What Can I Do With a Major in... Geography

Geography is a broad field of study that will prepare students for a number of different careers and is said to be one of the most marketable liberal arts majors.  Students in this major will have the opportunity to study many different areas of geography.  These areas are based around the main concept of the relationship between people, plants and animal life, and natural resources.  Other areas of study include inequality, population shift, demographic patterns, and specific regional development.  Geography majors should possess strong computer skills and enjoy working in a variety of settings, both independent and team-oriented.  A knowledge of computerized geographic information systems is also a valuable tool that is desirable to many potential employers.

A bachelor's degree in geography is generally sufficient for many careers in urban and regional planning, environmental impact analysis, business, and public health.  Many students continue on to graduate school to gain degrees in fields such as law, medicine, business, and land use planning.  Because careers in geography can be highly competitive and job growth may be slightly slower than average, geography majors should consider doing internships or other related experience before graduation.  This experience will be valuable when seeking post-graduation employment.

General Career Information
 
Sample Job Titles

Entry Level

  • Geographer
  • Market Researcher
  • Teacher
  • Traffic Manager

Education + Experience

  • Professor
  • Real Estate Agent/Broker/Appraiser

 

Show All Job Titles

These job titles are not an exhaustive list, but rather, represent the types of positions most widely recruited for.

  • Area Specialist
  • Cartographer/Computer Mapper
  • Coastal Zone Manager
  • Community Developer
  • Environmental Manager
  • Forestry Technician
  • Geographic Information System Specialist
  • Hazardous-Waste Planner
  • Health Services Planner
  • Hydrologist
  • International Business Representative
  • Map Librarian
  • Market Researcher
  • Outdoor Guide
  • Park Ranger
  • Peace Corps Volunteer
  • Professor
  • Real Estate Agent/Broker/Appraiser
  • Remote-Sensing Analyst
  • Soil Conservationist/Agricultural Extension Agent
  • Teacher
  • Traffic Manager
  • Transportation Planner
  • Travel Agent
  • Urban and Community Planner
  • Weather Forecaster

 

 
Employment Areas
  • Academia
  • Government
  • Private Corporations
  • Non-Profit Organizations
  • Publicly Traded Corporations
 
Job and Internship Listings
Professional Organizations
 
Organizations That Have Hired UI Students and Alumni
  •  ACORN
  • East-West Center-The Univeristy of Hawaii
  • Merrill LKynch
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Spatial Data Research
  • The Nature Conservancy  

This is only a partial list - to view a complete list of organizations that recruit UI students and alumni, please visit: www.careers.uiowa.edu/students/uirecruit.html

 
Additional Resources
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