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What Can I Do With a Major in Geography & Urban and Regional Planning?
Geography is a discipline that trains majors to ask questions and address problems about the world's peoples, cultures, daily lives, and environments. Geographers study a range of human (social, economic, political) and environmental (atmospheric, ecologic, geologic) processes that create geographic diversity, or the incredible differences and similarities among places on earth.
While maintaining a global vision, geographers are also practical. Geographers study such topics as race, gender, class and ethnic relations, urban growth, migration and immigration, tourism, environmental impact analyses, resource management and protection planning, international geopolitics, and economic development. They are especially trained to synthesize information from many different types of sources and to apply technical expertise toward the creation and analyses of geographic (spatial) data.
Given the breadth of the geographer's interests and concerns, it is not surprising that only the Department of Geography offers courses that meet college and university requirements in the social sciences, the natural sciences, and U.S. and world cultures. Geography students work on complex assignments that cross traditional professional boundaries. The major emphasizes the need for students to be flexible nd adaptive thinkers in a rapidly changing world.
Urban and Regional Planning is an interdisciplinary major administered by the Department of Geography. Because urban and regional planning is an interdisciplinary major, the core courses in geography are supplemented by courses in various other departments including architecture, economics, political science, sociology/anthropology, statistics, and systems analysis. In this major, students will learn both theories about community problems and techniques to solve the problems.
Interests
Geographers ask two questions: "Where" and "Why". Geographers believe that many of the world's social and environmental concerns can be best addressed by understanding why places are the way they are, how they relate to other places, and what factors determine changes in the daily conditions of places through time. Geography is the only discipline that directly examines relationships between humans and their environment and how these relationships determine the patterns of global diversity and the processes of global change on earth.
Planners are concerned with understanding problems that people have in their communities and with developing practical solutions to these problems. Planners start with a vision of what would be ideal for a community and then apply tools and techniques that help in creating a better community.
Planners perform a variety of duties. They write long-term comprehensive plans to guide the future development of a region or locality. Planners create detailed programs to carry out their goals for the community. They plan better parks, roads, schools, utilities, housing, shops, and other public services for the community. Planners help decide what projects should receive the community's limited financial resources.
Competencies
- Analyze These Human Problems:
- World overpopulation and food supply
Need to rebuild our cities and revitalize our rural areas
Underlying bases of international conflict and cooperation
Need to assess regional resource potentials and develop industry for prosperity
Opportunities and constraints for positive environmental management - Understand Patterns, Processes, and Problems:
- Soils
Climate
Vegetation
Water
Landforms
Ecosystems at various scales
Development
Regional economies and development
Urbanization and urban systems
Agricultural and industrial activity
Recreation and tourism
Conservation
Ethnic regionalism
Global change - Use The Analytical Tools:
- Maps
Aerial photographs
Interviews and surveys
Geographic information systems
Remote sensing - Understand Physical and Cultural Conditions in These Places:
- North America
Asia
Western and Eastern Europe
Africa
Latin America
Opportunities - Careers
A degree in geography or planning will enable you to fulfill the needs of a variety of jobs. First, you can become proficient in the discipline's analytic tools and specific subfields. Second, you can become a well-rounded generalist who can contribute a broad perspective to a variety of social and environmental problems.
Geographers find employment in:
- Government
- Local, regional, state, and federal
Planning, economic development, parks and recreation, transportation, housing, urban renewal, environmental protection, social services, foreign service - Education
- Environmental consulting firms
Real estate and retail development firms
Nonprofit agencies (planning, conservation, environment, humanitarian)
Banks, retailers, regional sales, and other businesses
Multinational firms
International development agencies
Note: Some of the listed career options may require additional education and/or training beyond the bachelor's degree.
Opportunities - Experiential
Internships
Student geographers and planners have arranged and carried out internships with the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; city planning agencies; state resource agencies; Kroger's, Federated Department Stores, and other private corporations and consulting firms.
Field Study
The Geography department strongly encourages majors to "get in the field" and provides competitive scholarship opportunities to support participation in a study-abroad course during their degree program. Geography now offers study-abroad opportunities to Kenya and Ghana and includes field trips in many of their courses.
Sources of Additional Information
- Department of Geography (216 Shideler Hall, 529-5010)
- * Curriculum Requirements
* Career Opportunities - Career Services (200 Hoyt Hall, 529-3831)
- * Career Resource Center
* Career Counseling
* Career Assistance Center
* Computerized Career Development Program
* Dictionary of Occupational Titles
* Occupational Outlook Handbook - Arts and Science Academic Advising (146 Upham Hall, 529-3031)
- * Miami Plan & College of Arts and Science Requirements
- * Course Selection
* Career Decision Making
Developed by the College of Arts and Science Advising Office and the academic departmental offices with adaptations from Liberal Arts and Sciences - Skills - Career Opportunities, Career Planning and Placement Office, University of Michigan.