The Department of Geography of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana carries out diversified educational and research programs and plays a significant role in the education and training of young geographers, in the development of new knowledge, and in the application of that knowledge into practice.
The professional development of students is supported by more than thirty departmental and external staff (teachers, assistants, professional staff, librarians and researchers), through the following programs:
- first-level bachelor’s program in Geography,
- second-level master’s program in Geography,
- interdisciplinary doctoral program in Humanities and Social Sciences – focus in Geography.
The Department of Geography enables study at all levels, as a single subject course of study or in conjunction with other disciplines. The fundamental geographical knowledge acquired by students at the first level is deepened and built upon at the second level, particularly in five areas of focus: environmental and physical geography, regional planning and rural-urban studies, political geography, geography of tourism and leisure, and applied geoinformatics. These areas of focus are a reflection of the teaching and research strengths of the Department’s faculty and staff, and enables the involvement of students in projects of the Department's research groups and the direct transfer of state-of-the-art knowledge and methods into the study process.
Recognizing the importance of directly linking research and teaching and of the rapid transfer of scientific achievements into practice and higher education, the Department established its own research center in 2002, focusing on environmental and regional development research and coordinating the research work of the program group.
Researchers at the Department of Geography publish the results of their work in recognized international and Slovenian academic journals. Since 1985 we have been publishing our own academic journal, Dela. Since 2009 we have been regularly publishing research findings in the departmental collections of research monographs GeograFF (monograph collection in print format) and e-GeograFF (monograph collection in electronic format).
Under the auspices of the Central Humanities Library of the Faculty of Arts, there is a well- stocked and frequently used library at the Department of Geography, which is in fact the largest geographical library in Slovenia and also includes a special cartographic collection. Extensive professional, scientific and cartographic holdings in the field of geography and related disciplines are available to library visitors, and textbooks, scripts and various study materials are intended for students. We use e-learning to provide study materials, support to modern approaches to education, and real-time communication with students.
The Department also includes two laboratories: the Physical Geography Laboratory and the Geographic-Information-Cartographic Laboratory (GIKL), in which students acquire practical knowledge and skills in the use of modern tools; these are highly valued in today’s world and give our graduates a competitive advantage in seeking employment.
Because the Department of Geography encourages international cooperation , our doors are wide open to foreign lecturers and we support our teachers and assistants in advancing their work and knowledge by spending time at foreign universities, research institutes, and international conferences.
The department is home to the Alumni Club of Geographers of the University of Ljubljana (AGUL) and the Society of Young Geographers of Slovenia (DMGS).
Intro photo: Nejc Kavka
