Geography: Study Resource & Degree Program Information

General Information About Geography Degrees

Geography is a great degree for students who are interested in liberal arts and humanities but are attracted to international issues, the environment and the sciences. It also shows students how geographical perspectives on humans and their impact on natural systems and the implications of environmental change on populations.

Geographers can work in pretty much any capacity, from marketing to real estate to scientific research and regional development. Advising governments, consulting developers and working with environmental organizations are just some of the fields where a geography degree is applicable.

The fact is that geography is one of the oldest studies and is used in every aspect of social science. Hence, the need to geographers is still great. The more developed the technological knowledge and background of a geography student, the more likely he will find a job. Geographic information systems, or GIS, is the new frontier in geographical technology and is being used in nontraditional fields in order to track locations and map out regions, especially for emergencies.

Bachelor Of Arts In Geography

The Bachelor of Arts in Geography involves research skills, utilizing technology and applying knowledge to real-world situations to solving problems. Students also take classes within their concentration, such as urban geography, economic geography, environmental studies, climatology and cultural geography. Some schools require a senior project or seminar course and internships are highly recommended no matter what school the student attends.

Bachelor Of Science In Geography

A Bachelor of Science in Geography differs from a B.A. in Geography due to the extra number of mathematics and science courses necessary to graduate. While this degree requires mainly the same kind of courses, there is the added component of quantitative methods and statistics.

Master Of Science In Geography

Graduate studies in geography feature more seminars and focus on the theory and advanced knowledge of areas covered as an undergraduate. For example, if a student learned about geomorphology, then classes focus on coastal, glacial and fluvial geomorphology. The coursework really depends on the student’s preferences towards a particular concentration, but fieldwork, physical geography, remote sensing, statistics and resource geography courses are most likely required. This degree also involves more work and understanding of GIS technology.

Earning A Higher Degree In Geography

A Ph.D. in Geography requires attendance at several seminars and a dissertation about physical or human geography. These degree programs are often tied to a joint degree or emphasis in environmental sciences.

Choosing A Focus In Geography

There are tons of disciplines within disciplines in the field of geography. Physical geographers study the differences in how the natural climate, terrain, soil and vegetation of regions affect populations, including the sub-fields of climate, biogeography, global change, geomorphology, cryosphere and mountain geography, coastal and marine geography.

Applied geography puts knowledge and skill into practice to solve societal problems. Cartography is the study of maps and mapmaking to illustrate geographic information. GIS involves developing databases of information and systems that display data in a map format.

Human geography encompasses several branches concerning the interaction of people and the earth. Economic geographers study the allocation of resources and wealth, while political geographers observe the relationship between geography and political happenings. Population geography deals with birth, death and marriage patterns, whereas cultural geographers examine the relationship of geography and cultural phenomena. Medical geography monitors the spread of disease, death, illness and health care conditions. Urban and transportation geographers analyze cities and metropolitan areas. Historical geography tracks human and physical geography in the past.

Coursework In Geography

The coursework in a geography degree is fairly inclusive and exposes students to many varying aspects of the academic subject. Lower division courses include introductory classes on physical geography with a lab, cultural geography and world regional geography. Upper division courses focus more on specific areas of geography, such as cartography, GIS, quantitative geography and geographic techniques and methods for research.

Other courses geography majors could take include topics related to earth sciences, biodiversity, globalization, ecosystems, world religions, geomorphology, climatology, hydrology, soil and water conservation, forestry, environmentalism and remote sensing. There are also classes related to specific continents, such as South America, and even further defined region courses, such as a class about Brazil.

Career Opportunities In Geography

Due to GIS and a need to capture and collect data, the career choices available for geography graduate are more diverse than ever, ranging from forestry and environmental sciences to health care and politics. The research and analytical skills learned during school are especially attractive to employers. GIS specialists are the most in demand, but other fields of employment are growing fast.

Geography goes naturally with urban planning and development jobs. City planners work with zoning laws, land usage and new developments. News outlets, publishers and government agencies hire cartographers and climatologists. Demographers develop population estimates, while environmental management focuses on project management and writing environmental impact reports for businesses and governments. Other job possibilities include ecologist, landscape architect, researcher or educator.

Potential Earning For Geography Majors

Jobs for geography graduates are looking up, as more organizations will need those with computer skills and management for new development projects. Urban and regional planners are expected to grow 15 percent and can expect a median salary of $56,600. Surveyors and cartographers are going to grow increase even more by 21 percent in the next ten years and earn an average of $48,000. Atmospheric scientists can earn up to $77,100 while environmental scientists and hydrologists can expect to make $56,000 on average. Jobs with the official title of “geographer” are going to be harder to come by, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor reported the median salary for geographers was $62,900.