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Geography is much more than maps and capitals. It is a diverse discipline with many interesting and relevant career paths. There is also significant potential to enter the job market with a bachelor's degree and to earn a competitive salary. Check out our BS/BA in Geography and our BS in GIS+CS.

MARKETABLE SKILLS

Geography requires a variety of transferable skills that employers are looking for, such as:

  • Big picture understanding
  • Problem solving and creativity
  • Effective communication
  • Computer and technical literacy
  • Teamwork
  • Planning and organizing

DIVERSE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Geography is a diverse discipline that spans the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, and with opportunities for employment in governmental and non-governmental agencies, education, business and industry. Geography graduates can pursue careers in any number of fields, including:

  • Environmental management
  • Sustainable development
  • Urban planning
  • Education
  • Alternative energy
  • Public safety
  • Public health
  • International aid
  • Business logistics
  • Marketing
  • Geospatial technology

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Geography plays a role in everything we do. By understanding the world around you, you can solve real world challenges, like how to:

  • Protect our water supply
  • Reduce the spread of disease
  • Plan for natural disasters
  • Make business more efficient
  • Make cities more sustainable

Discover your future with Geography! To find out more about careers in Geography, check out the following resources:

A world of opportunities for geography majors - http://www2.isu.edu/career/majors/html/geography.html

The Royal Geographical Society (UK) has excellent information about geographic careers. "I am Geography" and "Going Places with Geography" are brochures that show the range of careers that geography majors can be found in. They have also put much of this information into two videos (Going Places with Geography, pt 1 - and pt 2).

Penn State University has produced an online video series, Geospatial Revolution, that shows how geospatial technology and geography are being used to solve a wide range of problems in different career settings.

The US Department of Labor published a brochure on jobs in geography. They have also identified geospatial technology as one of the top three high-growth potential industries.

The science journal, Nature, also highlighted job opportunities within the geospatial industry and American Geosciences notes an increase in geoscience occupations over the next decade.