Any geography majors? (masters, pay, program, job)

[ttraider512]

Originally Posted by schmidt486

anyone found jobs in something other than GIS?

Geography is such a broad discipline and as you go through you may find a topic you find interesting.

I am a recent graduate of Texas Tech University and currently work for a Housing Authority as an Assistant Housing Manager. For me i have always been interested in social geography, and plan to pursue graduate studies specializing in community and economic development this fall at UT-Arlington!

I'm super excited !!

[columbusnative1985]

I'm a geography major, as well, at Ohio State specializing in Urban and Regional Systems. I'm going to be graduating this December at the end of fall quarter with my BA. I recently got a paid internship at Columbus City Schools in their Transportation Office planning and modifying bus stops (and maybe bus routes) for middle school kids throughout the district. I would ideally like to find a job doing something related to maps, social geography, planning, etc...

I LOVE geography and as a kid can remember looking at a special 1973 edition of the Rand McNally world atlas and just being fascinated by the maps, countries, place names, geographic information, etc... Strangely enough, for some anyway, I love to look at maps of various U.S. and Canadian cities; in fact, I have a collection of new Rand McNally maps of cities like Columbus, Detroit, Cincy, Indy, Cleveland, and Chicago. I go to bookstores just to check out the map section and judge that bookstore on their map selection! I also love to look at various maps by various map makers and point out the good and bad features of the map such as the font, letter style, colors, placement, accuracy, etc...

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by schmidt486

I'm currently in university, majoring in geography. Was just wondering if anyone else did the same, and what kind of employment you took upon graduation.

thanks for any responses

Hmmm...I'll be Perfectly honest here....

I majored in Geography. Graduated magna *** laude. received the ada shawkey prize for excellence and potential in the field of geography (I got it for havign the highest GPA)

after graduating, I went full time at my part time job as a pharmacy technician for little more than minimum wage (My boyfriend convinced me to relocate in the area where our college was--so no leisurely trying to find a job in my field while staying with mommy and daddy for free) I also worked as a receptionist at a hotel. This was until a friend of mine got me in at the town clerk's office where I recorded birth certificates, death certs, marriage, certs, etc. I did this till I went to the Caribbean with my husband where he attended school..then we came back i lived in brooklyn. Trying to find a job in the field of geography there was trying to find a needle in a haystack, and by that time we just needed money as my husband continued to be a student. So you guessed it, i worked as a pharmacy tech. till i quit to have my baby.
then we came to massachusetts for my husband to continue his education. temporarily i delivered phone books, took orders at a pizza shop and worked for my sister in laws temp agency. then we moved again while my husband was in school i went back ot work in the chief financial officer's office in the town where I used to be in the town clerks office. That was until The town counsel snatched me up to work in the office he was establishing on his own. there i worked until the end of my second pregnancy, basically managing his office.
while staying at home with my kids, i did my sister in law's payroll for her temp agency. we have moved again, and since my husband finally finished school, I don't work at all.

I cannot say i am a geography graduate success story. I can partially attribute that to, 1)financial pressure--no time to search for a job in my field and 2) too much moving around. when i think of that ada shawkey prize, I laugh out loud at the "potential in the field of geography part"

If you are going to continue in this field, i would say either teach (get a dual bachelors) or go to the masters or phd level in URBAN PLANNING or some other specialized area. NOT global studies. Make sure it is specific! At least you will be trained for a certain occupation.

As a graduate with a bachelors in geography, I am 33 and trying to figure out what I can go back to school to do. Thought about nursing, but don't have the science courses (as they were not required for geography), and teaching. I will probably go for teaching, as the bachelor in geography will not be wasted because in Mass you need a double degree anyway.

Hope you have been entertained and are not depressed. I wish i could say what happened to the other 6 geography majors in my department, but i haven't kept track of them so i have no idea if they are in the field or not.

i would recommend you REALLY corner your adviser and ask he or she WHAT the HECK job you can get with a bachelors in Geography. And then will you get back to me, maybe it is not too late after all!

