Why Study Geography, Geomatics and Environment?

From understanding the natural world and evolving physical processes, to globalization, transportation, climate change and more — the study of Geography, Geomatics and Environment opens up a multitude of exciting and meaningful career paths.

As a GGE student at UTM, you'll join a community of dynamic educators, researchers and students who are continually redefining our understanding of geographic space, and how it impacts social, economic and political structures. 

On this page:

What makes GGE at UTM distinctive?

  1. Our programs embrace interdisciplinarity, which is vital in today's inter-connected, global job market:
    • Physical Geography
    • Human Geography
    • Geographic Information Science
    • Environmental Management
  2. Globally-recognized faculty and research
  3. Rich experiential learning opportunities and dynamic field courses
    • This includes opportunities to work closely and collaboratively with instructors.
  4. A lush campus and strong sense of community
    • In addition to the program and department, as a GGE student at UTM, you'll be immersed in a truly extraordinary campus experience, participating in learning opportunities led by the world-class educators, scientists and researchers that you'd expect from Canada's largest and most acclaimed university.
    • At the same time, you'll also enjoy the down-to-earth sense of community that a campus – situated on 225 acres of lush, protected greenbelt – can provide.

For more details, see the following video:

Video: Why study Geography, Geomatics and Environment?

Skills you'll develop

  • Technical: use qualitative and quantitative methods, conduct sampling/surveys/focus groups; data analysis and presentation; and report writing.
  • Communication: read and construct graphs/maps; summarize results of experiments; communicate across cultures; maintain records; and written and oral presentation.
  • Research: application of field methodologies; gather, organize, analyze and present data; use statistical and graphical methods; literature review and reporting; and group collaboration.

Career opportunities

University of Toronto (including UTM) is the highest-ranked Canadian university for graduate employability, according to the 2022 QS Graduate Employability Rankings.

Studying GGE provides you with the interdisciplinary training to address some of the world's most pressing social and environmental issues. A background in Geography, Geomatics and the Environment can propel you into a range of fulfilling career paths, including economic development, planning, health policy, crime analysis, conservation and more. 

While not exhaustive, here's a list of career options that are available to you as a GGE graduate (some require further education and experience):

Human Geography

  • Market Research Analyst
  • Medical Geographer
  • Map Librarian
  • Historic Preservationist
  • Political Analyst
  • Foreign Service Officer
  • Development Ofiicer
  • Urban Planner
  • Real Estate Developer
  • Demographer
  • Community Developer

Computational and Analytical Methods

  • Cartographer
  • Remote Sensing Analyst
  • Curator
  • GIS/GPS Analyst
  • Land Surveyor
  • Survey Tech
  • Computer Mapping and Software Developer
  • Map Interpreter
  • Aerial Photo Analyst
  • Spatial Data Analyst
  • GIS Specialist
  • Statistician

Physical Geography

  • Hydrologist
  • Resource Management Specialist
  • Outdoor Guide
  • Soil Conservationist
  • Pollution Control Consultant
  • Meteorologist
  • Ecologist
  • Geologist
  • Climatologist
  • Habitat Researcher
  • Atmospheric Data Technician
  • Agronomist

Environmental

  • Outdoor Recreation Management
  • Forestry Technician
  • Hazardous Waste Planner
  • Conservation Officer
  • Wildlife Technician
  • Ecotourism Planner
  • Wetlands Conservation Supervisor
  • Environmental Impact Assessment
  • Forester
  • Environmental Consultant

For a full list of career opportunities, visit the Careers by Major - Geography, Geomatics and Environment page.

Courses you may take

The following are just a handful of the courses that you may choose to enrol in:

GGR313H5 - Gender and the City

In this course, you'll be introduced to approaches in social geography that examine the links between gender and urban environments. Specific topics and issues to be covered include, for example, poverty, work, sex trade, human trafficking and safety.

GGR309H5 - Wetland Ecosystems

Wetlands are an integral part of our biosphere, playing fundamental roles in the modification of water quality, biodiversity, and the global carbon cycle. This course focuses on the classification, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecology of wetland systems.

GGR317H5 - The Cryosphere: Canada's Frozen Environment

There is virtually no area in Canada that escapes the influence of snow and ice. We skate on frozen ponds, ski down snow covered mountains, drive through snow blizzards and watch how ice jams in rivers cause rivers to swell and floods to occur. Given that snow and ice impact heavily on the Canadian way of life, this course seeks to understand the dynamics of snow and ice in a hydrological context. 

GGR426H5 - The Geographies of Human Rights

This course studies the local, national and global aspects of human rights enforcement and violation. By examining specific case studies, you'll examine how so-called 'universal' human rights are articulated and practiced differently in different places. 

For a full list of Geography courses, please see UTM's Academic Calendar.

Additional resources