Home
Geography. There’s a map for that.
Geography at Carolina brings a unique perspective to the study of some of our world’s most pressing issues. Geographers bring together physical science, social science, and the humanities to study patterns and processes across the earth’s surface. From analyzing regional dynamics of climate change to investigating new global structures of work and labor, Carolina faculty and students conduct cutting-edge research at one of the top geography departments in the country.
Explore our programs, see where our alumni are now, and find out how geography can help you get where you’re going.
Careers
James Ellsmoor
BA, Class of ’16
Founder, Island Innovation
“UNC Geography was my entry point into understanding the world and trying to make it a greener place. Now I am using these skills to implement sustainable development projects in island communities around the world.”
Tony Liu
BA, class of ‘17
MS1, The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
“The Geography Department at UNC fostered my curiosity while imparting in me the intellectual toolkit I still use in my career as a podcast producer. The faculty supported me each step of the way in both my academic and career journeys, and I think of them often when reflecting about my time as an undergraduate.”
Cameron Taylor
BA, Class of ’10
Malaria Technical Coordinator, The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program
“The UNC geography department exposed me to undergraduate research experiences and opportunities that laid the foundation for my career. I started working with malaria data during the summer of my junior year (2009) in Malawi and ten years later I am still doing it today.”
What can I do with a Geography degree?
Explore Our Programs
All Are Welcome
The Geography Department at UNC Chapel Hill is committed to promoting diversity and a climate of inclusiveness in our student body, faculty, and staff. We have a particular focus on historically underrepresented groups, but also are attentive to the broader questions of diversity that include attention to economic status, gender, sexuality and ability.
Read our full faculty statement on diversity and our diversity committee’s mission statement. See also our June 2020 statement on anti-racism, our December 2018 and November 2019 statements on the confederate monument known as Silent Sam, and our March 2021 statement regarding violence against Asian and Asian-Americans across the U.S.
Events
Colloquium: Angel Xu
Friday 3:30 pm
Undergraduate Thesis Presentation
Friday 3:30 pm
News
Geography major Sarah Followill receives the G. Herbert Stout Award and presents at NC GIS conference
Geography major Sarah Followill receives the G. Herbert Stout Award and will present at NC GIS conference on March 9th. Below is her presentation abstract: Atlanta, Georgia’s urban infrastructure is continuously expanding, covering an increasingly alarming amount of what was, … Continued
Geography graduate student Grey Shipman receives the G. Herbert Stout Award and presents at NC GIS conference
Geography PHD student Grey Shipman receives the G. Herbert Stout Award and presented at NC GIS conference next week on March 9th. Below is his presentation abstract: Public transportation can enable individuals without vehicles to access improved employment opportunities, essential … Continued
Bringing Southeast Asia Home to UNC
The Bringing Southeast Asia Home project, funded by the Luce Foundation and led by PI Prof. Lentz, aims to strengthen Southeast Asian studies at UNC and build links with the region for research, teaching, and study abroad. This DTH article … Continued
New book by Dr. Scott Kirsch, “American Colonial Spaces in the Philippines: Insular Empire”
New book by Dr. Scott Kirsch, “American Colonial Spaces in the Philippines: Insular Empire” American Colonial Spaces in the Philippines tells the story of U.S. colonialists who attempted, in the first decades of the twentieth century, to build an enduring … Continued