Interdisciplinary Programs | Penn State Department of Geography

The research mission of major land grant universities like Penn State increasingly includes the need for multidisciplinary approaches to graduate education that enable students to contribute to the resolution of problems of global concern. Creative solutions to these problems will likely come from individuals, and groups of individuals, who are willing to embrace the reality that many disciplines must be called upon to affect the causal outcomes. These new interdisciplinary scholars will need to be challenged in their education to "think outside the box” by using problem solving approaches that may be mainstream in one discipline, but may have never been applied in other fields of study.

Dual-Title in Geography and African Studies

The primary objective of the dual-title degree program in African Studies is to expand teaching, research, and scholarship on Africa and African societies at Penn State by providing multidisciplinary training for Penn State doctoral students.

Dual-Title in Geography and Climate Science

Climate Science is a field devoted to the study of Earth’s climate in the past, present, and future. A particular focus is understanding the effects of human activities (anthropogenic impacts) and natural forcing on climate.

Dual-Title in Geography and Operations Research

Operations Research is the use of scientific methodology in the formulation, analysis, and solution of problems in decision making. It draws on techniques from many fields, including economics, mathematics, and engineering.

Dual-Title in Geography and Transdisciplinary Research on Environment and Society (TREES)

The TREES dual -titlle graduate degree program emphasizes integrated, multidisciplinary approaches designed for improving understanding about and management of natural resources.

Dual-Title in Geography and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

The Penn State Department of Geography is the only geography department in the world that offers a dual-title doctoral or masters’ degree with Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS). Many graduates from this program are currently appointed in geography departments and/or in women's, gender, and sexuality programs in Research I and liberal arts institutions.

Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology

This intercollege program emphasizes the properties of ecosystems by focusing attention on interactions of single organisms, populations, and communities with their environment. It is designed to give students an advanced understanding of ecological theory and hypothesis testing and is complementary to other environmental programs that emphasize the human role in ecosystems.