Department

Specialization

Department of Geography of Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia in the Czech Budejovice, is the only university department in the Southern Bohemia, which offers the  teaching and non-teaching fields of study of Geography. In its more than fifteen years of history, it has raised hundreds of high-quality teachers and other professionals who work mainly on secondary schools and high schools in South Bohemia and elsewhere in the Czech Republic. Its graduates, however, due to the comprehensive and interdisciplinary education can find employment in public administration institutions, advisory firms, and elsewhere the private sector. Since 2007, the Department of Geography also focuses on training professional geographers in public administration.

The scientific orientation of the Department covers a wide range of geographic and related disciplines. Research is carried out on rural settlements, urban spatial structure, migration research and other forms of spatial mobility of persons, transport services of territory, geomorphological conditions of the South Bohemian regions and research of transformation processes in the industry after 1989. Attention is also paid to geopolitical and regional issues, regional development, geographic information systems, etc.

Fields of study provided by the Department of Geography:

Geography in Public Administration

Three-year bachelor degree non-teaching subject of study that is focused on connecting geography and the issue of public administration in the Czech Republic. The study is provided by the Department of Geography and the Department of Social Sciences. The geographic part of the instruction focuses primarily on the general human geography, regional geography and urban and regional development in the Czech Republic, also the general physical geography and geographic information systems (GIS) - always considering the needs of services of public administration in the Czech Republic. Within the social sciences part the teaching is focused on the basics of sociology, economics, political science and law, again in line with the needs of public administration. Part of the study is also practical training of students in institutions of public administration.

Teacher Training in Geography (Bc.)

These are three-year bachelor degree double-subject teacher training courses within the study program "Specialization in Pedagogy." The teaching of Geography can be combined with the teaching English, Social Sciences, Biology, History, Mathematics and Sports. The teaching is focused on general physical and human geography, basics of cartography and geographic information systems (GIS) and regional geography of the Czech Republic.

Teacher Training in Geography (Mgr.)

Graduates of master teacher training courses for primary schools have at the Department of Geography an opportunity to get a degree 'PhDr.' after passing the State rigorous examination and defense of the thesis. It should be focused on the teaching of Geography on the 2nd level of primary schools and also meet the criteria of a scientific work.

Organization of national conferences 

In the last years Department of Geography organized two significant national activities: 

1. GEODID – GEOGRAPHIC TEACHING DAYS,open discussion forum on the topic of "Current Challenges in Geography Teaching” held on 21-22 November 2014. More information about the conference are HERE. 
2. Annual conference of the Czech Geographical Society on the topic of "Geographical thinking as a current social challenge" held on 5-7 September 2016. More information about the conference are HERE.  

Almanac of Department of Geography

In 2010, the Department celebrated 15 years since its founding. On this occasion a seminar was organized entitled "Cooperation between Universities and Public Authorities in Regional Development" while meeting the Department of Geography graduates from the years 1999 - 2010. Information about the history of the Department, staff of the Department, the Department of prominent figures and photographs of both of the above events you may find in the Almanac of the 15th anniversary of the Department of Geography in České Budějovice (pdf, 7.5 MB). Details regarding the teaching of Geography or Geography at the Faculty of Education can be found here.