- Faculty List
Professors Emeriti
L.S. Bourne, MA, PhD, FRSC, DES Hons
J.N.H. Britton, MA, PhD
R.B. Bryan, BA, PhD
I. Burton, PhD, FRSC
A.J. Dakin, PhD, ARIBA, FRTPI
A.G. Daniere, MPP, PhD
R. Lewis, MA, PhD
E.C. Relph, MPhil, PhD
S.T. Roweis, MSc (Pl), PhD (I)
S. Ruddick, MA, PhD
T. Smith, MSc, PhD
A. Waterhouse, MSc (Pl), PhDAssociate Professor Emeritus
A. M. Davis, PhD
V. Maclaren, MPl, MS, PhDProfessor and Chair of the Department
M. Widener, MSc, PhDProfessor and Graduate Chair
S. Wakefield, MA, PhDProfessor and Undergraduate Chair
P. Hess, MEP, PhDProfessors
H. Bathelt, MESc, MA, PhD
K. Chapple, M.S.C.R.P, PhD
J.M. Chen, BSc, PhD, FRSC
D. Cowen, MScPl, PhD
J.R. Desloges, MSc, PhD
M.S. Gertler, MCP, PhD, FRSC
E. Gilbert, MA, PhD
K. Goonewardena, MPl, PhD
J. Hackworth, MA, MEP, PhD
L.D.D. Harvey, MSc, PhD
D. Leslie, MA, PhD
J. Liu, PhD
B. Mullings, MSc, PhD
W.S. Prudham, MA, PhD
K.N. Rankin, MRP, PhD
M. Siemiatycki, MSc, PhD
R. Silvey, MA, PhDProfessor, Teaching Stream
D. Boyes, MSc, PhDAssociate Professors
C. Abizaid, MA, PhD
A. Boland, MAIS, PhD
M. Daigle, MA, PhD
R.J. DiFrancesco, MA, PhD
H. Dorries, MScPl, PhD
M. Farish, BA, PhD
N. Singh, MFM, PhD
L. Sotomayor, MSc, PhD
J. Zhang, MS, PhDAssociate Professor, Teaching Stream
D. Roberts, MA, PhDAssistant Professors
A. Ramiller, Ma, Phd
T. Redden, MS, PhD
L. Smith, Msc, MPhil, PhD
N. Subramanyam, MRP, PhDAssistant Professors, Teaching Stream
A. Mehta, PhDAssistant Professor Teaching Stream, CLTA
Kayleigh Swanson
Caitlin CunninghamAssistant Professor, CLTA
Ignacio Tiznado Aitken
Introduction
The Department offers programs in Geography and in Urban Studies. It also has a stand-alone Minor in Geographic Information Systems.
Geography is the study of environments shaped by both natural forces and human activity. The Department offers Majors, Minors, and Specialists in Human Geography and Environmental Geography. The Human Geography programs provide the opportunity to learn about theories, patterns, and processes of how people create and organize space and place, considering economic and social dynamics, historical development, and the management of built and natural environments. Human Geography students may also pursue a Focus in Urban Geography or Planning. Environmental Geography Programs explore the social, spatial, and biophysical processes that shape society’s relationship to nature, management of resources, and contemporary environmental change. Geography students often take related courses across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities alongside their core studies.
Urban Studies Majors, Minors, and Specialists explore the complex and evolving relationships among institutions, people, and built environments that shape urban life. The programs are interdisciplinary, allowing students to tailor their studies with courses from across the university, including geography, economics, political science, sociology, and architectural studies. Many courses focus on real-world problem solving through community-engaged learning, providing hands-on experience with opportunities for field research, internships, and placements with city-building organizations, municipal offices, and non-profit partners. Students are also encouraged to participate in opportunities to study elsewhere and learn about cities in other contexts.
The Minor in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provides students with theoretical, technical, and applied foundations in GIS, including computer cartography, spatial analysis, remote sensing, and geo-visualization. It can be combined with programs within or outside of the Department.
The Department also contributes courses to a wide range of interdisciplinary programs, including American Studies; Anthropology; Archaeology; Canadian Studies; Caribbean Studies; Critical Studies in Equity and Solidarity; Diaspora and Transnational Studies; East Asian Studies; Earth Sciences; Environmental Science and Environmental Studies; Indigenous Studies; Peace and Conflict Studies; and Women and Gender Studies.
Graduates of geography and urban studies programs and those with GIS training find employment in a wide range of sectors, including international and local non-profit organizations, all levels of government, industry, and education. Career paths include roles such as policy analysts, geographic data science specialists, community organizers, and educators. Professional opportunities span environmental management, community development, land and resource analysis, urban transportation and planning, community social services, GIS design and data analysis, and the processing of archival, survey, and cartographic information.
Associate Chair, Undergraduate:
Professor P. Hess, Sidney Smith Hall, Room 5067, paul.hess@utoronto.ca
Undergraduate Administrator and Advisor:
K. Giesbrecht, Sidney Smith Hall, Room 5044, undergraduate.geography@utoronto.ca
General Enquiries: 416-978-3375, mainoffice@geog.utoronto.ca
Website: https://www.geography.utoronto.ca/undergraduate
Regarding Geography and Planning Programs
Admission to major and specialist programs will be determined by a student's mark in 0.5-1.0 GGR credits at the 100 and/or 200-level. See program descriptions for details on the entry requirements. These are limited enrolment programs that can only accommodate a limited number of students. Achieving the marks required does not necessarily guarantee admission to the program in any given year.
Double majors in Geography may only overlap 1.0 credit. Students combining any of our Minor programs with a Specialist/Major program would normally be allowed to overlap only 1.5 credits towards both programs. Double minors can overlap 1.0 credit. Students combining the Focus in Planning and the Focus in Urban Geography can overlap 1.5 credits. Students that choose to specialize or major in one of the three Geography programs cannot minor in the same program but may do so in another Geography program.
Generally, students may only take 1.0 credit of an Independent Research Project toward their program requirements.
Note About Program Completion
Students can complete only one program type – Specialist, Major, or Minor – in an individual area referenced with the same four-digit program code.
The Geography and Planning programs impacted by this policy: ASSPE1667, ASMAJ1667, and ASMIN1667; ASSPE1252, ASMAJ1252, and ASMIN1252; ASSPE2030, ASMAJ2030, and ASMIN2030; ASSPE2207, ASMAJ2207, and ASMIN2207