Geography and Planning

Geography is a spatial science that looks at the ways humans interact with their environment in our continuously changing world.

Planning is an applied science based on decision-making, finding usable land and developing communities.

Students study issues that are critical to all living beings like global warming, economic development, resource management, land use conflict and population growth, to name a few.

UToledo's geography and planning majors use state-of- the-art Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Laboratories that have over twenty-five computers in a networked environment.

They conduct research at the Lake Erie Research and Education Center, the Ohio GIS Network and the OhioView Research Consortium on remote sensing.

Also, students gain "real-world" experiences through our nationally recognized internship program where they work with planning agencies, community development organizations or companies applying geographic information system technologies.

A UToledo Geography and Planning degree combines a liberal arts education with strong technical skills in geospatial technology (tools like GIS that help map geographic information). This combination is highly marketable and desired by employers. Nearly all University of Toledo graduates with bachelor’s degrees in Geography get jobs. Geography is considered a STEM field by the State of Ohio and the Federal government, which allows our students to pursue professional careers in high demand in the areas of geographic information science, geospatial data analysis, and urban planning.

Our majors will have opportunities to pursue creativity and innovation in the forms of undergraduate research, community projects and engagement, study abroad with our Salford Student Exchange Program, professional internships in GIS and urban planning, and apply to our BA Geography to MA Geography 4+1 pipeline program to complete both degrees.

What to Expect When You Graduate

The Geography and Planning Department offers an intensive B.A. undergraduate degree program with four concentrations with a strong academic curriculum and professional career preparation. Geography and planning graduates find jobs in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), urban and regional planning agencies, economic and community development, education, location analysis, transportation planning.

Recent job placements include U.S Census Bureau, U.S Geospatial Intelligence Agency, City of Toledo, TMACOG, ESRI, Satelytics, Lucas County Auditor’s Office, and Wood County Engineers Office. Recent graduates have also chosen to continue their academic studies in Master’s graduate programs, including Ohio State University, Michigan State University, University of Virginia, and University of North Carolina.  

The Department of Geography and Planning has an applied orientation with approximately 8 SISS Ph.D. doctoral candidates, 10 M.A. level graduate students, 25 undergraduate students, and a very successful community-based internship program. The Department has an active research agenda with annual external funding exceeding $1 million.

The University of Toledo is a comprehensive state institution enrolling nearly 15,000 students with an attractive main campus located in a suburban community.