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Geography Degrees: Map Out Your Career

by Laura Horwitz
Online Education Columnist

What Do You Learn with a Geography Degree?

You typically need a master's degree or PhD to work as a geographer, with most employment opportunities created by the federal government. Six primary fields of geography exist, and at the graduate level, you may need to specialize in one. These geography fields include:

  • Cultural: Study how cultural phenomena (such as economy, government, language, and religion) vary from place to place, and look at cultural trends such as globalization
  • Economic: Look at how resources get distributed and at economic activities within a region
  • Medical: Examine the causes of epidemics and how to control them, health care delivery systems, and how the environment can affect a population's health
  • Physical: Research how variations in climate, soil, vegetation and other landforms affect human activity
  • Political: Study the relationship between geographic and political boundaries
  • Regional: Examine the economic, cultural, physical, and political characteristics of a region, which can be as small as one area of a city or as large as an entire continent
  • Urban: Similar to regional geographers, but with a focus on cities

Any good geography degree program today, whether online or on a campus, should include courses in geographic information systems (GIS) technology. Knowing how to use GIS technology can enhance employment opportunities both within the field of geography and also in other related careers like surveying, cartography, geoscience, and urban planning.

Employment Opportunities in Geography

Most geographers work for the federal government. Other employers of geographers include:

  • Environmental agencies
  • Real estate developers
  • Telecommunications firms
  • Utility companies

Geographers who understand GIS may also find jobs in non-traditional fields such as using GIS in emergency assistance to track ambulances, police, and fire fighters. Overall, those with advanced degrees are expected to have the best employment opportunities.

Source:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Social Scientists, Other

Laura Horwitz has worked as a freelance writer and researcher for seven years in both London and the US, focusing frequently on education and career advice. She has also taught English and journalism. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
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