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Department of Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
The Department of Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis at Cal Poly Humboldt helps students understand how people, place, power, and environment shape the world through fieldwork, research, and geospatial tools.
B.A. in Geography
Research and explain how people and environments shape the world. Build skills in fieldwork, qualitative and mixed-methods research, and critical spatial analysis focused on socio-ecological change, cultural landscapes, and spatial justice.
B.S. in Geospatial Science & Technology
Use GIS, remote sensing, and spatial data to map and solve real-world problems. Build technical skills in geospatial analysis, modeling, and field data collection for environmental and social applications.
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Academic Programs
Geography, B.A.
The Geography B.A. program at Cal Poly Humboldt prepares students to analyze how people, places, and environments interact in a rapidly changing world. Coursework engages with topics such as global environmental change, social movements, political ecology, and spatial justice, helping students connect local places to broader systems and power relations.
Graduates are prepared for careers and graduate study in planning, environmental and community organizations, education, public service, and related fields where analysis and communication matter.
Geospatial Science & Technology, B.S.
The Geospatial Science & Technology B.S. is a dynamic, interdisciplinary program where students gain hands-on experience with mapping technologies, spatial data analysis, environmental modeling, and remote sensing to solve real-world environmental and social challenges.
The program builds strong technical proficiency alongside applied problem-solving, preparing graduates to work across diverse landscapes and professional sectors.
Geospatial Certificate Programs
Geospatial Certificate Programs offer flexible, stackable pathways to build in-demand skills in mapping, GIS, and remote sensing. Start with the Basic Certificate to develop spatial thinking, data analysis, and geovisualization, then add focused certificates in GIS, Remote Sensing, or Cartography.
For undergrads, grads, and non-degree learners, courses emphasize hands-on projects, real data, and portfolio-ready work for careers in many fields nationwide.
Real World, Hands-On Learning
Whether you're collecting environmental samples, learning new spatial analysis software, or collaborating with local organizations, you’ll learn by doing—both in the classroom and out in the world. Our students gain practical experience through local fieldwork, lab training, and community partnerships that bring geography and geospatial science to life.
Research Experience & Career Prep
Our seniors complete self-designed research projects that build critical thinking, technical fluency, and a portfolio of work for graduate school or employment. The department also supports student travel to conferences, publishing opportunities, and research collaborations with faculty mentors.
Small Classes, Big Support
Our small class sizes foster close connections with professors and peers who know you by name. You'll grow intellectually while sharpening your analytical and technical skillset, all within a supportive community that guides you from your first semester through graduation and beyond.
Place-Based Learning Community: People & Planet
As a freshman, you’ll participate in hands-on geographic and community activities with your peers before classes even start, and in some cases, have the opportunity to live in the same residence halls with your peers. Geography students will join four other departments for People & Planet, which focuses on learning how sustainability is both local and global, while addressing specific case studies in fields such as agriculture, clean energy, and climate justice.
Achievements
Find out what our students, faculty, and staff are being recognized for.
Gabi Kirk
Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
Dr. Gabi Kirk will be presenting a virtual talk at the international workshop "Evanescent and Emerging Spaces: Land/World Struggles of Palestinians and Guarani" at Cardiff University (Wales) on April 22. This event will confront important and disturbing parallels between the genocides of Palestinians and the Guarani in South America, and the challenges of resisting neocolonial land theft and world grabbing. Dr. Kirk's talk at 8:45 AM PDT on April 22, titled, "Cultivating Sustainable Sovereignty: Palestinian Agrarian Lives in Transnational Focus," will share insights about Palestinian food sovereignty from her current book project.
The workshop is free and open to the public virtually, all sessions are in BST (8 hours ahead). For a full schedule and to reserve a free ticket/watch sessions, see the conference site .
Amy Rock
Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
The framing article for a special issue in the Professional Geographer has been published. The article, In Their Own Voices: The Stories and Status of Women in Geography in the United States (Oberhauser, Dixon, Li, Mossa, Rock, and Sultana), summarizes the articles that share the results of a 4-year project. The special issue, Moving the Needle on Gender Equity: An Analysis of the Status of Women and Marginalized Groups in Geography, covers a range of methods used to assess current and historical conditions for women and marginalized groups within academic geography, celebrating progress and identifying continuing barriers to equitable representation in the discipline, and offers recommendations for continued growth. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2026.2633341
Dr. Amy Rock
Geography, Environment & Spatial Analysis
Minding the Gender Gap: Working Toward Parity for Women in U.S. Academic Geography (Mossa, J., B. Dixon, S. Sultana, A. Rock, and B. Kar, 2026) has just been released in electronic format. The latest release from the Status of Women in Geography Project, this piece examines 50 years of gender composition of Geography departments in higher ed, finding that while parity has been reached at lower ranks, female full professors still lag behind, even when compared with other social sciences. A map by Dr. Rock related to this project is currently hanging in Founders Hall outside the Geography Department. (Full article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2026.2621345)