Scope of Geography

Geography integrally explores the physical dimensions of our planet as well as the demography and the lands and its inhabitants. The prime objective of this area of study is to develop a mutable relationship between the people and the lands they live in, amongst other factors, which gives it an all-round interdisciplinary approach. Some of the multidisciplinary crossovers of this subject include History, Science, Environment, and Population Studies thus making Geography a diversified area of study. It also additionally contains the study of culture, ethnicity, the earthy characteristics of the planet, and economies of different regions. If you are interested in pursuing a career in this field, read this blog to know all about the scope of Geography, the major career options available as well as the employment areas you can choose from.

Career Scope of Geography

Studying the diverse lands and environments on our planet as well as the relationship between human beings with the land they live in, Geography is truly a vast stream which intersects with varied branches of Social Science. Pursuing a degree in Geography, you can explore wide-ranging opportunities across both the public and private sector. Owing to the immense scope of Geography, here are the major employment areas you can explore:

• Urban and Rural Planning
• Cartography
• Climate Analysis
• Population Analysis
• Environmental Science
• Nature Conservation Sanctuaries
• Travel and Tourism
• Education
• Environmental Law

Jobs You Can Get with a Geography Degree

Now that you are familiar with the major employment areas under the career scope of Geography, some of the top job opportunities you can explore with a degree in Geography are as follows:

• Environmental Consultant 
• Cartographer
• Town planner 
• Geographical Information Systems Officer 
• Conservation (Water, Soil) Officer 
• Landscape Architect 
• Teacher/lecturer/ Professor
• Hydrologist
• Meteorologist
• Pollution Analyst
• Travel and tourism Advisor and Planner
• Environmental Lawyer
• Wildlife Conservationist

Environmental Consultant 

As an Environmental Consultant, you can explore contractual or freelancing opportunities with real estate companies, commercial businesses as well as government departments and advise them regarding various environmental issues with relation to their commercial activities. As one of the popular job profiles under the scope of Geography, an Environmental Consultant also helps businesses and industries incorporate eco-friendly technologies for manufacturing and commercial activities and they are also associated with research and development organisations focusing on innovating better renewable energy resources and environment-friendly technologies.

Cartographer 

Cartographers perform standard fieldwork to collect different types of data to create a map or to verify an already existing map. Another popular opportunity under the scope of Geography, the data collection is of many types which include geographical data, population, demography, etc. the maps are produced digitally for all kinds of purposes.

Town Planner 

As a Town Planner or an Urban Planner, you will be designing the blueprints of a new area or city along with ensuring the safety features that can be implemented to facilitate the protection of people and property during unforeseen disasters. For exploring this profile under the scope of Geography, you will be commonly working in the public sector and with departments of development under the government. 

Conservation Officer 

A Conservation Officer is also a part of the wildlife protection and forest departments under the government. They work on protecting wildlife and the environment and design campaigns and raise awareness among the local tribes that live in forest regions. To pursue this profile under the scope of Geography, you must be inclined towards spreading awareness about environmental conservation and working with the forest departments of different states. 

Geographical Information Systems Officers

Under the career scope of Geography, you can explore job opportunities in managing Geographic Information systems which are mainly designed for assimilating, storing, assessing as well as for recordkeeping of data related to different land areas across states. Geographical Information Systems Officers operate these systems and are needed in varied fields such as Defence, Transportation, Communication, etc.

Along with these, here are some other career options you can choose from to avail the scope of Geography:

• Mining Consultant
• Political Advisor
• Water Resource Manager
• Oceanographer
• Sustainability Development Manager
• Forest Carbon Specialist (Arborist)
• Activist
• Botanist
• Food Cooperative Specialist
• Conservation Biologist
• Agricultural Technologist
• Ecologist
• Air Quality Inspector
• Environmental Land Consultant
• Animal Services Worker
• Greenhouse Manager
• Geologist
• Hazardous Waste Manager
• Water Quality Inspector
• Fisheries Consultant
• Soil Scientist
• Forest Resource Officer

Top Universities for Geography

Now that you are aware of the wider scope of Geography as a career field, finding the best university for your chosen program in this field is also a crucial decision. To help you further in your research, here is a complete list of top 10 universities in the world for Geography courses as per the QS World University Rankings 2020:

University	QS World University Rankings 2020 for Geography
University of Oxford	#1
The London School of Economics and Political Science	#2
University of Cambridge	#3
University of California, Berkeley	#4
University of California, Los Angeles	#5
The Australia National University	#6
University of British Columbia	#7
University College London	#8
National University of Singapore	#9
Durham University	#10

[Bonus] Major Specialisations in Geography

Other than exploring the vast range of job opportunities offered under the immense scope of Geography, here are the prominent branches and interdisciplinary specialisations you can explore for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in this area of study:

• Environmental Studies
• Physical Geography
• Human Geography
• Climatology
• Population Geography
• Economic Geography
• Philosophy of Geo-Science
• Biogeography
• Geography of Natural Hazards and Disasters
• Urban Geography 
• Oceanography
• Natural Resource Management

Thus, we hope that this blog helped you explore the scope of Geography as a career field. Unsure about selecting the right course in Geography? Our Leverage Edu experts are here to provide you with the best course and university combinations and we will also guide you in choosing the right one as per your interests and preferences! Sign up for a free session with us today!