What can you do as a geographer?
Geography is an attractive major for students. Its theories and methods provide analytical techniques applicable to a wide range of questions asked over a broad spectrum of occupations. For students planning to end their formal education with the bachelor's degree, a geography Mastersprovides marketable skills and the broad perspectives on environment and society that enable graduates to move beyond entry-level positions. For similar reasons, geography provides a sound foundation for students who plan to pursue Masters work in a variety of fields, from geography to business, land use planning, law, and medicine.The potential for practicing geography in private enterprise and government has grown considerably in recent years, although few such positions are designated with the title of geographer. Roughly a quarter of all geographers work in the private and public sectors. Here are some examples of the kinds of positions held by those geographers:
Aerial Photo Interpreter
Air Quality Analyst
Appraiser for a real estate corporation
Area Specialist
Climatologist
Community Development Analyst
Computer Mapping Specialist
Conservation Education Coordinator for a state
Data Analyst for an insurance company
Demographer, Department of Agriculture
Demographic Analyst for a county
Deputy Assistant Director, National Science Foundation
Director of Computer Assisted Reporting for a major metropolitan daily newspaper
Director of Industrial Development for a port authority
Director of Planning and Zoning for a township
Ecologist
Economic Development Analyst
Economist
Energy Analyst
Engineer, Civil
Engineer, Consulting
Environmental Manager
Environment Planner for a state department of transportation
Environmental Scientist for a state department of natural resources
Field Data Capture Specialist
Geographer, Department of Agriculture
Geographer, Economic Development Administration
Geographer, Environmental Protection Agency
Geographer for a water management district
Geographer, Forest Service
Geographer, Consulting
Geographer in a corporation
Geographic Reference and Map Librarian
Geologist for a state department of environment and conservation
Geomorphologist
Geopolitical Specialist for a software corporation
GIS Analyst in a corporation
GIS Coordinator of Environmental Studies
GIS Implementation Specialist for a state library
GIS Program Manager, dept of information and administrative services
Hydrogeologist (Consulting)
Hydrologist for a state soil and water conservation agency
Insurance Analyst
Land Scientist (Consulting)
Land Surveyor
Location Analyst
Map Analyst
Map Librarian
Map Curator
Mapping Designer for a corporation
Marketing Analyst
Meteorologist at the National Weather Service
Meteorologist, Television Channels
Planner, Resources
Planner, Transportation
Planner, Urban
Planner for a consolidated government
Political Analyst
Pollution Control Specialist for a metropolitan area
Principal Scientist in a corporation
Real Estate Appraiser
Real Estate Planner
Real Estate Research Analyst
Real Estate Research Director
Recycling Coordinator for a state
Regional Environmentalist
Regional Planner
Remote Sensing Specialist
Remote Sensing Scientist
Research Analyst for a regional gas and electric company
Research Meteorologist
Research Scientist at National Weather Service
Resource Economist
Resources Planner for as state
Risk Analyst in a corporation
Sales Facilities Research Analyst
Site Researcher
Soil Conservationist for a state natural resource conservation service
Supervising Topographic Engineer for a state geological survey
Surveying Technician
Teacher
Tourism Developer
Travel Consultant and Planner
Water Conservation Planner for a city water system