The University of Toledo

About Us

Welcome to the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toledo. The department offers a quality multi-functional program that supplies service at the general educational and baccalaureate level to the university community, provides quality undergraduate and graduate programs, fosters theoretical and applied research in geography and planning, promotes multicultural understanding, complements interdisciplinary work, and engages in community outreach. The department attracts students from a variety of backgrounds with diverse career goals. It welcomes and encourages this diversity as an enriching factor in the lives of both students and faculty.

We have developed an undergraduate and graduate curriculum that reflects balance in the theoretical, technical, and applied aspects of geography with a strong support for new technological and program areas. We provide students with the opportunity to have direct experience in technical support areas and with off-campus internship programs. Upon completion of the program, we expect students to have an in-depth knowledge of the traditions, history, and philosophical underpinnings of the disciplines of geography and planning; have strong micro and internet computer skills in cartography, computer graphics, location analysis, and multivariate analysis; and develop strong research, writing, and communications skills.

The Faculty's wide-ranging expertise revolves around 6 major areas of specialization:The department has a dedicated core of award-winning faculty. The faculty's outstanding research and teaching efforts have been recognized by the University's College of Arts and Sciences, the European Specialty Group of the AAG, the Micro-Computers Specialty Group of the AAG, and the Institute for British Geographers. Two of our faculty are Masters Teachers, and one just recently won an Outstanding Teacher Award.

• GIS and Spatial Analysis (including location-allocation modeling)
• Urban and Regional Planning
• Urban-Economic Geography
• Environmental Geography/Planning
• Land Use Analysis and Transportation Geography/Planning
• Cultural, Behavioral, and Social Geography
• Remote Sensing  

Over the years, the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toledo has maintained a proud tradition of teaching and research excellence. We endeavor to make the student educational experience intellectually rewarding and self-fulfilling. What follows is a more detailed description of the department's mission, goals and objectives; faculty research biographies; research facilities; and the department's economic development and community outreach focus. If you have any questions about our program or would like to visit please drop us a line.