UF’s Online Geography Bachelor’s Degree program is ranked #2 according to a recent report comparing online geography degree programs.
The report was commissioned by TheBestSchools.org and the assessment considered various factors, including program quality, variety of course offerings, and the quality of the faculty, as well as a reputation for high quality online degree programs.
The report first discussed the benefits of online degrees in Geography:
An online Bachelor in Geography degree involves much more than finding places on a map. The degree prepares students for careers in fields such as education, business, government, and non-profit. Geographers who are able to utilize technologies of the field such as GPS (global positioning system), GIS (geographic information systems), and remote sensing, can work in careers such as:
- Surveyors
- Cartographers
- Community Developers
- Geoscientists
- Climatologists
- Transportation Management
- Environmental Management
- Medical Geographer
- Disaster Response
- Postsecondary Teachers
Geography is the study of the earth and its land and natural features and how people interact with their natural environment. It is unique in that it integrates the natural environment and the study of human activity. Geography covers a wide range of interests including landforms, weather and climate, environmental problems, mapping, landscape aesthetics, politics, economics and societies.
Bachelor in Geography degree programs train students in a broad range of topics, including geographic information science (GIS), meteorology, mathematics and statistics. Students receive classroom instruction and lots of hands-on learning opportunities. A Bachelor’s degree in Geography may include specializations such as physical geography, human geography, environmental geography, geographic education and geographic information science.
It went on to describe UF’s online offering:
The University of Florida, a public sea-grant, land-grant and space-grant research university founded in 1853, offers a large number of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. A member of the State University System of Florida, the University of Florida is among the largest in the state with more than 49,000 students.
The University of Florida’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Geography degree, which focuses on issues within the human-environmental landscape and explores the relationship between biophysical and human systems. Students also study what makes places unique as well as the interactions and connections between places.
With a focus on human geography, geographic information systems and computer-based cartography, the B.A. in Geography degree program prepares graduates for careers in urban and regional planning, environmental science, geographic education and medical geography as well as graduate school.
The 120-credit online Bachelor in Geography degree program includes 33 to 35 credits in geography courses such as:
- Physical Geography
- Global and Regional Economies
- Introduction to Quantitative Analysis for Geographers
- Geography of Latin America
- Air Photo Interpretation
- Extreme Weather
- Spatial Networks
Students also must complete a senior seminar.
The University of Florida is regionally accredited by the Southern Associations of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
For more details, please read the full report.