Careers in Geography, Environment, & Sustainability

Everything happens somewhere, and location intelligence becomes increasingly important as accelerating consumption, population growth, and climate change require spatial innovation and efficiency to sustainably manage the limited resources available on our finite planet.  Geographers, geoscientists, cartographers, urban and regional planners, environmental scientists, web mappers, location data scientists, and other geographic professionals are in demand to apply “the science of where.” The U.S. Department of Labor projects continued growth in this sector into 2030 as “location, location, location” becomes a mantra that extends well beyond just real estate.  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook (visited October 11, 2022).

Geographers work in a variety of fields:

The Environment

  • Environmental management
  • Conservation of biodiversity
  • Natural resource management
  • Pollution management
  • Climatology
  • Natural hazard perception
Sustainability
  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation
  • Environmental Justice
  • Urban planning
  • Renewable Energies
  • National park management

Policy

  • Foreign policy
  • National security
  • Immigration policy
  • Non-governmental organizations

Development

  • Urban planning
  • Transportation
  • Emergency and disaster planning
  • Tourism
  • Real estate development
  • Resource exploration

Economics

  • International Business
  • Socially responsible business
  • Green investment
  • Carbon credits and certification

University of Richmond geography majors are employable because of:

Global Need

Geographical theory and geospatial technology are increasingly important on a threatened planet facing a warming climate, growing populations, dwindling resources, and increasingly complex information flows.

Interdisciplinarity

Geography’s interdisciplinary nature and unique understanding of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities is ideal for addressing complex problems as diverse as climate change, economic inequality, and territorial conflict.

Geographical Understanding

Geographical understanding is a critical component of sound foreign policy, effective environmental stewardship, and successful international business.

Geographic Technology

Remote Sensing, Geographical Information Science(GISc), and other geospatial technologies and approaches are increasingly prevalent worldwide. Our department’s Spatial Analysis Laboratory (SAL) trains students to use these tools efficiently and to critically analyze their products and processes.

Job Opportunities

  • The U.S. Department of Labor identified Geospatial Technology as one of 14 high-growth, high-demand, and economically vital sectors of the U.S. economy.
  • Geotechnology is one of the three most important emerging and evolving fields (along with nanotechnology and biotechnology). Nature 2004.
  • “The use of geospatial technology is changing the way business is conducted throughout the world.” Science 2005.

Internationalization

The Department of Geography’s global-local curriculum is cutting edge even within UR, a university that habitually wins awards for innovative international education. Geography is a core discipline in our partner institutions abroad, and Geography graduates understand the complex connections between nations.

Applied Instruction

Our applied classes and experiential learning requirements provide students with real-world skills directly applicable to the workplace.

Spatial Theory

Spatial theories (scale, location, place, landscape, and connectivity) allow geographers to critically analyze change in the cultural, physical, and economic landscape.