Geography - Mission

The mission of the Department of Geography and Planning for its undergraduate program is multi-faceted. The mission is:

to produce geographers conceptually prepared and technically skilled for spatial analysis and problem-solving;
to provide majors with the basic background of the discipline;
to provide the opportunity to specialize in an area of their interest such as in geographic analysis and planning; and
to link undergraduate programs to the surrounding community for professional and graduate-level training, and as a resource for planning, consulting, and research needs of the community.

The mission of the Department of Geography and Planning for its Master of Arts graduate program is:

to advance conceptual knowledge of the discipline of Geography;
to develop skills and expertise for spatial analysis and problem-solving in areas such as land use planning and management, conservation of resources, demographic change, and location of commerce and industry;
to link graduate programs to the surrounding community for professional training and as a resource for planning, consulting, and research needs of the community;
to prepare students for entrance into Ph.D. programs in geography; and
to prepare students for entrance into social studies education.