Welcome to the Geography and Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Colorado Denver. The university is in the heart of downtown, and our department is more than a collection of classrooms and labs—although we couldn’t be prouder of our state-of-the-art Facility for Advanced Spatial Technology (FAST) or Geospatial Analysis and Mapping (GAM) Labs. The GES program is a passport to understanding the lively tapestry of our shared planet, a hub of academic excellence, and a playground for the curious, adventurous, and environmentally conscious.
Here, you won't be confined to textbooks. Our classroom extends through the city and throughout the epic Rocky Mountain region. Geography is more than maps; it's understanding the dynamic relationships between people and their environments.
Our department is committed to addressing pressing environmental issues of our time. From studying the impact of urbanization on racial inequity to researching sustainable food sourcing, we believe in making a positive impact on the world. That means you get to participate in creating the solutions we need today to protect humanity’s future.
So, if you're ready to embark on a journey that goes outside the boundaries of traditional education, join us in the Geography and Environmental Sciences Department at CU Denver. Let's explore, discover, and make a difference together!
The Geography and Environmental Science department offers 4 options for you to choose from. They are:
Geography
The Geography gives you the expertise to examine the interconnectedness of people across the globe. This versatile option takes geography beyond the lines on a map, with skill-building tools at the forefront of cutting-edge technology and data analysis. Geography gives you the opportunity any explorer wants: a chance to live the subject, not just learn it.
You’ll explore the world and its people through the lens of how geography cultivates an area’s economics, politics, health, human behavior, religion, ethnicity, and environment.
Geography–Environment, Society, and Sustainability
Learn the interaction between humans and the environment. Our Geography, Environment, Society, and Sustainability option studies how people have influenced the environment and asks the question, how do we create a world that is sustainable, resilient, and livable?
You won’t just acknowledge issues like climate change or other environmental ills, you’ll work with your student and faculty colleagues to search for answers to them.
Geography–Urban Studies and Planning
The Geography, Urban Studies and Planning option explores the robust relationships between people, places, and their urban environments. With a projection of over two-thirds of the world’s population living in cities in just over 25 years, it’s crucial for future society that we understand and plan the role cities play.
Where better to not just study, but live and experience this interdisciplinary degree, than in the heart of Colorado’s largest city? You’ll delve into topics spanning from land use, transportation, air quality, environmental justice, to urban sustainability and resilience.
Geography–Environmental Science
The Geography, Environmental Science option gives you the scentifice knowledge of the worlds geography and the Earth's five spheres: the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere. Once you have an understanding of their workings and how they work together you will specialize and be able to tailor your coursework to your individual interests.
Your career with a Geology degee
Geography is a growing field
Research different degrees and career trajectories at DataUSA.io
(Screenshot—December 2023)
With our skill-building undergraduate programs and available specializations, you gain the unique combination of technical, analytical, and critical thinking abilities to address the contemporary environmental and societal challenges that impress employers across a variety of industries.
Just a few examples of some of the fields our alumni enter:
The American Association of Geographers offers information on your professional career in geography.
- Education
- Public Policy and law
- Communications
- International Relations
- Preservation
- Conservation
- Social and/or environmental justice
- Non-profit organizations
- Sustainable Resource management
- Sustainable food sourcing
- Advocacy work
- Corporate Sustainability Responsibility Management
- Emergency response and management
- Housing Equity
- Health Equity
- Public Awareness
- Forestry
- City planning
- Transportation Planning
- Urban Policy and law
- Housing Policy and planning
- Urban design
- Air quality management
- Water Quality management
- Environmental Scientist
- Conservation Geographer
- Data analyst
- Climate Change Analyst
A degree from the Geography and Environmental Sciences Department can take you places—literally and figuratively.
Degree Options in Geography and Environmental Sciences
Study Abroad course to Patagonia
The Geography department offers a Study Abroad Winterim course in Patagonia. This is one course of the study abroad options you can take with the Geography department. Read about past trips.
You will choose one of these four degree options.
Geography: 45 Credit Hours
Topics include:
- Physical Geography or Environmental Sciences
- World Regions – Global Context or Human Geography
- Mapping and Map Analysis
- Weather and Climate
- Globalization and Regional Development
Outside of these areas, a Geography BA gives you the most selection in Geography subfield elective classes.
Geography, Urban Studies and Planning core: 39 Core Credit Hours
Topics include:
- Urban Studies and Planning
- Urban Geography: Denver and the US
- Urban Sustainability: Perspectives and Practice
- Urban Analysis
Geography Environment, Society, and Sustainability BA: 39 Core Credit Hours
Topics include:
- The Environment, Society, and Sustainability
- Contemporary Environmental Issues
- Environmental Analysis
- Physical Geography or Environmental Sciences
- World Regions – Global Context or Human Geography
- Mapping and Map Analysis
- Weather and Climate
- Globalization and Regional Development
Geography Environmental Studies: 45 Core Credit Hours
This degree’s course topics differ from the other three BAs to give you more focus on environmental science. Topics include:
- Environmental Studies with Lab
- World Regions–Global Context
- Human Geography
- Physical Geography
- Mapping and Map Analysis
- Weather and Climate
- Earth, Environments, and Human Impacts
- Sustainability in Resource Management
- Geo-Spatial Analysis
- Environmental Science
You will also take courses in Biology or Chemistry related to Environmental Science
CU Denver Core: 34 Core Hours
You’ll be educated in English, math, behavioral and social science, humanities, international perspectives, and cultural diversity.
CLAS Core: 15 Core Hours
These courses give you a better understanding of the issues and skills you need to succeed. CLAS Course topics include:
- Writing in the Sciences
- Second-Language Electives
- Contemporary Issues in the Humanities
- Psychology or Anthropology
- Sociology or Economics
Electives and/or foreign language proficiency
You may also need to take coursework in a foreign language offered through Modern Languages. Talk to your advisor for details, especially if you’ve taken foreign language courses or have experience in a foreign language in your past.
Inclusion is our value
CU Denver is home to one of the most diverse student populations in Colorado.
- Join your choice of 100+ student groups and organizations which support your identity and interests
- Your department and faculty are committed to the pursuit of equity and inclusion in the classroom, lab, and beyond
- Learn more at our Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Find your place
Whether it’s in a classroom, through an assignment, in a club, or in a lab, you’re sure to find a like-minded network here in the GES Department!
- Apply to be an editor or submit your own work for our peer-reviewed student journal, Confluence
- Join our chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, where you’ll network with the next generation of leaders in geography
- Every Day Geographical Experiences (EDGE) Student Club
- Facility for Advanced Spatial Technology [FAST] Lab
- Geospatial Analysis and Mapping [GAM) Lab
1st generation student finds her place
As a first-generation university student, I am deeply aware and intentional about where and how I invest my resources. Geography is valuable because it gives me tools to learn more about the world’s social and physical elements with special, exciting angles leading to a fuller, multifaceted understanding. I received genuine, effective support throughout the department allowing me to succeed and strengthen my abilities. This has made me prepared and eager to meet new experiences and opportunities I never thought possible.
—Annalisa Hamm