Geography and Anthropology Department

Building 5 Room 140 | (909) 869-3568 | Department Website | Faculty Directory

The mission of the Department of Geography and Anthropology is to advance knowledge, learning, and individual skills in the related disciplines of anthropology and geography. The Department and constituent programs fully support the emphases of the university on: applied, technical preparation along with broad, theoretical education; inter-disciplinary approaches; hands-on, learn-by-doing pedagogy in keeping with the curriculum; internationalization of the curriculum; multiculturalism in and out of the classroom, and student- and learning-oriented teaching.

The Department of Geography and Anthropology offers students a deep and holistic understanding of human cultures, environments, and their intersections through the disciplines of anthropology and geography. Anthropology students explore humanity across time and space, grounded in four-field training-sociocultural, biological, linguistic, and archaeological-while geography students examine spatial systems and the relationships between society and environment. Both majors emphasize hands-on, field-based learning and interdisciplinary inquiry, preparing students to analyze and address complex global and local challenges. Faculty support a culture of applied scholarship and community engagement, encouraging students to critically investigate inequality, sustainability, and cultural resilience.

Students benefit from field schools in archaeology, collaborative research in medical and environmental anthropology, and lab-based training in GIS, cartography, and remote sensing. The department houses the Center for Geographic Information Science Research and provides access to mapping technology and spatial analysis software. Many students engage in internships with cultural institutions, government agencies, or NGOs, and present research at academic conferences. Alumni pursue careers in education, urban and environmental planning, public health, cultural resource management, and nonprofit work, or continue to graduate study in the social sciences and environmental fields.

Programs

Bachelor

Minor

Courses

Anthropology

Geography