in places and across space, and how we make sense of others and ourselves in our locality, region, and planet. Explore the world through the lenses of social, political, cultural, and economic geography.
Environment & Sustainability: Environmental geography is all about knowing and applying geographic information about relationships between nature and society. Topics include environmental governance, sustainability, biogeography, conservation, ecology, resource management, and coastal studies.
Geomatics: Combine geography and computer science into a field known as geomatics. This includes learning how GPS (global positioning system), satellite imagery, remotely-sensed data (e.g. drone-gathered), and spatial mapping are integrated within GIS (geographic information systems) and visualization tools. Learn how to collect, process, analyze and display data and use maps to improve our world.