What is Geography?
Geography is the study of the earth and the ways people interact with it and on it. Geographers are deeply interested in the ideas of space and place. Geography involves more than memorizing states and capitals. It’s a unique way of looking at the world and finding answers to geographic questions.
Physical geographers concentrate on the earth and topics such as weather, climate, soils, landforms, and the natural environment.
Human geographers concentrate on people and their activities, such as culture, economics, political systems, and history.
The technologies of Geographic Information Science, such as cartography, Geographic Information Systems, and remote sensing are used by both physical and human geographers to bring a spatial perspective to our knowledge of the World.
You can choose from undergraduate degrees in Geography (BA or BS), Geography and GIScience (BS), and a teaching subject endorsement for Education degrees. We also offer Minors in Geography, GIScience, and Environmental Science. See the links in the green box for more information.
The program is located in Copeland Hall, which includes laboratories for GIS, Remote Sensing, Cartography, and Physical Geography. There are six full-time faculty members with diverse teaching and research interests.
For more information, please contact Geography at (308) 865-8355.
2013 Student Research Day
Twelve Geography students presented research at the 15th Annual UNK Student Research Day on Thursday, April 4. Congratulations to Nicholas Stoll for winning First Place in the Behavioral and Social Sciences divison! The title of his research poster is "Just What the Doctor Ordered: The Role of GIScience in the Market Area Analysis of an Omaha Health Care Clinic." Click here for more information.
2012 Geography Day for Area 4th Grade Students
On November 8, 2012 approximately 40 4th grade students from Park Elementary School in Kearney visited the Geography Department to learn more about Nebraska geography. They enjoyed refreshments and a special lesson on our state.
2012 Special Lecture Presentation
Dr. Wiley Thompson will present "Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Reponse: What I've Learned and What We Can Do Better” on Tuesday, April 10, in Copeland Hall Room 130. Dr. Thompson is an Army colonel, military aviator, and currently the head of the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at West Point. His field work includes leading the U.S. military aviation reponse to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and working with NGOs in the 2010 Haitian earthquake response to study civil-military cooperation. He is an environmental geographer with research interests in hazards, disaster response, development, and conflict. Wiley is married, has two teenagers, and holds a PhD in Geography from Oregon State University.
2012 Geography Awareness Week Events
Nov. 11-17th is Geography Awareness Week. Please join the Geography Program in celebration! We are excited to share the following lecture with UNK and the wider community.
Dr. Bob Watrel, from the South Dakota State University, will present "'The 2012 Presidential Election in Geographical, Historical, and Political Perspective" on Tuesday, Nov 13 at 2:30 p.m. in Copeland Hall Room 130.
2011 Geography Awareness Week Events
Nov. 13-19th is Geography Awareness Week. Please join the Geography Program in celebration! We are excited to share the following lectures with UNK and the wider community.
Dr. Brett Chloupek, from the Kansas State University, will present "'Space, Place, and Identity: Historical and Religious Geography in Eastern Slovakia" on Monday, Nov 7 at 3:30 p.m. in Copeland Hall Room 142. Dr. Chloupek is a UNK Geography alumus.
2011 Student Research Day
Seven Geography students presented research at the 13th Annual UNK Student Research Day on Thursday, April 7. Congratulations to Nick Volpe for placing second in the Behavioral and Social Science Division! Click here for more information.
2010 Student Research Day
Ten Geography students presented research at the 12th Annual UNK Student Research Day on Thursday, April 8. Congratulations to Stephanie Cunningham, Christyne Leapley, John McCrory, and Nick Volpe for placing second and to Jacob McGlade for placing third in the Behavioral and Social Science Division! Click here for more information.
Heading to Graduate School
Geography major Jacob McGlade will be attending the University of Nebraska - Omaha this fall for graduate study in Geography/GIScience. He was offered admission with a full funding and tuition waver. Congratulations Jake!
Travis Minne (double major in geography and mathematics) will be attending the University of Nebraska - Lincoln this fall for graduate study in Statistics. Congratulations Travis!
2009 Geography Awareness Week Events
Please join the Geography Program in celebration of Geography Awareness Week during Nov. 16-20th. We are excited to share the following lectures with UNK and the wider community.
Dr. Ted Goudge, Professor of Geography at Northwest Missouri State University, will present "'Getting Lost' in Mapping Sport Geography: The Geography of College Athletics" on Wednesday, Nov 18 at 3:30 p.m. in Copeland Hall Room 130.
Dr. Adam Houston, of the Department of Geosciences at UNL will present "The Impact of Air Mass Boundaries on Tornadic Storms" on Thursday, Nov 19 at 3:30 p.m. in Copeland Hall Room 131.
Dr. Houston will also present "Using Unmanned Aircraft to Probe Tornadic Storms in VORTEX-2" on Thurday, Nov 19 at 7:00pm in Copeland Hall Room 142. Dr. Houston and colleagues participated in last summer's VORTEX-2 tornado research project. His talks are presented by the Department of Physics and the Geography Program.
Click here for complete details, including presentation abstracts.
2009 South Dakota State Geography Convention
Three Geography students presented research at the 40th Annual South Dakota State Geography Convention on April 16 & 17. Congratulations to Matt Buchanan for placing second with his poster on socioeconomics and crime in the Great Plains! Click here for more information.
Special Lecture Presentation
UNL research geologist and associate professor Matt Joeckel will present "One Billion Years of Nebraska Landscapes” on Wednesday, April 8 at 3:30 p.m. in Copeland Hall Room 142. Dr. Joeckel's talk is presented by Sigma Xi and the UNK Geography program. Click here for more information.
2009 Student Research Day
Nine Geography students presented research at the 11th Annual UNK Student Research Day on Wednesday, March 25. Congratulations to Jacob McGlade, Tony Reznicek, and Jamie Knuth for placing first and to Crystal Jacobson for receiving Honorable Mention in the Behavioral and Social Science Division! Click here for more information.
Mr. Brett Chloupek, UNK Geography Alumus, was the guest speaker at the Student Research Day luncheon. Brett is currently a PhD student in Political Geography at the University of Kansas.
2009 Nebraska GIS Symposium
Please join us April 21-23 for the 2009 Nebraska GIS Symposium. You can register and find out more information here.
Geography Program Assessment Documents