Department of Geography

GEOGRAPHY

Geography focuses on the study of both the land and the people on our planet. Also called the “world discipline,” geography bridges the social and the physical sciences. Students studying geography could focus on area or regional studies, including the history and anthropology of the people in that place; on traditional Earth sciences, topography, or cartography; on human population and distribution; or on one of many sub-disciplines studying the interaction between people and the environment.

Because geography is a broad field, the job opportunities for Geography graduates are also wide-spread. Geographers with a Master’s degree may work in cartography, typically using GIS technologies or other remote systems skills. Geographers may also find themselves conducting field research on anthropology, on climatology, or on the study of climate change. Geography graduates with a Ph.D can teach at the university level and conduct original research. Geography graduates at any level may also take work in science journalism, the non-profit sector, and with further professional education, law or medicine. This wide field of jobs can offer a Geography graduate an income anywhere from $60,000 to over $100,000.

The best universities for the study of Geography include Boston University, UCLA, University of Colorado, and University of Oregon (according to the National Research Council, 2010). Geography as a field of study is much more popular outside of the US — in America, geographers are often found in Anthropology, Earth Science, or Environmental Studies departments. Top schools for studying Geography outside of the US include Oxford, Cambridge, and Australian National University (according to the Guardian, 2011).