Career Paths

Human Geographers are interested in the interactions between humans and their environments and seek to better understand how space and place intersect. 

Common occupations for human geographers include positions in urban, regional and environmental management, planning and policy making, strategic communications and education, among others.

With a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between socio-economic and biophysical systems, graduates of the GES major support environmental decision-making across a range of sectors and industries.

Typical occupations include positions in environmental planning and resource use, system and transportation planning, resource management, knowledge translation and policy development among others.

Physical geographers are concerned with processes that impact the natural environment and work in areas such as terrain analysis and geotechnical consulting, environmental impact assessment, wildlife habitat protection, forest conservation, natural resource development and atmospheric and soil sciences, among others. 

Graduates of our Physical Geography programs have the opportunity to gain accredition as a Professional Geoscientist or Professional Agrologist.  In fact, as of Sept 2022, certification as a registered professional agrologist will be required to practice agrology within BC.

Geographers with GIS skills are in great demand as more and more industries expand their use of spatial data. All of our degree programs include courses within the field of GIScience and students can gain additional expertise through completion of the GIS Certificate program.

GIS skills are commonly used in urban and land-use planning, healthcare, transportation planning, resource management, public safety and risk assessment, among others.

• Read critically and write persuasively with a comprehensive knowledge of grammar and vocabulary
• Use critical thinking skills to evaluate and solve problems
• Conduct research to access, analyze, and apply knowledge
• Use qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Initiate and test hypotheses about earth systems

• Develop discipline-specific technical expertise (i.e. use of specialized field equipment, satellite imagery and state of the art software)
• Deisgn and develop computer models
• Use statistical applications to generate and interpret spatial data
  
• Organize information and maintain records with accuracy
• Gather, organize, analyze and summarize data
  
• Conduct field studies
  
• Understand surveying and sampling techniques
• Use computer programs to initiate and expand research

• Communicate ideas clearly and efficiently in a variety of mediums through listening, clarifying, and responding comprehensively
• Share information and ideas using a range of information and communications technologies
  
• Lead, support, and work effectively within in a group
• Think from a global perspective and communicate effectively across cultures

• Reading, interpreting & creating spatial data products like maps and graphs
  
• Understand the ways in which humans interact with the physical and built environment
  
• Develop a multidisciplinary perspective on environmental, social and economic problems 
  
• Understand spatial relations

• Conceptualize, plan and carry out projects
  
• Work effectively and independently to meet deadlines
• Anticipate and manage risk
• Adapt to changing priorities
  
• Develop creative solutions to problems