PS. I do love national geographic and atlases and maps of every kind!

[eofelis]

My major is in geology (BS). My college only offers one freshmen level geography class (I took it). My minor is in GIS. I know geologists, even entry level ones are in demand right now, but I think I will get more out of my GIS minor.

I'm currently working at the BLM as a GIS intern, hoping to get into a permanant federal job after I graduate.

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by eofelis

My major is in geology (BS). My college only offers one freshmen level geography class (I took it). My minor is in GIS. I know geologists, even entry level ones are in demand right now, but I think I will get more out of my GIS minor.

I'm currently working at the BLM as a GIS intern, hoping to get into a permanant federal job after I graduate.

Where are they in demand? I am just curious, because I really LOVED Geology. I almost majored in it but by then I was headed for the second semester of sophomore year. all the science courses i needed (chem 1, bio 1, etc) started in the fall not spring. so i would not have been able to take them till the start of my junior year, which would have delayed graduation. I thought my parents would be mad. So I went with Geography, which I loved also, and finished up on time by taking extra classes. At the end of it all, my mom said that they were surprised I finished in 4 years because so many kids need 5 to finish. Boy was I shocked at that. I was so stupid.....

I can always go back, though........

[Tex?Il?]

[quote=Spade;4438550]Let me ask a question. Am I the only person on this forum that was one of those nerds that stood in bookstores reading the almanac regarding anything to do with geography such as sq miles, population, history of different regions, geographic areas of different regions, etc. Because that's the type of person I am.

I simply LOVE geography and everything that it is about. QUOTE]

Not at all!!! I was one of those nerds too. Thats why I became a geographer. I like GIS, but I like the university environment so much. Thats why I'm going back to school for my PhD.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

University of Illinois - Chicago is supposed to have one of the best. I'm actually deciding right now if I want to apply or not, specializing in transportation planning. I'm going to meet with one of the professors on Tuesday.

UIC??

For undergraduates maybe, but it really doesn't have any grad programs.

The school with the best grad programs close to Chicago by FAR is
UW Madison. Hands down. The best overall geography grad program in the midwest.

I'm sorry but anyone challenging this statement is wrong.

Maybe SIU Carbondale might come close.
Michigan State is close too.

[bostoner]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

UIC??

For undergraduates maybe, but it really doesn't have any grad programs.

The school with the best grad programs close to Chicago by FAR is
UW Madison. Hands down. The best overall geography grad program in the midwest.

I think she's referring to urban planning, not geography.

[supernerdgirl]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

UIC??

For undergraduates maybe, but it really doesn't have any grad programs.

The school with the best grad programs close to Chicago by FAR is
UW Madison. Hands down. The best overall geography grad program in the midwest.

I'm sorry but anyone challenging this statement is wrong.

Maybe SIU Carbondale might come close.
Michigan State is close too.

You didn't read my post. I'm not applying for a geography degree... I'm applying for a Masters in Urban Planning and Policy with a transportation concentration.

... And that degree would be found at UIC. I'm not leaving Chicago and want to work for one of the transit agencies here. So, that's where I'm applying. The end.

You must have just seen UIC and jumped at the chance to say something bad at it.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

You didn't read my post. I'm not applying for a geography degree... I'm applying for a Masters in Urban Planning and Policy with a transportation concentration.

... And that degree would be found at UIC. I'm not leaving Chicago and want to work for one of the transit agencies here. So, that's where I'm applying. The end.

You must have just seen UIC and jumped at the chance to say something bad at it.

I apologize then.

I guess I didn't read through it completely.

I don't think anything bad of UIC, just that I looked into it, and didn't have what I was looking for.

Anyways, I am leaving Chicago hopefully. I don't dislike it (or the suburbs) but Madison is only two hours away and just fits me much better in every way possible.