For more than 50 years, UW has been home to one of the top ranked geography departments in Canada. Geography at Waterloo engages in scholarly research and education through the study of physical and human environments from local to global scales. Whether it is finding solutions to the climate emergency, understanding the relationship between economy and society, analyzing change in our physical environment, or developing novel technologies to better map our world, Geography bridges the social sciences (human geography), environmental information technologies (geomatics), and the natural sciences (physical geography) to find sustainable solutions to the problems that face our planet.
We also offer the only Geography and Aviation Bachelors degree in the world that provides professional flight training and develops student understanding of sustainable aviation.
If you are interested in a deep-rooted discipline that offers hands-on training, quantitative and qualitative skills development, and an integrative perspective needed to tackle the toughest contemporary environmental and sustainability challenges, you have come to the right place. The Department of Geography and Environmental Management (GEM) offers undergraduate degrees in:
- Geography and Environmental Management (B.E.S.)
- Geomatics (B.E.S.)
- Climate and Environmental Change (B.Sc.)
- Geography and Aviation (B.E.S.)
and graduate degrees/diplomas in:
- Masters of Climate Change degree (M.C.C.)
- Graduate Diploma in CLimate Risk Management (G.Dip)
- Masters research degrees (M.E.S., M.A., M.Sc.)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).
GEM's Research Reputation
2021 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. #6 in Canada for Geography.
2021 Academic Ranking of World Universities. Top 75 in the World for Geography.
Geography and Aviation
Geomatics
News
Dr. Michelle Rutty: first to the International Science Council’s roster of experts
Dr. Michelle Rutty and Dr. Jeremy Pittman have been invited to the International Science Council’s newly formed Global Roster of Experts. Designed to bridge the gap between science and policy, the roster was formed to ensure that global decision-makers have access to credible, timely, and context-specific scientific advice that can drive progress on the most urgent global challenges.
Dr. Chantal Markle recently named Canada Research Chair
Dr. Chantal Markle has recently been named Canada Research Chair in Wildlife Ecohydrology and Global Change!
GEOG 456/694: Ottawa Field Trip
In keeping with the strong GEM tradition of focusing on resource management across a range of subject areas, GEOG456/694 has, for eight years now, centred around the history of biodiversity conservation in Canada and the need to build a “new map” for halting and reversing biodiversity decline in the future.