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Majoring in Geography

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Geography Careers

Geography students pursue all kinds of careers.  Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the field, the kind of career you choose could take you in any direction.  In 1995, the National Research Council published a report showing that jobs in Geography have increased considerably over the past twenty years.  Geographers are involved in planning, environmental management and monitoring, GIS development, and teaching.  Graduates with a background in Geography and/or GIS are actively recruited by federal, state and local agencies, non-profit social and environmental organizations and private companies (see below for some examples).

Because of the close connections between NASA and the University of Maryland Department of Geography, many students go on to careers in remote sensing research.  A key preparation for this research is the GIS and Computer Cartography major, which emphasizes skills that are greatly in demand at NASA, USDA, NOAA, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and other large government and private agencies. Many students begin internships at these companies and agencies, which lead to permanent positions upon completion of their degree.  For more career advice, be sure to look at the Careers in Geography PDF document on the Information Brochures page.

To see current job and internship listings, go to the department's Opportunities in Geography web page or the Career Center's TERP on-line job listings. The geography advisors also post announcements outside the Geography Advising Office in 2108 Lefrak Hall. If you would like to receive announcements via e-mail, you can subscribe to the geography undergraduate list serv by sending an e-mail request to geog-advise@umail.umd.edu.

Note to Potential Employers

If you are looking for ways to advertise positions that require geographic skills, including technical skills, we can help you advertise your position in the following ways:

• Send an e-mail describing the position to geog-advise@umail.umd.edu.  We will circulate the announcement to our undergraduates via e-mail and will also post it near our office.
• The announcement can be posted on the Geography home page, under the Opportunities link, by sending it to geogweb@geog.umd.edu.
• You can post on on the University's Career Center website using the TERP on-line employer access.
• We also hold a widely advertised and well attended Career/Internship Fair every semester (see below).  If you would like to participate in the Career/Internship Fair, please send an e-mail to geog-advise@umail.umd.edu for more information.

Geography Career/Internship Fair

To aid geography majors in searches for career or internship opportunities, the Geography Advising Office and the Career Center sponsor a Career/Internship Fair every semester.  Local governmental and private organizations who are specifically looking for potential employees with geographic skills attend.  Leading organizations that have attended in past career fairs include: ESRI, U.S. Census Bureau, NIMA, FEMA, National Archives, USGS, EarthSat, Defense Intelligence Agency, Appalachian Regional Commission, Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, Maryland Department of the Environment, and many others.  At least 10-15 organizations participate every semester, and over 100 students from Geography and other departments attend.

In addition to helping students get in touch with potential employers, there are often workshops that help students with the job application process, resume writing, or deciding what kind of geographic career options fit their interests.