Department of Geography
Department News
The Department of Geography
For over eighty years, the Department of Geography has a proud tradition of producing quality graduates who serve in positions of education, industry, business, and government. Many of our graduates go on to pursue Masters or Doctoral degrees. In fact the number of our M.A. graduates going on to earn a Ph.D. ranks in the top 20 of non-Ph.D.-granting Geography departments in the United States.
The Department of Geography offers:
- Bachelor of Science degrees in Geography and Meteorology.
- A Master of Arts in Geography.
- Minors in Geography, GIS, Meteorology and Environmental Studies.
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificates in Community Development and Environmental GIS.
The Department also houses the GIS Center. The Center is a partnership between the City of Macomb, McDonough County, and Western Illinois University. Located across from the Geography Department office on the third floor of Tillman Hall on the WIU campus, the Center is responsible for compiling, managing and storing GIS data layers.
The department's meteorology program is one of two meteorology programs in Illinois that meet the National Weather Service requirements for employment as a meteorologist and it is the only meteorology program in the state with its own weather radar system (one of the few in the United States having this state-of-the-art technology). The department also is home to the McDonough County GIS Center, a partnership between WIU, the City of Macomb and McDonough County. The Center is responsible for compilation, execution, and management of GIS projects for the city of Macomb and McDonough County.
The department offers planning courses at the graduate level. Students can specialize in one of several emphases including economic development, environmental planning, land use regulation, housing, and community development. The planning track is designed to prepare students to take on complex and challenging issues. Most planning students go on to positions at local, regional, state, and private-sector agencies. Others move on to pursue doctoral degrees.
Food for thought: Bring Back Geography!
CONTACT INFORMATION
| Department | GIS Center |
| Department of Geography Tillman Hall 313 Western Illinois University 1 University Circle Macomb, IL 61455-1390 Phone: 309.298.1648 Fax: 309.298.3003 email: Geography@wiu.edu |
GIS Center |
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Macomb, Illinois • Moline, Illinois
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