<p>Just wondering. I am.</p>
<p>Why did you choose geography?
What school do you go to?
What do you plan to do with it?
Do you want to obtain higher degrees?
-If so, in geography or another field?
-What schools are you applying to?
Are you double/triple/quadruple majoring in anything?
-If so, what?
Are you working towards a BA or BS?
Are you minoring?
-In what?</p>
<p>I hope people answer this. I am considering this major as a second major and would like to hear things.</p>
<p>^ what’s your primary major?</p>
<p>since no one has responded, i’ll post my reasons:
Why did you choose geography? It’s unique and I like it. Not a lot of people major in it (at least in the US). It’s popular in other countries though.
What school do you go to? Virginia Tech
What do you plan to do with it? Not exactly sure yet but graduate school is definitely up there. Not straightaway after undergrad though, and in what field, not sure.
Do you want to obtain higher degrees? absolutely! I’m 100% going to get my master’s degree, and might even get more than one. Getting a doctoral is a stretch but I’m not totally dropping it yet.
-If so, in geography or another field? Might do both if I get more than one. I’d like to try a regular MSci in geography and possibly one in disaster management or something. But law is also on the map (no pun intended).
-What schools are you applying to? Right now I’m looking overseas in either New Zealand or Australia. There are a few in the United States such as Penn State, Hopkins, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UMD, and maybe Ohio State, BU, Hawaii, UOregon and Wisconsin-Madison.
Are you double/triple/quadruple majoring in anything? Not currently.
-If so, what? Might do economics, computer science, or math
Are you working towards a BA or BS? BS
Are you minoring? Not currently.
**-In what? ** Economics, computer science, art, or math.</p>
<p>I hope this helps! I’m really all over the board when it comes to geography, especially when it comes to graduate schools and double/multiple-majoring/minoring. There’s just a lot I want to do but of course I have to pick.</p>
<p>That sounds like such a fun major!</p>
<p>I am a visual arts major studying 2-d design. It is smaller so I have time for another. I have been looking a lot for another major (with more job prospects than art) and actually didn’t think much of geography at first since I didn’t see what I could do with it unless I taught. But after looking into it it seems like it comes with many possible interesting career possibilities. I will be taking 2 courses in the fall to see if I enjoy it (I hope so). I would like to learn the map making systems or work within the environment (Possible surveying?).
I don’t have a single friend going for a geography degree so sometimes information can be hard to come by but I do view that as a positive since the fields will not be so packed with college folks like business and biology can be.</p>
<p>geography is so fantastic I really would have loved to have it as a second major</p>
<p>it really is a fun major! you learn about cultures and their relationship to the environment so there could possibly be some environmental science thrown in there. </p>
<p>i love art and would love to supplement geography + art. i would love to make maps for a living lol. </p>
<p>i will say though that since geography is really popular everywhere else but the united states so you have A LOT of study abroad opportunities. i plan on taking advantage of this which could possibly further my graduation date since i want to study abroad to get some field experience in (which is required by virginia tech)</p>
<p>This all makes me more excited. I want school to be back in session so I can try it out to make sure it is a good fit! I even made note of all of the classes I would be taking and looked at the descriptions. (kind of getting ahead of myself, haha)</p>
<p>Why did you choose geography?
I decided to major in GIS and Physical Geography because I enjoyed earth sciences and liked the applicability of GIS as a tool for exploring spatial phenomena.</p>
<p>What school do you go to?
I graduated from Penn State with a B.S. in Geography (both GIS and Physical Geog concentrations). Received a minor in Geosciences. I am currently attending CU Boulder for my M.A.</p>
<p>What do you plan to do with it?
My research combines climatology and geophysics-- I look at Arctic precipitation patterns and model permafrost thermodynamics. My goal is to work in a research lab or go into academia.</p>
<p>Do you want to obtain higher degrees?
-If so, in geography or another field?
