Geography

From environmental consultancies to planning departments, your geography degree can lead you into a variety of careers

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree:

• Architectural technologist
• Business analyst
• Cartographer
• Data analyst
• Environmental consultant
• Geographical information systems officer
• Marketing executive
• Nature conservation officer
• Social researcher
• Sustainability consultant
• Town planner

Jobs where your degree would be useful:

• Construction manager
• Ecologist
• Hydrologist
• Landscape architect
• Logistics and distribution manager
• Market researcher
• Palaeontologist
• Political risk analyst
• Secondary school teacher
• Supply chain manager
• Transport planner

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Work experience is always valued by employers. Try to secure some in the area in which you would like to work. If you’re unsure about the direction you’d like your career to take, for example, within physical or human geography, you can try to get some experience in several areas to see which you might prefer and to establish contacts.

You could consider looking at:

• charities
• environmental consultancies
• local councils
• planning departments
• utility companies.

The Royal Geographical Society has a directory of work experience opportunities which is useful for giving ideas of what you can consider.

Fieldwork is a useful way of developing your practical skills and gaining hands-on experience, which is highly valued by employers. Some degree courses include a placement year, which is another great way to get an insight into working practicalities.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

A geography degree opens up careers in a range of fields, including those in the education, environmental, commerce, industry, transport, energy, tourism and public sectors. You'll also have many transferable skills, attracting employers from the business, law and finance sectors.

Employers include:

• the armed forces
• charities
• the Civil Service
• environmental consultancies
• environmental protection agencies
• information systems organisations
• local government
• Ministry of Defence
• police service
• private companies
• utility companies.

Find information on employers in environment and agriculture, energy and utilities, public services and administration and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

By studying geography, you'll gain an insight into a range of practical, social, economic and environmental issues. Geography offers the opportunity to tackle some of the most important issues facing modern society, from climate change and natural disasters, to overpopulation and urban expansion.

You'll learn core geographic skills in areas such as:

• field work, using specialist equipment
• preparation of maps and diagrams
• social survey and interpretative methods
• quantitative analysis methods - from those degrees with a focus on population geography.

You'll also develop a range of key skills that are relevant to many jobs and sectors, including:

• research and data collection, analysis and evaluation
• mathematical and computational skills
• IT skills, for example computer cartography and the use of databases and spreadsheets
• written and oral communications skills, including report writing and data presentation
• the ability to understand abstract concepts and articulate these to a range of audiences
• planning and problem-solving skills
• creative thinking and the ability to recognise the moral and ethical issues involved in debates
• the ability to work independently and also in a team, taking on board ideas and coming to a consensus
• self-motivation and self-reliance
• time management and the ability to meet deadlines.

Further study

You may decide to specialise in a certain area of your degree by completing postgraduate study. This could be within topics such as geographical information systems, remote sensing, environmental conservation, environmental management, human geography research, oceanography, coastal and marine management, meteorology, urban studies or water resources.

Another option could be to take a vocational qualification to lead you into a certain career. Examples include courses in teaching, surveying, urban/rural planning or landscape architecture. Studying a business or management postgraduate course is another option.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in geography.

What do geography students do?

The top ten jobs held by geography graduates employed in the UK include environment professionals (8%), secondary education teaching professionals (5%), chartered architectural technologists, planning officers and consultants (3%), construction project managers and related professionals (3%), business associate professionals (3%), advertising and marketing associate professionals (3%), management consultants and business analysts (2%), human resources and industrial relations officers (2%) and business and related research professionals (2%).

For a detailed breakdown of what geography graduates are doing 15 months after graduation, see What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.