Graduate Program
The Department of Geography and Environment offers graduate training emphasizing both theory and application. Research foci include both natural and social sciences, with emphasis on quantitative methods. Analytical rigor provides graduates with flexibility for choosing careers in academics and government; in environmental, economic, and resource-analysis; in remote sensing and GIS; and with research institutes, consulting firms and international organizations.
Graduate students in the department work closely with faculty to develop their theses, which typically focus one of four research foci: (1) energy-environmental systems and policy; (2) remote sensing and geographic information systems; and (3) physical geography emphasizing biogeography, biophysical ecology, climatology and hydrology. Student research typically builds upon faculty research interests and funding, which provides students with opportunities to work on cutting-edge research, and to participate in national and international research communities by attending and participating in scientific meetings and workshops.
Opportunities exist in the department for graduate student participation in a vibrant externally supported research program. Faculty are engaged in research sponsored by such agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the World Bank, and the United Nations.
The department is very supportive of interdisciplinary studies and maintains strong linkages with faculty in many departments and units within the University including the Departments of Biology, Earth Sciences, and International Relations, as well as the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, the African Studies Center, the Center for Remote Sensing, and the Pardee Center.
For further information, contact Chris DeVits at cdevits@bu.edu.
Application Information
To receive a copy of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Bulletin which includes a complete description of all graduate programs at Boston University and an application, please contact the Graduate School, Boston University, 705 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 112, Boston, MA 02215. Click here to download an application or call 617-353-2696.
Application inquiries may be sent to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at grs@bu.edu.
If you have specific academic questions regarding the Geography graduate programs, please contact Professor Suchi Gopal, the Geography Department's Director of Graduate Studies. E-mail her at suchi@bu.edu or write to her at Department of Geography, Boston University, 675 Commonwealth Ave., 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02215.
