Area

Employer


Area:

Environmental Geography

Environmental geographers are concerned with how human beings use the earth and impact the environment.

Sub-Area:
  • Environmental Management
  • Conservation
  • Waste Management
  • Environmental Regulation
  • Emergency Management
  • Outdoor Recreation Management
Employers:
  • Federal and state government:
    • Environmental Protection Agency
    • Departments of Agriculture
    • National Forest Service
    • National Park Service
  • Real estate developers
  • Scientific and research groups
  • Waste management companies
  • Chemical companies
  • Firms specializing in forestry, mining, environmental issues, or surveying
  • Law firms

Area:

Cultural and Human Geography

Cultural and human geographers study the aspects of geography that relate to different cultures. They especially focus on cultural origins and movement and the cultural characteristics of regions.

Sub-Area:
  • Cultural Resources
  • Historic Preservation
  • Historical Consultation
  • Community Development/Redevelopment
  • Education
  • Research
Employers:
  • State, regional, and local government
  • Peace Corps
  • Real estate developers
  • Companies dealing with insurance, transportation, communications, and international trade
  • Scientific and research groups
  • Museums

Area:

Geographic Technology

Geographers utilize a variety of technologies to generate maps, store, analyze and interpret map information.

Sub-Area:
  • Cartography
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Remote Sensing
Employers:
  • Federal government agencies:
    • Department of Defense
    • Department of Interior
    • Department of Commerce
    • Department of Agriculture
    • Department of State
    • Defense Mapping
    • National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    • Central Intelligence Agency
  • State and regional government agencies:
    • Departments of Transportation or Agriculture
  • Private industry including telephone, utilities, construction, engineering, energy, environmental planning, and consulting firms
  • Map publishers
  • Mapping software companies
  • Colleges and universities

Area:

Planning

Planners ensure that communities develop in an orderly way and that they have the services necessary to support them.

Sub-Area:
  • City/Regional Planning
  • Housing Development
  • Convention/Tourism
  • Community Development
  • Demography
  • Transportation
  • Waste Management
  • Conservation
Employers:
  • City, county, and regional planning agencies
  • Local and state government
  • Federal government agencies including:
    • Agency for International Development
    • World Bank
    • Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Research organizations
  • Private business
  • Banks
  • Industrial firms
  • Public utilities
  • Architecture firms
  • Real estate developers

Area:

Physical Geography

Physical geographers study earth processes such as climate and weather. They also evaluate the impact of natural hazards such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes.

Sub-Area:
  • Biogeography
  • Geomorphology
  • Natural Hazards
  • Weather and Climate
  • Hydrology
  • Environmental Regulation
  • Waste Management and Disposal
Employers:
  • State and local government
  • Federal government agencies including:
    • US Department of Agriculture
    • US Geological Survey
    • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    • Forest Service
    • Bureau of Land Management
    • The National Resources Conservation Service
  • TV/Radio stations
  • Agribusiness corporations
  • Outdoor recreation companies
  • Resource management agencies
  • Research institutes
  • Insurance companies

Area:

Economic Geography

Economic geographers study the distribution of resources and economic activities within a certain region. They may use this information to advise organizations on where to build new facilities.

Sub-Area:
  • Location Scouting
  • Real Estate Analysis
  • Transportation
  • Agricultural Planning
  • Travel/Tourism Planning
Employers:
  • Federal, state, and local government
  • Market research firms
  • Manufacturing, wholesale, and retail firms
  • Public utilities
  • Consulting firms
  • Real estate appraisers and developers
  • Banks

Area:

Geographic Education

Geography teachers may specialize in one or more areas of the discipline or incorporate it into a social science education program.

Sub-Area:
  • Teaching
  • Research
Employers:
  • Elementary/secondary schools, public and private
  • Colleges and universities

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