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- 2025 Archives
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Negin Shooraj
- SFU Geography Alumni Sean Orr wins Vancouver council seat in byelection
- Rosemary Collard awarded 2024 SFU Excellence in Teaching Award
- SFU Students Designed and Developed a GeoApp as a Living Wage Calculator
- Undergraduate students team secures third-place in Canada-wide GeoApp competition
- SFU Geography Wins Big at 2025 CAG Annual Conference
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Alex Sodeman
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Tintin Yang
- In Memory of Leonard "Len" Evenden, Professor Emeritus
- Gabrielle Wong awarded 2025 Gordon M. Shrum Medal
- Dr. Bright Addae awarded 2025 Graduate Dean's Convocation Medal
- Congratulations to Alysha van Duynhoven for Teaching Assistant Excellence Award
- Wildfires to waterways: SFU Geography grad takes action to protect the environment
- Making a difference on and off-campus: student leader and changemaker, Gabrielle Wong, awarded SFU convocation medal
- 2025 Alumni Newsletter
- Kira Sokolovskaia wins the 2025 SFU ECCE GIS Scholarship Award
- Mapping a path to City Hall: SFU alumnus shares journey to becoming Mayor of New Westminster
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Alysha van Duynhoven
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Hannah Harrison
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Jade Baird
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Ashley Tegart
- Rethinking the World Map: Dr. Shiv Balram featured on CBC
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Véronique Emond-Sioufi
- SFU Geographers at the 2025 International Cartographic Conference in Vancouver
- When academic curiosity meets environmental purpose: new global environmental systems grad builds interdisciplinary foundation at SFU
- Alysha Van Duynhoven wins the 2025 SFU ECCE in GIS Student Associate Achievement Award
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to David Swanlund
- Congratulations to Our 2025 Warren Gill Award Recipients!
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Baharak Yousefi
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Tara Jankovic
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Christine Leclerc
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Kira Lamont
- Terri Evans: Researching homelessness in suburban communities
- Mapping change for people and the planet
- GIS Month: What is Geographic Information Science (GIS)?
- SFU GIS undergraduate develops real-time earthquake monitoring and hospital alert system
- Physical Geography student returns to SFU, dives into marine ecology, soils and GIS to map a new path forward
- SFU study searches Strava to reveal secrets to happier runs
- 2025 Archives
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- GEOG 162 - Canada
Physical Geography Streams
As a student in the Physical Geography program you will choose from one of the following three streams. You can also choose to pursue professional accreditation as a Professional Geoscientist or Professional Agrologist* as part of completing this program. Please see our professional accreditation page for details on the accreditation process.
Biogeophysical Science
Offering a range of earth system science courses with a focus on earth system dynamics, this stream targets the courses needed for registration as a Professional Agrologist*.
Geoscience
The Geoscience stream investigates earth surface processes and targets the academic requirements for registration as a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) (Environmental Geoscience) within Canada.
Geosystems & GIScience
This stream focuses on the linkages between earth systems science and spatial information science. It also covers the requirements for the Certificate in Geographic Information Science.
*As of September 2022, all agrology services within BC must be provided by a registered professional agrologist.
Physical Geography Subdisciplines and Courses
Biogeography
Biogeography centres on the factors that control the distribution and functioning of the world’s ecosystems and the organisms of which they are made.
Climate Science
Climate Science is the study of the envelope of air that surrounds the Earth and is based on observation, description and explanation of the physical properties and processes of the atmosphere.
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of earth surface landforms and the processes that have led to their formation.
Hydrology
Hydrology is the science of water, its distribution, circulation, physical and chemical properties, and interaction with the environment.
Soil Science
Soil Science deals with soil as a natural surface layer capable of supporting living plants.