Undergraduate Programs

Study the Earth. Understand people and places. Build solutions for a changing world.

The School of Earth and Environment brings together geology, geography, geospatial science and environmental science. You can explore how Earth systems work, how people interact with the environment and how data can help solve real-world problems — while building practical skills through fieldwork, laboratories, research and computer-based analysis.

Undergraduate degrees at a glance

• Geology — Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
• Geography — B.A. or B.S.
• Geography: Pre-Planning — B.A. or B.S.
• Geographic Information Science & Technology (GIS&T) — B.S.
• Environmental Science — B.S.
• Earth Science and Society — B.S.

Find the program that fits your interests

• Choose Geology if you want to understand Earth materials, Earth history, water, landscapes, energy or mineral resources.
• Choose Geography if you are interested in people, places, sustainability, natural systems and the patterns that connect them.
• Choose Geography: Pre-Planning if you want a strong geographic foundation for community, urban or regional planning.
• Choose GIS&T if you enjoy maps, technology, spatial data, remote sensing, programming and data analysis.
• Choose Environmental Science if you want an interdisciplinary science degree focused on environmental systems and solutions.

Bachelor’s Degrees

Geology, B.A. or B.S.

Learn how our dynamic planet works, from rocks, minerals, and fossils to groundwater, landscapes, and the processes that shape Earth over time. Geology combines classroom learning with field methods, laboratory techniques, and modeling so you can investigate Earth systems and apply what you learn to real environmental and resource challenges.

Customize your degree: Choose a learning track that aligns with your interests and career goals.

• Geology: Explore a broad range of Earth sciences, from fossils and Earth history to volcanoes and other geologic processes.
• Energy and Natural Resources: Focus on the exploration and responsible development of energy and mineral resources.
• Environmental Geosciences: Study landscapes, water and soil resources, including the processes that affect their quality and availability.

Build skills in: Field investigation, laboratory analysis, scientific modeling, problem-solving, and interpreting Earth processes.

Possible paths: Environmental consulting, energy and mineral resources, government and public agencies, geoscience research, or graduate study.

Geography, B.A. or B.S.

Study why people, environments and activities are distributed differently from place to place — and what those patterns mean. Geography connects the social and environmental sciences, helping you understand relationships among communities, natural resources, sustainability and global change.

Customize your degree: Build your studies around interests such as GIScience or sustainability, with room to connect geography to other academic and career goals.

Build skills in: Spatial thinking, human-environment analysis, geographic information systems (GIS), research, data interpretation, and communicating complex information.

Possible paths: Government, environmental protection, conservation, public policy, transportation, market or location analysis, community development, and other public- or private-sector careers.

Geography: Pre-Planning, B.A. or B.S.

Prepare to think about communities and regions through a geographic lens. The pre-planning option combines the study of people, places, environments and spatial patterns with coursework that supports interests in urban and regional planning, community development and related fields.

A good fit if you are interested in: How communities grow and change, land use, transportation, sustainability, public policy or the ways people shape places.

Build skills in: Spatial analysis, GIS, research, understanding social and environmental systems, and evaluating place-based challenges.

Geographic Information Science & Technology (GIS&T), B.S.

Turn location-based data into useful information. GIS&T combines geography, computer science and quantitative analysis to help you collect, map, analyze and interpret spatial data. You will work with technologies and methods used in fields ranging from business and planning to environmental and biological sciences.

Build skills in: GIS, cartography, remote sensing, computer programming, geographic visualization, spatial analysis and modeling.

Built-in credentials: Students who complete the GIS&T degree also earn a Geography minor, a Computer Science certificate and a GIS certificate.

Customize your degree: Use elective hours to add expertise or additional credentials in areas such as geography, computer science, biology, statistics, data analytics, public health or water resources.

Possible paths: GIS and geospatial analysis, mapping and visualization, geospatial intelligence, planning, environmental analysis, location analytics and other data-driven careers.

Environmental Science, B.S.

Study the environment as an interconnected system and learn how natural processes and human decisions shape the world around us. This interdisciplinary, science-intensive degree brings together expertise from geology, geography, biology, agronomy and other fields across K-State.

What you’ll experience: Coursework and hands-on learning that can include research, internships, laboratory methods, field methods and computer-based analysis.

Choose a specialization: Focus your upper-level study in an area that matches your interests and career goals.

• Water Resources
• Earth Systems
• Conservation and Sustainability
• Analytical and Geospatial Methods
• Agroecosystems

Prepare for: environmental careers with strong societal need or graduate study in environmental science and related disciplines.

Earth Science and Society, B.S.

Prepare for a career making a difference for people and the planet. The Earth Science and Society B.S. degree explores the dynamic relationships between Earth’s materials, processes, people, and environments. Geology examines Earth’s materials and structure, history, and processes while addressing critical challenges involving water, energy, mineral resources, and sustainability. Geography explores how people, places, cultures, and environments interact across space using tools such as GIS, remote sensing, mapping, and spatial analysis. Together, our degree provides the knowledge and skills needed to understand complex environmental and societal challenges—and develop solutions that promote sustainable communities, responsible resource use, and a healthier planet.

This new degree will be centered around a core set of classes and then two subplans: [1] Geoscience, which integrates traditional Geology with Physical Geography and [2] Sustainability, Governance, and Society. More details on the new degree and the subplans, will be posted here, as the degree approval process moves forward.

Elective courses for both subplans are listed here:

Ready to choose your path?

An academic advisor can help you compare programs and understand degree requirements and identify the combination of majors, minors, certificates, or specializations that best supports your goals.