Geography

Acquire the skills and techniques that will enable you to analyze economic, environmental, social, and political problems, and work to shape your community, state and nation.

  • Framingham State students and faculty visit Athens, Greece on a trip organized by the Geography Department

  • Framingham State's recent acquisition of the Warren Conference Center in Ashland will provide increased opportunities for field work in the University's environmental programs

  • Geography students pose in Paris, France

  • The 2016 Alternative Spring Break service-oriented trip to Pittsburgh, PA includes Department of Geography students: Austin Borrell ’16, Alexandra Ferri ’16, Kirsten Hoey ’18, and Caitlin Murray ’16.

Geography is about understanding the places where we live, the conditions in other places, and the connections between all these places. Understanding geography helps us create fair, safe, and economically and environmentally sustainable places, and helps us to succeed in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.

The Geography Department offers concentrations in Global Studies, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and coordinate majors in education; as well as a major in Environmental Studies and Sustainability. The department also houses the Environmental Science and Policy major, which is an interdisciplinary major with the Biology Department.

Our graduates continue their studies in graduate school, or pursue careers in areas as diverse as: environmental engineering, community and regional planning, conservation, habitat and resource protection, education, and business. They work in the private sector, for non-profits, and for agencies at the community, state, and federal levels of government.

Spotlight on Geography

Alumni Spotlight
Sebastian Gerbaudo '14

Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins University

"I am extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to study Environmental Science and Policy at FSU. For my capstone thesis, I studied the health effects associated with the presence of asbestos fibers in human lung tissue. The results of my project were significant enough to suggest revisions to current environmental policy and to help bring to the surface the importance of reinstating foreign policy to mitigate foreseeable risk to human life."

Alumni Spotlight
Melissa Surette '05

Senior Planner, FEMA Region I

After graduating from FSU with a degree in Geography, Melissa earned an Masters degree in Emergency Management, as well as a PhD in Environmental Law and Policy from Northeastern University. She is a Senior Planner at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where she works with state and local partners, helping them identify risks and vulnerabilities from natural hazards and developing mitigation strategies to reduce or eliminate risk. She has also returned to FSU as a visiting lecturer.

Faculty Spotlight
Judith Otto

Associate Professor & Environmental Science Program Coordinator

"Geography is a great fit for my varied interests – from thinking about how we plan cities to make them more sustainable, to sharing my love of exploring new places with students through faculty-led travel. Geography offers so much to those who are curious about the world and want to create positive change."

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