Why Study Geography and Environmental Systems?

The PhD program in Geography & Environmental Systems focuses on learning about and researching environmental systems, including water resources and earth-surface processes, ecosystem science, and atmospheric processes. The progam involves interdisciplinary collaborative work of local, regional, and international scope.

The Ph.D. program focuses on learning about and researching environmental systems, including water resources and earth-surface processes, ecosystem science, and atmospheric processes.

UMBC and the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems participate in world-class research. We host:
the field headquarters of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, an NSF and U.S. Forest Service-supported Urban Long-Term Ecological Research Site;
the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET) and Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center (GEST), both of which are components of a NASA/UMBC consortium focusing on earth systems science and the application of remote sensing technology to monitor the earth’s atmosphere and surface;
the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education (CUERE), focusing on the environmental, social and economic consequences of landscape transformation associated with urban and suburban development;
the U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Center for the MD-DE-DC region, which is located in the campus Research Park with a staff of 60+ personnel.