Have you ever thought about studying geography abroad? If so, how about finding out now which are the best courses in the world in the area? To find out this answer we consulted the annual ranking published by QS World University Rankings and analyzed all the universities that are part of the TOP 50 of the best Geography courses in the world.

Only 17 countries are represented on this list, including Brazil, with a university. According to COUNTRYAAH, other countries have several institutions in the top 50, including the United Kingdom, with 14 representatives; and the United States, with 8. But to be fairer, we separated the university with the best Geography course in each country that appears in the TOP 50. You can also see the position occupied by the institution in the general ranking. Check out!

The best Geography courses in the world by country:

United Kingdom

Oxford University

• QS ranking position: 1st

The Geography degree at Oxford focuses on the interrelationships between society and the physical and human environment. There is considerable emphasis on the interdisciplinary approaches of the course, with opportunities to explore the relationships between the field of Geography and other disciplines, such as Anthropology, Sociology, History, Political Science, Economics, Earth Sciences and Biology.

The facilities available in Oxford are among the best in the world, notably the Library of Social Sciences (SSL), which has a collection of more than 28,000 volumes related to Geography made available to students, teachers and visitors. In addition, SSL also has 100 printed journals and 600 electronic journals. The department also has well-equipped laboratories for practical physical courses and individual research projects, including the Geography Teaching and Research Laboratories, the Oxford Luminescence Dating Lab and the Oxford Rock Breakdown Lab.

The Oxford School of Geography and Environment emphasizes the importance of fieldwork and, as a result, in the first year, all students participate in a four-day field trip at the beginning of the semester. Second-year students always take a 1-week course abroad. Currently the options are Berlin , Germany and Tenerife, Spain. Approximately 30% of the School’s graduate students choose to complete their dissertation abroad.

United States

University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

• QS ranking position: 4th

For more than a century, the Berkeley Department of Geography has been an important center of studies with special emphasis on the issue of human relations with the environment and the Earth’s landscapes. The research carried out there covers a wide range of topics and combines rigorous empirical work with deeply conceptual theoretical analyzes, always recognizing the importance of spatial processes and accumulated histories.

The degree in Geography at UCB is known for the breadth of subjects covered, including the study of cultural, economic, political, historical, biophysical, urban and regional geography, as well as cartography, quantitative methods, geographic information systems and remote sensing, all of this. made the basis of many fieldwork.

The institution’s Geography department welcomes students from different backgrounds and everyone is encouraged to move freely through the curriculum and follow their inspirations while working together with faculty advisors.

Australia

National University of Australia

• QS ranking position: 6th

At the National University of Australia, students who specialize in Geography are part of a rich learning environment characterized by an intense mix of theoretical and practical training in an applied environment. Core course options expose students to a diverse range of skills that are highly sought after from experimental, field-based learning. Students are exposed to integrated research and learning training in small groups that are based on the diversity of professional and cultural experiences of students, as well as staff and teachers in the department.

Canada

British Columbia University

• QS ranking position: 7th

At UCB, the BA in Geography is divided into 3 main majors: Environment and Sustainability, Geographic Sciences and Human Geography.

The major in Environment and Sustainability offers students the opportunity to study the dynamics of the natural environment, geographical risks and natural resources; the role of society in the remodeling of the Earth’s habitat; and the broad question of society’s relationship with nature, along with concerns such as the management of scarce resources and environmental crises. The major in Geographic Sciences focuses on the fundamental interactions between life (including human societies) and the Earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere, including the climatology, biogeography, hydrology, geomorphology, GIS, cartography, statistics and remote sensing subfields .

Finally, the major in Human Geography focuses on studying the changing regional patterns of human behavior in order to understand the cultural, economic, social and political forces that shape the landscape.

Singapore

National University of Singapore

• QS ranking position: 9th

In the Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore, students are encouraged to develop a deeper and more critical understanding of physical and human environments. Students acquire knowledge, skills and perspectives that allow them to better assess and appreciate the interdependent world in which we live.

There, four aspects of geographic research are offered:

• Physical characteristics and processes of the earth’s surface;
• Interaction between societies and space;
• Human-environment relations;
• Regional specializations.

Obviously the course places a greater emphasis on understanding the local situation, but it also considers regional and global influences. Students are exposed to various research techniques through seminars, laboratory sessions, practical workshops on GIS and remote sensing and fieldwork.

Other countries that are part of the TOP 50 of the best Geography courses in the world:

Hong Kong – University of Hong Kong

• QS ranking position: 12th

Japan – University of Tokyo

• QS ranking position: 13th

China – Peking University

• QS ranking position: 14th

Germany – Berlin Humboldt University

• QS ranking position: 17th

Netherlands – University of Amsterdam

• QS ranking position: 18th

Sweden – Lund University

• QS ranking position: 24th

Belgium – Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven)

• QS ranking position: 28th

New Zealand – University of Auckland

• QS ranking position: 30th

France – Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University

• Position in the QS ranking: 33rd

South Korea – Seoul National University

• Position in the QS ranking: 34th

Mexico – National Autonomous University of Mexico

• Position in the QS ranking: 42nd

Brazil – University of São Paulo (USP)

• Position in the QS ranking: 47th