MSc Geography

Geography is a field of Natural Science that explores the various places on the earth, the demographic as well as the relationship between people and the environment around them. As a field of study, it aims at establishing an interdependent relationship between the various factors, which gives it an interdisciplinary approach. It is associated with diverse disciplines such as History, Science, Environment and Population Studies. Geography also comprises of the study of various physical properties of the earth and the study of culture, ethnicity and economies of different regions. Pursuing a Master’s degree program in Geography will equip you with a deeper understanding of the earth’s atmosphere as well as the wide spectrum of lands and regions it is spread across. If you are planning to pursue MSc Geography, then this blog will provide you with all the information regarding what this course entails and the career opportunities you can explore after completing this course. 

MSc Geography Highlights

Full-form	Master of Science in Geography
Course Level	Postgraduate
Duration	2 years
Basic Eligibility	BSc Geography with minimum 50% marks or ia graduation degree in any other related subject
Average Salary	INR 4-5,00,000 per annum
Recruitment Areas	Indian Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Environment & Forest, Ministry of Earth Sciences, The Academic and Industrial Sector Pollution Control Boards, Forestry & Environmental Consultancy, Geological Survey of India, Petroleum Sector, Coal industry, Ground Water Survey & Development Agency, etc.
Job Profiles	Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst, Geographer, Lecturer, Research Fellow, Cartographer, Marine Geologists, Operations Manager, Senior Executive Assistant, Oceanographer, etc.

Course Overview

An MSc Geography is a two-year postgraduate course that aims at providing students with a detailed understanding of the various sub fields of Geography such as Human Geography, Physical Geography, Environmental Geography, Technical Geography and Behavioral Geography. If you are planning to pursue an MSc in Geography, then a keen interest in studying the physical properties of earth and its relevance in contemporary situations like climate change, global warming, population studies is a must. This is a research-oriented course wherein you will get to analyze case studies, surveys, statistics etc. related to Geography and the contemporary issues. An MSc in Geography will provide you with a detailed insight into the various physical dynamics of the earth and its relationship with the other planets. 

Eligibility Criteria 

For securing admission under this course, candidates must abide the following course requirements- 

For securing admission under this course, candidates must abide the following course requirements- 

• A UG degree of BA/ BSc Geography with the minimum required marks from a recognized institute 
• A good score on GRE exam may be essential for some universities 
• Minimum required score in IELTS or TOEFL 
• LOR and SOP in the prescribed format
• For those who want to pursue this course in India must have a UG degree in BA/ BSc Geography with minimum 50% marks 
• Necessary entrance exams for India are- BHU PET, JNUEE, DU Entrance Exam, LPUNEST 

MSc Geography Curriculum

Here is the semester-wise curriculum of the MSc Geography course-

Semester 1	Semester 2
-Man and Natural Environment -Quantitative Techniques in Geography -Dynamic Geography -Economic Geography	-Climatology & Oceanography -Geographical Thought II -Man and Natural Environment  -Principles and Theory of Economic Geography
Semester 3	Semester 4
-Agricultural Geography  -Urban Geography -Regional Planning -Advanced Geography in India -Regional Planning -Political Geography -Water Resource and their Management	-Fundamentals of Remote Sensing -Biogeography -Water Resource and their Management -Climatology -Applied Geography -Climatology -Agricultural Geography

Key Subjects of MSc Geography

Geography is a vast field of study and does not only constitute the knowledge of geographical aspects of the earth but also includes human and environmental aspects. Here is a list of major subjects that you will be studying during an MSc Geography:

• Physical Geography

Physical Geography deals with the study of various physical properties of earth and the processes and patterns of our natural environment. This field evaluates the different spheres that envelope earth such as atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. This subject centrally aims to study those aspects of the earth that occur naturally. 

• Human Geography

This subject of MSc Geography studies human interactions, different cultures, economies and the interaction of human beings with various physical features of the earth. Human Geography also analyzes how the human population has affected earth in negative as well as in a positive way and works towards solving the population crisis.

• Climatology

Climatology studies the climatic conditions of different regions along with evaluating specific weather conditions of a particular region over a period of time. This field is an important part of Physical Geography and helps you understand the techniques of analyzing the climatic conditions of a place. With the current changes in our environment, issues like global warming have been significantly highlighted and Climatology plays a key role in determining the gravity of environmental issues. 

• Population Geography

This sub-field of Human Geography looks at the various aspects of human population such as its spatial distribution, composition, growth, decline, migration etc. It is an extensive field of study, the data it provides is useful in other streams such as Sociology and Anthropology. Population Geography also accumulates data about the fertility and mortality rates that plays a central role in policy making as well as in assessing the living conditions of a particular region. 

Other subjects that you will engage with during an MSc Geography are:

• Economic Geography
• Philosophy of Geo-Science
• Biogeography
• Geography of Natural Hazards and Disasters
• Urban Geography 
• Oceanography
• Natural Resource Management

Top Universities for MSc Geography

There are several universities around the world that offer Master’s degree programs in Geography. For a research-oriented course like MSc Geography, it is important that you select a university that will give you exposure and knowledge of this extensive field. Here are some leading universities that are known for their postgraduate program in Geography:

• University of Oxford
• University of British Columbia
• University of Cambridge
• University of Exeter
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Bayreuth
• Stockholm University
• University of Helsinki
• George Washington University

Top Indian Institutes for MSc Geography

The below-mentioned popular Indian institutes offer the MSc Geography course-

• Queen Mary’s College, Chennai  
• S. S Jain Subodh PG College, Jaipur 
• Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata  
• Presidency College, Chennai  
• Hansraj College, Delhi 
• Chandigarh University. Punjab
• Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi
• Jain University, Bangalore
• Kalinga University, Raipur

MSc Geography Distance Education 

For the working professionals or the students who cannot pursue full-time education for this course, there is an option of distance education available. Here are the details pertaining to it-

• The duration of this course in distance education medium can be between 2-5 years 
• The eligibility criteria tend to remain the same. Although, some universities offer certain relaxations in previously scored marks 
• The fees of this course is less as compared to the regular ones 
• Popular universities offering MSc Geography Distance education are- MKU University
  • Himalayan University
  • Subharti University
  • Jaipur National University
  • NIMS University
  • Kalinga University
  • Kurukshetra University

MSc Geography Jobs 

After completing this PG course, a multitude of career options can be explored by the students. Most popular amongst all is pursuing a job in the related sectors of Geography, hence, stated below are the famous job profiles of that you can choose to work for after MSc in Geography-

• Geoscientist
• Cartographer
• GIS Analyst
• Urban and Regional Planner
• Lecturer 
• Marine Geologist
• Oceanographer

Average Salary

The average salaries of the job profiles of this field are-

Job Profile	Average Salary
GIS Analyst	INR 2,50,000
Cartographer	INR 3,00,000
Geoscientist	INR 19,00,000
Urban and Regional Planner	INR 5,00,00
Academician	INR 4,00,000

We hope that this blog on MSc Geography provided you with all the required information. If you are uncertain about whether this course is the right choice for you, don’t panic. Let the experts at Leverage Edu guide you, by helping you make an informed decision and in assisting you select an ideal university for this course.