Geographers work in a variety of fields, leveraging data and fieldwork to understand our dynamic planet, including its environmental, economic, social, and political systems. Geographers explore the world through perspectives on space, place, and landscape. They study spatial relations, meanings of place and placemaking in our lives, and the changing urban and rural landscapes in which we live. To do so, they employ scientific methods, concepts, and theories of our social fabric, while using state-of-the-art methods in digital data analysis, mapping, and cartography.
Geographers make valuable contributions to business, non-profits and government agencies, using skills in understanding social systems, improving the environment, and enhancing financial performance. In the private sector, geographers use skills related to spatial thinking, mapping, location analysis, logistics, database management or economic planning. In government agencies, geographers may focus on topics such as transportation, health, planning, development or GIS. Geographers in non-profit organizations may be involved in issues such as conservation, child welfare, development, health, education, culture and the arts, and historic preservation.
Career opportunities in Geography
Geography is both a social and a physical science that analyzes and explains the location of and interrelationships between human and physical features of the earth’s environment. Geography majors examine how and why features and their locations change over time, with particular interest in the many impacts of these changes on both people and natural settings. Students build solid academic foundations that draw from and interrelate areas of study from the social and behavioral sciences, humanities, computer science and graphic communication, and the natural sciences.
Any student earning a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree must complete a minimum of 39 hours at the 300+ level. These hours are generally completed by the major requirements. However, keep this hour requirement in mind as you choose your course work for the requirements in the major. Students interested in earning a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree must complete a minimum of 60 hours in biological, physical, mathematical and/or computer sciences. See the complete description of College requirements for a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Sciences degrees in the Arts and Sciences section of the 2020-2021 Undergraduate Bulletin.
Total Credit Hours - 30
Major Core Requirements
Tracks
Breadth Electives
Total Hours - 39
Geographers study the Earth and the distribution of its land, features, and inhabitants.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics | Click the link for more info.
Median Salary
$90,880
per year in 2023
Number of Jobs
1,500
in 2023
Most geographers work full time. Geographers who do fieldwork may travel to foreign countries or remote locations.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Read MoreUnderstanding that over 70 percent of university students will change their declared major at least once during their college careers, the College of Arts and Sciences has developed an Exploratory Studies program for students who have yet to decide the specific field of study that most closely aligns both their personal interests and their professional career goals and objectives. The Exploratory Studies Program provides students with an extraordinarily diverse educational environment that includes coursework spanning Math and Natural Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences and provides students with the unique opportunity to explore multiple areas of interest during their first several semesters on campus. For more information please contact a recruiting representative at asrecruting@uky.edu.
While there are endless ways to create an unforgettable journey as a Wildcat, we can only think of one that gives you the chance to step outside the classroom and into exploring new parts of the world around you: participating in an Education Abroad opportunity! Whether it’s in a study, research, service, or internship program, taking your UK experience international with EA is the most hands-on way for you to expand your global perspective while making yourself a more well-rounded, marketable candidate to future employers no matter your field. As you take these first steps towards investing in your future, EA encourages you to take advantage of all the opportunities UK has to offer. Take a look at some of the many suggested opportunities UK Education Abroad & Exchanges has to complement your major! #ukyabroad
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