Occupational Possibilities
Through study of culture areas, physical and human landscapes, and interaction between people and environment, geography majors develop skills applicable to a wide range of occupations. The list below is only a sample of these suitable careers for majors in geography, selected from national data and from Major Options by Nicholas Basta (New York: The Stonesong Press).
Some occupations, such as demographer, may require specialized skills or additional training. Additional graduate study is generally required for listings marked with an *.
Business - *Attorney
- Environmental impact assessment researcher
- Travel agent/guide
- Human resources manager
- Marketing manager
- Advertising account executive
- Executive search consultant
- Salesperson
- *Environmental scientist/engineer
- Navigation equipment specialist
- Airline pilot
- Farmer
- Real estate developer
- Banker/trust officer
| Education and Government - *Public administrator
- Bicultural program specialist
- Museum education director
- Congressional committee staff director
- Teacher
- State/federal government policy analyst
- Urban/regional planner
- *College administrator
- *Social worker
- Foreign service officer
- Military officer
- Restoration carpenter
- Wildlife biologist
- Transportation planner
- Community development analyst
|
Research and Technical - *Archaeologist
- *Cartographer
- *Computer simulation model designer
- Demographer
- Marketing researcher
- *Climatologist
- *Paleontologist
- *Soil scientist
- *Geologist
- *Seismologist
- Land-use planner
- *Civic engineer
- *Aquarist
- *Petroleum engineer
- *Meteorologist
- *Botanist
- *Systems engineer
- *Manufacturing engineer
- Geographer
- Funeral director
- *Medical assistant
| Communications - Editor
- Technical writer
- International agency representative
- National/state park interpreter
- Journalist/travel writer
- Market analyst
- Pastor
- Statistician
- *Therapist: group or recreation
- Vocational guidance assistant
|
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Skills and Abilities
Students of geography develop general and technical skills and abilities applicable to diverse occupational paths. While many continue education in graduate or law school, many other possibilities exist. The representative skills below may be used in a variety of careers. For example, cross-cultural observational skills may be equally useful for a travel planner, a human resources manager, or a freelance journalist.
Communication - Summarizing results
- Writing clearly
- Presenting/defending a position
- Communicating across cultures/languages
- Understanding societal development
| Analysis and Research - Gathering and organizing data
- Examining data
- Conducting field studies
- Applying non-intrusive methods
- Computer modeling
- Reaching new conclusions through comparative study
- Utilizing statistical applications
- Reading/constructing maps/graphs
|
Project Development - Planning long-term projects
- Developing project designs
- Writing grant proposals
- Evaluating
- Maintaining records
| Interpersonal Relations - Interviewing
- Understanding group dynamics
- Observing human interactions
- Recognizing cultural differences/similarities
- Surveying and sampling
- Identifying value systems
|
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Career Planning and Resources
Internships
Job Search
Professional Associations
For More Information
...about careers, graduate and professional schools, internships, professional associations, or job descriptions contact:
University Career Center
110 Burge Union
(785) 864-3624 For information about majors and concentrations in geography:
Geography Department
213 Lindley Hall
(785) 864-5143
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