The Faculty of Geography at Yunnan Normal University was granted the authority to confer master's degrees in Human Geography in 1994 and in the first-level discipline of Geography in 2006. Currently, the faculty offers academic master's programs in Geography (including five second-level disciplines: Physical Geography, Human Geography, Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, Border Geography, and Mountain Environment and Natural Disasters), Tourism Administration, and Curriculum and Teaching Theory (Geography), as well as professional master's programs in Discipline Teaching (Geography) and Tourism Administration. The basic situation of each master's program is as follows:

Master's Program in the First-Level Discipline of Geography

(1) Physical Geography

The Physical Geography program focuses on the international academic frontier of geography, adhering to the principle of integrating teaching and research. It systematically studies the characteristics, formation processes, dynamic changes, and spatial variations of natural landscapes and their components on the Earth's surface in various fields such as comprehensive physical geography, quaternary geology, lake environment and global change, regional ecology and landscape planning, karst environment and water resources, resource development and utilization, and surface processes and geomorphological simulation. It provides a scientific basis for long-term planning of socio-economic construction, rational use of natural resources, environmental pollution control, and ecological restoration.

(2) Human Geography

The Human Geography program mainly addresses the needs of regional socio-cultural and economic construction, studying the geographical distribution, diffusion, and change processes of various human phenomena, as well as the formation and development laws of the regional structure of human activities. It provides scientific basis and governance strategies for local socio-cultural and economic construction in research areas such as regional economic development and management, ethnic cultural geography and cultural industry development, regional tourism and human settlement environment construction, population and human resource development, and regional analysis and planning.

(3) Cartography and Geographic Information Systems

The Cartography and Geographic Information Systems direction primarily meets the significant demands of national and local economic construction and social development. It utilizes geographical science, surveying and mapping technology, remote sensing technology, computer technology, and spatial technology to study geographical spatial cognition patterns, acquisition, modeling, processing, expression, and comprehensive analysis and simulation of geographical phenomena and processes. It provides advanced methodologies and technologies for research in geography and related disciplines and technical support for resource and environmental management and decision-making. The main research areas include the application of remote sensing technology in resources and environment, urban and regional geographical spatial information engineering, and digital environments.

(4) Border Geography

The Border Geography program, based on Yunnan's unique geographical location and diverse environment, actively serves the national "Belt and Road" initiative and adapts to the strategic needs of Yunnan Province to become a radiation center facing South and Southeast Asia and a demonstration zone for ethnic unity and progress. It conducts research on geo-environment and border security, border ethnic geography, and South and Southeast Asian country studies, providing scientific decision support for national geo-environment and border security construction and border regional socio-economic development.

(5) Mountain Environment and Natural Disasters

The Mountain Environment and Natural Disasters program, based on the fragile ecological environment of the southwestern mountains, conducts research on the occurrence and process mechanisms of mountain natural disasters, early warning, and prevention and control techniques. Specific research areas include mountain environment and natural disasters, natural cultural landscape and heritage protection, plateau lake sedimentation and global change, lake pollution and ecological restoration, etc., providing support for ecological construction and disaster prevention and control in the southwestern mountainous areas of China.

Attachment: Directory of the First-Level Discipline Master's Program in Geography, Faculty of Geography

II. Master's Program in Education Category

The Faculty of Geography currently has two second-level disciplines in the Education category: Curriculum and Teaching Theory (Geography) for academic masters and Discipline Teaching (Geography) for professional masters. The basic situation of each second-level discipline master's program is as follows:

Attachment: Directory of Education Category Master's Programs, Faculty of Geography