Geography

Program Description

Geography studies the interaction between human societies and their environments.

  • Geography looks at the spatial connection between people, places, and the earth.
  • Physical Geography studies everything from weather to earthquakes; glaciers to maps; and landforms to seasons. Deciding what to wear each day to where you decide to live is influenced by Physical Geography.
  • World Regional Geography looks at people and cultures and how the environment influences them and how they influence their environment.

Degrees/Certificates

Merced College offers the following degrees/certificates in Geography:

Geography (AA-T)

See Degree Requirements & Course Descriptions
Geography Program Mapper

Why Study Geography?

Geography is the perfect field of study for the 21st century.   All human or environmental topics fall into Geography’s field of study as it examines relations between humans and relations between humans and their environment.  Geography is often called the synthesizing science because it brings together aspects of other disciplines such as history, anthropology, sociology, political science, environmental science/studies, agriculture, climate science and others.  This approach gives geography a holistic view that allows it to effectively address the multifaceted roots of the world’s processes and problems. Furthermore, the tools developed in the discipline including cartography, GIS, GPS, and remote sensing give students of the discipline an advantage in these large and growing fields of employment.

Geography Faculty