The Department of Geography at Montana is a small department having about 75 undergraduate majors and 35 graduate students. Being small, it provides students with considerable individual attention. Western Montana and Rocky Mountain Country offer a wide range of topics to be studied in geography. Students entering the Master of Arts program have the option of concentrating their studies in Geography without declaring a particular emphasis or they may elect to complete a formal emphasis in either Cartography or Rural, Town and Regional Planning. Without Emphasis prepares candidates for a variety of professional jobs or for doctoral studies in geography or related disciplines.
Geographers work in business, industry, government, and teaching.
The tasks of geographers range from determining the optimal location for a new supermarket to conducting biophysical or hydrological research. Faculty interests in regional geography include Africa, East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the American West. Students may elect to concentrate their studies in any of the areas of strength maintained by the department and the faculty. The Cartography Emphasis has been designed for those students who wish to become professional mapmakers or specialists in Geographical Information Systems. Individual programs may be tailored from an extensive array of courses available in geography, forestry, computer science, and mathematics concerning the elements, principles, and practices of creating and working with maps and geographic data bases.