What Can I Do With a Major In Geography?

UGA Specific Information for Geography

Geography opens doors to a wide variety of careers, such as an environmental specialist, business location/allocation expert, market researcher, community development and planning specialist, cartographer, satellite image analyst, weather forecaster, or teacher. Opportunities in the technical fields of geographic information systems and mapping sciences continue to grow rapidly. Opportunities remain strong in the fields of regional development, urban planning, community organizing, social and environmental justice, and food geographies. 

Geography includes multiple subdisciplines, including human and physical geography as well as methods for spatial analysis. Human geography is concerned with the spatial aspects of human existence - how people and their activity are distributed in space, how they use and perceive space, and how they create and sustain the places that make up the earth's surface. Human geographers work in the fields of urban and regional planning, transportation, marketing, real estate, tourism, and international business. Physical geographers study patterns of climates, land forms, vegetation, soils, and water. They forecast the weather, manage land and water resources, and analyze and plan for forests, rangelands, and wetlands. Some geographers are experts in Geographic Information Science (GIS), developing and applying methods for analyzing data to identify spatial patterns and associations. These methods are used in a range of fields including both physical and human geography as well as conservation, ecology, public health, and urban planning.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW EMPLOYERS/POSITION TITLES and GRADUATE SCHOOLS/PROGRAMS REPORTED FOR THIS MAJOR

Class of 2023 Career Outcomes for Geography*

** Includes Self-Employed

Campus Resources

Career Consulting

  • Drop-In Hours are great if you have a question or if you aren’t sure where to start. Drop-in hours are available Monday - Friday from 11 AM - 2 PM. Further information can be found at career.uga.edu/appointments. 

  • The Career Center offers in-person, phone, and virtual career coaching appointments. To schedule an appointment, please do so through your Handshake account or call (706) 542-3375. 

Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Certificate Programs

Academic:

Non-Academic:

Department of Geography

Double Dawgs Programs

Involvement Network

Study Away

Additional UGA Career Center Recommendations

UGA Mentor Program: Networking with your Bulldog family can help you get ahead in life and career, but where do you even start? The UGA Mentor Program narrows down the world of possibilities to meaningful connections. It personalizes the mentoring experience, connecting you with mentors that are just right for your commitment. There's a better way to network. Visit mentor.uga.edu today and find a mentor who can help you see your future.

Find alumni on LinkedIn who have graduated from UGA with their Geography degree. See what they are currently doing and how they got there! To find UGA alumni, search for UGA's LinkedIn profile and select Alumni from the menu in the left margin.

Tip: Join LinkedIn groups that are related to your career interest. Review the groups that professionals in your field of interest have joined and consider joining them as well.

Researching Careers: Regardless of the career that you desire to pursue, talking with professionals in that field is essential and can help validate your decisions. Use the Informational Interview guidelines in the UGA Career Guide to learn more about how to connect with individuals in your areas of interest.

Graduate School: If you are interested in going to graduate school, check out these Getting Into Graduate School resources on the UGA Career Center’s website. For additional graduate school help, meet with your Career Consultant at the UGA Career Center.

Supplemental Career Research Dashboard

Additional Career Research Resources

  • O*NET Online – The O*NET database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledge, work activities, and interests associated with over 900 occupations.  
  • My Next Move – An interactive tool for students and job seekers to learn more about their career options.  
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook – The OOH is a career resource offering information on the hundreds of occupations that provide most of jobs in the United States.  
  • Vault – Vault.com provides in-depth intelligence on what it’s really like to work in an industry, company, or profession – and how to position yourself to land that job.  
  • Candid Career – This resource provides you with access to thousands of informational video interviews with real professionals through an easy-to-use website.  
  • UGA Mentor Program – Connect with a mentor (alumni, faculty, staff) to research and explore industries and careers. Research industries and careers by connecting with a mentor for a quick chat or formal 16-week mentorship through the UGA Mentor Program.  
  • Interstride - Interstride is an interactive tool for both international and domestic students to enhance their international experience and employment potential. The platform consists of job-listings, hiring trends, employer information, self-assessments, and up-to-date immigration guidance. 
  • Glassdoor - Glassdoor is a free jobs and career community that offers an inside look at jobs and companies through "employee generated content" – anonymous salaries, company reviews, interview questions, and more – all posted by employees and job seekers.  
  • Steppingblocks - Research your future career with real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with career and education searches designed to find your best path based on millions of others. It’s data-powered career exploration for doers like you.

Employment Websites

General  

  • Handshake (scroll down to the bottom of the page; login with your UGA MyID and password)  
  • LinkedIn (this popular networking site also has a job board!) 
  • Idealist (non-profit jobs) 
  • USAJobs (federal jobs) 

Specific Job Boards and Internships

UBIQUE Company Spotlights

Professional Associations/Resources

Employers/Position Title Reported by Class of 2023 Geography majors

The information below represents employers and position titles from the Class of 2023 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.

Employer Position Title(s)
Choate Construction Virtual Design and Construction Intern
Choate Construction Virtual Design and Construction Intern
City of Milwaukee Geographic Information System Developer
City of Milwaukee Geographic Information System Developer
Cobb County Water System GIS Specialist
Cobb County Water System GIS Specialist
Duberry Staff Meteorologist
Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Compliance Specialist I
Global Treks and Adventures Intern
HBK Engineering GIS Technician
Henderson County North Carolina Land Records Customer Service Specialist
Henderson County North Carolina Land Records Customer Service Specialist
Pike Engineering GIS Technician
Pike Engineering Geographic Information Systems Technician I
United States House of Representatives Agricultural Committee Intern
* denotes no responses received.
*Source: Areas above marked with an Asterisk (*) have been created utilizing data taken from the UGA Career Outcomes Survey. The "Employers Hiring...," "Job Titles of...," "Career Outcomes for...," and "Graduate/Professional Schools and Programs..." information listed above represent UGA Class of 2023 Graduates. The lists are not exhaustive and therefore do not represent all potential career options. Click here for more detailed Career Outcomes information regarding this major.

Graduate/Professional Schools attended by Class of 2023 Geography majors

The information below represents graduate/professional schools and programs reported through the Class of 2023 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.

Graduate School Program(s)
Colorado State University Atmospheric Science, MS
University of Georgia Geography, MS
University of Georgia Public Health, MPH
University of Georgia Public Health, MPH
University of Tennessee, Knoxville Geography, MS
University of Wisconsin-Madison Atmospheric Science, MS
* denotes no responses received.

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