National Geographic defines it as ‘the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments’.  There are two branches of Geography: Physical and Human. Physical geography is concerned with the study of the earth—its weather, ecosystems, soils, rocks and natural formations. Human geography is the study of human groups and population distributions. Depending on the focus of your degree, you will receive either a BA or a BSc in Geography.

There are quite a few career options for those with a degree in geography – it is a path to working in climatology (weather-related jobs), cartography (map-making), as well as getting involved in urban planning and GIS development (a GIS Analyst studies land-spaces and identification of trends and relationships of use for political, financial, and architectural concerns). Environmental specialists also tend to have geography degrees.Geographers go on to work in research, journalism, for government – in disaster management. For those wanting to go on to do a further degree, it opens up for careers in law, public policy, and international studies – as well as for forestry, environmental studies, earth sciences, architecture, and geology. Careers are available in government, in the military, as well as throughout the private sector and academia.

Some famous Geographers

Students who plan to get into Climatology (the study of the weather) should take courses in Meteorology and Earth Sciences.

What can one do with a degree in Geography?

Erastothenes, the third century BC scholar who coined the word ‘geography’ (from the ancient greek roots: ‘geo’ (the earth), and ‘graphein’ (to write); created one of the earliest maps of the known world between 276 and 195 BC (studied in Alexandria and Athens; Chief Librarian at the Library of Alexandria).

Dr. Bethany Ehlmann, participating scientist on the NASA Mars Rober Curiosity Mission and assistant professor of planetary science at Caltech; recognized as an Emerging Explorer by National Geographic (BA Washington University in St. Louis;  MS in Geography University of Oxford; MS & PhD in Geological Sciences Brown University).