In 1950, Faculty of Geography UGM was originally one of the majors at the Faculty of Literature, Pedagogic and Philosophy, namely the Department of Earth Sciences. In 1956, this Faculty was changed to Faculty of Literture and Culture. The Department of Earth Sciences was growing rapidly during that time. The role of Earth Sciences expert was increasingly acknowledged in the field of regional development and was getting wider on national level network, that eventually the Faculty of Letters and Culture proceed the Department of Earth Science to change to the Faculty of Geography on 1st September 1963 which is commemorated as the birth of this faculty. At the beginning, this faculty has two majors (study programs), namely Department of Physical Geography and Department of Human Geography.
In its development, the Faculty then assigned to have three departments that nurturing seven study programs including:
- Department of Physical Geography with two study programs: Geomorphology and Land Resources; and Hydrology;
- Department of Human Geography with two study programs: Population and Labor; and Settlement and Resources;
- Department of Geography Engineering with two study programs: Cartography; and Remote Sensing; and
- Regional Development and Transmigration Planning Program which were jointly managed by the Dean.
In 1991, the faculty streamlined and revised the names of departments and study program to:
- Department of Physical Geography, Study program of Physical Geography;
- Department of Human Geography, Study program of Human Geography;
- Department of Cartography and Remote Sensing, and
- Department of Regional Development Planning.
Since the release of Ministry of National Education Decree No 1/2006 which facilitate UGM’s authority to open and close the study program, the faculty then improve the efficiency on the structural level but still referring to the development of scientific and community demands. Started in 2007, Faculty of Geography UGM organizes 3 study programs at undergraduate level (S1) i.e. 1) Geography and Environmental Science, 2) Cartography and Remote Sensing, and 3) Regional Development.