Careers in Geography

Since location plays a key role in business, government, and environmental affairs ("everything happens somewhere...for reasons... and with consequences"), geographers are employed in a wide range of occupations. Geographers work in such areas as environmental analysis and management, transportation, teaching, urban and regional planning, economic development, marketing research, resource management, retail site selection, historic preservation, geographic information systems, and cartography. The types of organizations employing geographers include consulting firms, mapping agencies, schools, military, travel agencies, retail firms, manufacturers, international business, and local, state, and federal government.

Careers of Recent Graduates of the Geography Program at NSU

The women and men who leave NSU with a degree in geography find themselves interesting, varied, and fulfilling employment. Here are samples from some of our recent graduates whose annual salaries range from $27,000 to $75,000 (1994-2003 graduates). Here are a few examples:

* Cartographer, Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, Springdale, AR: “I love my job and the people I work with. We always have some interesting project going. The geographers at NSU taught me more about geography than I got in two years of graduate work at the University of Arkansas.”

* Environmental specialist, Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK: “I work with the EPA Clear Air and Clean Water Programs. We monitor streams and air quality. Our air monitoring stations are scattered across Oklahoma and New Mexico, and we travel to each once every two weeks.”

* Systems integration administrator, Sho-Me Power (utilities company) of Marshfield, Missouri: “It is my job to keep all of our computer networks and systems working in an efficient manner. I continue to learn new things everyday.”

* International accounts manager, Site-Specific Technology Development Group, Inc., in Stillwater, OK: “I coordinate international sales of GIS (geographic information systems) software and administer our domestic and international distributor network.”

* GIS technician, Lowrance Electronics, Inc., in Tulsa, OK: “I use GIS on a daily basis to view, edit and convert both raster and vector data. In addition, I run various processes that ultimately result in converting this data into a special format that is readable by all of the Mapping/WAAS-enabled GPS units of Lowrance Electronics, Inc."

Links to General Geography Career Information

Careers in Geography by the Association of American Geographers

Careers in Geography by the Department of Geography at Oklahoma State University

Earthworks -- Worldwide employment opportunities in the geosciences (oil, mining, geoscience, environmental, agriculture, forestry, ecology, meteorology, oceanography, hydrology, soil, GIS and related subjects)

GeoCareers  -- from GEOPlace.com and careerbuilders.com

GeoSearch, Inc.  -- Recruiters in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Image Processing, Computer Science and Related Technologies and Sciences

GIScareers.com -- worldwide GIS employment opportunities

GIS Jobs Clearinghouse  -- GIS and remote sensing jobs

GISjobs.com  -- GISjobs.com classified ads

GIS-Related Job Postings in Texas  -- by the Texas Department of Information Resources

GISuser Jobs -- GIS job listings from GISuser.com

Urban & Regional Planning Jobs (APA Jobs Online)  -- online listing of jobs in planning and allied professional fields.