Undergraduate Program

Clark is a fantastic place to be an undergraduate major in geography. Here are a few reasons why:

Clark's undergraduate program in geography is consistently ranked as the best in the country.

The quality of the faculty is outstanding. All Clark Geography professors are world-renowned in their areas of specialization.

Clark Geography professors are dedicated to undergraduate teaching. Hands-on approaches to teaching and learning are common in Clark's School of Geography.

All Clark Geography faculty carry on active research, in which students can become involved -- for example, the HERO program.

Some undergraduates get paid to do research, and sometimes that research leads to authorship of professional publications.

Geography students have excellent opportunities to study abroad while fulfilling requirements for the Clark Geography major, because international universities take geography seriously and maintain top-quality geography programs.

We can help geography graduates to find employment or gain entry to graduate school, because the Clark School of Geography has long had a reputation for excellence and is extremely well known off campus.

The Clark School of Geography also has top ranked graduate programs; therefore many undergraduates obtain graduate-caliber education, and all geography students have the opportunity to interact with geography graduate students from all over the world. Clark geography students can participate in a mentoring program with graduate students.

You can study a wide array of topics within Clark’s School of Geography, but all tackle important problems, such as hunger, inequality, poverty, environmental degradation, or climate change. Courses range from theory concerning social justice to cutting-edge computer applications about global positioning systems (GPS).

Clark's School of Geography has excellent facilities, including computer labs.

Classes are relatively small (many in the 20-30 student range at the introductory level and in the 15-20 student range at more advanced levels). As a result, students receive individualized attention and help.

Each year, the department recognizes three outstanding geography majors with paid awards.

Perhaps most important, Clark Geography students have fun while building excellent credentials. Attend the next event of CUGA (the Clark University Geography Association), which is the undergraduate geography student association, and ask the current students. They will tell you that now is best the time to be a Geography major at Clark!

Goals of the Geography Major at Clark

The geography major is designed to enable you to

Develop a broad understanding of geography (achieve breadth),
Dig deeply into a specialized area within geography (attain depth),
Acquire skills needed to carry out independent research and lifelong learning.

Breadth
You will achieve breadth by taking a core course in each of the four major geographic areas offered at Clark:

Depth
You will attain depth by focusing on a specialization within one of the four core areas and by completing at least three advanced courses in this specialty area. You can also design your own specialization in consultation with your faculty advisor in geography.

Skills
You will develop research skills by studying research methods and selecting, with the advice of your faculty adviser, other skills courses that fit your goals and special interests. Together, the skills courses will enable you to ask good questions about geographic problems and to assemble and analyze the information needed to answer these questions. In a research applications course, you have the opportunity to use the research skills you've learned in other courses.

Pulling it all together
Your program of study as a geography major culminates in a senior year capstone course that provides perspective on your interests in geography.

In consultation with your faculty advisor, you will develop a learning plan, which will help you to identify your long-term goals and to design a program of study that will enable you to meet those goals.

Click here for more detailed information about requirements for the major and double-major, or here for information about requirements for the minor.

Honors Program in Geography

The honors program in geography provides qualified students majoring in geography and global environmental studies an opportunity to conduct a major independent research project on a topic of interest. See Guidelines to the the Honors Program.

Geography and Other Programs

A Geography major is a good fit with the Urban Development and Social Change (UDSC) concentration. This concentration provides students majoring in any field with a structured program of study that enables them to understand the historical, social, economic and political factors that have shaped U.S. cities and how cities have, in turn, affected the lives of their inhabitants.

Geography is also a good fit for International Studies Stream (ISS) students. Many of the requirements for the ISS program can be completed through geography courses. The International Studies Stream is an innovative option within Clark’s Program of Liberal Studies, which offers students the opportunity to structure their broad liberal-arts education by focusing on international themes and issues.

Internships

Students are urged to take advantage of internship opportunities. Please contact the faculty member you are working with or Career Services to inquire about possible opportunities. In most cases an internship can count as a specialization course toward the major and can lead to job opportunities.

Geography faculty also participate in the HERO program, which is a prestigious undergraduate summer fellowship offering students paid research employment and the possibility of authoring publishable research papers.

Study Abroad

The department encourages students to spend at least one semester studying abroad, an added reason to consult your advisor early in your geography program. More information about studying abroad can be found here.