I am working toward a MA in Geography, but I enjoy science/math and my research reflects this, therefore I am planning to enter the Geophysics PhD program after completing my masters.</p>
<p>Geography is often appeals to people who want to integrate various interests into their studies. When considering a geography major you have to decide what facet of geography you want to pursue: physical geography, human geography, geographic information science, human/environment relations. Of the U.S. schools you listed: Penn State, Ohio State, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Wisconsin-Madison are all generally considered to be top schools in geography at the BA/BS level. Although if you do decide to major in geography you should research more about each geography program and you will find that different programs tend to have more emphasis/faculty/research in a particular area.</p>
<p>If you are interested in physical geography, through my own experience, I think it is beneficial to have a background in some or all of the following (depending on your intended concentration): math, statistics, physics, chemistry, biology, and/or programming. This is particularly important if you plan to switch to a different field for your graduate degree. If you are considering this I would strongly recommend taking the first few semester sequences of math/science that engineers/science majors are required to take, as many geography BA/BS programs do not require them.</p>
<p>So, another thing (Good to ask now since some of you are actually geography majors), I have to choose between the BA in geography or a minor in “Geographic Information Systems”. I know it is my choice but I think I would like mainly focus on GIS so this would actually be a good opportunity. Here are the courses…</p>
<p>Geography major (BA)
-Introduction to Map Use
-Introduction to Physical Geography
-Introduction to Human Geography
-Economic Geography
-Geography of North America </p>
<h2>-History and Development of Geographic Thought</h2>
<p>(Pick 2)
-Geography of Europe
-Geography of Asia </p>
<h2>-Geography of Africa </h2>
<p>Select two of the following courses:
-Regional Planning Methods
-Advanced Physical Geography </p>
<h2>-Urban Geography </h2>
<p>-Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing
-Cartography</p>
<p>GIS minor
-Introduction to Map Use
-Introduction to Physical Geography
-Introduction to Human Geography
-Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing
-Cartography
-Geographic Information Systems
-Techniques in Geographic Information Systems </p>
<p>Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
I would like some actual job opportunities and I have heard that minors are not usually viewed as super important or helpful. =</p>
<p>your school has a really good set of courses for a minor. although i can’t help you pick either the major or minor, my advice to you is to pick which curriculum fits your interests.</p>
<p>for example, i chose Virginia Tech because the major is VERY flexible, e.g. i didn’t like how other schools told me i had to take a regional course. i can take [almost] whatever i want. my specialization/concentration is in GIS so most of my courses will be in that because i can. of course, i will take regional courses, but the ones i want, not from a set the school gives me. </p>
<p>and thanks permafrost! i’m definitely going to look into their programs.</p>
<p>Well, for now I think I will focus on the minor. It is a shame that I didn’t find/know much about this major earlier. And as for my job prospect concerns, I suppose I could always ask the professors on their thoughts once I get into it.</p>
<p>So glad about this post! i’m a Geography major from south america. It’s not a very popular career choice here as well, and only available in a few universities, but the advantage of that is that there are plenty of job opportunities, and it is quite easy for one to choose a job field.
I’m in love with Geography, in mi case we have two orientations to choose from: Human and Physical Geography, there are some minor core requirements, and then we are free to take the courses we desire.
I’m majoring in Human Geography, and i would love to pursue a job in government administration, related to human development.
At my university, authorities, professors and students are all making and effort to get people to get to know the career and what a Geographer can do, i’m my case for example this wasn’t my first choice because i actually didn’t know what the major consist of, so i think it’s very important to promote the major so that it can globally grow and get to be a strong career choice. I hate when people suppose that we just study maps and where the countries are located in the globe!
I suggest future geographers, to talk with professors and students in order to decide what orientation to choose and which courses to select, i know it’s not easy to met someone that “works in Geography”, so we need to make an effort in order to get in contact.</p>
<p>As a kid, I always wanted to do geography (I memorized all the countries in the world, and still do).</p>
<p>Then, I found out geography does with physical land, not politics and cultures.
Oh, how disappointed I was. Now I’m an International Relations major.</p>
<p>Not all geography is physical land (physical geography) </p>
<p>Human geography is cultures too.</p>
<p>True, true, but sonething like Globalization (Economics), Area Studies, Foreign Affairs (International Relations), and Cultures (Anthropology) would end up under different majors.</p>
<p>Learning about the lifestyle and culture of countries differs greatly from the location and topography.</p>
<p>So im not trying to be rude or anything its just that the only Geography course I ever had was by a coach who handed out map colors and told us to color maps of different countries green if they had trees, brown if they were deserts, or blue if they were water… I realize I had a really crappy teacher and there has to be far more to the field than just coloring maps.</p>
<p>What is a normal Geography course like… What kind of job can you get with this major?</p>
<p>So great to see so many other geography majors! I haven’t met very many other geography majors. So, to answer the questions: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Why? I guess I just like learning about the world. The major can cover so many different topics like geology, history, sociology, psychology, etc. To me it’s fascinating.</p></li>
<li><p>I’m transferring from a community college to UCLA. This fall will be my first quarter so I’m excited! </p></li>
<li><p>I don’t know what I plan to do yet. I’m trying to go in the direction of GIS and urban planning. Maybe towards retirement or something I’ll go into teaching. Cali schools are pathetic when it comes to geography. Need to teach these kids something. Lol.</p></li>
<li><p>I do plan on getting a higher degree but not just yet. I’m probably going to take a year off and then see if I really want to.
QUESTION: Does anyone know how good U of Washington’s program is for MA? (I love the rain).</p></li>
<li><p>Currently not double majoring, but I might minor in Japanese.</p></li>
<li><p>My degree will be a BA. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>I’d love to hear more of what people plan to do with their geography degrees. I’m still trying to find jobs that I might be interested in. Has anyone done any internships?</p>
<p>I didn’t major in Geography, but my niece did. She graduated several years ago from East Carolina, and holds a high paying safe federal job working on flight plans for the FAA in DC. She got her MBA on the feds dime at UMd.</p>
going to respond in case anyone else stumbles upon this like i did
Why did you choose geography?
It is interesting and a passion
What school do you go to?
Rutgers University- New Brunswick
What do you plan to do with it?
Not sure yet. Hopefully something with computers/mapping
Do you want to obtain higher degrees?
Possibly
-If so, in geography or another field?
Geography or perhaps go for an MBA
-What schools are you applying to?
Don’t know yet!
Are you double/triple/quadruple majoring in anything?
I am a double major
-If so, what?
Information Technology and Informatics
Are you working towards a BA or BS?
BA (only offered at my school)
Are you minoring?
yes
in what?
Environmental Business and Economics