Geography bridges the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. Students in Geography approach problems from ecological and spatial perspectives. An ecological perspective is useful for investigating many environmental and resource management questions that focus upon relationships between humans and the natural environment. Alternatively a spatial perspective is concerned with understanding locational choices and locational relationships underlying human (social, cultural, historical, economic or political) behaviour at geographic scales ranging from the local to the global.

Among academic disciplines, Geography is unique in combining the social sciences and humanities with the physical sciences. In physical geography, or earth system science, students study natural processes, their interactions, and natural and human-generated environmental issues, such as climate change, while human geography focuses on the study of people and their interactions with the environment.

Top 5 Reasons to Study Geography:

1. Hands-on lab and field work. Engage communities, see results.
2. Gain a wide range of transferable skills that stand out in the labour market, like teamwork, cultural sensitivity, and tech savviness.
3. Learn to make sensible judgements about matters involving the physical environment and society.
4. Question the world we live in and get the skills needed to change it.
5. Join a community of scholars with close and interactive relationships with each other.

Note: Students in this program are also eligible for the Queen’s Undergraduate Internship Program (QUIP) which provides 2nd or 3rd year students with a 12-16 month work experience. The internship normally occurs following the student’s third year of study, after which the student completes the final year of the honours degree. The internships are paid, professionally supervised, career-related positions offering students the opportunity to learn about current advances, practices, and technologies in business and industry.