Geography Degree for Career in Cartography

Geography is a field of science that focuses on the environment and how patterns in ecology, landmasses, weather and other factors affect the world. Nowadays you have a great chance to get a degree in geography online.

Geography Degree

No doubt, an online degree in geography opens the door to a wide variety of careers. Traditional geography careers include cartography, geological survey, climatologist, soil conservationist and wildlife preservation. Emerging technologies have developed new professions, such as GIS specialists, who use computer programs to develop maps.

Geographers often collaborate with local governments, news outlets and publishers. These organizations hire geographers to assist with urban planning, population estimations and project development management. In addition, a degree in geography may lead to a career in the corporate or academic world as professors, marketing experts or the real estate industry.

Online Programs in Geography

MS in Geographic Information Science and Technology – University of Southern California

Requirements for a Degree in Geography

Typically an undergraduate geography degree includes of coursework in geography and some other disciplines. Institutes offer an opportunity to get either Bachelor of Arts degree in geography or a Bachelor of Science degree in geography these days. There are several colleges and universities offer both Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A. or A.B.) and the Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.) in geography.

As a geography major a student will be able to select from a variety of interesting courses about all facets of geography as you work toward your geography degree. But you should keep in mind that there is a list of core courses that every geography major must meet. These initial courses are designed for students in their first and second years of college. Here are some of these courses:

An introduction to physical geography lecture (sometimes including a laboratory course in which you make maps, use Geographic Information Systems (GIS), work with compasses and topographic maps, etc.)
An introduction to cultural or human geography lecture
World regional geography lecture

During the first two years of college, a student would likely take their lower division geography courses and maybe a handful of other lower division geography courses. However, freshman and sophomore years are usually the time to take your general education courses to get them out of the way. You will take most of your geography courses (and your schedule will mostly be geography courses) only during your third and fourth years.

There are core upper division requirements:

Geographic techniques and methods (learning about geography journals, the use of the library, research, using computers for cartography and GIS, using other software platforms, and learning how to think geographically
Cartography and/or Geographic Information Systems laboratory (4 to 8 hours a week learning how to make maps and making maps on computer)
History of geographic thought (learning about the history and philosophy of geography as an academic discipline)
Quantitative geography (statistics and analysis of geographic problems)
One upper division course in geophysics
One upper division course in cultural or human geography
One regional geography course to learn about a specific region of the world
Senior project or capstone project or advanced seminar
Field work or internship

A student working toward a geography degree might focus within a specific concentration of geography. A student may concentrate on the following themes:

Urban and/or economic geography and/or planning
Geographic Information Systems and/or cartography
Physical geography
Environmental studies
Climatology
Geomorphology (the study of landforms and the processes that shape them)
Human or cultural geography
Regional geography

Ashford University

Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management – Geography

Ashford University’s Organizational Management program examines the human side of managing organizations, skill development in communication, group behavior, decision-making, human resource management and ethics. One of the best things about Ashford University’s Organizational Management program is the student’s ability to customize their degree to fit their professional and educational goals. Students with a background and/or interest in Geography can transfer up to 12 credits of Engineering coursework into their Geography concentration resulting in a dynamic degree comprised of complementing areas.

Students with a concentration in Geography will gain the fundamental knowledge in the geographic analysis of places and humans in the world’s regions, as well as an understanding of geographic concepts and mapping techniques. These students will combine their Geography education with organizational skills development in communications, group behavior, decision making, human resource management and ethics, culminating in a well-rounded degree. In addition, Ashford University’s transfer policy will allow you to transfer in your Geography credits no matter when you took them.

Applicants to this program must have a High school diploma or GED, be age 22 or older, have work experience, preferably full-time work experience and meet the writing proficiency standards of the College of External Studies.

Bachelor of Arts in Social Science – Geography

With this degree students are able to obtain a multidisciplinary approach to the social sciences by applying different outlooks combined and applied with real world issues.

Students can transfer up to 12 approved credits of Geography coursework to qualify as their concentration in the Social Science degree program. This program will aid students in increasing their knowledge of the earth and its features, inhabitants, and phenomena supplementing their studies in Social Science resulting for a well-rounded degree. Every student will be glad to know that they can transfer in these approved credits no matter when they took them so the credit they’ve already earned will not go unused. Each students that graduates from Ashford with this dynamic degree that will enhance your opportunity for promotion within your chosen field.

Charter Oak State College

Bachelor of Geography

The Bachelor degree in Geography is a 120-credit degree completion program that can be completed with distance education through online courses. This program is designed for students who already have some experience or college credit. Along with general education requirements, you will also take at least 36 hours of specialized courses to fulfill the concentration in Geography.