Career Details

19-3092.00 - Geographers

Study the nature and use of areas of the Earth's surface, relating and interpreting interactions of physical and cultural phenomena. Conduct research on physical aspects of a region, including land forms, climates, soils, plants, and animals, and conduct research on the spatial implications of human activities within a given area, including social characteristics, economic activities, and political organization, as well as researching interdependence between regions at scales ranging from local to global.

Key Facts

Bright Outlook

Career Details

Green Job

Career Details

Current Employment

1,400

Estimate

Forecasted Employment

1,400

Estimate

Change in Employment

0.0

Estimate

Change in Employment %

-1.6%

Estimate

Tasks

The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.

Core

Create and modify maps, graphs, or diagrams, using geographical information software and related equipment, and principles of cartography, such as coordinate systems, longitude, latitude, elevation, topography, and map scales.
Write and present reports of research findings.
Develop, operate, and maintain geographical information computer systems, including hardware, software, plotters, digitizers, printers, and video cameras.
Locate and obtain existing geographic information databases.
Analyze geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, or global scales.
Teach geography.
Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps.
Conduct field work at outdoor sites.
Study the economic, political, and cultural characteristics of a specific region's population.
Provide consulting services in fields such as resource development and management, business location and market area analysis, environmental hazards, regional cultural history, and urban social planning.
Collect data on physical characteristics of specified areas, such as geological formations, climates, and vegetation, using surveying or meteorological equipment.
Provide geographical information systems support to the private and public sectors.

All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.

Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.

Geography

English Language

Education and Training

Sociology and Anthropology

Computers and Electronics

History and Archeology

Mathematics

Administration and Management

Philosophy and Theology

Clerical

Communications and Media

Biology

Design

All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.

Tools

The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.

Length and thickness and distance measuring instruments

Specialized and recreational vehicles

Meteorological instruments

Spectroscopic equipment

Measuring and layout tools

Viewing and observing instruments and accessories

Power tools

Soil measuring equipment

Electrochemical measuring instruments and accessories

Forestry machinery and equipment

Laboratory ionic equipment

Geophysical and geotechnical instruments

Computers

Cameras

Computer data input devices

Laboratory ovens and accessories

Electrical measuring and testing equipment and accessories

Weight measuring instruments

Indicating and recording instruments

Laboratory enclosures and accessories

Laboratory furnaces and accessories

Audio and visual equipment

Radar and sonar systems and components

Laboratory centrifuges and accessories

Humidity and moisture measuring instruments

Chemical evaluation instruments and supplies

Temperature and heat measuring instruments

Chromatographic measuring instruments and accessories

Pipettes and liquid handling equipment and supplies

Laboratory boring and grinding and cutting and crushing and pressing equipment

Computer printers

Electronic and communication measuring and testing instruments

Rock drills

Recreational watercraft

Cutting equipment

Laboratory cooling equipment

Sampling equipment

Seismological instruments

Laboratory sieves and sifting equipment and supplies

Laboratory mixing and stirring and shaking equipment and supplies

Pressure measuring and control instruments

Transducers

Land surveying instruments

Drilling and workover rigs and equipment

Water treatment and supply equipment

Hydrological instruments

Crystallography equipment

All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.

Technology

The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.

Content authoring and editing software

Industry specific software

Information exchange software

Network applications software

Business function specific software

Data management and query software

All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.

Certifications

FastForward at Virginia's Community Colleges is a short-term training program for high-demand industries, like healthcare, information technology, and skilled trades and infrastructure, helping Virginians get the jobs and salaries they need. Our goal is to get you trained, help you earn your certification, and get you into a career that can support you and your family. Explore the latest training program offerings by visiting FastForward

The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.

Advanced

Product/Equipment

Core

All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.

Licensing

The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.

No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.

All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.

Related Programs

Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.

INSTITUTION

PROGRAMS

Brightpoint Community College

Programs

Eastern Shore Community College

Programs

Germanna Community College

Programs

J Sargeant Reynolds Community College

Programs

Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts

Associate of Arts

This degree is for those who want to transfer to a 4 year college to prepare for a career in broad study fields that demand thinking on many levels, reading, writing, and those that involve any of the arts, humanities, or social sciences. Majors must take two years of a foreign language.

Associate of Science in General Studies

Associate of Science

This program is for those with transfer goals that are not met by other Reynolds transfer programs. It has 46 credits of broad content courses and 15 that must match core courses in the chosen program at a four year college.

Associate of Science in Social Sciences

Associate of Science

The social sciences are concerned with the study of human society and emphasize the role of analysis, experimentation, and the scientific method. The chief academic disciplines of the social sciences are anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, geography, history, and sociology. The Social Sciences AS degree is designed for those who plan to transfer to a fouryear college or university to complete a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences. The curricula consist of courses in general education (including foreign language, natural science, and social science) typically required in the first two years of a baccalaureate curriculum in the social sciences.

Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts - American Sign Language/Deaf Studies Major

Associate of Arts

The Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts lays the foundation for a Bachelor of Arts degree in art and art history, ASL-English Interpretation, communication, Deaf studies, English/literature, history, humanities, journalism, music, philosophy, pre-law, social sciences, speech-language pathology, religious studies, and world languages. The liberal arts promote a broad background of knowledge across the arts, humanities, languages, and social sciences to develop students' abilities in analytical and critical thinking, written and oral communication, and understanding global cultural awareness. The Liberal Arts degree is a two-year program designed for those students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree. While the program is designed to provide transfer paths that will match the requirements of four-year colleges and universities, the requirements may differ. Therefore, students are strongly urged to work with their assigned advisor and to acquaint themselves with the requirements of the major department in the college or university to which they plan to transfer. This program requires intermediate proficiency (two years of coursework or its equivalent) in a language other than English.

Laurel Ridge Community College

Programs

Mountain Gateway Community College

Programs

Northern Virginia Community College

Programs

General Studies, A.S.

Associate of Science

This program is a flexible associate degree. For students who plan to transfer, the degree can parallel the first two years of a four-year bachelor of science program if they choose courses that match the transfer institution's requirements. For those students who do not plan to transfer, the degree allows them to structure a program to suit their needs using accumulated credits from a variety of formal and experiential sources.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS), C.S.C.

Career Studies Certificate

This program is designed to help students develop both the theoretical knowledge and a practical facility with GIS. Students who already hold a baccalaureate or master's degree will acquire the requisite skills and knowledge to switch careers, or to apply spatial analysis in their present workplaces. Students will be positioned to pursue additional coursework toward an associate degree and/or transfer to a four-year institution for further study in the geospatial, environmental, or physical sciences; in civil engineering; in information technology; or in business/marketing at a four-year institution.

Preparation: Students are expected to understand fundamental computer applications and concepts before enrolling in GIS courses.

Liberal Arts, A.A.

Associate of Arts

This program is designed for individuals who plan to transfer to a four-year institution to complete a bachelor of arts (B.A.).

Social Sciences, A.S.

Associate of Science

This program is designed for individuals who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor of science in one of the social sciences. It also prepares students for some teacher certification programs. Students from the A.S. program major in a wide variety of fields, including anthropology, economics, government/political science, history, mass communications, pre-law, psychology, public administration, social work, and sociology.

Social Sciences: Geospatial Specialization, A.S.

Associate of Science

This program is designed to prepare students to transfer into baccalaureate programs in the geospatial or social sciences at a four-year institution. Students will learn theory about geospatial systems and how they are used.

Rappahannock Community College

Programs

Southside Virginia Community College

Programs

Tidewater Community College

Programs

Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts

Associate of Arts

The Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree program is designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program in the liberal arts. Four-year liberal arts programs prepare graduates for a wide variety of jobs in business, the arts, education, medical and legal professions, and in social and public service occupations. Liberal Arts studies emphasize fine arts, language, literature, philosophy, mathematics, science, social science and analytical and critical thinking skills, all of which prepare students for lifelong learning and social, cultural, and technological change.

Courses required for the Liberal Arts degree are available on all four campuses.

Associate of Science - General Studies

Associate of Science

The Associate of Science (A.S.) degree in General Studies is a flexible degree that allows students to design a curriculum that meets particular transfer objectives that are not fulfilled by existing TCC transfer programs. The program consists of a number of electives that may be selected in consultation with an advisor or counselor to ensure they will be accepted for the preferred program at the four-year institution they plan to attend.

Courses required for the General Studies degree are available on all four campuses.

Associate of Science - Social Sciences

Associate of Science

The Associate of Science (A.S.) degree in Social Sciences is designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a baccalaureate degree in one of the social or behavioral sciences. Social Sciences include academic disciplines such as anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, sociology, and psychology. The A.S. in Social Sciences may also prepare students for some teacher certification programs.

Courses required for the Social Sciences degree are available on all four campuses.

Associate of Applied Science - Information Systems Technology (Geographic Information Systems - GIS)

Associate of Applied Science

The A.A.S. Information Systems Technology: Specialization - Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program prepares students for employment as they will complete their core information technology course requirements and learn the skills necessary to visualize, analyze, and model GIS systems to help in the planning and decision-making processes of a business organization. Graduates may seek employment as GIS specialists within a private, public, or governmental agency.

Virginia Peninsula Community College

Programs

Virginia Western Community College

Programs

Wytheville Community College

Programs