Geography
Where you are. Why it matters.
You might think geography is all about memorizing maps. At Macalester, it’s about making them—and using them to tell stories, solve problems, and change the world.
Real-World Impact and Global Research
At Macalester, you’ll gain experience and make a genuine impact through real-world projects, contributing to critical initiatives like planning transit systems or mapping water resources. In small classes, you’ll be encouraged to ask big questions with faculty who know you personally. Plus, our professors conduct global research and often bring students along to locations in Africa, East Asia, and South America, extending your learning well beyond campus.
Fieldwork starts here
This is not a major where you’ll sit quietly in the back row. You might tour an organic farm in Wisconsin to learn about sustainability. Or visit Allianz Field in St. Paul to explore how a soccer stadium reshapes a neighborhood. Or stand at the edge of Minnesota’s “Grand Canyon” (a massive open-pit iron mine) to study land use, environmental change, and Indigenous resilience on the Iron Range.
Think like a geographer
Geography is a way of seeing the world. Learn to think critically, spot patterns, and understand how people and places shape each other. Along the way, you’ll pick up in-demand skills in geospatial skills such as geographic information systems (GIS) or remote sensing analysis, data analysis and data visualization. We use these tools to work toward a more just and equitable world—and make very satisfying color-coded maps.
Careers that go places
Geography grads work in public health, environmental policy, urban planning, transportation, international development, and technology. Some specialize in geospatial sciences. Many go on to earn master’s and PhDs at top universities across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. All leave here ready to make an impact.
Mac has been a very good model in a lot of ways for my own personal beliefs about community and how we build our networks.Eva Reid ’96 Senior IT data manager and agency data officer for DC Health, geography major
Geography in the cities
Few liberal arts colleges have geography. Fewer still are in major cities. Macalester gives you both.
200+
Number of internships within eight miles of campus
Students publish cultural atlases that map the cities through research, design, and storytelling
36
Number of state-of-the art workstations in our Geospatial labs
Join our community
Hang out in the department lounge—your second living room, with better snacks. Jump into events like end-of-semester dinners or the epic geography bowling night (of course we have a globe bowling ball). Collaborate in cozy spaces like the GIS lab, where maps (and friendships) are made. Show off your research at Geography Honors Day. (The whole Geography community comes together to cheer you on!) Celebrate big wins with atlas launch parties and trips to national conferences.
Are you a future geography major at Macalester?
If you’re considering Mac, let us know. We’ll keep you up to date on application deadlines and visit opportunities.
