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LEARN HOW GEOGRAPHY AFFECTS BUSINESS & CULTURE


Understand how the land shapes how we interact with it.

Geography Minor


This minor can add a more in-depth understanding of nearly any topic, and potential employers seek out employees with a full and well-rounded understanding of their field.

What Will I Learn?


Why minor in geography? Knowledge of geography and spatial analysis (where things are and why they are there) are important in any discipline of study. For instance:

  • What is the best place to locate your restaurant? Knowledge of how people interact with the land, along with knowing the layout of the land can give you the answer.
  • You’re writing an article for a newspaper or magazine — people’s opinions can be explained and based on geographical layout of their land.
  • A history student can more fully understand the culture and lifestyle of a civilization if the student understands how the land affects the people.
  • An environmental science student needs to understand geographical concepts to use GIS (geographical information systems).

What is Unique About Our Program?


The geography program features:

Extensive Field Work

Several upper level courses involve visiting sites in the Adirondack Mountains and Champlain Valley, and the small size of these courses allows for a great deal of individual attention.

Computer Applications in Geography

The program offers use of several computer applications in geography and a completely dedicated GIS lab with 18 work stations, various printers, plotters, digitizers, and scanners.

Individual Attention

The small size of our program allows students to create their own area of specialization.

What Are My Career Opportunities?


Geography’s theories and methods provide analytical techniques applicable to a wide range of questions asked over a broad spectrum of occupations. Geography provides a sound foundation for students who plan to enter graduate work in a variety of fields, from geography to business, land use planning, law, and medicine.

The potential for practicing geography in private enterprise and government has grown considerably in recent years, although few such positions are designated with the title of geographer. Roughly a quarter of all geographers work in the private and public sectors.

Geographic Fields

The geography program at SUNY Plattsburgh provides students with the tools and experience needed to explore career opportunities in disciplines such as:

  • Regional geography
  • Environmental studies
  • Cartography and geographic information systems
  • Urban and regional planning
  • Economic geography
  • Geographic education
  • Physical geography and earth science
  • Cultural and human geography

Source: Association of American Geographers (AAG)

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