![A student in a wetland collecting samples](https://geography.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Physical-Geography-Preview.webp)
Physical Geography
Physical Geography encompasses Biogeography, Climate and Environmental History, Geomorphology and Soils, and Human-Environment Interaction & Water Resources.
![A sand table in the GIST program](https://geography.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GIST-Preview.webp)
GIST Program
Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) uses the power of location to answer questions and solve problems. This GIST program provides a core foundation in spatial thinking while giving students practical, hands-on experience.
![A crowd gathers as the sign is erected in The Bottom, Knoxville, TN an area that was acquisitioned by the city in the 1950s, displacing many Black families](https://geography.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Human-Geography-Preview.webp)
Human Geography
Human Geography encompasses Transportation, Technology, and Society; Race/Ethnicity, Identity, and Social Justice; Cities, Urban Economies, and Trade; and Globalization, Regional Analysis and Synthesis.
![Two students in a creek bed working on a sustainability project](https://geography.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Sustainability-Preview.webp)
Sustainability Program
Sustainability engages students in a systems approach to understanding the interconnections between society and the environment. Encompassing environmental sustainability, sustainable development, and sustainability and policy.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
GEOGRAPHY AWARENESS WEEK
“In 1987 the US Government, with help from the National Geographic Society, declared that the third week in November would be Geography Awareness Week. What I like to be able to tell people about Geography is that it’s a way of looking at the world and gaining understanding. And this isn’t just about knowing where countries are. This is about understanding how we exist as a single global community.” —Alex Tait, The National Geographic Society