Geography is a discipline for the curious and the open-minded.

By studying the relationship between people and place, we explore the contemporary challenges facing humanity and develop new solutions. There is no one way to be a geographer; climate scientists, economists, urban planners, and scholars of race and gender have all found their home in a field whose mission is to work across boundaries.

Across our programs and courses, we ask questions like:

  • How are wealth inequalities and racialization tied to environmental change and crises like COVID-19?
  • What drives climate change and biodiversity loss? What are the most promising solutions and how can we ensure they succeed?
  • In what ways are social and economic fortunes shaped by place and situation?
  • What does it mean for us to work and learn on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm territory, and in the settler colonial state of Canada?
  • How is land use affecting the natural environment? Can plants and animals adapt to global change? How can we change our relationship with the land for the better?
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The expansive selection of courses which taught about sustainability, as well as the generally great instructors, helped me gain a keen interest in this topic. This led me into my graduate program and then to my current job.

Gavin Esdale
Sustainable Travel Coordinator at UBC

As a UBC Geography student, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Conduct fieldwork in remote areas of British Columbia
  • Access virtual field trips with 360º footage filmed in the South Chilcotin mountains and E.C. Manning Provincial Park
  • Do original research to answer your own pressing questions about climate change, society and environment, urban life, global health and economic inequality
  • Use geo-spatial data analysis to understand the patterns of an increasingly complex and data driven world, from mapping flood patterns to charting urban inequalities
  • Work across multiple disciplines like the sciences, social sciences and humanities to understand complex problems; appreciating the strengths and limits of each of these different ways of knowing
  • Develop and practice persuasive public speaking and written communication skills that integrate a broad range of perspectives

Undergraduate Programs

Interdisciplinary Programs

What do Geography graduates do?

The interdisciplinary nature of geography equips you for a wide range of careers. UBC Geography graduates have worked all over the world, in a range of sectors and roles, including:

  • Geoscience consulting
  • Air quality monitoring
  • Law
  • Conservation
  • Security policy
  • Communications
  • Immigration
  • Filmmaking
  • Journalism
  • Software development
  • Hydrotechnical engineering
  • Data visualization
  • Counter trafficking
  • Transportation planning
  • Sustainable building design

Graduates have worked for the Government of British Columbia, City of Metro Vancouver, International Organization for Migration, Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Government of Canada and a wide range of local and international NGOs. Alumni also find extensive employment in the private sector, and many now run their own business.