Geography

Types of Degrees Geography Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many geography & cartography graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,193
Graduate Certificate	940
Doctor’s Degree	199

What Geography Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to geography were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Geography Majors

Geography majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Geography Majors

A major in geography prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for Geography Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a geography student include the following:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Geography Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with geography:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists	19.0%	$64,430
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Geographers	13.3%	$80,300
Geography Professors	8.0%	$80,350
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Supply Chain Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Wind Energy Project Managers	8.0%	$107,480

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Geography?

According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 45% of the graduates are women, and 55% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of geography majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	30
Black or African American	36
Hispanic or Latino	134
White	753
International Students	170
Other Races/Ethnicities	70

Geographic Diversity

Geography appeals to people across the globe. About 14.2% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Geography

Some degrees associated with geography may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for geography careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	5.5%
Some College Courses	1.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	5.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	46.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	16.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	2.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.6%
Doctoral Degree	19.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.1%

Online Geography Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	53	5
Certificate (2-4 Years)	3	0
Associate’s Degree	163	15
Bachelor’s Degree	149	31
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	187	21
Post-Master’s	15	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	65	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Geography

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to geography.

Major	Number of Grads
Political Science & Government	46,438
Economics	46,225
Sociology	33,194
General Social Sciences	17,458
International Relations & National Security	14,086
Anthropology	10,899
Other Social Sciences	2,069
Urban Studies	1,301
Sociology & Anthropology	552
Archeology	339
Demography & Population Studies	81

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Couleur under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.