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In high school, your geography class probably focused on maps and landforms. You likely learned about different countries and continents – their location and features.

Geography as a major or minor is much more than that. The study of geography in college involves identifying spatial patterns. Students analyze the relationship between physical features of an area and the characteristics and behavior of the people, plants and animals who lived there in the past and who live there in the present. Geographers are interested in the relationship between humans and environments as they exist now, existed in the past, and may or should exist in the future.

Students in our program get a broad exposure to both physical geography and human geography, as well as geographic information systems, the technology used across industries and professions that involve spatial analysis. Students can focus on GIS by majoring in geography and minoring in GIS.

UWM geography students have access to engage in research and projects at the Cartography and Geography Information Science Center (CGIS) and they can use the resources of the American Geographical Society Library, one of the largest collections of geographical materials in the world housed here at UWM.

Contact Us

Prospective Students (not yet enrolled at UWM)

Prospective students, contact our admissions counselor at let-sci@uwm.edu or 414-229-7711.

Current Students

General questions such as how to declare, how to change a major, general education requirements, etc. should be directed to the college advising office at ls-advising@uwm.edu or 414-229-4654.

Specific questions about Geography, such as research opportunities, internship opportunities, major requirements, etc., should be directed to Zengwang Xu.

Undergraduate Programs

At the undergraduate level, students can choose a major leading to either a Bachelor of Science degree (typically physical geography) or a major leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree (typically human geography). A broad geography minor is also available as is a minor in geographic information science.


Ready to Declare?

Select the declaration that’s right for you, and you will find more instructions on how to declare and what to expect.

Recommended Resources for Geography Students

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Campus Resources

UWM offers a wide range of on-campus resources, such as academic support and mental health resources. Students also find community within our student centers.

Photo of UWM Campus from above looking south, with downtown Milwaukee in background.

UWM Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge in Milwaukee that we are on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee homeland along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida and Mohican nations remain present.   |   To learn more, visit the Electa Quinney Institute website.