"Geography is the science of place and space. Geographers ask where things are located on the surface of the earth, why they are located where they are, how places differ from one another, and how people interact with the environment" (1996-1999 The Association of American Geographers)

The Department of Geography at the University of Wyoming intends to further its prominence as a regional institution with emphases in both human and physical geography, as well as a specific focus within the geographical information sciences. We are committed to teaching and research, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and to service to the community, the state, and the region.

We are also committed to providing leadership in geographic education for the state's public schools. We strive to provide our students with a depth of critical geographical thinking that will allow them to solve spatial problems. We also aspire to educate our students to understand the conceptual elements of our discipline and to develop the ability to integrate both spatial thinking and spatial concepts with a number of related disciplines in both the social and natural sciences. To this end, we have a curriculum that emphasizes:

• The promotion of a strong element of life-long learning that prepares our students for active careers as geographers and planners throughout the region and nation as well as internationally;
• The development of a strong understanding of the spatial and temporal processes and patterns within social and environmental systems;
• The shaping of a strong commitment to understand the relationships between humans and the environment and of the many ways in which geographical training can improve that relationship;
• The instilling in our students of the ability to think critically about the complexity of the cultural and environmental issues that face the contemporary world at the local, national, and international scales;
• The heavy involvement of students and faculty in joint research activity and publication;
• The concentration of important elements of spatial analysis and application of spatial technology to problem solving;
• The instillation of a work ethic and commitment to excellence that will allow our students and faculty to contribute in a meaningful way to the development of plans and programs that will improve the quality of life.