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Geography

What can I do with a major in

Geography

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences offers a BA, BS, and a BGS in Geography. Geography and weather are some of humankind's oldest curiosities and long established branches of modern science. The scientific discipline of Geography strives to explore and to understand the variety that exists in the world's landscapes and cultures.


Geography majors develop the following skills:

Communication: summarizing results, writing clearly, presenting/defending a position, communicating across cultures/languages, understanding societal development

Analysis and Research: gathering and organizing data, examining data, conducting field studies, applying non-intrusive methods, computer modeling, reaching new conclusions through comparative study, utilizing statistical applications, reading/constructing maps/graphs

Project Development: planning long-term projects, developing project designs, writing grant proposals, evaluating, maintaining records

Interpersonal Relations: interviewing, understanding group dynamics, observing human interactions, recognizing cultural differences/similarities, surveying and sampling, identifying value systems

Depending on your desired career path, additional skills may need to be developed.  Make an appointment with a career consultant to design your individual career development plan.


Build skills Beyond the Classroom

  • Join related clubs, professional associations, activities, and organizations
  • Read professional journals in the field
  • Find volunteer work in a related area
  • Find part-time employment in a similar area
  • Job shadow someone working in the field
  • Conduct an informational interview with someone working in this area of interest
  • Obtain an internship
  • Work with a mentor or alum.  Contact the Hawk to Hawk program at the KU Alumni Center.

Internship Websites

 

Employment Websites


Career Planning and Resources


Professional Associations

Sample Careers for Geography Majors 

Business

Skills in writing and analysis make Geography majors well suited for:

Career Options
Advertising account executive
Airline pilot
Attorney
Assessment researcher
Banker/trust officer
Environmental impact
Environmental scientist/engineer
Executive search consultant
Farmer
Human resources manager
Marketing manager
Navigation equipment specialist
Real estate developer
Salesperson
Travel agent/guide

Potential Employers
Advertising Agencies
Banks
Marketing Firms
Real-Estate Agencies
Title Companies


Research and Technical

Skills in research and analysis make Geography majors well suited for:

Career Options
Aquarist
Archaeologist
Botanist
Cartographer
Civic engineer
Climatologist
Computer simulation model designer
Demographer
Geographer
Geologist
Land-use planner
Manufacturing engineer
Marketing researcher
Meteorologist
Paleontologist
Petroleum engineer
Seismologist
Soil scientist
Systems engineer

Potential Employers
Federal, State, and Local Government
Real-Estate Development Agencies
Urban Planning Agencies

 

Education and Government

Skills in research and communication make Geography majors well suited for:

Career Options
Bicultural program specialist
College administrator
Community development analyst
Congressional committee staff director
Foreign service officer
Military officer
Museum education director
Public administrator
Restoration carpenter
Social worker
State/federal government policy analyst
Teacher
Transportation planner
Urban/regional planner
Wildlife biologist

Potential Employers
Federal, State, & Local Government Agencies
Government Support
Organizations
Political Parties
Schools
Universities

Communication

Skills in communication make Geography majors well suited for:

Career Options
Editor
International agency
Journalist/travel writer
Market analyst
National/state park interpreter
Pastor
Statistician
Technical writer

Potential Employers
Magazines
Marketing Firms
Newspapers




 For information on these occupations

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University Career Center
The University of Kansas
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