GES Highlights:
Impactful Projects at the Forefront of Change
GES staff members Geovanna Burrell and Cassandra Blanding helped the department in their effort to support recent LA wildfire victims by coordinating a canned food drive at a recent CSUN basketball game.
Daily Sundial
GES co-sponsors a wildfire discussion and resource fair with the Institute for Sustainability. IS Director and GES faculty member, Dr. Sheila Steinberg, MC'd the program which included presentations from Senator Henry Stern and Senator Caroline Menjivar.
Daily Sundial | Valley News Group
Dr. Regan Maas and Dr. Sheila Steinberg represented GES at the 2025 LA Geospatial Summit hosted by USC. GES was a co-sponsor of the event and provided outreach to students interested in our programs.
USC Dornsife
Dr. Mario Giraldo is collaborating with computer science faculty to train students to use machine learning to identify key environmental factors in the prediction of wildfire risk.
San Fernando Sun
Dr. Steve Graves and Danielle Bram, Director of CGST, participated in a City of LA Reparations Advisory Commission project, in collaboration with faculty from Africana Studies including PI Dr. Karen Stanford, which looked at the range of discrimination experienced by LA’s Black citizens over the past 100 years using GIS.
CSUN Newsroom
GES hosted the American Landscape Project lecture, organized by staff cartographer and Sanborn expert David Deis and faculty member Dr. Steve Graves, highlighting our unique archival collection of Sanborn Fire Atlases, photographic slides of historic built landscapes throughout the world, and postcard collections donated from several families in the CSUN region.
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Welcome from the Chair
On behalf of the faculty and staff of Geography & Environmental Studies, I'd like to welcome you to our department. I know you will find a fulfilling learning experience in classes that will provide you with highly marketable cutting-edge skills. In our tight-knit department, you will find many ways to engage directly with faculty both inside and outside the classroom, and I encourage you to take full advantage of these opportunities. We are here to help you on your journey. Your success is our success.
What can you study in our programs?
Climate Change & Atmospheric Science
Climatologists and Climate Change Analysts study the environment and weather by gathering data, monitoring climate trends, and forecasting future climate and its impacts on the environment and people.
Natural Resources & Conservation
Environmental Scientists and Conservation Planners collect data on air and water quality, biodiversity, and soil health. They provide scientific guidance to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, and the public.
Hydrology & Water Systems
Hydrologists study the movement and distribution of water on Earth, including rainfall, rivers, and groundwater. They provide expertise to manage water resources, mitigate risks like flooding and drought, and understand the impact of human activities on water quality and availability.
Spatial Data Science
Spatial Data Scientists combine skills in data management, statistics, and programming with expertise in Geography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Remote Sensing to answer geospatial questions in a large number of industries.
Forensics & Crime Mapping
Crime Mappers use maps to visualize and analyze crime data, helping communities and law enforcement agencies understand crime patterns and trends. To become a crime analyst a combined degree program in Criminal Justice and GIS would be useful.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
A GIS Analyst is a professional who uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to collect, analyze, and interpret spatial data. They create maps, reports, and other visualizations to help organizations understand and make decisions and solve problems.
Drones & UAVs
Drone Pilots operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones to capture aerial footage, perform inspections, conduct surveys, and assist in various tasks like search and rescue, delivering supplies, or even military operations.
Culture & Community
Cultural Geographers study the relationship between people, culture, and the environment, examining how cultural practices and identities are shaped by geographic landscapes. They investigate how cultures are distributed across space, in various communities, and how people build a sense of place.
Cities & Urban Environments
Urban Planners design sustainable communities using spatial analysis and mapping technology. Planners develop healthier communities through smart design, focusing on things like creating more green spaces and designing efficient transportation. Urban Planners often focus their education in both Urban Planning and GIS.
Natural Hazards & Disaster Response
Natural Disaster Response professionals create and analyze maps to guide rescue teams during floods, fires, and earthquakes. They create emergency evacuation routes and coordinate relief efforts with real-time mapping. Many often work for county, state, and federal agencies. A recent example of this is the Watch Duty app used heavily during the 2025 Southern California Wildfires.
Spatial Demography & Migration
Spatial Demographers analyze demographic and health data, including births, deaths, and migration, using spatial tools and methods to understand patterns and trends in population distribution. This includes applying spatial statistics and creating models to predict future population changes.
Business and Private Sector
Location Intelligence Specialists optimize business decisions using geographic insights and spatial analysis. Real Estate Mappers analyze property values and market trends across
different locations. Market Research Analysts target customers by understanding geographic distribution and behavior patterns. Logistics Planners design efficient transportation routes and supply chain networks for businesses small and large.
Undergraduate Programs
B.S. in Geography and Environmental Studies (GES)
The BS in Geography & Environmental Studies prepares students for careers that are vital for a world with a rapidly changing climate. The BS in GES provides students with a fundamental knowledge of the Earth's surface, its myriad environments, and the many ways in which humans interact with and are affected by these environments. Comprised of 48 units, the major allows flexibility in course selection depending on your areas of interest and your career pathway, while providing a solid background in human, physical, and regional aspects of the discipline.
B.S. in Geographic Information Science (GIS)
The BS in Geographic Information Science will prepare students for cutting-edge careers in a variety of industries. The BS in GIS, compromising 57 units, features a strong technical component based on in-depth training in geographic information systems and remote sensing technologies, along with applied practice in geospatial analysis and spatial data science techniques. Students in the program will explore the application of these techniques in various industries including health and human services, public safety, natural/environmental sciences, retail/marketing, urban planning, government, and transportation.
Graduate Programs
M.A. in Geography
The Master of Arts in Geography provides students with a high degree of flexibility in the selection of courses used to meet the program requirements. Courses may be selected from any of the graduate offerings in geomorphology, climatology, biogeography, economic geography, cultural geography, urban geography, regional geography, cartography and geographic information science. This degree prepares students higher level industry positions in both the public and private sectors, including the GIS, marketing, regional government, emergency management, and sustainability industries.
M.S. in Geographic Information Science
The Master of Science in Geographic Information Science (MSGISci) is a highly structured specialization program in which most of the requirements are met through graduate coursework dealing with various aspects of GIS and Spatial Data Science. This program is designed for students who want to pursue advanced careers in this highly technical subfield of geography, including positions such as GIS Manager/Director, Geographic Information Officer, GIS Analyst, and GIS Developer.
Minor Programs
Minor in Geographic Information Science
A minor in GIS is comprised of 21 units focused on courses involving geographic information science and related technologies.
Minor in Geography
A minor in Geography is comprised of 20 units, with no more than 6 units in the lower division. The student must consult with a Geography advisor to develop an approved program best suited to the student’s individual needs.
Job Announcement
Part-Time Faculty Announcement
The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies is hiring part-time faculty for the Academic Year 2025 to 2026. If you or someone you know is interested in applying for this position, please submit your information to geography@csun.edu. Applications are due April 1st, 2025. Please refer to the position announcement above for more information on the items you will need to submit. If you have questions about the position, please contact the Department Chair, Dr. Regan Maas, at regan.maas@csun.edu.
Department Chair
Dr. Regan Maas
Sierra Hall 150
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8263
- Phone: (818) 677-3532